Selling Philadelphia condominiums and lofts has a somewhat unique issue that may not be relevant to condos in, say, remote parts of Montana or deserted private islands. And that would be noise.
I live in a low-rise Philadelphia condo loft building that sits about 30 feet away from I-95. Honest. My condo is on the 2nd floor, and the elevated highway is right outside my front windows. If cars could fly, I might have to worry about one of them careening out of control, and smashing into the front of my condo building. Thank God the Jetson’s flying cars don’t exist!
Anyway, one potential problem I encountered when I bought our loft unit is noise.
Having a dull, droning constant highway noise outside my front bedroom could be a big problem if and when I sought to sell my home. So, we devised a kinda’ cool solution that works like a gem. And in the scheme of things, really didn’t cost a lot (in relation to the value of my Center City condo.)
Here’s the solution: We replaced our front windows (genius, eh?)
We had to find windows that would be approved by our historic association. So, we chose windows which are insulated with two panes of glass. No big inventive solution there. Then we added a double paned, inexpensive vinyl clad INSIDE the outer set of historically approved windows.
Living in downtown Philadelphia, we have a fairly strong historic association who mandates the type of window replacement we must use. However, this does not preclude us from installing another set of windows INSIDE the historical set.
So, here we have FOUR panes of glass between us and the highway. Two historically correct on the outside and two inside. This four paned window system eliminates all highway noise… it’s really amazing.
And this ingenious little set up demonstrates how you can effectively keep all city noise out of your Philadelphia condominium or loft.
You don’t need to live 30 feet from the highway or live in a super luxury condo building to benefit from this idea. Philadelphia condominiums that sit on busy corners, or just busy streets, can benefit by spending a few extra dollars per window to give you the sound insulation you need. Such insulation also provides extra protection from cold, heat loss, and dirt that gets inside of other single paned windows!
If you’re thinking of selling your Center City condominium and want more tips on how to enhance its value, I can help. Give me a call today at 215-521-1523 or drop me an email at mark@centercity.com.
Mark Wade
www.CenterCityCondos.com
BHHS Fox and Roach REALTORS®
530 Walnut St. # 480 Philadelphia, PA 19106