Buying a condo in Coquitlam is two purchases at once: the suite, and a share of the building and the corporation that runs it. The second one is where the surprises live, and it is entirely knowable before you remove subjects.
Kristy has been licensed since 2004 and holds the ABR® designation for buyer representation. On a strata purchase most of the work is reading documents properly inside the subject period — and knowing which line in the minutes matters.
Condo and Strata Considerations
Strata fees
What the monthly fee actually covers varies widely. Heat, hot water, management, amenities and insurance may or may not be in it, and a low fee is not automatically good news.
Contingency reserve and special levies
The reserve is the building’s savings. A thin reserve beside a long list of upcoming work is a bill heading your way, not the seller’s.
Depreciation report
A 30-year projection of what the building will need and how it is expected to be funded. Read the funding model, not just the summary.
Council minutes
Two years of minutes. Problems show up here months before they become levies — envelope, roof, elevators, plumbing, parkade membrane.
Bylaws
Pets, rentals, age restrictions, and what you may actually do with a balcony, a renovation or a parking stall.
Building age and envelope
Wood-frame buildings from the late 1980s and 1990s carry rainscreen and envelope-remediation questions. Ask whether that work is done and paid for.
Parking and storage
The Form B states what parking and storage genuinely come with the unit, which is not always what the listing says.
Insurance and deductibles
Strata insurance costs and water-damage deductibles have moved sharply in BC. Both affect your fee and your own policy.
Browse Coquitlam Condos
Client Testimonials
Our experience with Kristy was absolutely amazing! When we first contacted Kristy, we hadn’t started preparing to move yet, but had determined that we needed to sell our townhouse and…
Read more SELLER – A MazonSELLER – A Mazon
We were most fortunate to have had Kristy Mattiazzo list our property for sale. We needed some minor repairs, painting and staging. She handled everything. We were most pleased with…
Read more SELLER – Mark WebberSELLER – Mark Webber
We are incredibly pleased with the service we received from Kristy for our home purchase. The buying process can be daunting, but Kristy made this look like a walk in…
Read more BUYER – CgBMaXBUYER – CgBMaX
We had a great experience with Kristy. She knew exactly what we wanted, so we didn't waste our time viewing houses that wouldn't have worked for our family. Once she…
Read more BUYER – Amanda ArmerBUYER – Amanda Armer
I first used Kristy's service in 2016 for purchasing a side by side duplex. She was a pleasure to work with. This time around I was in the market to…
Read more BUYER – GoranBUYER – Goran
We had an opportunity to put together a deal with Kristy. She represented the buyer and we were impressed with her communication, negotiation, & professionalism skills. In a changing market…
Read more REALTOR ASSOCIATE – Sayed Najibi GroupREALTOR ASSOCIATE – Sayed Najibi Group
Frequently Asked Questions
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Start with the strata, not the suite. Ask what the monthly fee covers, what the contingency reserve fund holds, and whether any special levy has been approved or discussed. Read the last two years of council minutes — recurring items about the building envelope, roof, elevators, plumbing or parkade membrane are the ones that turn into levies later.
Then check the bylaws for the things that are easy to assume: pets, rentals, age restrictions, and what you are actually allowed to do with a balcony or a parking stall. Building age matters too. Wood-frame buildings from the late 1980s and 1990s are the ones to ask rainscreen and envelope-remediation questions about, and whether that work has already been done and paid for.
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They change what you are buying, and sometimes what it is worth. The Form B states the strata fee, the contingency reserve balance, any special levies, and what parking and storage actually come with the unit — which is not always what the listing says. The depreciation report projects what the building will need over the next 30 years and how it is expected to be funded; a thin reserve beside a long list of upcoming work is a future cost to you, not to the seller.
Council minutes are where problems appear first, usually months before they become a levy. Bylaws decide whether you can rent, keep a pet or renovate. This is why an offer on a strata property normally carries a subject clause for reviewing the documents: it gives you a defined window to read them and to walk away if what they show is not what you expected.
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It depends on the kind of home you want, your commute and your budget — Coquitlam changes a lot over a short distance. Burke Mountain is the newest part of the city, mostly detached homes and townhouses built in the last two decades. Westwood Plateau sits higher up the hillside and tends toward larger homes on bigger lots. Central Coquitlam is older and established, with mature trees and a mix of original houses and rebuilds. Coquitlam West borders Burnaby and is closest to the Lougheed SkyTrain and Highway 1, while Coquitlam Centre puts you beside the mall, the Evergreen Extension and most of the city’s amenities.
The questions that narrow it fastest are not about price: which schools matter to you, what your commute actually looks like at 8am, and how long you expect to stay. A house that suits a five-year plan is often not the one that suits a fifteen-year plan.