House or Townhouse or Condo?

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Jetfire, Dec 19, 2010.

  1. Jetfire

    Jetfire Guest

    I was wondering what peoples preference is for housing...I have always wanted a house on acreage...mainly for privacy...but certain areas of the US a house(with a fair amount of land) is way too expensive and things like Townhouses and condos are cheaper for the same square footage, number of bedrooms and baths.

    I didn't include apartments because I am talking about buying a dwelling and not renting. of course if I have said something stupid here one of you kind people will surely point it out. :lol:

    What do you prefer House +acreage or Townhouse or condo? And if you can explain why that would be great. :bolian:
     
  2. Alidar Jarok

    Alidar Jarok Everything in moderation but moderation Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2003
    Location:
    Norfolk, VA
    I hate mowing the lawn. I always hope for an early frost that kills all the grass. But I do like a bit of space, so I'll vote townhouse.
     
  3. Scout101

    Scout101 Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2003
    Location:
    Rhode Island, USA
    House is the preference for me. Privacy, a little elbow room from the neighbors, garage, etc.

    Depending on the neighborhood, I could get by with a Townhouse, as it at least feels like a house, still usually has garage, etc., upstairs and downstairs... Don't have to mow the lawn or plow, etc (usually), but the association fees aren't attractive to me, I'd rather do that myself.

    Condo is just an apartment, doesn't really feel like a home to me...
     
  4. MetalPants

    MetalPants Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2007
    Location:
    Beyond the Rim
    House definitely. I like having my yard and trees around me.
     
  5. Shatnertage

    Shatnertage Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2010
    Location:
    Ward Fowler's gofer.
    Before becoming a family man, it was definitely townhouse or condo. Now, it's a house. We need the space.
     
  6. iguana_tonante

    iguana_tonante Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2006
    Location:
    Italy, EU
    I'm not sure I understand the difference between living in a condo and having an apartment (flat). Isn't a condo composed by apartments? :confused:

    In every case, space here is at a premium, so anything but an apartment would be crazily expensive and out of question. Also, I wouldn't know what to with acreage, except to accumulate garbage and wild bushes.
     
  7. Jetfire

    Jetfire Guest

    an apartment you are renting and a condo you purchase like a home...depending on the area alot of condos are more set up like townhouses than like apartments.

    [edit] I know in bigger cities you can purchase an apartment instead of renting. :shrug:
     
  8. cultcross

    cultcross Postponed for the snooker Moderator

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2001
    Location:
    UK
    Not sure on the translation of the US terminology, but I'm guessing approximately detached house -> terraced house -> flat? I'm a bit thrown by the comment about buying not renting, people here certainly buy 'apartments' to live in. But then, our house prices in general are sky-high compared to the US because of our ridiculous land values. The legal building space left to the UK is very limited so any building that uses up land like a large detached house with a garden costs a fortune.
    We're in the process of buying a Victorian terraced house, which I'm very much looking forward to - we rent a maisonette at the moment so I can't wait to have somewhere we can make 'ours'.
     
  9. Jetfire

    Jetfire Guest

    ^
    More less yeah House(Detached House), Townhouse(Terraced House) & Condo(Flat).
     
  10. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 10, 2005
    Location:
    Confederation of Earth
    I enjoy owning my own home and I wouldn't want to give that up. There is the yardwork thing, but I don't mind that. Gives me something to do and a chance to exercise a fair bit!
     
  11. Warp Coil

    Warp Coil Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2001
    Location:
    NYC
    I'm not terribly interested in maintaining a yard (cutting the grass, raking the leaves, planting bushes and shrubs and trees and flowers, etc.) or dealing with a lot of the exterior maintenance (cleaning out the gutters). So I don't think a single family home is right for me. I would love a nice, roomy townhouse with a garage. At the moment, I can only afford a condo so that is what I have. If the day ever comes that I get married and can enjoy living off of 2 incomes instead of just my own, it will be time for an upgrade.
     
  12. Lookingglassman

    Lookingglassman Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2006
    Location:
    America
    I have owned two houses and I hate yard work. I am moving next year and am looking into getting a condo so I wont have to deal with all of that mess.
     
  13. Alidar Jarok

    Alidar Jarok Everything in moderation but moderation Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2003
    Location:
    Norfolk, VA
    Yeah, condos and apartments are basically the same thing. Condos you own outright, while apartments are rented. Although, to make things even more confusing, you can rent a condo too. :D

    More specifically, an apartment is one housing unit in a building with a single owner. Condos are all in one building, but sold separately and you get complete ownership over it.
     
  14. Small White Car

    Small White Car Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2001
    Location:
    Washington D.C.
    I have an end-unit townhouse. This is, for me, the ideal middle-ground

    I have nice big side yard and only one direct neighbor (through a brick firewall) so it's a huge advancement over a condo.

    But I also have a neighborhood association that does the majority of yard care. The part I'm responsible for is quite small. So I have that advantage over a stand-alone house.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. iguana_tonante

    iguana_tonante Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2006
    Location:
    Italy, EU
    Ah, ok, I think I understand now. Thanks for the explanations. Under this classification, most homes here are condo, since having a building with a single owner renting out flats would be exceedingly unlikely. For example, I rent a one bedroom condo, while my parents own a two bedrooms one.

    I would like to own a townhouse when I settle down, but I don't see it coming unless research grants get a sky-high rise in the near future (yeah, sure :shifty:).

    A detached house looks too big for a couple or a small family from my perspective, and also too much of a hassle.
     
  16. Alidar Jarok

    Alidar Jarok Everything in moderation but moderation Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2003
    Location:
    Norfolk, VA
    Yeah, pretty much

    More than you could ever want to know on this subject

    EDIT: Interestingly enough, the Code Napoleon first legalized this type of ownership in 1804, while English law generally prohibited it (the first American condominium was 1958 in Puerto Rico and 1960 on the mainland).
     
  17. Holdfast

    Holdfast Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2000
    Location:
    17 Cherry Tree Lane
    To me, location and period/architecture are the primary things I look for in a place to live.

    I want somewhere convenient for both the country and city I currently live near, and either Georgian or Victorian architecture. Beyond that, I'm less fussy about the nature of the place. In an ideal world, of course I'd prefer a detached house with a large garden, but with given my location/architecture preconditions, I'd be looking at somewhere in the region of £2-5 million to get my preferred property. If I "settled" for a semi-detached or terraced property, I could probably get one for around £750k-£1.5 million, and I suspect I'll end up biting the bullet on that at some point.

    Currently, I own a 2-bed generously proportioned flat that meets both the location and architecture requirements, and frankly is comfortable enough given I live on my own. Rather than get a larger property, I chose to get a second buy-to-let instead. Maybe in a decade I'll sell both property, top up the total and see how close I can get to my ideal property and compromise as needed. But for now, I'm happy where I am.
     
  18. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2000
    Location:
    QC, IL, USA
    House, for sure. I love having a yard, and mowing the lawn gives me an excuse to go outside in the summer. I also hate sharing walls with neighbors, so I find condos and townhouses annoying. I mean, they get the job done for living, but if I'm going to actually purchase a place, I want a house all to myself.
     
  19. Finn

    Finn Bad Batch of TrekBBS Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2006
    House! I want a wooded lot by a forest, with a creek running through it, with 10 point bucks drininking from it.

    My fiancee wants a white house with green trim/shutters and a red front door.
     
  20. iguana_tonante

    iguana_tonante Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2006
    Location:
    Italy, EU
    That's... oddly specific. :lol: