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Concord Pacific said better performance, and not cost-cutting, prompted its choice of balcony heaters and ceiling finishings at Hillside East
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Presale condo buyers who clamoured to buy units at Concord Pacific’s Brentwood Hillside East development around six years ago when the market was buoyant have recently been able to inspect their finished units ahead of completing their contracts in the next few weeks.
And some are very unhappy with what they say was a key selling point: The outdoor heaters and ceiling materials used on the balconies.
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“It was marketed as a high-end building with the idea of ‘convertible living,’ where you can walk out to that patio and it’s an extension of your living space,” said Maris Chow, who bought a presale contract for a one-bedroom unit in 2018.
She complained to the developer’s customer service team and was told, “Unfortunately, advertising and renditions with the actual product itself may be different.”
That is the case with all presales, but Chow and other buyers feel this may be more than just a case of a vague sketch not looking quite the same in reality.
Front and centre on the website for Concord’s Brentwood Hillside East, there are photos and clear text about five specific features on the balconies, including a “sleek balcony soffit panel system” and “inset radiant ceiling heaters for all-season enjoyment.”
“It’s not a soffit ceiling. It’s concrete. And the heater is not recessed,” said Chow.
The Burnaby-based Concord Brentwood development of what will be 10 towers is on Lougheed Highway. The first phase of two towers is known as Hillside West. The third and fourth towers, where buyers like Chow are about to complete their contracts, is named Hillside East.
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Photos of an actual Hillside East balcony sent to Postmedia by Concord show quite a different looking heater than the one on the project’s website. The heaters don’t stretch long across, nor sit elegantly tucked into, a soffit ceiling panel. They are smaller, with aluminum casings that protrude and hang from a concrete ceiling.
Echoing around two dozen buyers who are posting or supporting posts about the heaters and ceiling on one Facebook group for owners, Chow said: “I am shocked. … I would prefer if they take the damn chunky heater off and give us one of those standalone, floor heaters. That would look better.”
First-time homebuyer Samuel Yang said that when he bought the presale contract, also in 2018, the price was about $1,200 a square foot, which he describes as being “super high at the time.”
He felt he could pay a premium price because of Concord’s good history and reputation.
He could accept if there were other areas that weren’t “the best representation of what was promised or in the design proposal, but it’s hard because the balcony section was the biggest selling point, something they kept talking about. … But seeing it now, it’s like any other highrise. I think someone used the word ‘Walmart.’”
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Since the contracts were signed in 2018, the market has weathered a pandemic, higher interest rates, and, now, escalating construction costs.
Performance, and not saving on costs, was the motivation behind the choice of heaters and the ceiling materials used, according to the company.
The ceilings, which are finished with stamped concrete that has a panel pattern that looks like wood, don’t make wind noise at higher elevations. The heaters were chosen because they provide instant heat efficiently.
The company said it has received complaints about the heaters and ceiling materials from about one per cent of 800 buyers who have been on inspection tours.
“The Hillside East buildings have had a high level of customer satisfaction. We pride ourselves for creating new features and providing our residents with a great living experience. Our customers appreciate new and thoughtful features such as our water damage protection systems to mitigate water issues,” said Concord spokesperson Peter Udzenjia in a statement.
“The heater performs exceptionally well and fast. The overall indoor/outdoor experience also includes large-format tile floors, sliding glass bedroom doors, and corner glass slider openings in some homes. Pre-construction renderings are intended to give a general impression of the space and not an exact depiction of every detail. We value input and opinions of our product.”
jlee-young@postmedia.com
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