General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[danbrotherston]

But that doesn't mean that balconies go unused.

One thing I cannot do in a sunroom is put up my bird feeders.

Sounds like your balcony gets pretty well used. I think it’s probably true on average that balconies are underused, by which I mean roughly speaking that their occupants would, given the chance, convert them to indoor space, but clearly it’s not universally true.

I think the same is true of garages, especially second and third garages, as well.

Given that garages can be converted to indoor space, but usually are not, is indicative that this isn't true. People might prefer storage to garage (this is pretty clear) but indoor space conversions are pretty rare.

That being said, space is generally more at a premium in apartments than homes. But as someone who lived in an apartment without a balcony, I can tell you that it was sorely missed. Being able to go outside for a breath of fresh air without going all the way out of the building is a major quality of life improvement on apartment living. I think folks here are under rating it. Just because something is infrequently used does not mean it is not highly valuable.

Also, just because people would make some choice about their living arrangements does not mean it actually maximizes their QoL. How many people commute 2 hours each way to work in the GTA just to own a larger detached home instead of a smaller row house closer in. All data indicates these people are making choices which harm their QoL.