Townhouse. What is a townhouse and how does it differ from other types of real estate?

Everyone who is looking for a new property has certain ideas about the ideal home.
Most often it consists in a harmonious combination of the spaciousness of a private house and the amenities of a city apartment. This wish is fully met by Townhouse - a relatively new type of residential real estate that is gaining popularity. A townhouse is a low-rise residential building, divided into several apartments that have common internal walls and, as a rule, isolated entrances.

Developers quickly noted their interest in such residential buildings. They quickly find a buyer who values comfort, privacy, and tranquility, and therefore are beneficial for design and construction.

But not all consumers are already familiar with such a concept as a Town house, and information about buildings of this type will be useful for those who are looking for real estate or are just planning a purchase in the future . What a townhouse looks like and what it is, how it differs from an apartment, studio, house. Are there any disadvantages to this type of real estate?

Townhouse: what is this multi-level structure

This building is translated from English as “city house”. A townhouse is a complex of multi-level apartments consisting of two or three floors that share common side walls. Such cottages are created in a single architectural style. Each house is an autonomous life support system and is intended for one family to live in. It has an individual entrance, a small plot of land and a garage.

The classic townhouse has a simple and comfortable layout

A townhouse can be part of a multi-format village where other real estate properties are located, or form independent villages filled exclusively with such multi-level apartments.

Understanding the question of what a townhouse is (the photos clearly show the building options) should be based on the history of the building. Such houses first appeared in the 19th century in England. The buildings belonged to aristocratic families, including high-ranking representatives of bourgeois society. Today, middle class people can afford townhouses. This is due to the low cost, since the construction of such apartments requires much less materials than the construction of a detached cottage, which is explained by the presence of common walls. In addition, a townhouse takes up much less space.

The standard layout of a townhouse includes a kitchen, living room, dining room located on the first floor, a bedroom, office and children's room on the second floor. On the third floor, which is mainly represented by an attic space, there is a bedroom or guest room. Each floor has a separate bathroom. A townhouse may have a basement. The large total living area of 150-300 m² allows for the implementation of various design ideas.

The first level is reserved for the kitchen, living room, study, utility room

What are the layouts of townhouses?

The location, size and number of rooms differ for different types of townhouses. Homes are designed based on family needs and performance characteristics. The layout involves zoning; it can be horizontal or vertical if there are several floors.

Bathrooms and bathrooms are located on each floor; there are options for organization in opposite parts of the house, in children's rooms. If necessary, offices and gyms are equipped. It all depends on the desire, area and design specifics of the building.

The choice of layouts for townhouses is almost unlimited. There are projects for numerous families with children, elderly parents, young spouses, the main thing is to determine the requirements for your future housing.

A little history

The very architectural idea of townhouses, as houses with a common load-bearing wall, appeared in Europe several centuries ago. But the birthplace of townhouses is actually England, where in the 19th century houses “attached” to each other began to appear. Adult children added walls to their parents' house and received their own housing, budgeted for construction costs, separate from their parents, but not far from them. Such houses quickly gained popularity not only in England - the opportunity to save on building a house, on laying communications and on the size of a land plot was also popular in Europe.

What does the price of a townhouse consist of?

The cost of housing depends on several factors: the location of the house and the price of the land, construction costs, the cost of connecting communications and landscaping work.

The cost of construction of grouped houses is significantly lower than that of private houses: savings are achieved through centralized communications and the construction of common load-bearing structures - walls, roofs and foundations.

A serious factor influencing the final price is the availability of infrastructure in comfortable cottage communities, as well as in the city; the market value of land is several times more expensive than on a bare field.

Outside the city, with increasing distance and decreasing transport accessibility, the price per square meter of housing decreases.

The first townhouses in Russia

A new housing format came to the USSR in the mid-eighties, thanks to the light hand of foreigners. One of the first townhouses in Russia can be considered semi-detached low-rise buildings built in the village of Krasnovidovo (near the Istra River) for members of the Writers' Union of the Soviet Union. More or less massive construction of townhouses began in the mid-nineties, and the cost per square meter of fashionable housing was initially fabulous - more than 3 thousand dollars. The unaffordable price was the reason for low demand, but over time, mass development and reduction in area contributed to a decrease in cost. Nowadays, a townhouse, as a successful hybrid of an apartment and a private house, is a popular and affordable type of housing for any resident of Russia.

Peculiarities

The option of purchasing a townhouse is suitable for those who do not want to live in a multi-storey building, but cannot afford to purchase or build an individual home. The combination of the amenities of a city apartment and a private house has made the townhouse popular. This is a multi-level apartment, but with other similar adjacent rooms under one roof.

The features of this format of living space include:

low-rise building, the height of which is no more than three floors from the ground;
separate apartment on several levels;
isolated access to the street, no common entrances;
closeness to nature, eco-friendly, quiet development area, clean air. Townhouses are mainly built outside the city limits or in its environs, where there are no industrial facilities, far from urban pollution and bustle;
a small plot of local area for each owner of the premises;
the minimum number of neighbors living only behind the wall on the right and left, or behind one of the walls if the room is corner;
availability of infrastructure, since during development a complex of townhouses is usually formed, provided with the necessary communications, transport interchanges, playgrounds, shops, kindergartens, etc.

What is a townhouse in real estate?

Literally from English, townhouse is translated as “city house” or “house in the city.” This is a low-rise European-style house, which has distinctive features:

several apartments with separate entrances;
common side walls of neighboring apartments;
common roofs of neighboring apartments;
Each apartment has a separate courtyard area.

A townhouse is a detached cottage-type small apartment building with a private yard for each apartment, each of which is larger in area than an ordinary apartment in a high-rise building and smaller than a private house. In fact, this is something average in terms of characteristics and price between an ordinary apartment and your own house.

Small houses, built in the same architectural style, are divided into no more than 10 blocks. All of them are combined into a single system, especially for engineering communications, since it is more profitable.

Key Features

Townhouses are a new type of housing on the Russian market, which experts call houses of a new format. This option is ideal for families who are not considering living in an apartment building and do not have enough funds to buy their own home.

The townhouse combines the best of both worlds, resulting in a home with the amenities of an apartment and the benefits of a suburban home.

Distance from the city. The townhouses were built near nature, where there is fresh air and there are no factories or side effects from industrial facilities (noise, poor ecology).
Minimum neighbors. In city houses, neighbors number in the dozens. At best, these are calm and non-conflict people, at worst - guys with hammer drills, scandalous families with naughty children and party-goer students. In a townhouse, neighbors are on the left and right or only on one side, and even then they are fenced off by a wall.
Private courtyard. In this sense, a townhouse combines year-round housing and a yard, which can serve as a garden, vegetable garden or recreation area. You can arrange it as you wish: plant crops, ornamental plants, or arrange a gazebo with a barbecue. Townhouse owners don't have to buy a dacha: they already have one.
Developed infrastructure. Townhouses are gaining popularity, and developers are watching. To ensure that there are more people willing to move to the suburbs, it is advisable not only to build decent houses, but also to make living in them comfortable and complete: build a village with communications, a convenient transport system, shops, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and entertainment facilities.

This is, for example, what a townhouse in Novosibirsk looks like.

Varieties

Townhouses are different. The classification is based on the location of the sections of the block house, which determines the level of comfort and convenience of living.

Linehouse

Townhouse with a linear layout.
This is a house with a linear layout, consisting of through sections with 2 separate exits. From one, residents enter a common area, from the other, into their own courtyard. There can be 5–12 sections in a linehouse, and all of them are located along one straight or broken line. Residents of the outermost sections on both sides have only one neighbor (on the right or left), so the price of these blocks is higher.

Twinhouse (duplex)

Two-module townhouse or duplex.
This house consists of 2 modules, so it is popular with large families and close friends. So, grandparents can live in one block, children and parents can live in another. At the same time, the whole family lives in one house, can communicate, but everyone has their own personal space. From the point of view of isolation and privacy, this is the best type of housing. Otherwise, a duplex has the same characteristics as a linehouse.

Quadhouse

House of 4 sections located in the corners. The utility rooms are usually located in the center of the building, while the residential ones are slightly further away towards the edges of the building. Quad houses are characterized by the presence of attics and basements. The layout of adjacent modules is mirrored.

Townhouse of 4 modules - quad house.

Block apartments are free-standing buildings or arranged in a carpet type building. The latter are most often built in Europe. Each block is separated by a fence or fence.

Residents of each section of quad-houses, arranged according to the type of carpet construction, have their own personal courtyard.

Quad houses are combined into entire blocks. This results in very dense buildings, which are most often located within the city.

What you need to know before buying

This type of housing has many advantageous characteristics. An apartment is cheaper than a separate house with the same location and comfort, but has many of its properties - a separate entrance, a large area and a small area at the entrance. Therefore, buying property in a townhouse is a profitable and promising solution. You just need to do a couple of checks before signing the documents:

It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the permit for construction work on the construction of this facility. The developer does not have the right to refuse a potential buyer such acquaintance with the papers.
You should find out what category of land is allocated for construction, how it is registered, and how individual plots for each apartment will be registered. The developer must also be required to provide a certificate of title to the plot of land. The cadastral passport for the land must indicate permission to carry out construction work.
In order to avoid problems before and after the purchase, it is better to consult with a lawyer experienced in this field, a realtor who sells townhouse apartments. Such an apartment must be designated specifically as an “apartment” or “blocked building.”
The purchase of an apartment is formalized by a purchase and sale agreement. It should be signed only after the house has been put into operation, which is confirmed by the relevant documents.

The English name of the house also indicates that this type of construction first appeared in Great Britain (19th century). Townhouse meant residences built nearby for aristocrats.

At the end of the 20th century, such buildings appeared in villages near Moscow. They quickly became popular and fashionable. Accordingly, the price per square meter of such housing increased. For city residents, a townhouse is attractive for those features that are also characteristic of an individual house.

Peculiarities

Townhouse, what is it in construction and why has this type of residential building become popular? Even the very translation of this word from English - “house in the city” - gives a very definite explanation of the features of the building. This word means a low-rise building with several apartments.

ATTENTION! Each apartment must have its own entrance, separate.

In real estate, the concept of a low-rise residential building has existed for a long time. But previously, apartments had access to the entrance, which eliminates such an important nuance as privacy and isolation.

A townhouse has not only a separate entrance, but also its own path, a small area in front of the house, and a garage. Only such residential buildings, an apartment or a house, are located adjacent to each other; they have a common roof, foundation, and other elements of the building.

What a house with several separate apartments looks like is shown with a photo of the townhouse object. It must be remembered that ordinary private houses are sometimes built for two separate families of relatives, with separate entrances. There can be several apartments in a low-rise residential building - two, three, four.
Townhouses are most often located on the outskirts of the city. After all, for the feeling of a separate private home, an atmosphere of privacy, silence, and tranquility is also important. But it is possible to locate the building in the center of a populated area.
An apartment in such a house is usually located on several levels, which makes it even more like an individual house. There may be a basement or technical ground floor, attic.
Buyers of such an apartment can feel like the owner of a separate home. But still, some issues regarding the operation and maintenance of the house will need to be resolved jointly.
It is important to know how utility bills are calculated. The house is often connected to city centralized networks. At the same time, a townhouse apartment comes with a small plot of land. You need to pay for it and you need to look after it, keep it clean and in order.
The townhouse looks stylish and cozy. These are new buildings, so a variety of finishes are used during their construction, which allows you to give each home an individual look.

What is a townhouse: how is it different from a house or apartment?

Is a townhouse a house or an apartment? This structure combines these two concepts, but has distinctive features in which numerous advantages of the structure are visible. First of all, it is a relatively low cost compared to the price of a country house. This is due to the fact that the building occupies a small plot of land. Its construction requires fewer materials, since adjacent houses have a common wall, roads and utilities.

The cost of 1 m² in a townhouse is similar to the prices for housing in an apartment. It should also be noted that there are reduced operating costs compared to maintaining a country house.

The living area in a townhouse exceeds this value for an apartment in a multi-storey building, but is slightly smaller than that of a detached cottage. This makes it possible to organize individual functional areas, spending less money on their design.

Townhouses have an individual plot of land, albeit a small one. However, this territory is enough to arrange a recreation area with a barbecue, sun lounger or gazebo. There are options with a small pool.

Townhouses are becoming increasingly popular because they are very affordable housing.

In most cases, design projects are created for townhouses with a garage, which is located on the ground floor. If there is no such room, an individual parking space is created in front of the house.

Townhouse villages were built in ecologically clean suburban areas with unique landscaping, remote from industrial and gas-polluted areas. Individual security guards of the village maintain order in the area.

When considering the question of how a townhouse differs from a house, one cannot help but mention the only significant drawback of the first. This is the presence of neighbors with whom you will in any case have to cooperate in resolving common issues related to building repairs, landscaping the territory or solving other problems.

Townhouses have small individual plots near each entrance

Types of townhouses

The popularity of the alternative version of a country house with the amenities of an apartment is growing. This has led to the fact that townhouses in new Moscow are being built with various projects, where developers take into account the special needs of future owners.

It is customary to conditionally classify townhouses into certain types. Among those in demand are:

linehouses or lanehouses;
duplexes or twinhouses;
quad houses.

The houses have a number of structural and functional differences, which are reflected in the project. The developer and owner also report about them, but it would be useful to independently study the specifics of the buildings.

Linehouses or lanehouses

Houses of this type are especially popular in Europe. They are a series of low-rise buildings with adjacent walls on the sides. They can be located in a straight line or a broken one, and differ in the number of blocks. Usually no more than 12 blocks or separate apartments are combined. Communications in line houses are general. There is one roof for all sections. Some projects involve 2 exits, which allows you to go directly to your site or from the facade to the street.

The advantages of purchasing linehouses include:

The presence of an attached territory where you can organize a recreation area, a personal plot. The project may include a garage.
Separate entrance or several private entrances.
Possibility of redevelopment. Initially, rectangular spacious rooms are offered; if desired, they can be adapted for their intended purpose.

The area of lanehouses varies, but should not be less than 250 m2.

One of the minuses is the presence of neighbors, although they will occupy a separate section, but, nevertheless, sometimes you will have to meet with them. If single communication nodes are provided, then a serious breakdown will immediately affect all premises.

Duplexes or twinhouses

Assumes the presence of two mirror combined sections or blocks. The buildings are designed for two families, have one common partition and roof. Often the layout of two conditionally combined houses is identical. Each owner is allocated a small plot of land.

The advantages of purchasing a duplex or twinhouse include:

The presence of only one family in the neighbors. Such houses are often purchased by relatives and close friends, which allows them to minimize discomfort.
Separate entrance, garage if necessary.
The cost is lower than that of a full-fledged cottage.
Possibility of implementing original architectural solutions.

The area of duplexes or twinhouses is selected according to the necessary requirements of the future owner. More often these are two-story buildings, less often houses with three floors are built.

It is difficult to find disadvantages of two-family houses. The only thing is that a relatively small plot of land can be allocated. Having one adjacent wall will remind you of your neighbors if they are noisy. The cost of duplexes is slightly higher than other types of townhouses.

Quad houses

A type of modern building designed for relatively independent living of four families. The building is divided into 4 usually equal parts, built on one or two floors, rarely consisting of three floors. Each section has a separate entrance. The layout is similar, sometimes utility rooms are located in the center, and the rest on the periphery, which allows minimizing contact with neighbors.

The advantages of quad houses include:

The cost is lower than that of individual cottages or duplexes.
The presence of neighbors does not exceed three families, which is much more comfortable than in apartment buildings.
A plot of land is allocated; its area is small, but it is possible to arrange a lawn and a picnic area.
Functional layout.

Quad houses are compact, but their area is more than sufficient for comfortable living.

The disadvantages include the presence of neighbors and the location of the windows on one side.

Each type of townhouse allows you to realize your individual housing needs. This applies to practicality, architectural and other preferences.

Penthouse and townhouse: what's the difference

As we have already said, a townhouse is a block house consisting of two, four or more apartment sections. Such buildings can be located in a linear, square or manner. Townhouses usually have 2-3 floors, a garage, a separate entrance and a small plot of land. However, among the real estate that the market offers, there are also cottages, studio apartments, penthouses and much more. Among such diversity, it is sometimes difficult to make the right choice. Some people do not quite understand how a penthouse differs from a townhouse, so we will try to briefly describe some of the differences between these types of real estate.

So, let's look at the difference between a penthouse and a townhouse. A Penthouse is, as a rule, a fashionable huge apartment or even a mansion located on the roof of a high-rise building with many floors. This type of real estate has a fairly large area - from 300 to 1000 m2 and more.

The penthouses use panoramic glazing, which ensures a high level of illumination of the premises; there is access to the roof of the building and a separate elevator. All this makes this type of real estate elite, and professional designers are involved in its arrangement. So, we found out what a townhouse and a penthouse are, and the photo will show their main difference.

Legal status of a townhouse

So far, the country's housing legislation does not have a precise definition of a townhouse as a type of housing. It can be classified as a “blocked house”, although its characteristics differ from it. According to the laws, a townhouse is not an individual house; it can be described as a section of a blocked house.

In urban planning, it is considered an apartment building, but low-rise. And there is one important nuance.

The owner of housing in an apartment building is not the owner of the land around the building. After all, what does a townhouse mean? During its construction, the land is registered as common or private property. The developer is selling the apartment along with a small plot.

According to Article 49 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (Part 2), apartments in a “townhouse” type building are part of a single building. If the developer uses shared participation schemes in the construction of a residential property, this also applies to the design of the plot adjacent to the house. There is no exact definition, but from the second subparagraph of this article it follows that residential buildings with no more than 3 floors and which do not exceed 10 blocks have a separate land plot and access to it.

You may be interested in: Project declaration of the developer: what changes from 2021.

The principle of shared ownership of the plot is also used. What problems arise from this? On a plot that is a share of the common territory, it is impossible to build, for example, a technical room, without the consent of other residents of the house. When an apartment is sold, it and the adjacent land can be purchased by the owners of other apartments in the apartment building by priority right.

They are given a month to decide on a purchase. It is beneficial for apartment owners if their housing and land are individual property. In this case, real estate transactions will not require permission from neighbors

ATTENTION! When buying an apartment, you need to ask on whose land the townhouse was built.

Sometimes developers lease a plot of land, build apartment buildings on it, and sell apartments. Over time, the lease will expire and the question will arise - who owns the building and land. When purchasing an apartment in a townhouse, you must carry out such an important operation as registering the plot next to it.

What is the difference between a townhouse and an apartment?

Many people wonder what a townhouse is and how it differs from an apartment. To begin with, it’s worth talking about the differences in area. An apartment is usually much smaller than a townhouse. Moreover, the townhouse has an individual entrance that does not interfere with neighbors. In addition, the land near the house belongs to you and you can transform the lawn in front of the entrance as you wish. You can install a fountain, make a flower greenhouse, a playground for children and much more.

This leads to one of the most basic differences - open plan. Unlike an apartment, a townhouse can have, for example, a gym, a swimming pool or a billiards room. Naturally, all redevelopments are coordinated with the BTI.

But even when looking for the answer to the question, is a townhouse an apartment or a house, it will not be easy to find it.

You can try to find out the answer to this question at any home sales office. They are unlikely to answer you. You can ask for a purchase and sale agreement and see the subject of the agreement. You will find formulations such as “apartment in an apartment building” or “residential building in a blocked building.” Both options will be townhouses.

Another nuance is the purpose of the land on which the building is erected. When a townhouse is equated to a house or cottage, the land plot must have the type of permitted use “for the placement of houses of a blocked development.” In this case, the townhouse is registered as a separate house.

If a townhouse is an apartment, then the developer must have permission for “low-rise apartment development.” By law, a building with up to 4 floors is considered low-rise.

Developers use both options for constructing buildings in practice, so the choice is up to the buyer. It is more profitable to take out a mortgage for a townhouse apartment, since the interest rate and down payment are lower. It is worth noting that by purchasing such real estate you become the owner of the land on which the building is built.

What is the difference between a townhouse and a penthouse

They have similar names and are somewhat similar to each other. But a townhouse is a low-rise building with an adjoining plot, a penthouse is luxury housing on the upper floors with an area of 300 to 1000 meters. Distinctive features of the penthouse are panoramic windows and a separate entrance with an elevator.

What is the difference between a townhouse and a private house?

A cottage or private house is a separate building surrounded by a fence that is owned by family members. Unlike a townhouse, there is no division into blocks, and the surrounding land is entirely yours. The price for a cottage or private house is higher. These are the main differences between a townhouse and a private house.

Video: what a townhouse is and who it is for.

Pros and cons of townhouses

Townhouses are actively being built in most Russian regions. And the demand for them is only growing.

Advantages

Price. A residential multi-level, or even two- and three-story section costs less than a country cottage or apartment of equal size in the central area of the city.
Free layout. The future owner can arrange his space according to his own taste.
The presence of a separate entrance, a plot of land, albeit a small one, a parking space or garage. They can be used however you want. For example, install outbuildings instead of a garage.
Savings in housing maintenance, especially with autonomous heating. The difference is noticeable even compared to a city apartment.
Few neighbors. Usually these are two families, located in sections on the left and right. In corner blocks there are neighbors on only one side. In an apartment building you can only dream of this.

Personal and property security in real estate of this format is higher, since the number of residents is small. Often everyone knows each other, strangers are immediately visible.

Flaws

Block apartments have disadvantages.

Lack of isolation and complete privacy that only your own home can provide.
The area of the local area is most often small. In any case, comparison with the plot of a country cottage will always be in favor of the latter.
Living outside the city means a change of pace. It’s good if you have personal transport, otherwise any foray into the city will become problematic. You will have to get used to traffic jams, and they exist in every metropolis during peak hours.
If the infrastructure of the village is poorly developed for some reason, this problem will have to be solved somehow.

Disadvantages of a townhouse

Despite the combination of a country house and an apartment, it is not possible to achieve complete isolation from neighbors. There will be significantly fewer contacts compared to an apartment building, but still, interaction with people living nearby is inevitable.

The disadvantages also include:

If the townhouse is outside the city, then you will need constant availability of transport to travel to your place of work, school, or shopping centers.
It is impossible to change the area or make an extension, as in a private house.
Difficulties in major repairs, including changes to facades.

The disadvantages are not critical for many; more and more people are giving preference to just such low-rise, sectional housing.

Where are townhouses built, and who chooses this type of housing?

In the 19th century in England, the birthplace of townhouses, this type of house was built only in the city. Later, such housing became quite popular in Europe and America. Typically, townhouses, or, as they are also called, “block apartments,” are built in the center or on the outskirts of the city, as well as in the suburbs. In Russia, this type of real estate appeared relatively recently and almost instantly became an elite property, which became the reason for its high cost. Russian construction companies prefer to build townhouses in special villages at a distance of 10-20 km from the city.

This is due to the following:

within the city, quite a few places are allocated for low-rise construction;
in Russia, few people like the proximity of multi-storey buildings with townhouses;
real estate in the suburbs is cheaper than an apartment in the city center.

A townhouse is the choice of people who would prefer to live in a private house, but do not have enough finance to build or purchase it. Purchasing a block apartment allows you to get the comfort of living that a country cottage provides, and at the same time save up to 30% of money. Townhouses are also chosen by people who want to live closer to nature, but at the same time have all the benefits of civilization, and large families experiencing a shortage of living space.

Legal status of the land under the townhouse

Land registered on the principle of shared ownership can be allocated for the construction of a fashionable and popular townhouse.
If the site belongs to the category of land for individual housing construction, this type of apartment building cannot be built on it. Only individual entry is allowed.

During construction, the requirements of Federal Law No. 214, which provides instructions for participation in shared-equity construction, must be met. also be a permit to carry out construction work.

IMPORTANT! It is necessary to check these points with the developer.

When constructing a building on a plot of land classified as individual housing construction, for summer cottage construction or private household plots, the question of unauthorized development may arise. In this case, as scary as it may sound for apartment buyers, the house may be demolished. also dangerous to buy housing in a townhouse that was built without permits.

A developer who is well aware of the legislation in the construction, land, and housing spheres can build a townhouse on land classified as individual housing construction. But there must be an obligation to comply with several mandatory requirements when building a townhouse:

It is necessary to register each apartment, section in the house separately (select according to the documents as a separate property).
The house should not have a common basement.
All utility networks are designed and installed taking into account individual supply.
For each apartment, a plot of land is separately registered (usually its area is 6 acres).

Projects of beautiful townhouses with photos of exteriors and interiors

Despite the fact that townhouses are not a purely Russian phenomenon and at first the designs of foreign designers were used in their construction, now there are a lot of proposals from domestic specialists. Modern block houses, which are being built in Russia, are not inferior to their foreign counterparts either in the exterior, or in the layout, or in the interior design. Construction contractors offer townhouses with a standard layout, but you can give preference to projects with a rough finish and arrange your home at your own discretion.

Building layout

Before purchasing a townhouse, you should familiarize yourself with the project and layout of the building. To make the task easier, you need to determine the following for yourself:

dimensions of bedrooms, living room, bathrooms, kitchen and other premises;
number of bathrooms, toilets and bedrooms;
minimum ceiling height;
dimensions of the garage, basement and attic (if any);
necessary communications.

When planning townhouses, an unofficial arrangement of premises is observed in accordance with the number of floors. For example, bedrooms, a study, a bathroom and a toilet are usually located on the second floor, and a kitchen, dining room, living room, hallway and utility rooms are on the first floor. If there are elderly people in the family, then it is better to equip their bedroom downstairs.

There is a garage on the ground floor. You can also equip a boiler room, laundry room, storage room and mini-gym here. Let's consider several projects of townhouses of different types and sizes.

The top photo shows the simplest project, which provides everything you need for a comfortable stay. In particular, the layout provides for: a combined bathroom, kitchen, hallway and garage, which are located on the ground floor. On the second tier there are two bedrooms, a bathroom, a toilet and a living room. The upper attic floor, as we see, is not yet in use, which gives the owner of the townhouse the opportunity to arrange the premises at his own discretion (mini-gym, guest bedroom, billiard room, etc.).

This townhouse project with a total area of 100 m2 has an elongated layout. In the basement there is a garage and utility rooms, and on the first floor there is a living room, toilet, hallway and kitchen-dining room with a small seating area. The second and third (attic) floors are reserved for the living room, guest, children's and master bedrooms, as well as combined bathrooms.

A project of a three-story townhouse, which, thanks to a well-chosen layout, provides everything necessary for a comfortable stay. All the advantages of a country house and a modern apartment are successfully combined here.

Interior design features

Experts recommend that the interior design be made in the same style as the exterior of the building. Also, when arranging premises, it is necessary to take into account engineering communications, which will need to be masked as much as possible and harmoniously, and at the same time ensure free access to them. When decorating the interior, you need to take into account the preferences of all family members, as well as the layout features. At the same time, everything in a townhouse should be not only beautiful, but also functional.

Stairs in a townhouse: photo examples

Since townhouses and their subtypes are two- or three-story buildings, it is understood that they should all be equipped with interlevel stairs, which, in turn, can influence the overall interior design. This design can be practically invisible or, on the contrary, stand out from the general background and serve as a bright, unusual accent.

Stairs can be of various types, but in townhouses there are three main options:

Marching. Practical, durable and convenient design that requires a lot of space for installation. It consists of several flights (flights) and interfloor areas that can be arranged at your discretion (pots with large indoor plants, pouf, banquette, statue, etc.).
Marching on Bolts. In this design, the steps are mounted directly to the wall of the townhouse. Such a staircase looks very beautiful, and there are a huge number of designs for it\
Screw. Such a staircase requires a minimum of space, is practical, but inconvenient to use, especially if there are small children and elderly people. The inconvenience is the very steep steps. The design has a large number of design options.

Additional bonuses of townhouses

Many people prefer townhouses due to the fact that the very type of this property requires a garage or parking space and a small plot of land on which you can create a beautiful flower bed and arrange a comfortable recreation area in the backyard with a small pool, a sofa or sun loungers and a barbecue. If the garage is spacious, then you can additionally equip it with storage systems and utility rooms.

Legislative regulation of the issue

Each part of the house will be designed as a separate apartment.

In the registration documentation, the building will be designated as a multi-story building.

Townhouse is considered to be :

A private, blocked low-rise building (the house and land are registered separately).
An apartment on several floors in an individually blocked building (then the owner registers the apartment as personal property, and the land plot is in shared ownership).

In Art. 49 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, sectional blocks in a townhouse are not just individual units of living space, but also separate parts of the building. Therefore, most often shared ownership of land is registered.

Bathrooms and utility lines do not belong to any one person individually, but are issued for the entire house at once. But each apartment owner can install his own energy and water consumption meters. This has its own advantage - you will not be cut off from communications, even when your neighbor has not paid for housing and communal services for a long time.

New townhouses: what are multi-family houses built from?

Today, multi-level apartments are built mainly using frame technology from SIP panels. This material is a three-layer board, which is presented on the outside with OSB-3 sheets with an inner layer of insulation, which is polystyrene foam. This simple design has a number of advantages. The panels are mounted using the tongue-and-groove principle, which makes it possible to obtain a strong and reliable frame. To ensure a high-quality connection, a traditional wooden beam with a thickness of 80 mm is used.

The material is quite light. The assembled structure with an area of 150-200 m2 will weigh only 15 tons. This will allow the construction of a lightweight, inexpensive foundation. The construction of a house from SIP panels can be carried out by several people without the involvement of heavy equipment. The work is completed as quickly as possible, which usually does not exceed two weeks.

For load-bearing walls, according to townhouse projects made from SIP panels, slabs with a thickness of 160-170 mm are used, which in terms of thermal conductivity are similar to brickwork with a thickness of 2.4 m. The material does not emit carcinogens, resins and other harmful substances. It does not serve as a medium for the growth of bacteria and fungus, and is not attacked by insects and rodents.

New townhouses are being built using frame technology from SIP panels

Townhouse landscape design

There are few options when it comes to arranging the local area. The residents of each apartment conventionally “own” from 2 to 4 acres of land. The classic design of a townhouse plot involves a small lawn under the windows and a paved entrance to the garage. You can diversify this with a flower garden, decorative bushes and a very conventional fence.

The mentality of “our” people requires individuality in the landscape design of a townhouse. The backyard can be made more personal. Workshops, “barbecue areas”, mini pools, playgrounds or even a couple of garden beds are set up here.

Features of layout and interior

Most townhouses are characterized by dividing space into zones - the so-called vertical (by floor) and horizontal zoning.

In two- or three-story houses, most often the first floor is allocated for common rooms: hallway, kitchen, living room. The upper floors are used for the owners' personal rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms and dressing rooms. It is worth noting that a convenient feature of townhouses is the presence of bathrooms on each floor. If the house also has an attic, then there is somewhere to “roam”: a recreation room with billiards and a games area, a home cinema, a winter garden, a gym or an additional bedroom - the architectural features of a cozy place under the roof provide ample opportunities for design.

According to the horizontal principle, the territory of the site is divided into 3 zones: the courtyard in front of the house, where you can arrange a parking space and build a canopy, the house itself and the backyard, separated from the neighbors by a fence. The area of the “green zone” behind the house should not be large; the size of the land plot directly affects the price. But there should be enough space for comfortable relaxation - often owners set up a barbecue area here for gatherings with friends, install a swimming pool or outbuilding, housewives set up a small vegetable garden or garden, and families with children use the area to install a children's playground.

Turnkey townhouse renovation: work order

The arrangement of a finished house begins with the development of a design project for a townhouse, the cost of which is determined by its execution option depending on the complexity. It provides planning and technological solutions, and also forms a general concept for the design of premises, which is determined by the chosen stylistic direction.

It is better to implement the interior and exterior of a townhouse in one stylistic solution, thereby creating a harmonious living environment

Here, options for planning and finishing of premises, arrangement of furniture, plumbing equipment, lighting and decoration are developed. A list of necessary materials, plumbing equipment and lighting system elements is being compiled.

Particular attention is paid to the finishing of the staircase, which is one of the main and necessary elements of a multi-level townhouse. The design of the element should be harmoniously combined with the overall interior design of the house.

Next, based on the developed design project, repair work is carried out in all premises. Their labor intensity and nature depend on the form in which the house is put into operation. If only rough finishing of the room elements has been completed, the renovation starts from scratch. This is the most suitable option, since it makes it possible to plan and decorate the apartment based on the customer’s personal preferences using high-quality materials.

The most advantageous interior of a townhouse looks in the following styles: minimalism, loft, contemporary, chalet, Provence and country

The finished townhouse is fully prepared for decoration. However, if the customer does not like the layout or finishing of certain of its elements, it is possible to carry out a major overhaul with prior dismantling, which will require significant financial costs. If the townhouse apartment has been renovated, it is fully prepared for housewarming. However, this is not a very good option, since the developer often uses low-quality materials when performing repair and finishing work, which unjustifiably increases the cost of the house.

A full-scale turnkey renovation of a townhouse (the photos clearly show this) includes the necessary list of façade and roofing works. Thanks to this, it will be possible not only to transform the appearance of the building, but also to provide it with reliable protection from adverse environmental factors, which will extend the period of its successful operation.

Nuances when buying, what to pay attention to

When choosing a townhouse, you should carefully consider the main steps of the transaction, weigh the pros and cons and take into account some nuances.

Analyze the development area and assess the distance to the city, transport links, ecology, development prospects, and the infrastructure of the area as a whole.
Pay attention to the existing communications in the village, in order to avoid problems in the future with connection and compliance with the necessary conditions.
Find out what building materials the townhouse is built from and the construction technology. The highest quality material was and remains brick, which has excellent sound and heat insulation properties and all the characteristics necessary for suburban construction.
Documents are one of the most important points! You should request a package of documents from the developer:

certificate of ownership of the land plot;
permitting documents for development, including a project declaration, schedules for construction and commissioning of facilities, utility networks;
DDU (share participation agreement - the main document for a real estate transaction at the construction stage);
technical conditions for utilities (electricity, gas, water, drainage), as well as adjoining public roads;
draft agreement with the management company.

Construction and operation of a townhouse: what is it, taking into account real conditions

The decision to purchase or build a townhouse must be made taking into account the listed facts according to the following algorithm:

determine the boundaries of their own requirements and financial capabilities;
select suitable properties using specialized services, databases, and real estate agencies;
check compliance with consumer characteristics;
clarify the composition of local infrastructure, distance to major cities, transport accessibility;
approve the construction plan.

It is imperative to ensure the legal purity of the transaction. If you lack your own knowledge, contact relevant specialists. In the comments below, ask additional questions, post your own recommendations and reviews.

Legal subtleties

Russian land legislation makes the purchase of such real estate risky. Therefore, let’s figure out what a townhouse in real estate is from a legal point of view. It is considered as a single building where there is common shared ownership. Each owner by law receives his share, similar to the type of premises in a communal apartment. Thus, difficulties may arise during the subsequent sale of such a share. This must be understood at the stage of paperwork. There are a few more important legal subtleties that need to be clarified before purchasing.

Market: demand is growing

Every year, townhouses are becoming more and more popular among real estate buyers. Despite the difficult economic situation, interest in them is growing, amid a decrease in demand for cottages. The popularity of this housing format is explained by simple but undeniable advantages: affordable cost, large area, convenient layout and the opportunity to live in nature. In addition, semi-detached houses do not require significant maintenance costs compared to private ones.

According to experts, a redistribution of demand in the countryside real estate market occurred at the beginning of 2015, and by the end of the year, only 5% of buyers preferred cottages, while 17% chose townhouses. This is facilitated by the current variety of mortgage programs on the market, as well as the fact that townhouses are rated by banks as highly liquid products.

Summing up

The type of real estate we are considering in this article has a number of significant advantages over a city apartment. And we can safely say that in most cases it is more profitable and more rational to buy a townhouse rather than an apartment, especially considering that they have, on average, 3-4 times more area and a more interesting layout than city housing for the same money.

However, this format may not be suitable for everyone. For example, for large families with 2, 3 or more children, this will definitely be very comfortable housing. And, say, for young people who are thinking more about a career in city offices, an apartment will be more convenient. Therefore, undoubtedly, the main factor in choice is the personal preferences and requirements of each individual family.

We also note that many experts see good prospects for this type of real estate and predict an increase in sales volumes. What makes townhouses an interesting investment property?

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conclusions

Townhouses have firmly entered the Russian real estate market. Such fashionable and affordable European housing has much more advantages than disadvantages. The demand for a new format of housing has increased significantly in recent years, and with it the number of buildings built and put into operation is growing. Moreover, the quality of apartment design and the entire house as a whole is developing at a rapid pace.

Having decided to purchase a townhouse, you should carefully weigh the pros and cons of the purchase. If there are no doubts, proceed to choosing an area - evaluate the location, infrastructure, condition of the roads, the quality of the building materials used and, in fact, the condition of the new building. It is better to purchase real estate from a developer without overpaying commissions to intermediaries. For the “purity” of the transaction, it is important to make sure that the construction company has all the necessary permits.

Well, when all the troubles are over, it’s time to celebrate the housewarming!

Sources

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https://HouseChief.ru/taunhaus-chto-ehto-takoe.html
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https://nedvizhimost-urist.ru/taunhaus/
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