Is it so bad living in a townhouse when you have kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need new colleagues more than you need a SFH.

I agree, I work with a bunch of judgmental assholes, lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You stare coldly at these small-minded, ignorant red-necks and say that all over the developed world children are being raised in apartments. I spent a few years of my childhood in a luxurious duplex in Paris! No need for a yard, the park was nearby. I also liked living in a house in the country. Children are very flexible as long as fun is to be had!

Exactly! I lived in apartments/condos until my oldest was about 8.

[Anonymous]

Lol. Realtors' marketing strategies from the 1950s has such a hold on expectations about what a family home should be like. Suburbia and the dream of a white picket fenced yard is a victim of its own success and the costs in terms of cash and/or time doesn't make sense these days. Suckers.

[Anonymous]

I raised both of my kids in a townhouse. I'll be sure to ask my college kid if she's in therapy for lack of a huge yard growing up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having a discussion with coworkers earlier and they asked me how can raise my kids in a townhouse and how they made sure to have a SFH before having kids or at least upgrading before having a second. Then said I was depriving them of a yard. I have a backyard, maybe not the size of a SFH yard, but it's a good size. My kids have made friends in our neighborhood and love their schools. I don't understand the big deal. Anyone else raising kids in a townhouse?

After being in our townhouse for 8 years, we have a toddler and expecting another we just sold our townhouse and are moving to a single family. Yard space was at the bottom of the list for why we decided to move. Townhomes are not ideal for kids. Our gripes are:

Limited Space- Townhomes have limited storage space and and smaller closets and when small kids arrive, you will need it. And stuffing stuff in the garage (if you have one) doesnt work for us since we would like to park in there. Townhomes are also narrower with less usable square footage so those days the little ones can't get outside it can feel tight. Not enough open space to run free and constantly have to watch them bumping into walls.

Noise- You are attached on one side (end unit) or two (interior unit) so you have no control over who you share walls with. Baby in the room upstairs sound asleep and suddenly awoken by a thud or bang on the shared wall with your neighbor? All possibilities. Some townhomes have better noise insulation than others but some are so poorly insulated you can hear a cough, sneeze or snoring through the wall from your good ole neighbor. And on the flipside, you have to be conscious of your kids and how much noise they make on shared walls etc.

Stairs- Townhome stairs get old quick especially when carrying a sleeping 30 pound toddler with diaper bags, groceries etc. Get in the house exhausted and you dread the climb you have to make up flights of stairs. You will also get tired of putting up safety gates by stairs as the little ones become more mobile and active.

[Anonymous]

Also it depends on the townhouse. Some people have misconceptions of townhouses. We live in a SFH and have been looking to move for schools. We have seen several townhouses that are newer, more spacious, and better laid out than our 2000 square foot 1960s colonial house. Many of them would be an improvement. Would we move into a 1200 square foot townhouse with 2 kids? Probably not because as they got older it would probably be tight.

[Anonymous]

I live in a 18-foot wide rowhouse with three kids. Works great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a discussion with coworkers earlier and they asked me how can raise my kids in a townhouse and how they made sure to have a SFH before having kids or at least upgrading before having a second. Then said I was depriving them of a yard. I have a backyard, maybe not the size of a SFH yard, but it's a good size. My kids have made friends in our neighborhood and love their schools. I don't understand the big deal. Anyone else raising kids in a townhouse?

After being in our townhouse for 8 years, we have a toddler and expecting another we just sold our townhouse and are moving to a single family. Yard space was at the bottom of the list for why we decided to move. Townhomes are not ideal for kids. Our gripes are:

Limited Space- Townhomes have limited storage space and and smaller closets and when small kids arrive, you will need it. And stuffing stuff in the garage (if you have one) doesnt work for us since we would like to park in there. Townhomes are also narrower with less usable square footage so those days the little ones can't get outside it can feel tight. Not enough open space to run free and constantly have to watch them bumping into walls.

Noise- You are attached on one side (end unit) or two (interior unit) so you have no control over who you share walls with. Baby in the room upstairs sound asleep and suddenly awoken by a thud or bang on the shared wall with your neighbor? All possibilities. Some townhomes have better noise insulation than others but some are so poorly insulated you can hear a cough, sneeze or snoring through the wall from your good ole neighbor. And on the flipside, you have to be conscious of your kids and how much noise they make on shared walls etc.

Stairs- Townhome stairs get old quick especially when carrying a sleeping 30 pound toddler with diaper bags, groceries etc. Get in the house exhausted and you dread the climb you have to make up flights of stairs. You will also get tired of putting up safety gates by stairs as the little ones become more mobile and active.

Sorry you couldn't make it work because you have too much crap, aren't in good shape, and were living in a shitty development with no noise insulation. For those of us who don't have those problems THs are fine. And before you ask we have 3 kids plus a dog in ours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also it depends on the townhouse. Some people have misconceptions of townhouses. We live in a SFH and have been looking to move for schools. We have seen several townhouses that are newer, more spacious, and better laid out than our 2000 square foot 1960s colonial house. Many of them would be an improvement. Would we move into a 1200 square foot townhouse with 2 kids? Probably not because as they got older it would probably be tight.

Yes, most of DD's friends and their parents think we live in a palace - a newer townhouse - compared to their cramped little 1950s ramblers around here.

[Anonymous]

We live in a 60's Ranch 2400sqft (2 floors) Very poorly laid out, so little open space to run around. Back yard is either patio or covered in ivy. No garage, only carport. Only thing we don't have to deal with is shared walls or tons of stairs (rarely go into the basement).

Just because you have a SFH doesn't mean you have to dream of large yard, lots of room, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a discussion with coworkers earlier and they asked me how can raise my kids in a townhouse and how they made sure to have a SFH before having kids or at least upgrading before having a second. Then said I was depriving them of a yard. I have a backyard, maybe not the size of a SFH yard, but it's a good size. My kids have made friends in our neighborhood and love their schools. I don't understand the big deal. Anyone else raising kids in a townhouse?

After being in our townhouse for 8 years, we have a toddler and expecting another we just sold our townhouse and are moving to a single family. Yard space was at the bottom of the list for why we decided to move. Townhomes are not ideal for kids. Our gripes are:

Limited Space- Townhomes have limited storage space and and smaller closets and when small kids arrive, you will need it. And stuffing stuff in the garage (if you have one) doesnt work for us since we would like to park in there. Townhomes are also narrower with less usable square footage so those days the little ones can't get outside it can feel tight. Not enough open space to run free and constantly have to watch them bumping into walls.

Noise- You are attached on one side (end unit) or two (interior unit) so you have no control over who you share walls with. Baby in the room upstairs sound asleep and suddenly awoken by a thud or bang on the shared wall with your neighbor? All possibilities. Some townhomes have better noise insulation than others but some are so poorly insulated you can hear a cough, sneeze or snoring through the wall from your good ole neighbor. And on the flipside, you have to be conscious of your kids and how much noise they make on shared walls etc.

Stairs- Townhome stairs get old quick especially when carrying a sleeping 30 pound toddler with diaper bags, groceries etc. Get in the house exhausted and you dread the climb you have to make up flights of stairs. You will also get tired of putting up safety gates by stairs as the little ones become more mobile and active.

Sorry you couldn't make it work because you have too much crap, aren't in good shape, and were living in a shitty development with no noise insulation. For those of us who don't have those problems THs are fine. And before you ask we have 3 kids plus a dog in ours.

Don't feel sorry for me. We've moved on and upgraded. Feel sorry for yourself that you are bitter for not being able to do the same.

[Anonymous]

Both of my parents (and their siblings) grew up in townhouses. Obviously this was many, many years before iPads and such...my dad didn't even have a tv. They did just fine - went outside to ride bikes and played baseball with their friends in the corner lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a discussion with coworkers earlier and they asked me how can raise my kids in a townhouse and how they made sure to have a SFH before having kids or at least upgrading before having a second. Then said I was depriving them of a yard. I have a backyard, maybe not the size of a SFH yard, but it's a good size. My kids have made friends in our neighborhood and love their schools. I don't understand the big deal. Anyone else raising kids in a townhouse?

After being in our townhouse for 8 years, we have a toddler and expecting another we just sold our townhouse and are moving to a single family. Yard space was at the bottom of the list for why we decided to move. Townhomes are not ideal for kids. Our gripes are:

Limited Space- Townhomes have limited storage space and and smaller closets and when small kids arrive, you will need it. And stuffing stuff in the garage (if you have one) doesnt work for us since we would like to park in there. Townhomes are also narrower with less usable square footage so those days the little ones can't get outside it can feel tight. Not enough open space to run free and constantly have to watch them bumping into walls.

Noise- You are attached on one side (end unit) or two (interior unit) so you have no control over who you share walls with. Baby in the room upstairs sound asleep and suddenly awoken by a thud or bang on the shared wall with your neighbor? All possibilities. Some townhomes have better noise insulation than others but some are so poorly insulated you can hear a cough, sneeze or snoring through the wall from your good ole neighbor. And on the flipside, you have to be conscious of your kids and how much noise they make on shared walls etc.

Stairs- Townhome stairs get old quick especially when carrying a sleeping 30 pound toddler with diaper bags, groceries etc. Get in the house exhausted and you dread the climb you have to make up flights of stairs. You will also get tired of putting up safety gates by stairs as the little ones become more mobile and active.

You do seem to have exceptional issues. Hearing cough or sneeze through a wall? maybe in a cheap condo, but most townhouses have brick or even concrete between units as a firewall. Did you live next door to Hagrid, I think he snores...

Stairs, I guess thats kind of an issue, but I see many new homes that are two - three stories tall, toss in finished basement and you are up and down wherever you are.

Limited storage is true, but a) get rid of too much clutter is job 1 and b) for a similar priced SFH, you won't be getting anything bigger but will have a longer commute. To get something bigger AND similar priced, your commute will suffer dramatically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol. Realtors' marketing strategies from the 1950s has such a hold on expectations about what a family home should be like. Suburbia and the dream of a white picket fenced yard is a victim of its own success and the costs in terms of cash and/or time doesn't make sense these days. Suckers.

No, no. Some adorable SFH close to the action on the good side of town is as ideal as ever. What they are talking about is for people that can't afford that level of life style but don't want to compromise on location all the way down to people who are just scraping by and has to downsize even in marginal places.

[Anonymous]

In a townhouse, because of the density there are more likely to be other kids the same age as yours living nearby. Kids are more likely to go play outside when they have friends to play with. Mine were out all summer building forts, riding bikes, and what not with the pack of neighborhood kids ages 5-9. There is plenty of outdoor space even if it's not your backyard and most townhouse communities have playgrounds. Going from 2 to 3 has been hard in a townhouse, though, so we're currently looking for a SFH. The kids' best friends have moved away anyhow.