Why I Regret Buying a Condo as a Single Person: What I Wish I'd Known

When you’re flying solo and dreaming of homeownership, a condo seems like the logical play. It’s cheaper than a house, the mortgage requirements are less stringent for solo buyers, and honestly, who needs all that space anyway? That was my thinking too. But here’s what nobody tells you before you sign the papers—sometimes the “smart financial move” becomes a lifestyle trap.

The Space Problem No One Wants to Admit

Let’s be real: life changes. The person you think you’ll be single forever? Yeah, they might not be the same person two years from now. I learned this the hard way.

When you’re solo, a compact condo feels perfectly fine. You’ve got your kitchen, your bedroom, your living area—what else do you need? Then you meet someone. Suddenly, that tight footprint that worked for you becomes a squeeze for two. Your partner’s stuff mingles with yours. You’re bumping into each other in hallways. The space that felt cozy now feels cramped.

The obvious solution? Sell and upgrade to something bigger with your partner. Except here’s the kicker: selling a condo isn’t as straightforward as you’d think. If your property sits under a homeowners association with strict rules and costly fees, good luck finding a buyer. Many people actively avoid condos specifically because they don’t want the HOA headache. You could end up stuck in your undersized space way longer than planned, watching your relationship test its patience in a 800-square-foot unit.

The Hidden Cost That Keeps Growing

As a single earner, you don’t have the financial cushion of splitting expenses. That’s already a challenge. Then throw in rising HOA fees, and things get tight fast.

These fees don’t stay static. They creep up year after year—sometimes for legitimate reasons like building maintenance or elevator overhauls, sometimes for reasons that feel less justified. But whether you agree with the increase or not, you’re paying it. Alone. No partner to split the burden with.

Sure, you could join the condo board and fight for keeping costs down, but realistically? Those fees are often inevitable. For a single person watching their budget, each increase is a small punch to the wallet that compounds over time.

The Real Question: Is It Worth It?

Here’s the thing—buying a condo as a starter home isn’t inherently bad. It’s an accessible entry point into real estate. And if life stays exactly as you plan it, everything works out fine.

But life rarely cooperates with our plans.

If you’re buying solo, you need to understand what you’re actually signing up for: you might need to sell sooner than expected if your relationship status changes. You might watch your monthly expenses climb as HOA fees rise. You might find yourself making sacrifices in your living space that feel bigger than they seemed when you first moved in.

I regret buying a condo because I didn’t account for these possibilities. I treated it like a permanent solution when it was really just a temporary one. The real question you need to ask yourself isn’t whether a condo is affordable—it’s whether you’re prepared for the complications that come with it, solo or not.