The housing market in Windsor-Essex County has gone completely bonkers! In our area, prices have jumped to at least double or triple its value. It's not slowing down either, as I see homes on the market for only a few days and in a blink of an eye, the sold sign goes up. I’ve also known more people switching careers and going into real estate than ever before.
At certain points of our lives, we make choices that feel like a good decision in where we want to live, but then realize, it’s time to pivot in another direction that suits our circumstances more. What's next for us? I'm not sure.
Today, I thought I would just talk about my perspective from living in a townhouse complex (or rowhouse as it may be called) for over the last 10+ years with my husband. After bouncing around with the ideas of whether we wanted a single-family home, condo living or even apartment renting, after viewing a very quaint and cozy townhouse complex, this type of situation made the most sense for our needs.
Community Belonging. Townhouse living can have quite a community feel since we are all fairly close in proximity to each other and if you're outside for any length of time, someone is bound to strike up a 'hello there' moment. Although I am a mixed bag of being an introvert and extrovert, I liked the idea of being connected to others in a way that still offered some separation when I needed it.
Maintenance-Free. We don’t have to deal with the changing of seasons very much, so that means the lawn is taken care of in the warmer months, and the snow plows come when we’re ready to hibernate. This is included in our monthly fees, so we don’t have to go out and buy snowblowers, lawnmowers, which can be added expenses. We also have a central area in each lot for recycling and garbage disposal. No composting bins though, but perhaps that is something to implement in the near future.
Sharing the utility costs. With the prices of hydro always increasing, paying a monthly maintenance fee that includes all our utility costs seemed like a great concept, and for the most part it is except when people abuse the privilege, which affects all units. In hind-sight, I would have preferred to pay our own utilities and monitor our usage with individual meters for each unit. Most townhouse complexes especially the newly-built ones are not all-inclusive, so we may be the only one left as of 2022, unless something changes.
Privacy. Can you hear that? Well, the connected walls are pretty thin here. So whether there’s an argument going on, a child crying, singing loudly in the shower or someone who really likes to put on their surround sound system late at night, you can hear it all. Now granted, most neighbours are considerate and quiet, but that is part of the living arrangement to deal with especially as new people move in and out.
Mobility. Stairs, stairs and more stairs. A good workout going from the main level to upstairs and then the basement. However, it’s a lot to deal with and as the candles get blown out each year, stairs become cumbersome. Of course, there is the option of putting chair-lifts in.
Parking Lot Accessibility. We don’t have garages, so cars stay in designated parking lot areas. Everyone receives one parking spot, if you have additional vehicles, you need to pay extra to obtain another spot. For many, not having a garage is fine, but if you have a business where you are transporting equipment on a regular basis and don’t live right next to the lot you’re in, this may pose a bit of a problem.
So as you can see, there are pros and cons. Whether you’re looking to downsize or wanting a different change of scenery to embrace townhouse living, I hope this gave you some insight on what it can entail and whether it might be right for you!
💜I would love to hear about what you type of housing you are in currently, what prices are like in your neck of the woods, so feel free to drop me a note.
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