ᐅ Instead of a detached house, perhaps consider buying a townhouse now?
Created on: 27 Jul 2016 19:40
M
miniflexalex
Hello everyone,
I’m glad to have found this great forum and would like to start by asking my first question.
I need some help making the decision “townhouse, yes or no.”
My wife (36 years young) and I (40 years old) have been searching for a suitable house for our small family (one child, 10 months old, and two large dogs) for quite some time.
Our dream has always been a detached house on a large plot of land (>5000 sqm (1.2 acres)) somewhere in a remote area. The house should be about 180 sqm (1900 sq ft), with no specific energy efficiency requirements, move-in ready without major renovations, a beautifully landscaped outdoor area, a large double garage or small workshop as I enjoy working on cars, and ideally no neighbors nearby… etc. I think you now have a rough idea of our dream.
Well, as I said, we have been searching for almost a year without success… until a few days ago when we viewed a property that is being sold privately. We have known the owners for over 10 years, and the house is not listed with any agent.
The house meets and even exceeds all our criteria except one… it is a townhouse. It was originally a detached house until the neighbor decided to close the gap (about 5 meters (16 feet)) between their house and my friend’s house in order to gain additional living space. Now it’s basically two detached houses sharing a wall at the end.
What a dilemma—it’s our dream house, inside and out, with a great plot, everything perfect... except for the lack of physical separation from the neighbor. The plot is mostly private and only a few areas are visible to the neighbor, so I don’t think that would be an issue. What worries me more are the horror stories you hear about disputes between neighbors.
I intend to live in this house until I pass away. Another move due to a nightmare neighbor is out of the question.
So my question to the community: Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you decide, and looking back, was it the right decision?
Thank you for what might seem like a strange question, but this concerns me a lot, and I need some neutral input. Logically, I probably should let this dream go, but everything else is simply perfect and exactly what we want. No other house has come close to having as many advantages as this one.
One last note: the price of the house fits perfectly within our budget.
Thanks in advance.
I’m glad to have found this great forum and would like to start by asking my first question.
I need some help making the decision “townhouse, yes or no.”
My wife (36 years young) and I (40 years old) have been searching for a suitable house for our small family (one child, 10 months old, and two large dogs) for quite some time.
Our dream has always been a detached house on a large plot of land (>5000 sqm (1.2 acres)) somewhere in a remote area. The house should be about 180 sqm (1900 sq ft), with no specific energy efficiency requirements, move-in ready without major renovations, a beautifully landscaped outdoor area, a large double garage or small workshop as I enjoy working on cars, and ideally no neighbors nearby… etc. I think you now have a rough idea of our dream.
Well, as I said, we have been searching for almost a year without success… until a few days ago when we viewed a property that is being sold privately. We have known the owners for over 10 years, and the house is not listed with any agent.
The house meets and even exceeds all our criteria except one… it is a townhouse. It was originally a detached house until the neighbor decided to close the gap (about 5 meters (16 feet)) between their house and my friend’s house in order to gain additional living space. Now it’s basically two detached houses sharing a wall at the end.
What a dilemma—it’s our dream house, inside and out, with a great plot, everything perfect... except for the lack of physical separation from the neighbor. The plot is mostly private and only a few areas are visible to the neighbor, so I don’t think that would be an issue. What worries me more are the horror stories you hear about disputes between neighbors.
I intend to live in this house until I pass away. Another move due to a nightmare neighbor is out of the question.
So my question to the community: Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you decide, and looking back, was it the right decision?
Thank you for what might seem like a strange question, but this concerns me a lot, and I need some neutral input. Logically, I probably should let this dream go, but everything else is simply perfect and exactly what we want. No other house has come close to having as many advantages as this one.
One last note: the price of the house fits perfectly within our budget.
Thanks in advance.
T
toxicmolotof27 Jul 2016 23:08If your house was already built and the neighbor later added an extension, they will hardly consider your former exterior wall as an interior wall in their bedroom.
You should find out whether they have their own exterior wall, which would already be decoupled anyway. That is what I would expect for the extension described.
You should find out whether they have their own exterior wall, which would already be decoupled anyway. That is what I would expect for the extension described.
My approach would be as follows: Arrange an appointment with the current tenants and the owner, and clearly communicate your ideas and wishes (such as working on cars, how adjacent rooms might be used, if applicable). This way, you can get a sense of how the "other side" thinks. Also, don’t hesitate to ask the current owner if there is a specific reason for selling the house (if you don’t already know).
If all parameters align and you still feel positive after the conversation, then feel free to make an offer on the property you are interested in.
Personally, I always value clear, open, and honest discussions in advance, as this allows both parties to get a sense of each other and, in my opinion, helps prevent misunderstandings that could lead to dissatisfaction.
If all parameters align and you still feel positive after the conversation, then feel free to make an offer on the property you are interested in.
Personally, I always value clear, open, and honest discussions in advance, as this allows both parties to get a sense of each other and, in my opinion, helps prevent misunderstandings that could lead to dissatisfaction.
Hello,
First of all: dreams can change or come true step by step, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
Now, on the other hand:
I read about two dogs, a toddler, a passion for car repairs (which could mean several cars parked on the driveway), and the wish for no neighbors. There must be reasons for this—probably related to carrying out hobbies and interests without always having to consider others.
Therefore, ask yourself whether you, with your family, might be the one who could become a nuisance for the neighbors.
Please don’t take this the wrong way: some people are simply better off living isolated in a house and are not suited to close neighborhood living.
First of all: dreams can change or come true step by step, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
miniflexalex schrieb:
My wife (36 years young) and I (40 years old) have been looking for a suitable house for our small family for some time (1 child, 10 months old, and two large dogs).
miniflexalex schrieb:
since I like working on cars,
miniflexalex schrieb:
ideally no neighbors anywhere nearby
miniflexalex schrieb:
that wouldn’t be the problem, what concerns me more are the horror stories you hear about disputes between neighbors......
Now, on the other hand:
I read about two dogs, a toddler, a passion for car repairs (which could mean several cars parked on the driveway), and the wish for no neighbors. There must be reasons for this—probably related to carrying out hobbies and interests without always having to consider others.
Therefore, ask yourself whether you, with your family, might be the one who could become a nuisance for the neighbors.
Please don’t take this the wrong way: some people are simply better off living isolated in a house and are not suited to close neighborhood living.
M
miniflexalex28 Jul 2016 20:21toxicmolotow schrieb:
If your house was already built and the neighbor added an extension afterwards, they probably wouldn’t consider your former exterior wall as an interior wall in their bedroom.
You should find out whether they have their own, already independently constructed exterior wall. That’s what I would expect with the kind of extension described. The wall definitely does not have any soundproofing measures. You can hear quite clearly what is being said on the other side of the wall.
M
miniflexalex28 Jul 2016 20:23Neige schrieb:
My approach would be as follows: arrange an appointment with the current tenants and the owner, clearly communicate your ideas and wishes (such as working on cars, how adjacent rooms might be used). This way, you get an idea of how the “other side” thinks. Also, feel free to ask the current owner if there is a particular reason for selling the house (if you don’t already know). If all parameters match and after a conversation you still have a good feeling, then go ahead and make an offer on the property you desire. Personally, I always value clear, open, and honest discussions beforehand because both parties get to know each other, which in my opinion prevents misunderstandings that could lead to dissatisfaction. Good strategy, I will try to arrange a meeting with the neighbor. The house is being sold for personal reasons and has nothing to do with the neighbor.
M
miniflexalex28 Jul 2016 20:27ypg schrieb:
Hello,
Firstly: dreams can change or only gradually become reality, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Now, on the other hand:
I read about two dogs, a toddler, ambitions for working on cars (which could mean several vehicles in the driveway), and the desire to have no neighbors. There must be a reason for that – especially regarding how you want to pursue your hobbies and interests without having to always consider others.
So ask yourself if maybe you or your family might be the ones who could become a nuisance to the neighbors.
This is not meant negatively: some people are simply better suited to living in a detached house and may not fit well with close neighbors. I have never looked at it this way before. Perhaps my current life situation with a toddler, working on cars, etc., is also a reason for wanting a detached house – basically to protect the neighbors from us ☺. In general, my wife and I tend to be considerate people.
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