would you rather own a tiny, ugly SFH or a nice townhouse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're looking in Burke or West Springfield on a budget of $390,000 or under. For that price we can get a nice townhouse, i.e. good construction, 3 beds, 3 baths, decent updates, eat-in kitchen, small yard or deck, decent storage, etc. OR we could get one of the very few SFH's in that price range that would be very ugly, need major updating, 3 small bedrooms, 1 bathroom (plus maybe a half), no basement, small closets, but a huge yard. Neighborhoods would be very similar.

Before starting our search I would have assumed that ANY SFH would have better resale than a townhouse, but now I'm not sure. It seems like a lot of the SFH we've looked at have been sitting on the market for a long time (3 plus months) and townhomes are moving in days. We're looking for long term (10 years minimum, maybe forever) so I know I shouldn't get too hung up on resale.

What do you think? Which would you prefer?

Factors that I would consider in this choice:

1) Sturdy construction in TH - We lived in a townhouse for years and never heard a peep from our neighbots - but they were excellently built without thin walls.
2.) School district - can you get better schools in the TH?
3.) Proximity of park/running around space - key for young kids - if too far, I would regret getting a TH pretty quickly.
4.) Size of the lot of SFH and any restrictions on remodeling - also, LT budget pressures and whether remodelling would really be likely.
5.) Neighborhood - THs can be in terrific neighborhoods and SFHs can be in crappy neighborhoods - drive through at different times of day and night to see if you like the feel of the neighborhood.
6.) Question re: resale - SFHs theoretically hold value better and appreciate faster. And, of course, renovating would add a nice bit of appreciation to a SFH - but, again, look at the neigborhood - if you renovated would you be the nicest house on the block, or is there a mixture?

[Anonymous]

22:27 PP again - we just moved out of a townhouse community that was very family-friendly. It was wonderful. My daughter and I walked almost every night and met a bunch of the neighbors who were walking with their kids and dogs. If there are tot lots, green space and parks that are walkable, those things can really make up for the yard you don't have. Frankly, until your kids are old enough to play outside by themselves anyway, you might not get much use out of a big yard. and when you have young kids, you don't need as much space and you probably have less time for maintenance on a bigger place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
We were in the same boat when we were looking in the same area. We ultimately went with a TH, as the SFHs in that price range all needed too much work. Blah.

We purchased a TH on the newer side of the Timbers (off Hillside near West Springfield High School). I have to say I've NEVER heard either of our neighbors in the 6 years we've lived in this house. On the one side is just a single Korean lady, but she regularly has her extended family over and I've still never heard anything. On the other side we have a large family with 3 kids. Not a peep leaks through those walls. After we had our first baby, I actually went over to apologize to them, fearing they could hear him crying at night. They said they never heard a thing! So really . . . not all THs have thin walls.

I also love our TH community because we have little tot lots that are just covered in children from spring until fall. Love that sense of community!!

Thanks! There are several THs in the Timbers that are on our list to look at. Good to know there are lots of families there - we have a 2 year old and are definitely looking for somewhere with a sense of community.

Wow! Well, I highly recommend the neighborhood. Trick or Treating is a blast! Some of the houses really go all out for the kids. There are always roving bands of kids playing in the neighborhood. I'm also a big fan because it is SO multicultural!! Like I said, we are on the newer side (on Green Hollow), and I can vouch for the sound construction of the houses there. I don't know how soundproof the older homes are (the ones closer to the pool).

Oh, that is another perk - we have a large pool and wading pool! It is for Timbers residents only, and it is really lovely! It is included in the regular HOA fees, so no additional cost to use it. We have spent most weekends there this summer, and it isn't even crowded - maybe 10-15 people there most days at most.

[Anonymous]

House. Definitely.

[Anonymous]

We had to make a similar decision and went with a house. After 10 years of apartment living, we were just sick to death of living in such close proximity to other people, sharing a parking lot, etc.

With that said, I think it's important to ask yourself about your level of tolerance for ongoing home improvement projects and, more importantly, whether you would like the house with those improvements. Although our house needed a lot of work (it was a foreclosure) I really liked the bones. It's a cute little cape cod and I felt like it had lots of potential. If home improvements can't fix the ugliness factor you probably won't ever be happy with your choice.

[Anonymous]

I rented a townhouse once where if the neighbor sneezed we'd hear it. It was torture. Just because of that experience I would never purchase a townhouse.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, go with what you want, and what makes you feel comfortable.

We went with a fixer upper in a fabulous area (GW Parkway) - my DH is an investor, and has always said pick the neighborhood first, then pick the house. Living in a sucky neighborhood could be the death of you.

[Anonymous]

SFH. All the way. I was DONE with shared space living of any type when we bought.

[Anonymous]

For us, we totally went with a TH. I do NOT want to be spending my weekends mowing the lawn or gardening. Some people really get into it - but for us it is a horrid chore.

Also, all the SHFs in our price range were fixer-uppers, too. We'd walk into them and see the basements with that horrid wood panelling and walk right back out. For whatever reason, that faux 70s wood panelling was a TOTAL deal breaker for us. And those dropped cielings with the strange cardboard/foam cieling tiles. No thank you!!!

[Anonymous]

I own a tiny ugly SFH with problems. After living in the third floor of a duplex, I LOVE it! I love not being able to hear my neighbors or worry about our noise bothering them. No roaches, either. And if I get them, I know it will my MY fault.

[Anonymous]

In my area (walkable N Arlington), at my price-point, I had the option of a luxury, well-built TH (all the bells and whistles) which was over 3000 sq feet or a 1500 sq feet SFH with no upgrades and minimal renovation. I had no hesitation choosing the TH.

I also like that most THs being built in our area front the normal streets so they are less like sub-urban TH complexes and more like urban rowhouses. Higher density TH development in semi-urban areas like N Arlington are great, and represent good urban planning too. More and more people are happy living in these type of spaces and they are extremely popular among the younger, high-income demographics.

[Anonymous]

For people that keep saying that SFHs maintain their values better than THs, I'd love to see some stats on that for this area. I'm not saying you are wrong, but it seems to me that the SFH market was hit at least as hard as the TH market. Maybe not as bad as the condo market. But I don't see a difference between SHFs and THs.

[Anonymous]

I'd go with a SFH over a TH any day. I hate sharing walls, and you never know who you'll get next door.

[Anonymous]

SFH all the way for me. There is SO much that can be done to make it nicer, or tear down and rebuild later on. We're in walkable N Arlington and yep, for the location, we compromised on size and condition. It is so worth it- we love our yard, and I like gardening so it works for us.

The townhouse is stagnant, and most townhouse developments become dated- there are few that are classic over time. Also, I sort of despise the "suburban townhouse" - they are really rowhouses, and "townhouse" is just a fancy word for rowhouse. I once heard the suburban rows of townhouses referred to as "white collar ghettos" or "white people ghettos" so they remind me of that.

Rowhouses can be awesome though - I would move to Georgetown, Dupont, or Old Town Alexandria in a heartbeat if someone gave us a house there. I like some of the Capitol Hill area type rowhouses, and others in DC. I like the newer rowhouses, facing the street as they should be, on the quiet tree-lined streets alongside the Orange Line coridor in Arlington.

I spend quite some time on yardwork (and our yard isn't even THAT big) so it is good I enjoy it- if I saw it as more of a dreaded chore, I'd want a condo or rowhouse, or a tiny yard with mostly patio.