What’s so bad about living in a townhouse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your quality of life in your townhome depends on your neighbors. in the most recent TH I lived in, while we were doing some renovations we discovered there was no firewall and infact literally nothing separating the homes. Just drywall nailed to the studs on their side and ours. Luckily for us they didn’t smoke or do drugs and were psychos that could cut thru the walls into our house.

Wow, that is kind of crazy honestly. I assume this is one of those newer suburban townhouses we see around.

In our neighborhood, 1920s built brick rowhouses have joists that overlap with large gaps surrounding them in the brick walls and fire and/or smoke can spread easily through attic crawl spaces and joist gaps. One rowhouse fire displaced families from 5 adjacent rowhouses in part due to the smoke traveling easily. Besides the main rowhouse that was the source of the fire, 2 additional houses had actual fire damage, and the remaining three never actually caught fire, but had soot/smoke damage alone that made the homes uninhabitable until remediated which took 6-9 months w/ insurance, longer for some of the folks with actual fire structure damage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a TH as a kid and didn’t feel deprived at all, I live in a TH now and I love how cheap it is, my mortgage is 5% of my gross income. Never stress about money and save 70% of my paycheck. The local schools are also pretty good and wouldn’t feel bad about sending my young kids there. I could afford a 7 figure home but don’t see the need. Why does everyone feel like they need a SFH?

I think it’s a stigma thing or a “keeping up with the Joneses” situation.

The ones who have bought the 7 figure SFH are house poor, and always want people to visit them because they bought such a big house with no one visiting them. And no one wants to drive an hour out in the suburbs to hang out with your friend in a SFH.

Really? Maybe it's just they prefer a SFH to a townhouse, and just like you, they really like the place they live. SFHs and townhouses are very different. The fact that you like your townhouse doesn't mean everyone else should too.

I didn’t even indicate any of what you said lol. You sound oddly insecure.

If you’re fine with a SFH, cool. If you’re fine with a TH, cool. No need to get butthurt over someone else’s preference.

No, you specifically claimed they might have bought a SFH because of a "stigma thing" or a "keeping up with the Joneses" situation.

For many people, it IS for keeping up with everyone else.

There’s no golden rule that says you must have a SFH. That’s entirely preference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:too many stairs

OK, then keep complaining about how oh-so-terribly-unaffordable housing is while being unwilling to walk up a few stairs.

[Anonymous]

Simply neighbors.
If you have good neighbors, it is good.
If you have bad neighbors, it is bad.
SFH you have some separation.

[Anonymous]

My main issue was the small driveway/parking space, limited square footage, no backyard or play area for kids, too many cars driving by.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:too many stairs

OK, then keep complaining about how oh-so-terribly-unaffordable housing is while being unwilling to walk up a few stairs.

Not everybody is able to walk stairs due to disabilities .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a TH as a kid and didn’t feel deprived at all, I live in a TH now and I love how cheap it is, my mortgage is 5% of my gross income. Never stress about money and save 70% of my paycheck. The local schools are also pretty good and wouldn’t feel bad about sending my young kids there. I could afford a 7 figure home but don’t see the need. Why does everyone feel like they need a SFH?

If you love your home, then you love your home. Who cares what someone else wants? They sound insecure. At the end of the day, nobody cares what type of house you live in.

[Anonymous]

It is mainly the stigma and less appreciation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a TH as a kid and didn’t feel deprived at all, I live in a TH now and I love how cheap it is, my mortgage is 5% of my gross income. Never stress about money and save 70% of my paycheck. The local schools are also pretty good and wouldn’t feel bad about sending my young kids there. I could afford a 7 figure home but don’t see the need. Why does everyone feel like they need a SFH?

To keep up with the Jonses. A SFH makes sense in warm places where they don't have basement space but its a waste in colder climate with basements.

[Anonymous]

AND a nice TH in an urban setting is twice the advantage with short commute and access to lot of stuff you can't have with suburban SFH.

[Anonymous]

We live in a DC rowhouse and have a backyard big enough for a swimming pool (which several of our neighbors have added). We choose to have a giant landscaped garden. Rowhouses don’t automatically mean no yard or parking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a TH as a kid and didn’t feel deprived at all, I live in a TH now and I love how cheap it is, my mortgage is 5% of my gross income. Never stress about money and save 70% of my paycheck. The local schools are also pretty good and wouldn’t feel bad about sending my young kids there. I could afford a 7 figure home but don’t see the need. Why does everyone feel like they need a SFH?

Another fake multi-millionaire. Nobody believes you're rich and have millions in the bank and in a retirement account but stay in some low-rung housing because you love it. Stop with the charade.

[Anonymous]

Small, sharing walls, no privacy, no yard, likely no garage, appreciate slowly, no option to tear down and build new. Let's be honest, they're for cash-strapped people and maybe elderly pensioners who wish to downsize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a TH as a kid and didn’t feel deprived at all, I live in a TH now and I love how cheap it is, my mortgage is 5% of my gross income. Never stress about money and save 70% of my paycheck. The local schools are also pretty good and wouldn’t feel bad about sending my young kids there. I could afford a 7 figure home but don’t see the need. Why does everyone feel like they need a SFH?

I think it’s a stigma thing or a “keeping up with the Joneses” situation.

The ones who have bought the 7 figure SFH are house poor, and always want people to visit them because they bought such a big house with no one visiting them. And no one wants to drive an hour out in the suburbs to hang out with your friend in a SFH.

Some of my friends moved to the burbs and bought a SFH. We never see them. They have a nice big house and all but I’m not spending half my day to go visit them in their giant house.

There are plenty of SFH in DC and plenty of townhouses in the burbs... just pointing this out. It's not either / or. Especially as you can easily say they never see you either!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Small, sharing walls, no privacy, no yard, likely no garage, appreciate slowly, no option to tear down and build new. Let's be honest, they're for cash-strapped people and maybe elderly pensioners who wish to downsize.

I live in a SFH and even I can safely say that you have no idea what you’re talking about lol.