Condominiums Archives - Page 2 of 2 - The Center City Condos Sales Team

It’s Not the Kitchen Cabinets – It’s the Knobs!

by centercitycondosphillyDecember 15, 2017December 15, 2025Leave a comment

I live in a lovely loft downtown Philadelphia condominium. My condo was featured on HGTV. I won the somewhat prestigious Philadelphia Magazine Kitchen of the Year contest in 2005. People see my kitchen, and out come the “oohs” and the inevitable “aahs”. Yeah, my kitchen is pretty groovy.

But ya’ know what….?

My kitchen is from Home Depot. Nothing special there. A nice Kraftmaid cabinet done in a simple off-white Mission style. Nothing dramatic or awe-inspiring. No high-dollar custom cabinets. It’s simply done.

Nothing special, of course, besides the $26 simple crystal knobs and pulls with a matte finished nickel base that cover the face of my cabinets. And this is where I got the most bang for my buck.

Kitchens cabinets are cabinets. They all have doors and drawers. And the base cabinets all sit 34” high and 24” off the wall. If you’ve seen one, you’ve kinda’ seen them all. Variations on a theme, let’s call it. Wide variations, but variations none the less. The eye is less drawn to a cabinet, as we see them daily, in my opinion.

But the one surefire way to dress up that cabinet is with a really nice, non-gaudy knob or pull. It adds a certain flair to the cabinet, and the right knob or pull can really make all the difference in the world.

You will notice now… go to any kitchen cabinet showroom, and find your favorite display. Now compare the knobs and pulls with other displays.

SEE THE DIFFERENCE?

I know it sounds minor, and maybe not worth an entire blog entry… but what is important here is the entire concept of SHOWING ABILITY. You have to capture the buyers’ emotions… and a dressed up, eye-catching, cabinet is one easy way to do that in the kitchen of your Center City condominium.

I will be hammering on this topic (showing ability) ad nauseam.

And just an FYI… in a kitchen, Knobs are generally applied to Drawers, while Pulls are generally applied to Doors.

Let me show you how easy it is to dress up your Center City condo to improve its showability and thus increase its price and selling potential. Give me a call today at 215-521-1523 or drop me an email at mark@centercity.com.

Mark Wade
BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors®
530 Walnut St. #480 | Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.CenterCityCondos.com

Philly Condo Buildings’ Best Amenities – 2017

by centercitycondosphillyFebruary 6, 2017February 6, 2024Leave a comment

Many of my buyers ask me which buildings they should view based on specific amenities.
Here’s how I generally respond:

Best Philly Condos For Swimmers:
Two Liberty Or Waterfront Square.

Best Philly Condos For Multiple Car Parking:
Bella Vista Lofts offers stacked parking/lifts.

Best Philly Condos For Views:
Lots, but I like Society Hill Towers.

Best Philly Condos For Gorgeous Common Areas:
Ten Rittenhouse, 1706!

Best Philly Condos For Being Pampered:
Ritz Carlton, Two Liberty, The Rittenhouse.

Best Philly Condos For Gym Users:
Waterfront Square, Ritz Carlton.

Best Philly Condos For Having Guests:
One Riverside…hospitality suite on site!

Best Philly Condos For Access To Shows:
Symphony House, Center City One…can’t get any closer!

Best Philly Condos For Dogs:
Naval Square, Waterfront Square.

Best Philly Condos For Kids:
Washington Mews.

Best Philly Condos For Convenience:
River’s Edge.

Best Philly Condos For Balconies:
1352 South.

Best Philly Condos For Large Kitchens:
Tivoli, The Rittenhouse Plaza.

Best Philly Condo For Closet Space:
The Philadelphian.

Best Philly Condos For Privacy:
Ten Rittenhouse, The Ayer, 1706, One Riverside, The Lippincott.

Want to know why I picked what I picked? Email me and we can chat!

Mark Wade
Mark@CenterCity.com
BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors
530 Walnut St. #480 | Philadelphia, PA 19106

Like A New Car- New Construction Condos Can Initially Depreciate

by centercitycondosphillyDecember 12, 2016December 12, 2025Leave a comment

New condos that have never been occupied are a strong draw for many buyers here in Center City and there are premiums to be paid for that novelty/aspect of any particular new condo in town. And there also is a premium for floor height and view in all of our new construction pieces.

If we do see any initial depreciation of a new construction condominium, we generally see that played out in the premiums paid for floor height and any such depreciation usually occurs within the first year or so. Buying a new condo then trying to resale within the first year can result in a somewhat mild “hit” on the value of the condo. Sellers are taking away the shine or appeal of the premium paid for a unit being brand spankin’ new and will often see a drop in value. Though usually not a striking drop in value, but a drop in value none the less. We see this most often in condos where the seller has paid for upgrades that may suit their needs, but don’t always suit the needs or tastes of the buyers that follow. And sometimes the attribute that pulls the value down is the premium paid for floor height. Subsequent buyers come at the building looking for an average sale price of a given type of unit and want to pay based upon that figure. Stronger locations in town, like Rittenhouse Square, have a tendency to be a bit more elastic- they are the first neighborhoods to see a drop in inventory with any influx of buyers to the market. That’s a good thing.

This scenario and resulting depreciation is usually wiped off the books after year one. It is the initial depreciation of a new condo that is loaded towards the front of ownership- like in the first year. Once that hurdle is cleared- the possibility of depreciation lifts as well.