What is a Town Home?

Town homes often can make an excellent "middle ground" between a detached single family home and a full-fledged condominium because, to some degree, they offer both attributes. Many people are a bit confused about exactly what defines a town home, and some of the lines are somewhat blurred, but the true explanation of a town home is simple: a town home is a home that is attached to adjacent houses, which sits upon land that you own.

While condos are sometimes physically attached to other units, when you buy a condominium, you do not own the land beneath your home, despite the fact that you may be required to contribute to the general upkeep of the common areas.

Town homes can range from duplexes and triplexes, all the way to huge town home communities consisting of hundreds of similar homes. There is a good degree of variance in the way town home communities are structured. It may be a simple agreement (as is often the case of duplexes and triplexes) that each parcel of land and the home that sits on it is separately owned. In the case of larger town home communities, you will generally have an additional shared ownership in the common areas of the complex as well as any amenities such as swimming pools, park areas, etc. This ownership you will share jointly with all other town home owners in the complex.

If you’re thinking of buying a semi-detached or attached home, it’s important to understand the difference. A semi-detached, or "semi," is a house, usually two or three stories high, that shares one exterior, or "party," wall with another house. An attached house is a “row house” of two, three, or more stories, where each of its sidewalls is shared or common with another house (except if it is the house at either end of the row). Attached houses are often called town homes.

Semis and town homes should not be confused with linked houses or links, which appear to be detached, but are linked together by foundations or a common basement parking facility.

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Pros & Cons of Owning a Town House

Pros

On the plus side, a town home seems to combine the best amenities of a single-family home and a true condominium. The exterior maintenance and repairs are minimal; there are no neighbors above or below the home like in a condominium; and because the homes are attached, they may offer a greater sense of security.

Town homes are usually priced at a much more affordable price range than single-family homes because they share a foundation and a wall or walls. As a result, when you buy a town home, you may get more home for your buck. Typically, a town home the same size as a detached house in the same neighborhood will cost somewhat less.

The common wall or walls also make town homes somewhat less expensive to heat and cool. And you may be able to get reduced rates on home improvement projects such as roof repairs or attic insulation by getting the work done at the same time and by the same contractor as your neighbor(s).

Cons

As for the disadvantages, noise from neighbors is the number one concern. Privacy may be a problem with both semi and attached homes. New town homes should be insulated to reduce sound transmission between party walls, and have rooms arranged so that the rooms or features that are adjacent on opposite sides of common walls are compatible. Stairwells set against common walls provide the greatest privacy. The worst layout would put a bedroom in one house adjacent to a recreation room in the attached home

A private backyard adds considerably to the value and enjoyment of a town home. Good fencing, landscaping and carefully positioned patio doors can make even a small garden a pleasant extension of your home. If you’re house hunting in the summer, sit outside and see if you like the garden and whether it has a private feel. If it is in the middle of winter, try to envision the garden in summer.

While you’re in the backyard, check to make sure fencing is in good repair and that there are no outstanding disputes with overhanging trees, floodlights or other features. If the row house or semi next door has a pool, you’re likely in for a lot of noise in the summer.

In the front of the house, privacy is usually less of a concern. A good design maximizes the distance between the front doors of attached homes. It’s nice not to bump into your neighbors all the time, or to have to listen to them say good night to guests at two a.m. because your living room or bedroom windows are right next to their front door.

Lack of windows and natural light is also a drawback with some town homes, because there are windows on only two or three sides. Skylights, sun tubes, well-placed mirrors and light colored paints that reflect and make the most of what natural light is available can all mitigate this problem. But try to view a town home during the day, so you can see how much natural light it gets.

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Maintenance

Though sharing jobs can save money, upkeep town homes can be problematic if you and your attached neighbors don’t have similar standards or tastes. If you hate your neighbor’s sagging porch or the color of his or her trim, you’ll just have to live with it. And when it comes time for you to sell, the condition and appeal of the attached home(s) may drag down the price you get.

However, town homes in many new developments are sold with covenants that restrict what owners can do to the facades of their houses and in public areas of the development. There can be even more restrictions when town homes are sold as condominiums -- this means no one can ruin the town home’s street appeal by painting the front door and shutters purple and green. On the other hand, it means you may not be able to do just what you want, either. And you will pay fees for the upkeep of common areas.

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Investment Value

Real Estate Agents say that the location of a home is a more important factor in its investment value than whether it is detached, or a semi, or town home. A town home or semi in a great location will appreciate more than a detached home in a run-down neighborhood.

Moreover, town home developments are preferred to detached houses by an increasing segment of the aging baby-boomer population who like the reasonable prices and low upkeep. The fact that subdivision developers now tend to build a town home component into every project is a sign of the growing popularity of this style of housing.

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How do town homes differ from condominiums?

Town Homes

  • Fewer shared walls with neighbors - less noise
  • No neighbors above and below
  • Smaller complexes
  • Fewer HOA issues
  • Laundry in the units
  • Direct access to the private garage

Condos

  • Shared walls
  • Normally has neighbors above and below
  • Usually consists of numerous units within a larger building
  • Not as much privacy
  • No direct access to the private garage or roof

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