For our recently published book Show & Tell: Unlocking the Secrets of New Home Buying, we interviewed Annika Quin, executive editor of Western Living and editor of Western Living Condo magazines. Here is an excerpt of what she had to say:

The New Home Advantage
Older homes may have bedrooms lacking built-in closets and a main floor carved up into little rooms. It is not [in Annika Quin’s opinion], how people interact anymore. “Modern homes nowadays tend to understand how modern families live,” she explains. An open-plan concept with different “conversation zones” is more conducive to our lives today. “We’re more interested in spending time in the kitchen: the kids are at the table doing homework while Dad is cooking dinner and Mom’s working on the computer,” Quin continues.

A new home also works on other levels. “People move into a place that is set up for them,” she says. “The are able to choose their own finishes, they are able to come in and not feel, ‘Oh, OK, I’m going to pay this price and have to spend another $40,000 on renovations.’ They are coming into something that they know is designed for them.”

While they may have less square footage, new homes do not feel smaller. “Condos now are often designed to be all useful space,” she says. The appeal of living in a space that is well designed has also led to many people enjoying condo living outside of the downtown core. “Regardless of where condos and townhomes are located, they are appealing to a large number of people,” she says.

To read the entire interview with Annika Quin, register for a free copy of Show & Tell online by clicking here.