Sandbridge and The Springs
From the street they are hard to tell apart. They are two separate strata corporations, and the number that separates them is in the depreciation report, not on the sign at the gate.
What it's like
Sandbridge and The Springs sit next to each other, separated by a fence, near the south end of town and within walking distance of Skaha Lake.
Both are bare land stratas: you own your lot and the house on it, and the strata owns the roads, common landscaping and shared buildings. Both are gated and age-qualified 55+ by strata bylaw, and both are built around single-level, rancher-style homes with attached garages.
Sandbridge's clubhouse has an indoor pool, an outdoor hot tub, a billiards room and a library. The Springs has a smaller Friendship Centre with a games room and a kitchen. That difference is most of why Sandbridge's monthly fee is higher.
Separate bylaws, budgets, reserve funds and depreciation reports. A fact about one tells you nothing about the other.
What I check here
- Walk both clubhouses, not just the photos
- The Form B for the specific unit
- The depreciation report and reserve fund balance
- The condition of the shared buildings
- The current pet bylaw, in writing
- Fee compared to habitable area, not fee to fee
Common questions
- Are Sandbridge and The Springs the same community?
- No. They sit next to each other near the south end of town, close to Skaha Lake, and both are gated, age-qualified bare land stratas, but they are two separate strata corporations with separate bylaws, budgets, reserve funds and depreciation reports.
- Why is the strata fee lower at The Springs than at Sandbridge?
- The fee funds what the strata maintains. Sandbridge's fee supports a clubhouse with an indoor pool, an outdoor hot tub, a billiards room and a library. The Springs' fee supports a smaller Friendship Centre. A shared building with a pool to run costs more to fund. Get the current fee for a specific unit from its Form B.
- Is a lower strata fee always the better deal?
- No. In a bare land strata the fee still has to fund the contingency reserve for the roads, drainage and shared buildings. A fee that looks cheap can mean the reserve is thin, and the shortfall shows up later as a special levy. Read the depreciation report and the reserve fund balance before deciding a lower number is the win.
Strata details come from public information for each community. Bylaws and fees change, so confirm them for the specific unit. Nothing on this page is legal, tax or lending advice.
Other neighbourhoods
Looking in Sandbridge and The Springs?
Walk it with me before you write an offer. I'll tell you what's under the house as well as what's in the listing photos.