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.
I believe there must be a reason for this dream. How does your partner feel about it—does she share the same wish? I can well understand why you’d want it this way, including the large plot of land.
Searching for a year doesn’t seem too long to me. You really need to consider whether it’s urgent or if you could possibly keep looking for another five years—exaggerating, of course.
Where does the large plot and secluded location rank on your priority list? If you can’t be happy without it, I definitely wouldn’t compromise. On the other hand, you shouldn’t hold on to unrealistic expectations. It’s clear that these criteria will severely limit your options, and you may end up searching for several years and eventually living quite remotely.
How are schools, shopping, and entertainment in that area, especially considering your child will eventually need to get around without a car?
This can’t be a decision made alone if everyone is to be happy in the end.
Searching for a year doesn’t seem too long to me. You really need to consider whether it’s urgent or if you could possibly keep looking for another five years—exaggerating, of course.
Where does the large plot and secluded location rank on your priority list? If you can’t be happy without it, I definitely wouldn’t compromise. On the other hand, you shouldn’t hold on to unrealistic expectations. It’s clear that these criteria will severely limit your options, and you may end up searching for several years and eventually living quite remotely.
How are schools, shopping, and entertainment in that area, especially considering your child will eventually need to get around without a car?
This can’t be a decision made alone if everyone is to be happy in the end.