Allison Young and Allan Neilson began thinking of buying their own home in summer 2023.Lucas Oleniuk/The Globe and Mail
In 2022, Allison Young, CEO of a hospital foundation, began dating Allan Neilson, a public policy consultant. A year later, they moved in together, renting a two-bedroom carriage house in the Pandosy Village neighbourhood of south central Kelowna, B.C. A few months later, by the summer of 2023, the couple started thinking of buying their own place.
“We wanted to invest in something that was beautiful but had a bit of a lighter environmental footprint, both physically but also with ongoing maintenance,” Ms. Young explains. They travel often, so they were looking for a “lock-and-go” type of property.
Mr. Neilson, who is now 57, works from home three days a week and hops on a Lime scooter to head to his downtown office for the other two days. Ms. Young, who is now 45, mostly works at Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, which is also located in Pandosy Village.
The couple were eager to stay in the same neighbourhood, which they’d grown to love. “We like the area because it doesn’t have high rises,” says Mr. Neilson. “We wanted that medium density with more of a street life. We wanted to be part of a community. The walkability was a huge factor.”
They targeted low-rise buildings with two-bedroom, two-bathroom units. The spare bedroom would serve as a home office and a guest room for visitors (they have a blended family of five children, all in their 20s, who live independently). Ms. Young and Mr. Neilson aimed to spend around $1-million.
In the summer of 2023, they connected with realtor Darcy Nyrose of Re/Max Kelowna to begin their search. “More people are looking in that area,” Mr. Nyrose says of Pandosy Village. “It’s very walkable and a very boutique, trendy area.”
The neighbourhood tends to have older, smaller buildings without the amenities of larger developments, such as pools and 24-hour concierges. But that wasn’t an issue for the couple. “We were looking for upscale but not ostentatious,” Ms. Young says. “We didn’t want a pool or a concierge, but we wanted a common area with a shared garden where you can have a barbecue and have the family over.”
Here’s how their search went.
Dated two-bedroom condo on Abbott Street
Located right across from Okanagan Lake, this unit had a spacious open-concept kitchen, living room and dining room with an electric fireplace.Lucas Oleniuk/The Globe and Mail
This two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo was well-situated in Pandosy Village, close to all the shops and restaurants they loved. The 1,144-square-foot condo suite had a spacious open-concept kitchen, living room and dining room with an electric fireplace.
It was on the third floor of a four-storey building with 48 units and it was located right across from Okanagan Lake, but the windows were on the smaller side, so it wasn’t as bright as they hoped. The complex, built in 2007, felt dated and the couple worried that the place would need updating soon. Since the unit was priced lower, at $890,000, they’d have a healthy renovation budget to customize the place to their tastes.
Renovated two-bedroom condo on West Avenue
This two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo was on the top floor of a boutique three-storey building.Lucas Oleniuk/The Globe and Mail
Mr. Neilson and Ms. Young liked that this two-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,240-square-foot condo was on the top floor of a boutique three-storey building with only eight other suites. This suite had big windows and a huge, private rooftop patio with a built-in fire table, where they envisioned hosting family gatherings.
The building was also built in 2007, but this unit was recently renovated in 2021 with high-end finishes such as custom cabinetry, a waterfall island and Fisher & Paykel appliances. The unit’s price of $1-million reflected that renovation. But the navy blue Art Deco-themed decor felt dark and didn’t suit the couple’s desired style, which was more understated and minimal.
Brand new two-bedroom condo on Abbott Street
This building was still under construction when they visited the showroom in 2023.Lucas Oleniuk/The Globe and Mail
While this building was still under construction in 2023, Ms. Young and Mr. Neilson stopped by its showroom to learn more about the residences available. There was a two-bedroom, 1,285-square-foot corner unit on the top floor that caught their eye. It was a larger building – six storeys with 87 units in total – and it was located across from a new lakeside park which would protect their view.
Their favoured suite was priced well over their budget at $1.2-million. But they liked the modern, Scandinavian design of the show units and the shared terrace on the second floor where they could host large groups at an outdoor kitchen. Another drawback was that the building wouldn’t be completed until the summer of 2025, meaning a longer wait before moving.
Their home: Brand new two-bedroom condo on Abbott Street
The couple anticipate staying in the condo they chose to make home for at least 10 more years.Lucas Oleniuk/The Globe and Mail
A newly-built condo filled all their major requirements.Lucas Oleniuk/The Globe and Mail
For Mr. Neilson and Ms. Young, the new build unit checked all their boxes. “We didn’t feel like we needed to compromise on anything,” Ms. Young explains. The total price of $1.2-million put them over their initial budget, but they were able to rejig their finances to make it work (lower interest rates by closing time, which was postponed to fall 2025, also helped).
“We realized that there’s nothing we’d have to do,” Ms. Young says of their new place. “We could move in and just enjoy it. We’ve both worked hard – two of our kids have graduated from university. So, for the right home, it was worth it.”
The couple opted to install a Murphy bed into the second bedroom and furnished their 250-square-foot outdoor patio with a dining table and a lounge area that seats six people. “It becomes outdoor living from April to November because it’s completely covered,” says Ms. Young.
The couple anticipate staying in their current home for at least a decade, but after that, they’re open to where life takes them. “If an opportunity or an adventure took us somewhere else in the world in 15 years from now, that’s a different story,” Mr. Neilson explains.
Small, daily moments in their new home reassert their decision. “We wake up in the morning, walk into the main room and it just feels calming,” says Mr. Neilson. “It’s what we were hoping for.”
Did you recently buy a home? Share your house-hunting story and participate in Home Run
Did you recently buy a home? The Globe wants to hear about your house-hunting journey. What were you looking for, what was your budget and what concessions did you make along the way? How many other listings did you look at, and why did you choose the home that you did? We’ll be profiling house hunters across the country for our Home Run series.
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