Canterbury Place in Waikiki
Where you can get a luxury view without giving up square footage
When locals think about luxury condos, they no longer think of Waikiki. To most people, they now think of Kakaako. The new emerging, trendy, hipster, foodie/street art mecca “cool-spot” in town. But I personally feel that there are some great gems if you know where to look. Today I’ll share with you the hidden gem — Canterbury Place in Waikiki.
What most people don’t realize, is that when you buy in Kakaako, you are typically spending a ton of money and you’re not getting that much square footage/living space. As a former sales team member of some of these condos, I can say for certain that the dollar per square foot is ABSOLUTELY INSANE! Some condos are averaging over $1.00 per square foot in maintenance fees for a “semi affordable building.” Essentially, some developers are basically trying to fit as many units within a building as possible to maximize their profits (more units in a building means more units they can sell which equates to more profits). The height limit for condos is currently capped at 400ft, so to fit more units in a building, developers are making smaller condos and trying to play the “smarter living” or “minimalist lifestyle” card. I personally don’t have anything against tiny living, but when you’re spending a ton of money, you should be able to have enough space to not constantly see everything or everyone at all times while you are at home.
When it comes to older buildings, developers spared no expense in making units large and used higher quality materials for construction.
At Canterbury you can easily feel the difference in size from the moment you walk in. These units are HUGE! I currently have unit 40D listed and it is a 1 bedroom + den, 1 bath, 2 parking unit that has a total square footage of 1,164 sq. ft.! That’s larger than most 2 bedrooms in brand new buildings. It’s even bigger than some 3 bedroom units.
Canterbury Place 40D also features a 2 lanais. One off of the den/dining room (which could be converted into a second bedroom of home office) and the other is a wrap-around lanai off of the living room. The Lanai’s total square footage is larger than some studio condos. The best part is that your views are pretty well preserved as you have Fort DeRussy park in front of you.
The building also features 24/7 security and is a secured entry/parking building. There is a resident manager and they have quite a bit of amenities on the amenity deck. Here you will find a heated pool, hot tub, bbq, meeting room, tennis/pickle court, sauna, and sun bathing/lounge area.
With an asking price of $769,000, I feel that unit 40D is a great deal. It’s 100% fee simple, has great amenities, is in a convenient location, and has breathtaking views at the top of Waikiki. The maintenance for this 1,164 total sq ft unit is $1,005 per month, so it is on the higher end, but it includes Central AC, Electricity, Hot Water, Water, Sewer, Cable, and Internet.
So at the end of the day, would you rather be in a small tiny apartment with just 1 parking, or would you rather be in this huge unit with 2 lanais, amazing views, and 2 parking stalls? Personally, I’ll take Canterbury any day of the week. After all, Waikiki is the most iconic neighborhood and the most recognized area in Hawaii around the globe.
Below is a video tour of unit 40D in Canterbury Place — Enjoy!
