Is Townhome living for you?

Being a Philadelphia area native, I have been asked often in my career, what is the difference between a townhouse and a row home?  I usually tell the buyer about $150,000 (play the laugh track).  In reality, they are the same animal.  An attached dwelling, on both sides of a common wall, except if you happen to be the end unit or end of a row.   Of course in the city of Philadelphia and some of the original ring suburbs, we usually think of the brick homes, predominately built at the end of the 19^th century as a row home.  I still can hear my great aunt telling stories of sitting on the stoop, with her Schuylkill neighbors in the summer months.

When we think of townhomes, the picture of a twentieth century development of attached homes in a planned community comes to mind.  These communities have expanded to feature architecture that will rival the space of a single family home.

The Haverford Reserve

Here are a few benefits of living in one of these type of townhome communities.

1.)    Less Maintenance and upkeep.

In most of the planned home communities, the home owner belongs to a homeowners or condo association.  Many times, the association is responsible for the outside maintenance.  SO you don’t mow the grass, shovel the snow and in some cases they even take care of the exterior elements such as painting and the common roof.  Obviously, it changes by community so you will need to check out what is included in the development you are buying in.  In Pennsylvania, the seller of your unit is required to produce the association rules and financials for your review prior to settlement.

2.)    Security

You live next to a lot of people.  It makes it harder for an intruder to not be noticed.  Many buyers find security and comfort knowing that when the travel, neighbors are close by and with the association maintaining the outside it can be hard to tell you’re not at home.  Just lock the door and go.

3.)    Community Amenities

Many communities offer club amenities, whether it be a pool, clubhouse, tennis or even golf.  In addition, you can have a social network since people live close to each other.  Keep in mind though, the more amenities that are available, the higher your monthly association fee may be.

 

4.)    More Square Footage For The Money

In most cases, you will get more square footage for the money in a townhome than a single family home.  The builder needs to spend less on the ground and consequently the overall cost of the house drops.  In recent years, architects have done incredible design work on townhomes, utilizing multiple levels and open floor planning to give buyers a sense of spaciousness.

 

Sound good?  Check out was is available in our local areas and see for yourself. 

Ardmore Town Houses	Aston Town Houses	Bryn Mawr Townhouses
Berwyn Town Houses	Broomall Town Houses	Chaddsford Town Houses
Concordville Town Houses	Conshohocken Town Houses	Devon Town Houses
Edgemont Town Houses	Garnet Valley Town Houses	Gladwyne Town Houses
Glen Mills Townhouses	Haverford Town Houses	Media Town Houses
Newtown Square Town Houses	Paoli Town Houses	Radnor Town Houses
Wayne Town Houses	Swarthmore Town Houses	Wallingford Town Houses

 

More than just curious?  Call, email or text me, we can evaluate the value of your present home and go tour a few communities to see if they are a good fit.