A townhouse is like a middle-ground between a fully fledged condominium and single family home that is detached. To some extent, townhouses have attributes of single family houses and condos.
A townhouse is basically a house that is part of one or many other houses and it is found on a plot that is also owned by you. The townhouses can be duplexes, triplexes or large townhouse communities that harbor a lot other similar homes.
The structure of townhouse communities may vary. In some cases, it might be a mere agreement that states that every parcel of land as well as the home that is found on it is owned separately. This is mostly for duplexes and triplexes. As for the bigger townhouse communities, there may be an extra shared ownership especially in the shared places of the complex and other amenities like park areas and swimming pools. This ownership is usually shared equally among all owners of the townhouse complex.
Some townhouse purchases usually involve a Homeowner’s Association. It is very important that you get enough information on these since the association might have an effect on your ownership experience of the house.
One advantage you will have when you buy a townhouse is that you will not need to do a lot of exterior repair as well as maintenance. Even though you may own a small yard, you will not need to manage it. The homeowner’s association will be the one in charge of all repairs and maintenance services.
But it can also be a disadvantage to be under the homeowner’s association since you will have to live by its rules. The association could be having rules that are anti-dog, or they may also have rules concerning renting out or landscaping. Such restrictions may make your stay in that particular house harder and also make it difficult for you if you want to do a resell later on.
A townhouse allows you to live more independently as compared to other houses such as condos. You will have a small yard, your own front door and you may also have your own parking garage. Since many townhouses are considered to be single family homes, the renting fees for them are not very high.