Reviewer:
Unregistered User
Rented a unit in this building

Reviewed on Jun 26 2015


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"Great Building, best
location in the city."

Loved this building, would buy or rent if I eve moved back to Victoria. Close to grocery stores. Quiet part of town and close to CSV.

Unregistered User recommends this building for:
Professionals, Investors, First Time Buyers

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Reviewer:
Unregistered User
Owned a unit in this building

Reviewed on Mar 8 2013


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"Love It"

Very active and rational strata, have enforced the building to be non-smoking (even in the units) and stepped up security. The common areas are well maintained and requests are actioned quickly. (No, I'm not on the Strata board). My unit itself has been great. The construction is solid, haven't had any significant problems since buying. The hood fan had to be replaced, dishwasher motor died after a couple years, and the laminate floors bubbled easily after water sat on them for a short time (my fault, but still). Now that the restaurant in the main floor is gone (replaced with specialty clinic) the hallway smells much better. Also the noise isn't a problem anymore now that construction down there is complete. I haven't had a problem with neighbour noise though, like the last reviewer. Found the concrete walls quite sound isolating. Overally, I recommend renting or buying within The Mosaic.

Unregistered User recommends this building for:
Retirees, Professionals, Investors, Students, First Time Buyers, Young Couples

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Reviewer:
Unregistered User
Rented a unit in this building

Reviewed on Feb 11 2009


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11 of 12 found this review helpful:

"meh"

nice location and interesting layouts, which certainly hold a level of seduction when you enter. BUT. terrible sound insulation. terrible. i could here my neighbour typing on their computer, no joke. tvs, talking everything much much worse. reinsulating the units is much easier said than done (strata complications etc). also, the restaurant in the ba---t is very noisy. all the workers take their smoking breaks etc outside. lastly, fort street is the fire dept street out of dt. lots of siren noise at night, although this is not really the building fault. definitely can find better places to live for the same or cheaper. the building across the street is of a considerably higher quality ( i have a friend who owns in that building and has none of the sound etc problems that the mosaic is plagued with. for reference and comparison i have also lived in the wave, metropolitan, and astoria in downtown victoria.

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Comment on this Review: unregistered user on August 18 2009: I have to disagree. I lived in the building for 9 years and I never heard my neighbour. The only thing I could hear outside of my unit was the occasional door slam. unregistered user on October 4 2009: really? maybe you were next to stairwell or empty unit? i agree with the reviewer. i lived in the building for 2 years and was woken up every morning for 8 months at 6am by a neighbours alarm. could here it through the wall. could also see light from his apartment coming through the top of drywall. also had the neighbour on the other side complain of my late night 'partying' on a few occassions. i was talking to my mother on the phone. sound was a definite issue for me. as were the sirens. unregistered user on November 16 2009: Like the first comment, I also live in the building, and rarely hear neighbours, thanks to the steel/concrete consrtuction of the building and the excellent wall insulation and layout designs. There is some street noise, but such is the reality of living in such a central, downtown location. And no, I am not next to empty suites or stairwells. I have neighbours on both sides. Great building, great location. unregistered user on November 27 2009: It really depends where you are. This guy was probably in one of the ghetto suites on the 2nd floor. by getto i mean 300sq.ft. with murphy beds and ladders. I'm on the 5th and we've got big units and it's pretty quiet. and the view... Basically if you've got a bedroom in this building you're stoked. unregistered user on December 8 2009: i also currently live in the building, 3rd floor corner unit (about 500 Sqft). won't state the unit for strata purposes. I will be putting my unit up for sale this coming spring due to noise issues and simply to look for a better, more private space. While i haven't had the severity of sound issues the first reviewer did, i have certainly found insulation between units to be very subpar. yes it is a concrete construction EXTERIOR and floor to floor (up and down) concrete only exists on shared walls for the penthouses. best NOT to advertise this building as concrete construction as that is quite misleading.the steel/concrete construction on this building is not between units as one reviewer implies, a simple knock test on the interior walls will give you a quick answer on that one. maybe you're in a penthouse or some special unit. shared walls were constructed with dry wall and two by fours, no insulation in my unit either. the layouts are quite neat and imaginative, quite unique. a bedroom would be nice! the view is good once you get up there. Too small for me and while imaginative the new construction was done very cheaply and that and the sound, is why i'm moving! 5th floor larger unit would be nice. didn't know they had separate bedrooms though? unregistered user on January 21 2010: I think most people who have spent time looking at condos will have a sense of what "concrete and steel" refers to. Good seismic structure and no California design leaky condo syndrome here! I looked at many new condo buildings during my search, and haven't seen many new condos in Victoria with solid concrete walls between suites. Having said this, the Mosaic has proven remarkably quiet and private for ME, and since I moved in I don't think I've heard overt neighbour noises once. Others have noted location in the building, and I do think this is important. I own a corner suite on higher floor, so it feels like I only really have one neighbour. The Mosaic is minimalist living at its best. Fantastic location (I work downtown, so don't need a car), stylish building, imaginative interior designs that have a wonderful economy of space (they did really make the most of the available suite space when they built this place). I looked at a lot of propoerties before buying here, and the Mosaic truly was the best bang for the buck - by a longshot. I saw a lot of shoddy cardboard box condos in suburbia going for much higher price, although admittedly many of those do boast a bit more square footage and a bona fide bedroom. But for what I paid, nothing else in downtown came close when all factors are considered. unregistered user on February 13 2010: garbage building. sold after less than a year of ownership. was not impressed at all. probably best to take the opinion of people currently not living in the building as current owners/occupants have a significant bias (i would not be slamming it if i were still trying to sell or lived there). unregistered user on April 4 2010: I owned a condo in the Mosaic (sold it a couple years ago, cuz I took a job on the mainland) and it was great. My only regret is selling and moving out when I did. Seriously, this is a solid, quality building, with funky art-deco design, great location, and I really miss living there. I think this guy who posted above has an obvious axe to grind. Maybe he was one of the few renters (not owners) over the years who got evicted for being an asshole. Yep, no building is without its bad apples. My advice to anyone interested in this building is to ignore these anonymous comments, which are worth little if a name isn't attached. Have a realtor show you a unit - if one is available for show. I remember before I bought there I examined the council minutes going back right to the start, and they showed a virtually flawless history when it comes to structural and other issues. In the few years I lived there, I had no problems with anything or any noise in my unit, and when it came time to sell, I recall a bidding war in the first week it was listed, sold quickly. That tells how popular it is on the open market, unlike some of those MLS listings that seem to sit idle for months and months. I'm moving back to the island, and am considering buying back into the Mosaic if available, and renting out my current Vancouver condo as an investment property. unregistered user on May 28 2010: the guy/girl above doesn't seem to have an axe to grind. seems pretty honest. there seem to be a number of other OWNERS with similar and/or worse experiences. sound/insulation wouldn't be encompassed in structural issues. its interesting to read the opinions of posters/owners/renters unregistered user on October 14 2010: Most likely the pro building "no noise here" reviewer is a realtor posing as a tennant unregistered user on February 15 2011: The commenters who I'm "suspicious" of are the cheerleaders who are posting such glowing reviews of the building any time someone posts something bad. Sounds like a PR person or something. I'd be much more suspicious of them than the other posters. unregistered user on June 7 2011: I just moved in and I don't hear much noise at all except when the patio is open that's all.. unregistered user on June 27 2011: i love the mosiac, i owned a condo there a few years ago and sold it, now looking to buy again for investment, sadly - nothing is available.... unregistered user on July 13 2011: 401 is for sale by owner. smaller unit on stairwell so very quiet. 205,000. 250 6181354 unregistered user on August 9 2011: no problem with noise that i've noticed -- unless you count the noise that comes through the (usually) open patio door. not a lot of insulation for sound in the great outdoors, fancy that. unregistered user on October 14 2011: I've been living in this building for about 8 months now (5th floor), I rent I do not own. The noise is definitely an issue. I can always hear when my neighbours have company, are watching TV, or if their dog is barking.. etc. etc. unregistered user on October 25 2011: I lived at the Mosaic for 2 years and did not have any problems with noise, except the rare fire engine up Fort Street. Then again I was in a corner suite on the second floor. unregistered user on November 9 2011: renter here. I can actually see the light from my neighbors apartment shining through the edges of my drywall. sound is, obviously also a problem. I'm 3rd floor west side. unregistered user on January 12 2012: I lived in two units in this building. Yes, it's noisy. I am really not trying to defame the building. I am trying to give very honest opinion after living here for 2years. Few times,I wake up in middle of the night due to neighbours tv noise or something else. In fact, the same neighbour was saying he can hear my conversation on phone all the time. SO I just complain about anything. unregistered user on February 21 2012: Depends where you are in the building. I live in a relatively quiet section. Been here a few years and love it. Never had a problem with anyone in building. I've lived in much noisier apartment buildings in the past. I've also lived in peaceful suburbia where I could hear a pin drop most often. I like the sounds of the city, so a bit of traffic noise, even internal building noise doesn't phase me an iota. If anything, it makes me feel I'm living in a vibrant urban (downtown) setting. When I did purchase, I read the entire strata minutes going back 10 years and there were virtually no references to noise complaints, or any other problems, which should tell you what you need to know. unregistered user on April 22 2012: Noise is awful! I'm currently awake at 3am because the people above me are practicing with their band...yup, at 3am. Does no one else hear this? Also, my neighbors routinely come home at 3-4am and make a ton of noise. Unbelievable. I'm on 2nd floor with a patio. I do not recommend this building to anyone. unregistered user on June 12 2012: I live on the 4th floor behind in the middle apartment and there is no problem with sound at all. Either my neighbours on both sides are dead or there is no sound. Mind you - if mine and my neighbours window is open its a different story. I love this bachelor. I love it. I never want to leave however I am only a renter. unregistered user on June 20 2012: 3rd floor, east side, owner for 3 years. Very happy with this building and my suite. Why has no-one mentioned the reasonable strata fees? I'm paying $180 per month, incl heat (gas fireplace) and (hot) water. How about grabbing a caulking gun if you see light from the next unit, duh? unregistered user on June 24 2012: OMG! This building is so noisy! I live in 3rd floor and vacating the unit after so many sleepless nights. I am serious and it's a big deal to know before moving in here.. unregistered user on June 24 2012: I've lived and owned here for over 5 years. Noise is for sure and issue (second floor). I have both received noise complaints and been disturbed by others noise. I think the most hilarious one was literally hearing my neighbors balls smack against some girl while they were having sex. This building has a lot of rentals, is priced for younger adults or single people and is pet friendly. If you are bothered by any sort of noise don't live here. Due to the location and my love of my suite I stay. I must say there seem to be a great deal of passive aggressive complainers. I have received anonymous threatening notes under my door (Pretty sure an old neighbor hated the sound of happiness) There is ongoing hatred of music, smoke, marijuana smells, dogs, 'sketchy' looking friends etc. If you keep to yourself, try to be civil and quite is works out alright. unregistered user on June 27 2012: i might be moving into a 3rd floor corner unit in august (renting). noise doesnt really bother me as long as i can play my music without being told to turn it off. how friendly are the neighbours? the location seems to be ideal for me so i think it would be worth it unregistered user on September 14 2012: well I don't know who LIVES or RENTS there, but MY GOD, last night they had the loudest party ever. I could hear from my building the 'october mansion'... everyone in the mosaic was looking out their patios.. if it's that badly insulated than how could they all tolerate that noise. It was so loud, that from my building I could hear 'who the guys' slept with' and whether they 'use condoms' or not. the patio was open, and there music was blasting out, and it was like they had a PA in their place. I felt horribly bad for the residents at the mosaic. they pay to live there, and than have a bunch of punks spoil it. they are on the floor one down from the top floor. unregistered user on June 23 2013: I lived here for a year and quite like the architectural aspects of the building/unit. I actually also had neighbour slip notes under my door regarding excessive noise. I am not a noisy person at all. rarely had visitors, no tv, pretty crazy. on the flip side i had no troubles hearing her phoen conversations and amorous excursions when trying to sleep. also, apparently there a bike theft ring's head quarters on the other side (no noise complaints from them). These 'glowing reviews' must be real estate agents or I was n an absolute dud of a unit. I also suspect the penthouses have none of these issues. fwiw Write a comment about this review Enter image text: