The Happy Medium Between Home and Condo

Differences make the world go around. Since homes are a reflection of the people that buy them, the Sacramento area offers a diverse range of buying options designed to fit almost every taste and budget.

Lack either time or money? Let us introduce you to the maintenance-free zone that has a host of conveniences – and more time to enjoy them – into the total package. If you’re weighing your options between a single-family home and condo, consider a Sacramento townhouse that provides the best of both worlds. Here are a few comparisons that may help ease your decision making task:

Townhouse vs. Traditional Condo

Townhouses are a condo variation, but they differ significantly from traditional condos. For example, most townhouses are two or three stories, and traditional condos are typically a one story flat. Therefore a townhouse gives people who feel confined in condos the same breathing space as a home. Aside from the multilevel design, median two bedroom townhouses are 1,500 square feet or more compared to 1,200 square foot condos. A four bedroom townhouse at Hampton Village, for example,  is slightly less than 2,000 square feet, and has a community swimming pool, walk and bike path and close proximity to Kokomo Park sweeten the deal.

Parking and storage is another townhouse plus. Condos generally include a community parking garage or assigned spaces in addition to little or no storage space, which is often a problem for people downsizing from a larger home. Townhouses, on the other hand, often come with attached or detached garages that serve both purposes by providing quick access to automobiles and stored possessions.

Functional outdoor space is another issue that separates townhouses and condos. While balconies are common in condos, private patios in townhouses are larger and more suited to entertaining, spreading out and putting in a potted plant or two.

Townhouse vs. Single-Family Home

Townhouses not only offer the look and feel of a single-family home; they offer cost savings. Though big backyards are major selling points for houses, they’re also a cost factor in the purchase price. The land cost of a townhouse is much less because land surrounding it is normally a common area, and townhouses are built up in multi-stories rather than out, which minimizes the land usage.

Some first-time townhouse buyers balk at HOA fees, but that fixed cost can save you money (and time!) in the long-run because the HOA takes care of mowing, trimming, landscaping,  and often the structural maintenance, as well as providing  amenities like a swimming pool, walking paths or fitness center. When you factor in all those costs plus the time you’ll save, you’ll likely see that your money goes  further with a townhouse. And you’ll have more time to enjoy life.

Townhome developments also tend to be in more of the urban Sacramento areas, like the Washington Park Village townhomes.  Because infill building is back in vogue, you may have a better opportunity to buy a newer townhome than you have to find a newer home downtown.

Contact us and we can help you find a Sacramento townhouse just for you!

Though not guaranteed, information and statistics in this article have been acquired from sources believed to be reliable.