This has been brewing for a little while obviously but away from this forum.
As I've said before, I'm relatively lucky compared to many owners in the building. We have some deficiencies but pretty much all of them are things they can fix in a few hours that Lamb could conceivably call standard PDI items. I've seen several other units now and the complaints are absolutely warranted - with some spaces *significantly* incomplete on move-in, from major gaps, to open walls to missing appliances to closet doors being put in the wrong way, sliding doors installed so when they closed there was still a foot between the door and the wall, poor tiling work, cracked bathtubs, etc.
Everything in the building is fixable but Lamb was bringing in handymen to do the fixes and they were doing a pretty sloppy job. Pretty much the day this article started becoming a reality, they stepped up their game - Lamb came to visit the building and just last week, they had a guy from DC come into all of our units to inspect our deficiencies. Supposedly, this week and next, each floor has a day assigned for fixing issues in their units. All of a sudden, I'm getting responses back from the Lamb team regarding issues I have. Our heat pump was broken and they replaced it completely on Friday. We'll see how the "fixing" days go but it looks like they might finally be feeling the pressure to do quality work.
I have seen one unit that had all kinds of issues in the beginning and has now *finally* all been fixed (they redid all the poor tile work, replaced the cracked bathtub, repainted the place and cleaned it up) and it actually looks pretty great now. So there is hope. But that owner was planning on moving in when I did and wasn't actually able to on time because of said issues. That's the kind of thing there should be compensation for, on top of the ridiculous delays we all had (and some still have).
That said, wall tiles in the main areas - downstairs as well as on our floors at the elevators - are also going up and they are looking pretty spiffy. Can't wait till it's all finished.
Still waiting until we get our rug and balcony furniture to take photos of our unit .
I am really the owners here stuck together and made Lamb face the music. If he is being honest and fixes everything as he should, good on him. Hopefully the visiting every unit stuff is not just PR and he actually owns up to all of this. He could really salvage his Ottawa reputation by owning up to the mistakes and fixing them. Us Ottawans are a forgiving bunch, heck Claridge is still in business the last time I checked.
I bought an East Market condo when the building was new (and a Brad Lamb project). There were a large number of deficiencies due to poor workmanship and bad design (seal on windows, poorly poured concrete, lots of elevator problems, sloppy workmanship on finishes, etc). I think they eventually fixed most of them, but owners need to be persistent.
East Market and Mondrian and Central are Urban Capital projects. From insiders, Brad Lamb acted as a consultant for design and marketing both for East Market and Mondrian, not Central. I surely hope that Gotham doesn't turn out to be Mondrian Phase II !
I am really the owners here stuck together and made Lamb face the music. If he is being honest and fixes everything as he should, good on him. Hopefully the visiting every unit stuff is not just PR and he actually owns up to all of this. He could really salvage his Ottawa reputation by owning up to the mistakes and fixing them. Us Ottawans are a forgiving bunch, heck Claridge is still in business the last time I checked.
Also can't wait to see those pics.
On the subject of buying new condo, this is an interesting article:
So, it is the common of the industry to hire the lower bidder for any sub-trades and sell at the highest price! A new version of get rich and millionaire quick.
East Market and Mondrian and Central are Urban Capital projects. From insiders, Brad Lamb acted as a consultant for design and marketing both for East Market and Mondrian, not Central. I surely hope that Gotham doesn't turn out to be Mondrian Phase II !
This has been brewing for a little while obviously but away from this forum.
As I've said before, I'm relatively lucky compared to many owners in the building. We have some deficiencies but pretty much all of them are things they can fix in a few hours that Lamb could conceivably call standard PDI items. I've seen several other units now and the complaints are absolutely warranted - with some spaces *significantly* incomplete on move-in, from major gaps, to open walls to missing appliances to closet doors being put in the wrong way, sliding doors installed so when they closed there was still a foot between the door and the wall, poor tiling work, cracked bathtubs, etc.
Everything in the building is fixable but Lamb was bringing in handymen to do the fixes and they were doing a pretty sloppy job. Pretty much the day this article started becoming a reality, they stepped up their game - Lamb came to visit the building and just last week, they had a guy from DC come into all of our units to inspect our deficiencies. Supposedly, this week and next, each floor has a day assigned for fixing issues in their units. All of a sudden, I'm getting responses back from the Lamb team regarding issues I have. Our heat pump was broken and they replaced it completely on Friday. We'll see how the "fixing" days go but it looks like they might finally be feeling the pressure to do quality work.
I have seen one unit that had all kinds of issues in the beginning and has now *finally* all been fixed (they redid all the poor tile work, replaced the cracked bathtub, repainted the place and cleaned it up) and it actually looks pretty great now. So there is hope. But that owner was planning on moving in when I did and wasn't actually able to on time because of said issues. That's the kind of thing there should be compensation for, on top of the ridiculous delays we all had (and some still have).
That said, wall tiles in the main areas - downstairs as well as on our floors at the elevators - are also going up and they are looking pretty spiffy. Can't wait till it's all finished.
Still waiting until we get our rug and balcony furniture to take photos of our unit .
I had purchased a Lamb project in Toronto and it was a disaster. Everything that has happened here happened to me and then some. The workmanship was poor and whenever someone came in to fix it, often times it was worse. A lot of unqualified handymen doing the work. In addition, a lot of items in the sales agreement were flat out omitted. You really have to chase them down to fix deficiencies and then chase them to fix the deficiencies that they tried to fix but screwed up. Couldn't clean the windows for years because of a building defect!
It appears that things are improving now but my experience with Lamb has led me to never buy from him again. Too many headaches and a lot of unscrupulous stuff going on IMO.
Hopefully he can get it together on his future projects because the last few have had too many problems and they are all familiar.
[email protected] is Brad Lambs email. I'm sure now he screens it and simply deletes them all rather than having to deal with purchasers. After all, if you've already bought a unit - why would he communicate with you? He's got your money and couldn't care less about you or the product at this point, I'm sure.
How about this for frustrating? Marisa of course neglected to contact us throughout last week despite my emailing her multiple times (shocking!) and decided that Saturday was the right time to grace us with a communication, asking for a PDI before Wednesday. After telling her that it really isn't a possibility on this short of notice she bullies us and says that if we don't comply she will just do the PDI without us.
Lamb has no problem delaying occupancy on a weekly basis for months on end, but can't adjust our personal closing date a couple days to accommodate? So we cancel work and plans to meet with her...and what is this? A delay. Meaning that all that was totally unnecessary.
Like ServiceGuy, I've spent a lot of time in the trades dealing with builders. This is the most staggering display of incompetence I have ever seen. Interesting thing is, my job is now to teach proper trade practices to others - about 200+ students a year at a college here in Ottawa. Its my job to pass along the experiences I've had with builders and other trades.
A number of people know I've invested in Gotham and have asked if they should consider buying into SoBa; a quick 5 minute explanation of how Lamb operates is enough to send them running.
This is the Lamb experience. Nothing new. I have dealt with Marissa too. It was the most frustrating experience I ever had to go through. I have purchased new construction in the past. Nothing close to what I dealt with with Lamb:
- Poor workmanship
- promises not being kept
- flat out omitting items in the sales agreement!
- Building/unit issues that were unfixable (had to sell)
- The trades were either handymen or getting handymen to do the work
- Unit was provided in horrible condition. Wasn't cleaned, dust everywhere, paint on all the floors (damaged).
- Heard of workers using unit owner's tools to fix deficiencies.
There are more. I have done enough research now and it appears Lamb has very nice finishes and styling but the workmanship is below grade. And those are just the things you can see.
The unit actually looks pretty decent from the thumbnail pictures.
It's clear that this is the model suite. You can see from the photo that looks outside. I wonder why the owner didn't take any actual pictures of his unit.
Someone on here mentioned previously that my pictures have been used by several listings on kijiji for people trying to rent out their units.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nredding
It's clear that this is the model suite. You can see from the photo that looks outside. I wonder why the owner didn't take any actual pictures of his unit.
My guess is the picture of the model suite looks nice or possibly nicer than the actual units and people won't remember the little details when they come see the actual units.
It is a form of bait-and-switch, if you will, and it is an ethical question, rather than a legal one, IMO.
Does that monthly rate of $1400 include parking and heat/AC?
Thats steep, I pay half that in Hintonbourg for a 2 bedroom unit with parking for 2 cars, a garage, backyard, and a huge balcony and attic storage space and that includes natural gas heat and water paid for by the landlowd. Granted, the owner should be charging at least $1000 for my unit, I am kinda lucky I scored that rental.
Also, this is a flat out lie in the kijiji listing:
(the only building in Ottawa to allow and include gas BBQ's)
The Domicile towers near Dows Lake by the O-train tracks allow for gas bbqs on the balconies too. I think most Domicile buildings have this feature actually. But it is nice to see another developer adding this feature in Ottawa.
Does that monthly rate of $1400 include parking and heat/AC?
Thats steep, I pay half that in Hintonbourg for a 2 bedroom unit with parking for 2 cars, a garage, backyard, and a huge balcony and attic storage space and that includes natural gas heat and water paid for by the landlowd. Granted, the owner should be charging at least $1000 for my unit, I am kinda lucky I scored that rental.
Also, this is a flat out lie in the kijiji listing:
(the only building in Ottawa to allow and include gas BBQ's)
The Domicile towers near Dows Lake by the O-train tracks allow for gas bbqs on the balconies too. I think most Domicile buildings have this feature actually. But it is nice to see another developer adding this feature in Ottawa.
Since the owner does not mention anything about utilities or parking in his ad, I have to assume the $1,400 does NOT include either.
I am not familiar with rental price in the downtown core but you are right, if you have to factor in utilities, you may be looking at $1,600+ for a 1-bedroom condo.
You also raised a good point with respect to the gas BBQ but again, I don't think the prospective tenants worry too much that other buildings also allow gas BBQs on the balcony. It is certainly a selling feature and the owner definitely didn't miss an opportunity to present it as such, although the veracity is questionable.
Probably trying just to cover the mortgage and condo fees with that price. Dont think the owner will get much on the side of profit. But then again, they could be trying to start high with a lower cost as their actual break even in mind.
Gas and water are included in the condo fees. Hydro is separate. I would assume that owner is structuring his rental in the same way with gas and water included but hydro paid by the tenant.
Heat and A.C. run on a water-source heat pump system in the building and we pay for the electricity to run the heat pump/fan in our individual systems. Essentially, the heat pump simply takes heat from or moves it into a water loop going through the whole building, so it's not actually generating heat or air conditioning itself, resulting in a system that's a lot less expensive than standard heat/A.C. solutions. It also runs year-round so you don't have to wait for the whole building to turn on air conditioning in the spring, for example, you can use heat or air con any time.
I have no idea why the owner would advertise the gas line on the balconies being the only ones allowed in Ottawa as that's flat out wrong but the feature is a nice feature that isn't common.
Radster - I’d say at $1400/month rent for 680 sq feet, that’s an acceptable price downtown for a condo rental based on the bits of research I’ve done in the past. This all assumes of course that he has the same unit as the model suite which he never explicitly states. In fact, his unit might very well be smaller since he doesn’t mention a den and the model suite is a one bedroom plus den model.
But assuming he does have the 680 sq foot unit - I just found a Mondrian listing - 675 sq foot unit for $1600/mo including parking and storage locker, gas, and water, but no hydro. That's about equivalent to this listing if you shave off $200 on the price and minus the parking and locker (considering parking is about $200/mo average downtown). There's another listing that's pricier at $1615/mo for 700 sq feet and *doesn't* include parking.
Condo living is considered at a different price I think than your standard apartment due to the unit features and quality being generally higher (i.e. high ceilings, hardwood floors, European cabinetry, in-home washer/dryer, gas line to BBQ, heat pump system, etc) plus the addition of concierge services and any amenities (though our building doesn’t have any beyond an indoor and outdoor common area).
It's certainly a lot more expensive for significantly less square footage than Radster's aforementioned Hintonburg home but being truly downtown is part of that premium, and in a condo, you're also not worrying about mowing the lawn or shoveling the snow, etc. It's a different way of living that I personally prefer as I’ve never been a big spaces kind of guy but I’ve always loved the idea of being in the centre of things.
Regarding the use of my model suite pictures - many of the units are still not fully ready in the way they should be especially on the higher floors, so it doesn't surprise me that the owner would rather take a picture of a furnished model suite to give the idea of what it will be like rather than a picture of the unit as is right now, when it's most likely still not been cleaned (our unit wasn't on move-in despite reassurances it would be) and all kinds of issues probably still haven't been remedied.
Also keep in mind this seems to be a reposting from March - when none of us had even gotten occupancy yet and things were *definitely* not ready in the majority of units at that time.
Finally, the tile is going up rapidly on the walls in the entrance and it's looking spiffy. I'm loving the two types of tiles they're using. I'll take a picture when I get home tonight.
Last edited by jcphoenix; May 19, 2015 at 8:36 PM.
Gas and water are included in the condo fees. Hydro is separate. I would assume that owner is structuring his rental in the same way with gas and water included but hydro paid by the tenant.
Heat and A.C. run on a water-source heat pump system in the building and we pay for the electricity to run the heat pump/fan in our individual systems. Essentially, the heat pump simply takes heat from or moves it into a water loop going through the whole building, so it's not actually generating heat or air conditioning itself, resulting in a system that's a lot less expensive than standard heat/A.C. solutions. It also runs year-round so you don't have to wait for the whole building to turn on air conditioning in the spring, for example, you can use heat or air con any time.
That is interesting, and good to know. I think my friend's Claridge plaza unit uses a similar system, and his water, heat and AC are also included in the condo fees. Just goes to show how the owner posting the ad on Kijiji did a half-assed job explaining what is included.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcphoenix
Radster - I’d say at $1400/month rent for 680 sq feet, that’s an acceptable price downtown for a condo rental based on the bits of research I’ve done in the past. This all assumes of course that he has the same unit as the model suite which he never explicitly states. In fact, his unit might very well be smaller since he doesn’t mention a den and the model suite is a one bedroom plus den model.
But assuming he does have the 680 sq foot unit - I just found a Mondrian listing - 675 sq foot unit for $1600/mo including parking and storage locker, gas, and water, but no hydro. That's about equivalent to this listing if you shave off $200 on the price and minus the parking and locker (considering parking is about $200/mo average downtown). There's another listing that's pricier at $1615/mo for 700 sq feet and *doesn't* include parking.
It's certainly a lot more expensive for significantly less square footage than Radster's aforementioned Hintonburg home but being truly downtown is part of that premium, and in a condo, you're also not worrying about mowing the lawn or shoveling the snow, etc. It's a different way of living that I personally prefer as I’ve never been a big spaces kind of guy but I’ve always loved the idea of being in the centre of things.
True, you make valid points, and I guess I am just spoiled by the situation I am in. With that said, I lived in the CBD for a couple years recently, and thought like you that its worth a premium, was paying about $1100 for a 1 bedroom apartment in an older building, then I moved to Hintonbourg and my opinion changed. I would never move back to the CBD now. I feel very central, but I guess it depends which part of Hintonbourg too, as I live on Bayswater Ave so its in the eastern part, meaning that I am on the doorstep of the CBD, with an excellent walk score (almost on par with Gotham), yet with that funky small town vibe and a little on the eclectic side. I treasure my proximity to Little Italy, Wellington West, Experimental Farm/bike paths/canal and all the dog parks around. Its all relative, and everyone has their own preferences based on multiple factors. What counts most for me is the walk score (using the car as a last resort) and proximity to work. I think we can both agree that Hintonbourg and CBD are both strong in that regard, yet Hintonbourg is more affordable (not sure for how much longer though!).
Key features: This 433-square-foot studio condo in Centretown’s newest building, Gotham, has an open-concept layout ideal for the city dweller. Features floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors and exposed concrete ceilings. Stainless-steel appliances include gas stove, and there’s a gas line to the balcony for barbecuing.
Radster - yeah I think this owner really hasn't done a very good job of advertising his unit for sure. The lack of details is kind of ridiculous when you consider the rent he's looking for - he's probably losing several prospective tenants just because of the lack of information and effort put into that ad.
I have friends who live in Hintonburg and it's a great, up and coming trendy area. I agree with you - I'm all about the walking and transit so it's essential to find places where that is possible.
And yeah, it's definitely a person by person basis - I would love to live in areas like the Glebe/Hintonburg/Westboro, etc but a ridiculously large number of our friends live in and around the CBD, and our regular haunts are generally around the Bank area, Elgin, and sometimes the Market. The thing is, I don't think we're in a particularly amazing neighborhood right at this location but we *are* right in the middle of everything making access to all the major areas (from Hintonburg to the Market to the Glebe to Chinatown) easily accessible by transit. Add to that the location of my office - at Bank and Laurier just a five minute walk away, and there wasn't even a choice really when it came to condo options for me.
First pic below is of the front entrance, pics below that are of our unit. We haven't cleaned up the place properly here but I thought I'd take a couple snaps with my iPhone to show roughly what the place looks like. We'll clean up and take some better ones when the balcony furniture comes in and we've got our chalkboard walls cured (both the walls in the bedroom and den are chalkboard paint).
An heat pump generates heat *all the time* it's in heating or cooling mode. You get some electric heat effect in heating mode when you want it and have to pay to extract heat in cooling mode.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcphoenix
Gas and water are included in the condo fees.
Heat and A.C. run on a water-source heat pump system in the building and we pay for the electricity to run the heat pump/fan in our individual systems. Essentially, the heat pump simply takes heat from or moves it into a water loop going through the whole building, so it's not actually generating heat or air conditioning itself, resulting in a system that's a lot less expensive than standard heat/A.C. solutions. I
Finally, the tile is going up rapidly on the walls in the entrance and it's looking spiffy. I'm loving the two types of tiles they're using. I'll take a picture when I get home tonight.
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