Townhouse: the pros and cons of housing, reviews

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Townhouse - from English. townhouse (literally translated into Russian - "city house") is a relatively new proposal on the Russian residential real estate market. Re altors offer such housing to those who dream of their own home, but are not ready to give up all the benefits of a city apartment. Who is the townhouse for? The pros and cons of housing in this category especially for you in our article.

Townhouses - an old tradition or a modern invention?

Russians first heard about such a housing option as townhouses in the mid-90s of the last century. Over the past 10 years, real estate experts have noted a steady increase in the popularity of this category among buyers. Some of our compatriots already live in a townhouse, while others are looking at this “new product” in disbelief.

In fact, the idea of building cottages designed for separate residence of several families is not new. The first townhouses appeared in England in the 19th century. At that time, every noble and we althy family had several residences at once. At the same time, one house must have been purchased in the capital of the state. The high cost of land and finished real estate made this kind of real estate too expensive. The problem was solved by the construction of houses with several separate sections and an individual adjacent territory for each owner.

This description also fits a modern townhouse. The pros and cons of such housing should be considered thoroughly before making a purchase.

What are Russian townhouses like?

In Russia, the first village of townhouses was erected in the Moscow suburbs in 1995. The tradition of building houses of this type near large cities continues today. Only a small percentage of townhouses are being built within the city, often on the territory of historical private sectors. What do houses of this type look like when offered to buyers?

Townhouse is a large cottage, usually having from 2 to 4 tiers. The house is divided into identical blocks, each of which has its own entrance and plot. Usually, one owner, along with the “apartment”, gets from 1 to 4 acres of land. Before buying, it is necessary to study in detail the specific selected townhouse. Each building has its own pros and cons.

Today houses for several owners are being built all over the country, they differ in layout and area. Many townhouses have their own garage, while others only have 1-2 parking spaces. Depending on the number of residential tiers, the number of bathrooms may vary. In modern houses of this category, there is usually at least one bathroom per residential floor. Townhouses today in Russia are being built by the mostdiverse, they can have balconies, glazed verandas and many other features.

Value for money

Start comparing the pros and cons of housing in a townhouse should be with an overview of the area and prices of this type of property. It is worth noting that a section in a house for several owners will always cost less than an apartment of the same size. And this is a definite plus, especially for large families and those who love space. Accordingly, the further the village is located from the city, the cheaper the townhouse will cost.

According to the same parameters, it can be compared with an individual cottage. A detached house always costs more than a section in a townhouse. What is the area of an apartment in a low-rise building for several owners? Standard sections in townhouses usually boast a size of 75-250 m². Some houses of this category have not only 1-3 floors, but also a basement underground. Budget options usually consist of several rooms located on 2 tiers. The area of such housing can be quite modest, less than 100 m^2.

The owner of a block in a townhouse is his own boss

Which is better - a townhouse or an apartment? Each option has pros and cons, but we will try to consider the advantages of the first type of residential real estate. After the acquisition, even if it is a part of a private house, hundreds of possibilities for its arrangement open up before the buyer. It's not just about design frills. Private sauna, swimming pool, gym, fireplace, winter garden - all this is already inmany townhouses, and if desired, you can equip yourself in almost any of the typical sections.

And do not forget about the local area, because you will definitely have it if you decide to live in a townhouse. The pros and cons associated with a personal plot of land should be considered separately. If you wish, you can arrange personal parking throughout the available territory. Or maybe you want to break a flower garden, build a children's or sports ground or a gazebo for barbecue? All this is also possible. An interesting idea - in some townhouses, friendly neighbors combine part of their personal plots and jointly equip them with recreation areas that are used by all residents of the house.

Townhouse - a compromise between an apartment and your own house

Most often, sections in houses for several owners are purchased by people who dream of living in their own cottage. When choosing a townhouse, you will not have to give up most of the advantages of living in an urban high-rise building. Apartments in the multi-owner segment are still rare on the secondary housing market today. And buying a house in a new house is always pleasant and profitable - after all, you won’t have to think about major repairs for a long time.

New townhouses delight their owners with attractive facades, decorated in various architectural styles. Real estate of this category and at different stages of construction is for sale. By making such a purchase, you can save almost twice.

People living alone or young families are sometimes afraid to move into their own private house. You will definitely not be isolated from society if you choose a townhouse. The pros and cons of having neighbors should be considered individually. But if you believe the reviews, in small houses all residents are often friends with each other and celebrate all the holidays together.

Living like a European in modern Russia

Watching foreign films, we invariably envy the spacious and bright houses, well-groomed lawns and friendly neighbors of the main characters. At first glance, it seems that in Russia you can only live in an elite cottage village. This is not true. You can live in a townhouse just as well. The pros and cons of the option you like should be studied in detail before buying.

Experts say that it is most profitable to buy real estate of this category in closed new settlements. In most of them, the territory is guarded, and this is a guarantee of the safety of all family members. Usually people of the same social class, who have related views on life, settle in such settlements. Gradually, the quarters of townhouses are overgrown with their own infrastructure. All this is very convenient, because sometimes even in the elite urban complexes of residential high-rise buildings you can still meet random people. In low-rise buildings for several owners, citizens who dream of living in their own cottage, without giving up the benefits of a city apartment, usually buy blocks.

Housing maintenance - plus or minus for a townhouse?

Saving on utility bills after moving into a townhouse will not work. In most cases, the cost of heating, electricity, water supply and gasis higher than in a similar city apartment. In some suburban villages, the owners of sections of houses for several families rejoice at the general improvement of the local area, round-the-clock security and daily garbage collection. Of course, the property owners also pay for all these services. But this is both the pros and cons of living in a townhouse.

The advantages of housing in this category include the mandatory installation of meters for all types of resources in each section of the cottage. In addition, smart engineering systems are used in modern homes. For example, often the owner can independently regulate the power of central heating on his territory.

And the neighbors behind the wall…

Afraid that you will be flooded by the neighbors from above? An affordable solution to this problem is the purchase of a townhouse. The pros and cons of housing in this category are the presence of residents in other sections of the house, namely, through the wall from your rooms. Many in such a neighborhood see only positive aspects. For example, you can always go on vacation and entrust your neighbors with watering flowers and caring for pets. If the family is large or there are time-tested friends, you can buy an entire townhouse and each owner will have a separate entrance and personal space.

But sometimes it is because of the neighbors that life in a townhouse becomes impossible. Each of us has our own pros and cons: young people can have noisy parties, newlyweds have children, older people sometimes express dissatisfaction even because ofminor noise. If you decide to buy a block in a commissioned multi-owner home, be sure to get to know the other owners before making a deal. It is much more pleasant and convenient to live through the wall with people similar to you in lifestyle and temperament.

Remoteness from the city, infrastructure and other subtleties of survival in a townhouse

At first glance, it seems that it is most profitable to buy a section in a townhouse located in a country village. Indeed, this property is the cheapest in its category. Country villages are pleasing to the eye with their well-groomed, many of them are built in picturesque places and ecologically clean areas. If desired, it is easy to find townhouses in this market segment with finishing, fully equipped for the relocation of new owners.

What are the disadvantages of such houses? The first of them and the most tangible is the distance from the city. If you plan to keep your job within the boundaries of a large settlement or if your family has children attending educational institutions, you need to sensibly assess the transport accessibility of your new home. For some residents of new settlements, it takes at least 1.5-2.5 hours to travel from home to work every day. It is desirable that the village has at least a minimally developed infrastructure: grocery and consumer goods stores, a pharmacy, and a personal services salon. Otherwise, you will have to regularly organize a large-scale purchase and organize your own warehouse of provisions, personal care products and everyday items at home.

Purchasing a townhouse:legal details of the deal

Not only the choice of a townhouse, but also its purchase has its own peculiarities and subtleties. Usually such houses are sold in shared ownership. From a legal point of view, the entire townhouse is one piece of real estate that can be sold to several buyers (each of which becomes the owner of one section). Before making a deal, it is important to study the documents for the land on which the house stands. It is important to understand that the land adjacent to the purchased section does not become the property of the buyer.

In Russian law there is no such thing as a townhouse. Typically, houses of this category are designed in much the same way as ordinary typical high-rise buildings. And this means that the owner of the land on which the building stands is the HOA. Accordingly, the owner of a section in a townhouse can use and improve “his” site at his own request, but does not have the right to build capital buildings on it.

Moreover, some neighborhoods have their own internal rules. They also need to be studied before buying. Often, owners are not allowed to significantly change the architectural appearance of the building and the surrounding area. And this means that you can put up garden furniture and set up a flower garden, but you can’t build a high fence. The sale of a section in a townhouse is also carried out according to special rules. First you need to notify all other owners of the building about the desire to sell your share. They have the priority right to purchase. If none of the owners has expressed a desirebuy a selling section, you can make a deal with a third-party buyer.

Townhouse: pros and cons. Feedback from those who have already moved into their townhouse

According to statistics, our citizens most often buy sections in townhouses as their first home or after an apartment in the city. This category of owners of sections in houses of the "European type" often speaks enthusiastically about the acquisition. The townhouse can comfortably accommodate a family with several children, there is a place for arranging a personal office or a home gym.

What do the owners say about such housing, what, in their opinion, is the pros and cons of a townhouse? There are different reviews: someone talks about how he has already managed to make friends with his neighbors, and “holidays of the whole yard” have become a good tradition on weekends. Someone, on the contrary, considers a townhouse as a temporary housing option, intermediate between an apartment and a private cottage. And indeed, a section in a house for several owners will always cost less than a similar detached mansion. If you want to buy a townhouse, photos of the options for sale are unlikely to help you. It is necessary to accurately formulate your own requirements and study in detail each property suitable for them. You should take into account the cost of maintaining housing, the location of the house, the layout of the sections, and get to know the neighbors. However, if the purchased townhouse does not live up to your expectations, it will not be difficult to sell it. Today, the interest of buyers in real estate of thiscategory continues to grow steadily.