Townhouses For Sale in Centennial, Oshawa

Centennial's 1980s and '90s townhouse enclaves

Only about a third of Centennial's homes are detached. The rest are mostly apartment buildings and townhouses, and the townhouse share was largely built in the 1980s and 1990s as clustered enclaves rather than long freehold rows on public streets.

That shape matters. A typical Centennial complex has its own internal road or parking court, shared landscaping and a condominium board, so you're buying into a small corporation as much as a house. Sizes run from compact two-bedroom units to larger family towns with finished basements.

The attraction is maturity: established trees, settled lots, and neighbours who've been there a while. The trade-off is that these complexes are now old enough for the expensive items to come due, which is where the homework starts.

Due diligence for a Centennial complex past 30 years

Before firming up on a Centennial condo town, get the status certificate reviewed by your lawyer and look for these specifics:

• Window and patio door replacement. Many complexes from this era have already done a window project or are planning one. Find out which, and who paid.
• Roof cycle. If the roofs were replaced in the 2000s, the next round may be within the reserve plan horizon. Check the projected balance in that year.
• Paving and drainage. Internal roads and parking courts from the 1980s often need full reconstruction, not just patching.
• Recent fee increases. Large jumps over the past few years can signal a reserve fund catching up after being underfunded.
• Insurance deductible. Ask what the corporation's deductible is and which damage the owner pays for under the declaration.

None of this means avoid older complexes. Plenty are well run and well funded. It means the difference between a good Centennial buy and a costly one is usually in the documents, not the kitchen.

Parks, buses and the drive up to Taunton Road

Centennial has several neighbourhood parks, including Somerset Park with a trail and playground and Northway Court Park with a sports field. The Mary Street Community Garden is here, and North Oshawa Park nearby has tennis courts, a skate park and a basketball court.

Around ten bus routes touch the area and most homes are close to a stop, but service is infrequent enough that most households drive. The north-end shopping along Taunton Road and Simcoe Street North is a short trip, and the 407 interchange at Simcoe is a few minutes further.

For train commuters, the drive south to Oshawa GO on the city's western edge is the daily cost of living here.

Who tends to buy in Centennial

Centennial suits buyers who'd rather have an established street than a new one: first-time buyers trading the newest finishes for a lower entry point and a yard, and downsizers leaving a detached house who still want ground-level living and a garden plot.

Investors looking at Centennial are usually weighing distance to the campus against the age of the complex. A well-funded older corporation can be a steadier hold than a new complex still finding its fee level, so compare reserve fund health, not just rent. Also ask whether the corporation has any rules on leasing paperwork, since owners in Ontario condos must give the corporation a copy of each lease.