[Vancouver] questions - Shopping for a condo 2/2 or 2/1 for myself
Hey everyone,
I'm currently hunting for a 2/2 2/1 or large 1 bedroom condo in the Downtown core. Budget is capped at 800k but willing to go around $830k- $850k. My plan is to live in it for years, then possibly keep it long-term as a rental asset.
At this price point, I'm running into a massive bottleneck and have to pick my poison. I've narrowed it down to two completely different options, I'm seeing a lot of examples in the market:
Option 1: The Premium Build. Concrete building under 12 years old, reputable premium developer, integrated central A/C, and a fantastic, quiet residential pocket of downtown. The catch? It's under 770 sq. ft. and the second bedroom is small (more like a nursery/office).
Option 2: The Bigger, Older Unit. An older mid-2000s tower (hitting that 20-year wall). It's bigger (800+ sq. ft.), has a "real" second bedroom + a flex space. The catch? No A/C (baseboard heat), lower build quality, and higher tenant density in the building. Building seems more run down.
I'm really struggling on what to sacrifice. From a capital preservation and future rental perspective, is it better to buy the superior developer asset with central A/C and accept the small layout? Or will the missing A/C and aging infrastructure of Option 2 hurt me more on resale/maintenance down the road?
Would love some perspective from local owners or investors who know the downtown micro-markets, Thanks!