Craig B. Rushton

Exclusive condominiums worth millions of dollars go on sale Saturday at the former Olympic athletes' village in Vancouver, but one disgruntled owner is trying to warn potential buyers to beware.

Leo Chen is one of about 260 people who purchased condos before the Millennium Water development was actually built. The remaining 474 units go on sale on the weekend.

Chen bought a 1,000-square-foot condo for $1.4 million. It was a premium price — even by Vancouver standards — because the view from the unit would be spectacular.

Based on the scale models at the sales office, Chen said that although he would be looking out over an adjoining community centre, he would have a clear view north to False Creek and the downtown skyline beyond.

Now that the building is constructed, his view is gone, Chen said.

A huge concrete triangular structure sits on top of the new community centre in front of his suite. Chen said the structure was not shown in the model he saw.

"Very much different in terms of our view and very much different in terms of the value of the property," he said.

The developer has offered Chen another unit, but he wants out of the deal entirely and is demanding his $140,000 deposit back.

Signed agreement

Chen now marches back and forth on the sidewalk in front of the presentation centre wearing a sandwich board emblazoned with photographs showing the difference between what he thought he was buying and what he got.

He also warns potential buyers to look at the fine print, as he admits he now should have done.

An agreement Chen signed when he bought his condo covers possible discrepancies between scale models and actual constructed buildings.

"View representations cannot be relied upon to be representative of actual views available from any perspective within the completed development," the agreement states.

One Vancouver real estate lawyer said Chen's predicament illustrates the dangers of buying something before it is built.

"You can't look around the apartment," Andrew Morrison said. "You can't see the view, you can't touch the walls, you can't see how big the rooms are. You're taking a risk."