List of Townhome styles
Townhomes come in a wide-range of styles from stacked, back to back, 4-storey town manors and loft houses, there are countless designs that you will find. However, there are two main categories that have key differences are “freehold” and “condominium”.
Freehold towns are structures that the owner is responsible entirely to maintain, condos (parcel of tied land) on the other hand are managed properties that are subject to a monthly maintenance fee. The fee is often based on the interior square footage or a flat fee which covers building and landscaping maintenance, amenities and utilities if any.
Lanehouses and Stacked Townhomes are a popular and more affordable option in Toronto. These types of properties are a hybrid of a condo and a single family dwelling. Residents have the advantage of having a house-like layout with two floors but structured like a condominium with a more cost effective option than a house.
Stacked Townhouses
A four-storey condo split in the middle (2 floors stacked on top of each unit) made of prefabricated materials partly wood and concrete.
Pros: Cost effective, you will get an amazing location, you will get more square footage than a condo and a larger outdoor space. These normally come with 1 underground parking space.
Cons: There are a lot of Stairs to climb in stacked townhomes, if you live on an upper level it could be difficult for some. Noise had a negative effect on stacked townhomes in the earlier designs, homeowners mentioned foot traffic noise coming from the stair cases from both sides. While some noise level is normal, through the years advancements in construction and sound-proofing the noise has lessened over the years.
3-Storey Townhouses
Similar to a normal 2-storey, these homes tend to be narrower in the length than width. These types of town home tend to be freehold. There really is no standard layout, your kitchens could be on the first or the second floor, some bedrooms can resemble regular home set ups and some townhomes even utilize the roof or attic space.
Pros: Large Square footages, resembles private home living, many come with basements, rec/media rooms, private built in garages and front/back yards.
Cons: Less affordable , since these are more conventional and are normally freehold they offer more premium living and have seen prices close to $1,000,000 to $25,000,000.
Condo Townhouses
Condos Townhomes in summary are 2-3 storey townhomes built-in the ground floors of a condo building, they would be the same experience as a condo but on the lowest level.
Pros: A variety of condo amenities, security and situated in a more desirable location. Condo Townhomes experience some great development around them since most projects are zoned for high-rise or commercial.
Cons: Maintenance fees would be the same or a similar arrangement as a conventional condo ($ per square foot) which could be pricey over time when the condominium needs updating.
