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Condo or house in Edmonds? It’s one of the most common questions buyers in this market wrestle with — and honestly, there’s no wrong answer. It really comes down to how you want to live. Here’s a straightforward way to think it through.
What Kind of Life Are You Buying?
Before you start comparing square footage or monthly costs, it helps to get honest with yourself about what a typical day looks like in your ideal life. Do you want to walk to the farmers market on Saturday morning and grab coffee without getting in a car? Or do you want a yard to putter in on Sunday afternoons, a proper garage for your tools, and space that feels like it’s entirely yours?
Both are completely valid. Edmonds is one of the rare communities on the Puget Sound where you can genuinely have either — and sometimes find something close to both. But they’re different lifestyles, and the home type you choose should match the one you actually want.
The Case for a Condo in Edmonds
If you’ve spent time in downtown Edmonds — wandering down to Brackett’s Landing, watching the ferry head toward Kingston, grabbing lunch on 5th Avenue — you already understand the appeal. Downtown condos put all of that within walking distance every single day, not just on weekends when you make a point of it.
The lifestyle trade is pretty simple: you give up the yard and the garage, and in exchange you stop thinking about gutters, roofs, exterior paint, and landscaping entirely. The HOA handles it. You lock the door and go. For buyers who travel frequently, are downsizing from a larger home, or simply don’t want the maintenance load, that trade is a genuinely good one.
Condo HOA dues in Edmonds vary quite a bit depending on the building — smaller associations typically run lower, larger waterfront buildings can run higher. What matters is understanding exactly what those dues cover before you buy. Always ask for the full operating budget and the reserve study, not just the monthly number on the listing sheet. A well-funded reserve means the building is being taken care of. An underfunded one is a warning sign worth paying attention to.
A few other things worth reviewing in the condo resale packet before you close:
- Meeting minutes from the past year — look for mentions of unresolved repairs, disputes, or upcoming projects
- CC&Rs covering rentals, pets, parking, and exterior modifications
- Any special assessments levied or planned
- Litigation history, if any
Washington’s condo ownership laws give you the right to access all of this — take advantage of it. This is your most important due diligence step when buying in a condo building.
The Case for a Single-Family Home in Edmonds
The minute you start thinking about a yard, a real garage, room for a dog to run, or a dedicated space for a home office that doesn’t share a wall with a neighbor — the single-family side of the equation starts looking pretty compelling.
Neighborhoods like Meadowdale, Seaview, and parts of the Bowl offer larger lots, more diverse floor plans, and the kind of privacy that’s genuinely hard to replicate in a condo building. Yes, you take on the exterior maintenance — but you also make every decision about your own property on your own timeline. There’s something to be said for that.
The Real Cost Comparison
This is where a lot of buyers get tripped up — comparing a condo list price to a house list price and stopping there. The monthly picture is more nuanced than that.
A condo may look cheaper on paper, but once you add HOA dues to the mortgage payment, the gap often narrows significantly. On the flip side, a single-family home means you’re budgeting for maintenance and repairs yourself — things like a new roof every 25 years, an HVAC system every 15-20, exterior paint every 7-10. Those costs are real, and they don’t disappear just because there’s no HOA collecting them monthly.
Property taxes are worth pulling specifically for any home you’re serious about. Washington’s system is levy-based, so what you pay depends on which taxing districts overlap your parcel — worth understanding before you fall in love with a specific address.
The buyers who are happiest with this decision are the ones who got honest with themselves about how they actually spend their time — not how they imagine they might spend it. I’ve watched plenty of buyers buy a house with a yard they were sure they’d love, only to realize six months in that they just don’t enjoy yard work. And I’ve seen the reverse too.
My suggestion is always to walk both types of neighborhoods at different times of day before you decide. Spend a weekday morning in downtown Edmonds. Drive through Meadowdale on a Sunday afternoon. Your gut usually tells you something useful that the spreadsheet can’t.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a condo HOA typically cover in Edmonds?
Most associations cover exterior building maintenance, common-area landscaping, a master insurance policy for the structure and shared spaces, and sometimes utilities or building amenities. Always verify the exact scope in the operating budget and resale packet — not just the listing description. The number on the MLS sheet rarely tells the whole story.
What documents should I review before buying a condo?
Request the full resale packet: the operating budget and financial history, the reserve study, meeting minutes from the past year, insurance declarations, CC&Rs and rules, and any litigation or special assessment history. Give yourself real time to read through them — this is the most important due diligence step in any condo purchase.
How walkable is downtown Edmonds for condo owners?
Genuinely walkable — coffee, dining, the farmers market, the marina, art galleries, and the ferry terminal are all accessible on foot from the downtown core. For buyers who make walkability a priority, it’s one of the best setups on the entire Puget Sound.
Is it harder to sell a condo than a house in Edmonds?
Not necessarily — well-located condos in Edmonds sell well, particularly those close to downtown and the waterfront. The buyer pool is somewhat different than for single-family homes, but demand is steady. Pricing correctly and having a clean HOA financial history are the two biggest factors in a smooth condo sale.
Can Terry Vehrs help me compare specific condos and houses side by side?
Absolutely. Terry works with buyers across both property types throughout Edmonds and South Snohomish County and can build a real side-by-side comparison based on current listings, actual HOA costs, and neighborhood context — so you’re making this decision based on real numbers, not estimates.
Still Deciding Between a Condo and a House?
This is one of the most common conversations Terry Vehrs has with buyers in Edmonds — and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Terry can walk you through current listings in both categories, build a real cost comparison, and help you make this decision based on your actual lifestyle and budget. No pressure, no obligation.
Call or text: 206.799.9500
Terry Vehrs · Windermere Real Estate M2 LLC · Serving Edmonds, Woodway & South Snohomish County
Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication but is not guaranteed. Market data, home values, community statistics, zoning regulations, school boundaries, and other details are subject to change without notice. All information should be independently reviewed and verified by the reader. This content is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or real estate advice. For the most current and property-specific information, please consult directly with Terry Vehrs or the appropriate local, county, and state agencies. Terry Vehrs | Windermere Real Estate M2 LLC | Licensed in Washington State.
