A new housing format – a townhouse: what it is and how it differs from a house and a cottage?

Imagine living in a house that blends the best aspects of an apartment and a traditional house. Greetings from the townhouse world. Due to their special combination of community living, affordability, and comfort, townhouses are growing in popularity. However, what is a townhouse exactly, and how is it different from a home or a cottage?

A townhouse may initially appear to be similar to a regular house. It offers several floors of private space that evokes the atmosphere of a single-family home. Townhouses, however, typically share walls with adjacent apartments and are a part of a larger complex. This design preserves personal privacy while promoting a feeling of community.

Townhouses are typically found in urban or suburban settings, in contrast to a cottage, which typically conjures images of a quaint, stand-alone home tucked away in a picturesque setting. They frequently have contemporary amenities and convenient access to city services and entertainment, all of which are designed to maximize space and convenience.

Knowing the main distinctions between a house, a townhouse, and a cottage will assist you in selecting the type of housing that best fits your needs. The decision is a personal one based on your requirements and preferences because each option has particular advantages and things to keep in mind.

What it is?

A townhouse is a type of residential building that has multiple floors, typically two or three, and multiple apartments that share a roof and common walls. However, townhouses lack a common entrance, meaning that each apartment has a separate entrance from the street, in contrast to high-rise buildings. These homes are frequently constructed in a row, creating residential complexes with a common architectural design.

Three to seven parts can be found in a single house. The townhouse receives its water, gas, and electricity from a central source. The apartments can have individual or shared heating, but they share a common sewer system. Every apartment in a townhouse has a private parking space as well as a local area.

This is a relatively new housing format for Russia. This kind of home is thought to be a more cost-effective substitute for pricey cottages.

Describe a townhouse. Watch the video below to learn more:

What varieties are there??

Townhouses can be of various types.

Linehouse

All of the apartments in this house are arranged linearly, meaning they are all on the same line. They may number five or ten. Due to neighbors on one side, the apartments at the end are always more expensive.

Linehouses have two doors—one leading to the courtyard and the other to the street. There are no more than three stories in these apartments. The most common shape for living rooms is rectangular.

Duplex or twinhouse

According to its name, a duplex is a two-family home made up of two low-rise blocks or modules. Duplexes are laid out in mirrors. For neighbors, this style of townhouse ensures the highest level of seclusion and privacy. These homes are frequently constructed by close friends and family members who wish to live close by but still apart from one another.

Neighbors in duplexes occasionally share a common hall and a single entrance. Here, they are referred to as twin houses. Additionally, apartments may be arranged one above the other.

Citation. There is a local area on the duplex as well, but it encircles the house completely.

Quadhouse

These are houses with four mirror-image identical apartments. In this instance, the common house’s corners house residential sections.

In quad-houses, the residential premises are located on the outer edges, while the utility premises are located closer to the center of the house. This arrangement reduces neighbor disturbances. Here, there are also attics and basements.

Features and layout options

The vertical orientation of townhouses sets them apart from typical apartment buildings. Every apartment is multi-floored and has its own entrance. Since the first floor is where most activity occurs, it has an entry hall, a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom.

• If the house is two-story, then on the 2nd floor: dressing room, bedrooms, office and another bathroom.
• In a three-story townhouse, the 3rd floor may have a guest bedroom and another living room.

Given that few people ever go to the third floor, the living room is frequently converted into a home theater, pool room, or sports room.

The building is frequently sold without stairs, ceilings, or partitions. This is a box where the owners can design the layout of the rooms in the house, including how many there will be, how big they will be, how many bathrooms there will be, and where they will be located.

Townhouses frequently have floor to ceiling or panoramic windows. There is an option for the customer to cut extra window openings if they would like skylights. Townhouses typically feature a staircase close to which useful spaces are located. The area beneath a staircase can be utilized for a restroom or storage area when it is constructed.

Regarding a note. Every building has a right to a local area, which is a 2–4 acre plot of land.

The regulations governing this website are different from those governing country house websites and are contingent upon the townhouse’s official registration. If a townhouse is planned as an apartment building, the owners own the land plot beneath the building, and the developer, with whom the apartment owners sign a long-term lease, owns the surrounding area.

In this instance, the management firm is entitled to:

• prohibit residents from erecting fences or limit their height and appearance;
• prohibit the construction of outbuildings and other buildings that violate the architectural concept of the entire village;
• change the appearance of a townhouse;
• require owners to order a fence from a specific contractor.

Residents are free to use the townhouse as they see fit if the townhouse and the surrounding land are divided among all owners. The developer can only restrict owners in the construction of capital buildings with this type of legal registration.

Broad guidelines are developed to control how their areas are improved, preventing disputes between apartment owners that could result from permissiveness. Regardless of legal registration, there are general guidelines for landscaping local areas that must be followed. Among the choices are:

• arrangement of a barbecue area;
• children"s playground;
• sports section;
• benches or sun loungers;
• gazebos;
• swimming pool (inflatable or collapsible);
• plants in containers;
• flower beds and lawns.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are many benefits associated with residential buildings:

• each apartment has an individual entrance;
• spacious apartments with a large area;
• availability of a garage for 1-2 cars or parking spaces;
• a small plot of land that the owners can arrange to their taste: make a recreation area, a children"s or sports ground, plant a flower garden;
• there are no neighbors in such houses either from below or from above, only from the side, and in the outer apartments – only from one side, and to prevent them from interfering, you can improve the sound insulation;
• such residential complexes are built on the outskirts of the city, therefore, there is cleaner air and there is no city bustle;
• each apartment has its own water supply, electrical wiring, sewerage, and often also heating;
• the territory of the village is fenced and equipped with modern security systems;
• a limited number of neighbors and the absence of neighbors below and above;
• the village has a developed infrastructure and is being built at the same time as schools, kindergartens, shops and other social facilities;
• due to the fact that townhouses are equipped with autonomous heating, money is saved on utility bills.

Additionally, there are drawbacks to such real estate:

• the high cost of a townhouse, so only people with above-average income can afford such housing;
• a large apartment, which is more difficult to clean;
• the presence of neighbors on one or both sides;
• inability to change the appearance of the facade;
• to live on the outskirts of the city you will need personal transport;
• distance from the city center.

How is it different from other types of houses??

A private home is a stand-alone structure encircled by a sizable piece of land.

Among the cottage’s attributes are:

• higher cost and expensive maintenance;
• the ability to build according to an individual unique project;
• selling a cottage is easier than selling an apartment in a townhouse, where you need to coordinate your actions with your neighbors;
• accommodation is more comfortable than living in a townhouse;
• more expensive housing, emphasizing the status of the owner;
• private property that belongs entirely to the owner;
• the entire territory can be fenced with a fence of any configuration.

A typical private home is a dwelling that shares many traits with a cottage, with the exception of its smaller size and design. Additionally, a private residence with a small plot of land can be found inside a city.

What is better to choose?

Everyone selects the housing option that best suits them after weighing the benefits and drawbacks of townhouses, private homes, and cottages. The future owners’ preferences and financial situation will determine the decision.

• A cottage and a private house are individual housing with a plot of land, independent from neighbors.
• Maintaining an individual building will cost more than maintaining a townhouse.
• Owners of a townhouse will have lower maintenance and utility costs than owners of a house or cottage.
• Limited possibilities in terms of redevelopment of the interior of Townhouse and the scope for imagination and opportunities for owners of cottages or houses.

You’ll discover the advantages and disadvantages of townhouses and cottages from the video, which compares features and prices:

Townhouses are a popular choice because they provide a special combination of the advantages of traditional homes and cottages. They give you the privacy of your own house and the sense of community that comes with sharing walls with your neighbors. This combination creates a well-rounded living environment that appeals to a variety of individuals, including families and young professionals.

The layout is one of the main distinctions between a townhouse and a standalone home. Townhouses are multi-story apartments with shared walls that maximize space and frequently have smaller, easier-to-manage lots. Compared to larger, standalone houses, they are easier to maintain and more reasonably priced because of their design.

Conversely, cottages are typically cozier, smaller, and found in more rural or vacation-like environments. Townhouses fill the gap by offering a less maintenance option for large houses and more space and contemporary amenities than cottages, whether living in the suburbs or in the city.

The decision between a townhouse, a house, and a cottage ultimately boils down to lifestyle requirements and personal preferences. Townhouses are a useful and appealing housing option for people looking for a combination of affordability, community, and convenience.

A townhouse combines the advantages of a house and a condominium into one distinctive housing format. Townhouses share walls with surrounding apartments, which can reduce maintenance costs and make them more affordable than standalone homes. Townhouses are more common in urban or suburban settings than cottages, and they frequently have shared amenities like parks or swimming pools. For people looking for a compromise between the privacy of a detached home and the convenience and sense of community of a condo, this kind of housing offers a good option.

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