What is a townhouse and how is it different from other types of housing?

What is a townhouse?

The term townhouse comes from the English town (city) and house (house, building). Literally translated - a city house. In fact, it is a low-rise residential building with several apartments within the city.

Each apartment has a separate entrance (no entrances as in an apartment building), a small adjoining territory, a parking space (less often - a garage).

In Europe, the United States, such development is usually an urban prerogative. In Russia, however, townhouses are being built in suburban complexes.

How is it different from other housing?

What is the difference between townhouses and other building options?

Flat

Realtors and developers call the area the main difference, for a townhouse it is on average 20-30% larger. The second no less pleasant nuance is a separate entrance, which means a minimum of contacts with neighbors.

Speaking of neighbors - due to the small number of floors, apartments in general, there are much fewer of them in the townhouse, they live only on the side, and not above or below. This means that there is less chance of living next to those who like to drill walls or music lovers listening to music at night.

Small plot of land, usually attached to a townhouse - another plus in favor of such a construction. You can dispose of them as you like, but it is forbidden to fence off the territory from neighbors. But the fact of the presence of a local area solves a serious urban problem with parking.

On the other hand, utility bills in apartments are relatively small: even after deducting expenses for an elevator, maintenance of entrances, you will have to pay more for living in your own spacious townhouse.

House or cottage

Based on the above, it is not difficult to guess how a cottage differs from a townhouse.

1. Firstly, only one family lives in a private house.
2. Secondly, the area under the cottage is usually larger, there is enough space on it to build a pool, playground, barbecue area.
3. Thirdly, personal property is surrounded by a fence in compliance with the boundaries on the cadastral map.

But at the same time, the owner of the house himself will have to solve problems with communications, heating, security, cleaning of the territory. In the case of closed settlements, the management company deals with all these issues.

In addition, due to the fact that townhouses are being built in the city, the infrastructure around them is usually more developed. But a private house, located in a picturesque area next to a forest or a lake, surpasses in views, air purity.

The last nuance - construction and planning. In the built townhouse, everything is decided for you, you will have to put up with certain moments. If you choose a cottage, it is possible to create an individual project, but you will have to stock up on nerves for the entire time of construction and finishing. In addition, the cost of land is quite high, and construction requires a lot of funds.

Penthouse

Although the names are phonetically similar, penthouse and townhouse are two separate stories.The penthouse is a private space located on the top floor with a rooftop terrace of a high-rise apartment building. In a penthouse, there are no neighbors in the staircase.

The main features of such housing are large areas, panoramic windows, high ceilings, no less high prices, because they are usually located in the city center.

What types are there?

As a legal term, the concept of a townhouse does not exist. In the documents, it is listed as "a residential building of a blocked building." But de facto townhouses do not just stand out from the number of block houses, but also have their own subspecies.

Linexayc

Or lanehouse - a premium version of a townhouse that is distinguished primarily by its appearance. Outside, the lanehouses look like solid buildings, at first glance it is not always clear the location of the individual entrances, their number.

Another feature is the area of ​​apartments and household plots: they are larger than standard townhouses. Apartments occupy ~ 150 square meters, and plots reach 6 ares: almost like ordinary private houses.

Such housing is chosen by wealthy residents: they value both urban comfort and the spaciousness of a private cottage.

Twinxayc

Speaking in Russian, it is a 2-family house. An excellent solution for children and parents who want to live close to each other, but in separate houses.

There are two types of similar townhouses, which are fundamentally different in the way they are built.

1. Duplex... One-piece building with a common foundation, roof, distribution of communications, divided into 2 parts by a partition.
2. Twinhouse... Two separate mirrored twin houses, each with its own foundation, roof. They are united only by the location as close as possible to each other.

Quadpoxayc

Quadro means 4, which fully describes this type of housing: a house consisting of 4 independent sections is intended for four separate families or residents.

Apartments in quad houses are usually 2-3 storey, have separate entrances, entrances, plots on each side.

Pros and cons for living

The pros and cons of townhouses seem obvious, but let's take a closer look at them.

Benefits:

• Separate entrance to the apartment. No dirty, unsightly entrances.
• Own plot near the house. Small, but enough for a barbecue area or playground.
• No need for independent arrangement of the local area. The management company is engaged in this.
• A small number of neighbors. Much less than in ordinary houses.
• Lack of neighbors from above, below. No one will stomp over their heads, they will not flood after a freshly made repair.
• Large housing area. At the same time, the total cost is not much higher than an ordinary apartment.
• Available parking. There is always a place to park your car: no one will take your parking space.
• Individual supply of hot water, heating. You yourself determine the comfortable temperature in the apartment, control the consumption of heat energy. In addition, there are no seasonal hot water outages.
• High level of security. Usually townhouses are built in gated communities, only residents or their guests can get into them.

Disadvantages:

• Underdeveloped infrastructure. When choosing a house in a suburban village, study the information about the nearby schools, gardens, shops.
• Poor transport accessibility. For a comfortable life in a townhouse, you will most likely need a personal car.
• Expensive communal apartment. We advise you to clarify the issue of payments before purchasing.
• The impossibility of completing the building. You have the right to enlarge a private house at will (having received the necessary information from the relevant authorities). It will not work to make an extension in a townhouse.

Finished finish - plus and minus at the same time... On the one hand, at first you will not have to invest in the arrangement. On the other hand, there is no guarantee that you will like the appearance, quality of materials - and the cost of finishing is included in the price of the apartment.

What to consider when buying?

Since a townhouse is a relatively new phenomenon in the real estate market, before buying it, you need to carefully study all materials for home. Or rather, to the ground. After all, if a townhouse is erected on a site not intended for such construction, the consequences can be more than serious: up to the demolition of illegally installed buildings.

Checking documents, look for one of the site design options:

1. Land for low-rise residential construction... These are any townhouses (up to 3 floors), so this option is the most suitable.
2. Land for individual residential construction... For a number of reasons, developers draw up paperwork for the construction of cottages / houses, but they build townhouses on them. This option is acceptable, but each section must be designed as an individual building with its own designated area.

If everything is in order with the documents, please specify how the land ownership will be formalized: With a private site inscribed in your name, do pretty much anything. The rules for using the common building area are established by the management company: it is better to know them in advance.

It is not for nothing that townhouses are called the golden mean between a private house and an ordinary apartment. It really combines the advantages of urban and suburban life, but at the same time combines the disadvantages of both sides - consider before buying.