The word "town house" today is heard by most people. Some consider it fashionable and incomprehensible, while others have long been familiar with this term, new enough for the domestic real estate market. After reading this article, you will learn about what a town house is, how convenient and affordable it is, and also get acquainted with its advantages and disadvantages.
In our country, this type of housing appeared literally ten years ago, although in England it began to be built almost two centuries ago. If you saw a Harry Potter movie, then you should have a general idea of what a town house is. The street on which the Harry family lived, consisted entirely of such houses - typical British town houses.
So, a townhouse is a cottage consisting of two or three floors and has its own entrance, but at the same time, it is blocked by buildings of the same kind on both sides. Its type is two buildings that stand nearby, or a "twin" house called "duplex" for two neighbors. This type of real estate remarkably complements a small plot of land that is adjacent to each building and definitely exceeds the size of the staircase of an apartment building. That is, the owner of the house will certainly see neighbors, but this proximity will not be so close.
Historical reference
To the question of what a town house is, the translation of this word from English, “city house”, more than accurately and specifically answers. And this term arose in England a couple of centuries ago. At that time (as today) land in the cities of foggy Albion was quite expensive, so a house for several families in a short time began to be in special demand. Another version convinces us that the townhouse appeared due to the annexes of the homes of the grown children to their parents. Many people liked this idea, as a result of which whole streets of interlocked houses arose .
Real estate townhouse in our country
The popularity of this type of housing in most European countries is not in doubt (due to the lack of land there and its high cost). However, in our country the situation is completely different. Despite the fact that townhouses are relatively inexpensive and quite economical to operate, they are gaining popularity among the inhabitants of our country slowly. The main reason for this is the incomprehensible housing format.
What is a town house: an apartment or a cottage? Neither the first nor the second option fits this definition . The townhouse can not be called his own home in any way, but this is not an apartment in the usual sense. It can be called both a country apartment and a city house at the same time. And the official concept does not exist at all. This fact scares most people.
But this type of housing compares favorably with other residential buildings and looks like a foreign visitor: fashionable, neat and smart. Neither the dull uniformity of apartment buildings, nor the pretentiousness of domestic cottages are inherent in townhouses.
Advantages and disadvantages of townhouses
First about the merits. First of all, it is worth noting the cost-effectiveness of this type of housing. Townhouses are both inexpensive and maintained. Secondly, they differ in a homogeneous social environment. Thirdly, the rooms in the townhouses are more spacious and there is a small plot of land and a garage. And fourthly, such houses are often sold with a free layout, that is, from them you can create any design project at your own discretion.
Of the minuses, only one can be distinguished, but it is not so critical: service in a town house is more expensive than in a standard apartment. And this is due to the large dimensions.
In general, the townhouse can be called the middle ground between a city apartment and a country house. And an economy class townhouse will be the best solution if you want to live in a cottage, but there is not enough money to buy it or build it.