The condo elevator may be such a trivial thing to consider when selecting a condo to buy or rent.
But in the past viewings I’ve had in the Fort and in Makati, the kind of elevators a condo estate had became an important consideration! Here are my buyers’ and tenants’ concerns, a real eye opener for me:
1) How can I bring my furniture all the way up to my unit? A client of mine, a surgeon who had a wide china cabinet to move from his Pacific Plaza Tower (PPT) condo, asked me, ”Does the elevator’s ceiling open up?” He explained that this was how this piece, and other bigger furniture pieces, were brought up. A shake of the head from the administrator made my client’s face fall. The administrator said, “Sir, no it doesn’t. But our other tenants asked the moving company to bring the larger pieces of furniture up through the stairs”.
I looked at the narrow staircase. We were going to walk up 10 floors to bring a china cabinet? “X” this condo.
Elevators without detachable ceilings are true of the older developments. Hoisting furniture up the floor thru the balcony window may be an option during a move in (though in most cases, it’s an expensive one), but it’s good only if you’re considering a unit on the lower floors.
2) Condominiums with confusing elevator systems. Ok, maybe getting used to the system is a solution. Zoning of elevator floors for faster servicing of residents sounds like a good idea. But when I took my pretty designer buyer to the Bellagio 1, the elevator zoned for the 28th floor didn’t go up right away. We had to get off on a floor that wasn’t even a podium level, then ride the next elevator to the higher floors. On the way down, the elevator didn’t go up again to our floor. It would only go up to a certain floor, then go down again (yes, for the same elevator that took us all the way up to the 28th). We weren’t supposed to press the service button several times, otherwise the system won’t respond.
As we couldn’t go down (nor up) right away, the client decided that Bellagio wasn’t worth her time. She was just too polished to say so directly.
Maybe Bellagio 1 was still fine-tuning it system, much as they have already turned over most of the units in the building. . . .
3) The elevator is too small and narrow. The elevator we rode in Ponte Salcedo, Salcedo Village was fresh-smelling, nicely decorated with black-and-white graphic art, clean–but oh so narrow. I feel like the riders were intruding in each other’s personal space. The units there however are large and spacious, and everything else checks out ok. So if having bigger elevator space is tops in your priority, Ponte Salcedo may not be the best choice for you.
4) Condos that DON’T have service elevators. Is this possible? Yes, again, the older condominiums (round 70′s era) don’t have this. Don’t expect too much from the vintage condos which though are excellently located, didn’t have this separation of function. You can share the elevator with staff workers bringing up the laundry.
5) Condos where the elevator opens up to the unit’s very own foyer or lobby. This is obviously a positive thing. Talk about privacy and prestige! The condo opens up right into your own lobby, or right into the unit. I know that Eurovilla (in Legaspi Village) units are like this. So though the units are older, practical buyers who like larger units go for this building. The Avignon is another one of those old, grand condos whose elevator takes you right into your own lobby! Another doctor-buyer of mine was keen on developments with this very specific feature due to this luxurious little detail not present in the newer and grander condos anywhere in town.
If you wish to know about condo choices, do visit our main website at Architerra, or our blog.
