Townhouses and Condominiums are all the craze in Raleigh. Just look around you. Everywhere you turn, builders are building townhouse communities and condos like they’re going out of style. On the contrary, more and more people are turning towards townhouses and condos over buying a house because these types of homes are more accessible to their needs. But before we go any further, let’s look at the definitions of what they mean.Â

A condominium (aka: condo), by definition, refers to the collection of individual home units along with the land upon which they sit.  A modern translation of this means that condos are pretty much like apartments with neighbors above, below and on either side of you (usually). The only real difference between a condo and an apartment is that you can own it rather than rent it.

A townhouse is often referred to by several names which include: terrace house, townhome, or row home.  A townhouse is more similar to a single family home, typically standing at least two stories high (sometimes three or four). By definition, townhouses are single family dwelling units constructed in a series or group of attached units with property lines separating each unit. Translation: It’s a house that is attached to another house on either one or both sides. Also, some people think that the term “townhouse” carries a more prestigious sound than “condo”.

Why choose one at all?

Some of the advantages in choosing a townhome or condo include the following:

• Maintenance- Costs may be less because you don’t have to make exterior repairs to the home.
• Security-Many townhome and condo communities have staff members who regularly check in.
• Amenities-Â A lot of townhome/condo communities have pools, playgrounds, tennis courts and a clubhouse, etc.

Now, some of the disadvantages of living in a Townhome or Condo community include:

• Fees- Usually, there are Home Owners’ Association (HOA) dues which take care of your exterior maintenance
• Privacy- Typically, with townhomes and condos, you don’t have as much property, and because the properties are so close together, you don’t have as much privacy.
• Exterior Changes- Usually, there is a stipulation when you move into a townhouse/condo community that only allows you to make limited changes (if any) to the exterior of your home.

If your move brings you to Raleigh, NC, make sure you contact a qualified Raleigh real estate agency. There are plenty of exclusive buyer agencies throughout the area to assist you in your final decision to make sure it is a happy one!Â

Tags: homes and community //