Difference Between Condo and Townhome

August 2022 · 6 minute read

Condo and Townhouses are the perfect ideas for people who want to start their life without paying much money and spending more money on expenses such as maintenance and other things. They are the perfect solution for people who want to live their life with lots of neighbors and family members. They come in different styles and they can choose the one according to their preference and style.

Condo vs Townhome

The main difference between Condo and Townhouse is that Condos are single apartments owned by an individual. The townhouse is a row of houses that is joined by a common wall. In a condo, unit owners jointly own the building. In a townhouse, unit owners usually don’t own the building. Condos come in many sizes and styles. Townhouses come in continuous roof and foundation with walls. 

A condo is a large property complex where they are divided into units. Nowadays, new condo projects are built with good quality and they will last up to 50 years. Condos usually fall under a condominium association and they are legally responsible for maintaining replacing, repairing, and managing the common areas. They are an excellent option for first home ownership. Because it comes with less responsibility than a single-family home purchase. 

A townhouse is a conjoined unit owned by individual tenants. In townhouses, a firewall or area separation wall will be used. These are used for preventing the fire from passing from one residential unit to another. They will not have any neighbors above and below. They will have them on their adjacent sides. A group of townhouses is called rowhouses. 

Comparison Table Between Condo and Townhome

Parameters of ComparisonCondoTownhome
DefinitionIt is owned by a resident and not by a landlordIt is an attached home owned by a resident
SizeIt comes with many architectural units even though they are smallThey come with enough space to accommodate large families
Home insuranceThey are relatively lowThey are comparatively high
Sense of communityThey follow a high sense of communityThey follow a relative sense of community
OwnershipThey own only the interior partsThey own both interior and exterior parts

What is Condo?

It is a housing or a residential complex where each one will be owned by a separate owner. When an individual rents a condo, they need to pay the renting fee to the condo owner. Apart from that, they need to pay some regular fees to the condo owner as well. It is considered to be less expensive than a free-standing house. People who find it difficult to arrange money and buy a separate place can go for this option. They are smaller in square footage so that maintenance is also not difficult.

Condos are usually found in downtown areas so that residents can have access to business and entertainment places. You can sometimes take a walk to these places as well. When compared to an apartment, they are both equal. The cost and the other expenses will also be the same. The one difference that lies between them is the way you make payments for your stay. You can either pay every month or within a period.

It again depends upon the owner and the place you live at. If your landlord does not impose any strict regulations and you enjoy living in a condo, then you can live in that place forever. They are considered to be cheap because they come with no land. All the common areas will be owned by a group of condo owners in the community. The downsides are you will lack privacy in those places, sometimes the landlord may impose more rules and potentially mismanaged funds.

What is Townhome?

A townhome is a multi-storeyed house that comes with one or more houses shared by common walls but they have their own entrances. In the suburban areas, they are built within a distinct community and they might have their homeowner’s community association. Each townhouse will be individually owned by people. It is like a house where the owner owns both the land and the house. But it is not freestanding, the land in which it sits will be limited to the front and backyards.

They are connected to one another in a row and they are usually 2 or 3 stories tall. The biggest downside of living in a townhouse is that there will be no privacy. Because when you share a common wall with a neighbor lot of issues might arise. The freedom will be limited. Also, the cost of townhouse will be expensive because of both land and the building. People who are looking for low maintenance lifestyle can go for a townhouse. 

Some of the benefits of buying a townhouse are they are not always expensive because the price depends on the area you buy, maintenance will be easier, common area amenities, less space, and sometimes extra amenities will also be available. If you want a soundproof townhouse, then you need to construct the walls as soundproof ones when you are building it. 

Main Differences Between Condo and Townhome

  • The maintenance fees of condos are usually higher. On the other hand, the maintenance fees of the townhouse are moderately high.
  • Homeowners association fees are expensive in condos. On the other hand, it is lower in a townhouse.
  • People can own only the interior part in condos. On the other hand, people can own both interior and exterior parts of townhouses.
  • Condos follow a high sense of community. On the other hand, townhouses follow a relative sense of community.
  • A condo is a separate apartment owned by an individual. On the other hand, townhouses are rows of houses joined by common walls.
  • Condo is a type of shared ownership. On the other hand, a townhouse is just a property style. 
  • Conclusion

    Both are perfect for people who want to start their life with closed ones. But the downside is there will be only limited privacy. Since townhouses are only separated by walls sometimes the person speaking on the other side can be heard clearly. Although, they can solve this issue by building soundproof walls. But still, some people find this as an issue. 

    There are many differences between them. One should clearly understand which one suits them. Based on that, they can decide whether to buy a condo or a townhouse. Also, the rent and other charges will vary depending upon the area and the other extra features. Investing in them is also a good choice because later you can give them for rent. 

    References

  • http://www.assumptionjournal.au.edu/index.php/icesde/article/view/5774
  • https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0739456X16659763
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