It all starts with a sales agent for the Developer. I’ve addressed this somewhat in publishing of a Series of articles dealing with the actual purchase of a presale condo, through to the actual delivery of it and the resulting dependency on the “Intellect” of the developer that you buy from.

Your dependency of this ever changing and evolving (or regressing, dependent upon perspective) resource in the pecking chain of getting the job done, although seemingly trivial on the surface, can evoke such contemptuous behavior that it can constitute sufficient fodder to screw up the best made plans. Your dependency on the ethics and track record of the developer is critical in the buying process.

Once you have endured what the Developer can arbitrarily impose on or against you and they finally deliver “Occupancy” (another exercise in frustration - by design), a time when you get to live amidst the physical construction and construction chaos (have you ever seen the graffiti of construction workers on a construction site) simply and expressly to help the developer pay his debts to his bank (as if there is not sufficient profit to have him deliver a truly inhabitable residential building) you get to face the onslaught of tradesmen, retailers, suppliers, and service providers. You will want to read my March 19/04 Article: “BELL CANADA - dinosaur, or just another profitable Canadian Corporation?

In this article we are going to point out some of the substance for articles to come along with today’s issue: “Closet Re-Organizer“.

The greater majority of condo units that my Registered clients tell us that they want to purchase are one bedroom plus den. In outlying areas condos are becoming much more a family thing but in the downtown core occupants are normally singles or couples without kids. With prices running ahead of $600 per square foot for quality upscale condos (under $300 for older resales and around $300 for lofts) the luxury of a second or “guest” bedroom has pretty much gone out the window. However, in today’s digital world, everyone has a PC and they don’t want it in the living area and certainly not in the bedroom. A den is pretty well a necessity so the target is to find condos with a den large enough for a futon or roll out and a computer work station. The key is to find condos/lofts that offer that second bathroom as guests (accommodated by they den) can have their own full bathroom.

That said, the challenge has long been what to do with the physical den with respect to furnishing and/or utilizing it. We have chosen a new quality residential development in the “uptown” (St. Clair and Yonge) to serve as our example. This area represents the number one residential condo area of the city and has long boasted the city’s most prestigious residential condo “Addresses” (33 Jackes, 70 Rosehill and recently Park Avenue, St. Clair, 33 Delisle, and to soon complete The Carlyle with The Russell Hill just down the street). It is the cross section that links the prestige residential communities of Forest Hill, Muir Park, Rosedale and Summerhill.

In an earlier article we set out our plan to show you “What You Actually Get When You Buy A Condo” (the physical delivery) so we photographed a one plus den “unit” in one of the best new developments in the best areas of the city while it was being put together and then photographed it again once the developer had completed it for the purchaser. 

Dens have long proven one of the most challenging aspects in furnishing a condo. Back in the early 1980’s they were called “solariums” and were positioned usually in front of the sleeping area or living room with large sliding glass doors. Today a den is normally about 8 feet by 8 feet (I’ve seen them as small as 3 feet by 4 feet and truthfully were just a wide hallway) and has usually has no window. Basically it is a drywall box.

Our challenge was to design a space that would accommodate the “digital warrior of today” who we see as a couple of computer literate, upper income professionals who work from home or are self employed in sales or marketing or other white collar type business).

Our concept was to build two independent work stations into this small space. Here is the floor plan of the den and photographs of it in it’s bare state. To try to put furniture in this room seems to be an illusive dream other for those who have serious cash and don’t mind a major challenge. 

As it sits immediately off of the foyer it would constitute the initial impression of the home thus the challenge is to make the room a central focus of the residence allowing for optimum use while delivering the practicality of an office (in this instance two offices). The floor plan cried out for a custom wall unit.

Not wanting the television in the centre of the home but usually on during office hours we concluded on a LCD television that would sit on the wall between the workstations and above the electric fireplace. The two devices would be separated by a drawer that would hold all of the pens, pads, and clutter with the cabinet above the LCD consisting of hidden shelving to hold all of the business clutter.

At the end of the work day the cabinets are closed and all signs of the work a day world disappear leaving an orderly and extremely comfortable television viewing room. The opposite wall housed a natural alcove (contrary to the plan) into which we built our filing cabinets to serve as a foundation for a comfortable leather insert sitting area overlooking the LCD and fireplace.

To this point the challenge has been fun. Conceptualizing is a favorite pastime and this den problem runs deep throughout the entire industry. Well, now comes the “people aspect” as referred to above. We took great pains in doing everything right as our intention was to publish the experience. We did what research was available to us and tracked down a company (“Closet Re-Organizer” of Toronto) that represented itself as having unique workmanship and an extensive background in building Murphy Beds which is fundamentally the same thing, - I guess.

Well, we visited their place of business where they share an industrial mall space with some other glass block people and whatever. We found the owner entertaining and his constant guarantees of “leave it to us, we’ve got twenty years experience at this” reassuring. I’m a “hands-on” person and really after having designed the entire thing I was counting only on their ability to follow instructions and do professional work which Mr. Henry Zeifman, the company’s President (his card says) assured me over and over again.

I was rather surprised when they informed us that they required 100% of the money up front. I was quick to tell them that “I was born at night . . . . . . But not last night” and that I would be advancing them 50% up front and paying them the balance on “successful and satisfactory installation”. They quickly accepted my terms (duh) and again tried to tell me that their clients over 20 years paid everything up front.

I thought this to be quite suspect but really, they were in the business (how long I don’t know) and whatever it was that they were doing that glassed up their eyes so apparently (I figured smelling the fumes of making these pressed board components might, well, get one high) but I trusted it would not interfere with their ability to build the simple frame that we had designed for them.

I also figured that whatever the outcome, we had researched the market and tracked down whatever apparently qualified companies that were out there, visited and interviewed the short list and came up with these guys and whatever the outcome, the editorial value of the process was sound and valid, delivering the opportunity for me to deliver a true life experience for our global audience (at over 18,000 “Hits” Per Day and growing monthly, we now truly reach a global audience).

The Closet Re-Organizer installer showed up to install the unit pretty much on time on a Spring Saturday morning and they spent pretty well the entire day installing the pieces and trying to solve numerous challenges that somewhat surprised me (after all they were supposed to be professionals and I was going to “love it so much“).

When they finished the first thing that jumped out at me was a strange board running between the upper and lower storage compartments. I’m not a carpenter or cabinet builder but my father was and I could just hear his laughter at the way these guys had tried to cover the gap separating these two compartments. The overall finished product was not bad although it was not finished (shelves wouldn’t fit due to hinges on the door, slider rails on the filing cabinet were the wrong size so the doors could not be installed, and a list of other small things) but overall we were not disappointed although we were seriously questioning their expertise.

And then, when we tried to access the upper compartment it became apparent that the ugly blunt board obstructed the upper door having been fastened to the lower compartment door rendering the unit useless. If we had to open both doors to access one compartment we would have had only one large door (duh!!!).

They had installed the wrong sliders on our file cabinet drawers and left a monster of wires showing in the front. I had distinctly instructed them to make a false plate to cover the wire area buy instructing them to be sure that I could get back there if something went wrong. Well, I have no problem accessing this ugly mess of wires (thanks guys).

When we tried to contact Henry we detected a certain potential arrogance and a decided distancing. We decided to explore this change of character and quickly became aware of the fact that he had charged our credit card for the second balance of payment even though he did NOT have our “Authorization”. It quickly had become apparent how these people do their business. I found this amusing as I had already informed Henry that I would be publishing the outcome of our exercise together and I would have thought that anyone would have put their best foot forward.

We telephoned Closet Re-Organizer but were greeted by a rude, aggressive and offensive “owner’s wife” as she represented herself. She was abusive and crass and apparently has lived out there in Bazzaaro world with hubby for a very long while. Not wanting to hear our complaint (absolutely no customer service here) her offered conclusion was “we have been in business for 20 years so you have to do whatever you have to do” which we immediately did by contacting VISA and informing them of an “unauthorized charge on our credit card”.

VISA explained to us that we would have to challenge it officially by sending them a letter. They would request a signature or letter of authority from the merchant and without same, the money would be returned to us without further inconvenience. They said it would take about two or three weeks for the company to be notified and that we should see if they come and satisfactorily remedy the deficiencies of their work which has not been done.

With some hassling, they did get around to trying to remedy the door problem (weeks later) but the newly installed doors were visibly done sloppily and in a hurry to get past this (all the while thinking that their unauthorized charge was being honored - I guess). Their totally changed attitude (they now thought they had the money in the bank) seemed juvenile and short sighted but I prefer to not drag in character analysis as I am writing the article and directly involved. I believe the conduct of the parties without narration or interpretation will speak most truthfully.

The issue is fundamentally one of integrity (but what business relationship isn‘t. I was amused to observe the obvious strategy of Closet Re-Organizer’s President (“Henry Zeifman“) who continually bestowed guarantees and assurances yet who never took any positive initiative to remedy the problem as he understood that he had grabbed the money. I cannot imagine a worse public endorsement that falsely processing a credit card transaction simply based on having the customer’s credit card number. Mr. Zeifman’s conduct and that of his wife is unacceptable, objectionable and may constitute a breach of law. Obviously VISA will fulfill it’s obligations to us to protect our credit card against unlawful and unauthorized use.

This inability to adequately research suppliers and merchants and service providers (wait until you read Bell Canada - Dinosaur, ????) is seen also in condos where consumers are limited to those local FREE Condo Guides and newspapers to select condo/loft developments and developers.

The articles are written in magazines by the developers' marketing departments that you are researching (see the dichotomy here) and producing their artwork to appear as editorial expressly to lure consumers into a false sense of confidence of having adequately researched their purchase of a condo.

Same thing with the newspapers. When developers spend fifty thousand dollars each weekend running full page ads do you really think that the newspaper would publish anything negative about a given developer or development.

The Toronto Star recently interviewed me about the concept of Hotel Condos in Toronto. They consumed over an hour of my time on the telephone where I shared with them a very factual and comprehensive overview of the Toronto Condo Hotel market pointing out, for example that the Downtown Plaza Condo Hotel, in spite of boasting six years condo hotel experience factually had no condo hotel experience whatsoever other than being four or five years behind on a condo hotel project that they had been marketing for years as 90% sold.

A couple weeks I was notified by the researcher of the article that it was running so I checked out their digital newspaper on the Internet but couldn’t find any of my comments or input. There was a full two page spread promoting the concept and specifically promoting the developer yet not pointing out that unless he had gained the participation of one of the city’s predominant theatre aficionados (and someone who could fill a hotel each week due to theatre ownership and productions) the initial project was on the rocks.

What started out as an editorial with purported integrity had turned into a two page Ad for the developer who I had pointed out seemed to contradict his own expertise in his advertising. In real estate we are tightly regulated and required to adhere to a strict Code of Ethics. I hear a great deal about integrity of the press and am starting to feel a little gullible when I experience this type of conduct so when you are turning to the press and/or various publications to do your own research please understand that you are simply playing into the structure of the game.

The only way to buy condos is through using your own knowledgeable professional Buyer’s Agent who specializes in this highly specialized field. In Toronto that would be me. I do not “List/sell“ properties and, to my knowledge, I am the only Realtor in the city that does not list properties. This would require that I represent the interests of the Seller and I just do not do that anymore.

I started in the condo field back in 1981. My services are absolutely FREE to you. One of my most recent purchases resulted in over $17,000 savings to my client through determined negotiating at a time when many other sales are multi-bid messes. My client’s do not get caught up in multi-bid offers. If you are looking to buy a condo contact me. If you are looking to have a custom den designed and installed contact me. My recommendation would be to stay away from Closet Reorganizer as their conduct in this one small matter clearly shows their true integrity (or lack of).