Last time I wrote about our search for a new home, we were disillusioned with our financial situation and depressed with the thought of ending up in another shoebox.

So, we made the decision to try and find a smaller unit, anywhere from 800-1,000 square feet in a building with plenty of amenities.

Our realtor set us up with some viewings in a cluster of buildings close to public transit, with plenty of amenities and nice views of the city.

All these units had the same floor plan and were 830 square feet with one bedroom, two bathrooms and a den in a pet-friendly, concrete building.

They all came fitted with laminate floors, new appliances (tough to find in a 14-year-old building, I've found) and were not facing the street.

We fell in love with a 10th-floor unit in the first building of the cluster, which was the final place we looked at. The asking price was $249,000, which was high considering the neighbourhood (transitioning Whalley), but had a freshly painted living room and entryway, gleaming bamboo hardwood floors and a brand new dishwasher.

The views from the unit were beautiful -- or, at least, they will be, until the two condo towers slated to be built across the street are finished -- they also have two balconies, so you're not always looking at the same thing.

The windows were floor-to-ceiling all the way around the unit, so we would definitely save money on lightbulbs, I, ever the tightwad, told myself. The galley-style kitchen left a lot to be desired, as only one of us can be in it at a time without claustrophobia setting in.

The second bathroom, we rationalized, would be perfect for the cat, because even though we are paranoid about keeping his box clean, we don't want the smell of his leavings permeating the home.

I made an offer as soon as we left the place for $242,000, expecting to receive it back at a much higher price.

It came back at $244,000. We took the deal.