Townhouse or House in the Suburbs?

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Townhouses offer tremendous value for the money. Whether they are modest starter houses or stately residences geared to forty and fifty-year olds in their peak earning years, townhouses give owners the most house for the least cash because very little of the investment is going into land. And of course you already know that land is expensive. But moving from a nice townhouse to a nice detached home with a yard can be tricky. Something has to give. Remember that around most metropolitan areas you can have your choice of two and only of two of three things – low price, big wonderful house or short commute. You can get a wonderful big house with a short commute but it will be very expensive. You can get a low price and a beautiful, big house but you will have to live far away from jobs in the city. You can get an affordable house with a short commute but you can be sure that it will be very small and perhaps in disrepair. In most cases, it’s a condo apartment or a modest townhouse.

Unless you are willing to move farther out into the suburbs or perhaps into rural towns beyond the suburbs then you will be forced to pay much, much more for a house with a yard that has the same living space and amenities that you have grown used to in a townhouse. Moving farther into the suburbs may be just what you’re after because they are many people’s ideal for a place to raise a family. Safe schools, quiet cul-de-sacs, roomy houses and big lawns. For many, it is the picture of the American Dream. But if you like the convenience of in-town or close-to-town living, you will have to make some compromises when moving to a detached house from a townhouse. You may have to accept an older house with fewer closets, fewer electrical outlets and smaller rooms. It may require remodeling eventually, to get the conveniences to which you’ve grown accustomed. Or you could simply pay a whole lot more money to get the same amenities in a close-in address. Remember, it’s two of the three and only two.

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