Which to Choose a Condo or a House, Such an Enormous Decision When Considering Purchasing a Home! There are many differences between residing in a condo compared to residing in a house. To most people the differences seem to be relatively simple and obvious, while others may be quite surprised to learn Just how many there really are. However, condos and houses also have some basic things in common. Whether it is a condo or a house, both of them have a wide range of advantages and disadvantages. Which option to choose when purchasing a home is much more complicated than one might think it would be!
The first housing option to consider is a condo. One of the advantages of living in a condo is that there is no yard work for the owner to complete. As the owner of a condo, there is no grass to cut, no weeds to pull, and no flowers to plant or water. In the winter there is no need to get up early to shovel snow from the side walk or driveway; it is already taken care of. There is also no outside building maintenance or repairs for the owner to have to do. One of the most significant advantages to living in a condo is all of the amenities that condo complexes offer.
These amenities nclude, but are not limited to, a swimming pool, hot tub, tennis court, playground for kids, and a club house with many more activities. Along with all of the other advantages, the utility costs are typically less expensive than traditional houses. Utilities are lower due to the fact that all of the units insulate each other, and because water, sewer, and trash are included with your association fee. While there are many advantages of living in a condo, there are also some major disadvantages.
One of the major disadvantages of owning a condo is, property is not included in the urchase, as the owner only owns the unit. Another disadvantage is the additional cost of having to pay a monthly maintenance/association fee. This maintenance fee can be very expensive, and over a period of time can add up to a lot of money. For dog owners, an equally important disadvantage of living in a condo is the lack ofa fenced back yard. Because condos have limited areas designated for dogs, and depending on where the unit is, this could be a long hike, possibly even up hill.
Let’s face it, no one wants to go for a middle of the night hike to take the dog outside for a walk. In addition to other disadvantages, there is very limited storage space, and an attached garage is not an option. Finally, one last disadvantage of living in a condo is the lack of privacy. With the probability of having neighbors above, bellow, and beside any given condo unit, there is very limited privacy. Having this many neighbors so close increases the possibility of one of them being loud or disruptive. Because the noise could happen at all hours of the night, this could turn out to be a nightmare, literally!
With all of the advantages and disadvantages of living in a condo, here is a lot to consider before making the decision to call a condo, home. I ne second nouslng optlon Is llvlng In a single Tamlly nouse. I ne largest advantage to living in a house, is the aspect of actually owning the land which gives you separation and privacy from your neighbors. With the advantage of privacy, it also allows the owner to have a private yard. This can be an enormous advantage to the owner, as it allows them to creatively design the property any way they would like, with endless possibilities.
These could include a fenced back yard for kids or pets, or aybe even a private pool, if it is financially possible. Another advantage is, a house has the possibility of having an attached garage for cars and extra storage area. In addition to all of the other advantages, there are usually no maintenance/association fees. While there are numerous advantages to living in a house there are still some disadvantages. One of the disadvantages of living in a house, is the owner is responsible for all of the outdoor maintenance and landscaping themselves.
This leaves the home owner to either employ someone to take care of all of the aintenance for them, or spend the summer weekends mowing the grass and pulling weeds. In the fall there are leaves to clean up and in the winter there is snow to shovel. So homeowners will spend lots of time or lots of money! Along with all of the extra work, houses lack amenities like a pool or hot tub. The only option is to install these amenities at the house, which is usually a very large expense, and as a result very few households can afford them. Also a disadvantage to a house is the utility costs are typically higher than with a condo.
Because houses are more exposed to the elements, they are more expensive to heat and cool. As a result of all of the advantages and disadvantages, there is a lot to consider when deciding to possibly purchase a house. There are countless differences between living in a condo and living in a house. Both condos and houses have numerous advantages, but they also have Just as many disadvantages. It will be an extremely difficult decision as to which one to purchase. No matter which option is chosen, either a condo or a house, both will make a great place to call home.
