Following her housing bliss

No longer "throwing away" money on rent, local yoga and fitness instructor purchased a condo in historic Inglewood

Spring is all about new beginnings and for yoga and fitness instructor, Lana McGillivray, the adage couldn't be more true.

This hip and vibrant 34-year-old recently took possession of her new one-bedroom condo at i.D. Inglewood, and started a new job as manager of a new fitness studio in the East Village.

Having recently transitioned out of a relationship, she was living in a furnished condominium in Victoria Park and was frustrated with just "throwing away" money on rent. She wanted to buy a home that was hers – it had to be easy upkeep, have ample square footage and be move-in ready. In the end, the decision came down to the whole package – a cool condo in an award-winning neighbourhood.

CREB®Now: When you began your search, did you have an idea of where in the city you wanted to buy?

Lana McGillivray: I wasn't really 100 per cent sure. I did know that I wanted to live inner-city, but I didn't have one community in mind. I was very open-minded. It didn't matter if I was in the south or in the north, but for some reason, I just didn't look across the river in Bridgeland or Kensington.

The whole area is so up and coming, and on the weekends it is jam packed with foot traffic – people going for a stroll, grabbing a coffee and shopping.

I looked in the Beltline, Marda Loop, Sunalta and Victoria Park, but I really liked the location in Inglewood – it's super fun and funky. I used to hang out in Inglewood at Gravity Espresso Bar – it's super eclectic and modern. The whole area is so up and coming, and on the weekends it is jam packed with foot traffic – people going for a stroll, grabbing a coffee and shopping. Walkability was really important to me and I love going to the Nash and Without Papers – and the Blues Can is right across the street from my place.

CREB®Now: How did you find out about i.D. Inglewood?

Lana McGillivray: My sister, who is a REALTOR®, was helping with the search. Initially I had gone online and was searching for new builds – I did like the idea of new and being the first to live there. I found i.D. Inglewood and it was actually the very first condo that we went to look at, but it didn't have a tub. My sister said that for resale value, it wasn't good to buy a home without a tub, so we looked at about 20 more homes and I ended up coming back to i.D.

I just had the feeling that this could be home. I remember being wowed – it was super cosy, it's south facing and has big, beautiful windows. It's brand new, good quality and a good size. It really had everything that I was looking for and it was quick possession. I made the offer on Feb. 3 and took possession two weeks later.

CREB®Now: Have you thought about furnishings?

Lana McGillivray: I had to start from scratch, so everything is new and fresh. I purchased the former show home, so I asked for some of the show suite furnishings to be included like the dining room table – it's a stainless steel workbench table that is counter height and a nice big mirror and lamp that I really like. I am still waiting for some of my furniture – the couch is on order from Revolve. I shopped all over the city – HomeSense, Structube, Home Outfitters. It was so much fun!

Tagged: Andrea Cox | Buyer Profile | Buyer Profile | Inglewood