What is a semi-detached house?
Housing is a basic human need, yet not all homes are created equal. The type of house or apartment you live in can greatly impact your lifestyle. From crowded city apartments to sprawling rural estates, there are many different housing options to consider. Let's take a look at some of the most common types of housing including terraced houses, semi-detached homes, detached houses, and apartments. Understanding the unique features, pros, and cons of each housing type will help you determine which best fits your needs and preferences. Whether you value privacy, affordability, or community, your ideal home is out there waiting.
What is a terraced house?
Terraced houses, also known as row houses, are homes that share walls with the houses on either side. One of the defining features of a terraced house is that it is part of a continuous row of connected vertical homes.
Terraced houses often have long, narrow floorplans. This allows developers to maximize the number of homes that can be built on a single block. These homes usually have two or three floors, with the entrance on the ground floor.
One advantage of terraced housing is affordability. Sharing walls reduces construction costs compared to detached homes. This makes terraced houses a popular choice for urban areas where land values are high.
Terraced homes also provide a sense of community, as neighbours are literally joined together. On the other hand, shared walls also reduce privacy and require putting up with more neighbour noise.
What is a semi-detached house?
Semi-detached houses are two homes that share a common wall. Each semi-detached house often appears identical to the one it is attached to, but as homeowners add their own personal touches, and modify the exterior, this might not be true for all houses.
Semi-detached homes offer more privacy and separation than terraced housing. However, they don't provide as much sound insulation as fully detached homes.
Semi-detached houses typically have smaller front and back gardens that a detached house, but larger than a terraced house. They often have two or three floors, with two to four bedrooms. This type of home is common in suburban areas and offers a compromise between attached and detached housing.
What is a detached house?
A detached house sits on its own, separate from any other home. There are no shared walls. This provides maximum privacy but reduces affordability due to higher construction costs.
Detached homes allow for more customisation in floorplans and exterior design features. They typically have larger gardens, more space between homes, and less neighbour noise.
Downsides include higher costs for purchasing the home and maintenance. Detached homes are most common in rural areas and affluent suburbs. Their privacy comes at the expense of community interaction with neighbours.
What is a flat or an apartment?
An apartment refers to an individual housing unit within a larger multi-family residential building. Apartments can vary greatly in size and layout. Studio apartments consist of a single room plus bathroom. Larger apartments have multiple bedrooms, more than one bathroom, and an open concept kitchen and living room.
Apartment buildings contain multiple stacked apartments accessible via shared hallways and elevators. This efficient design allows for housing large numbers of residents in urban centers. Apartments are a popular rental option for those who cannot afford to purchase, or do not desire a standalone home.
In modern apartment buildings, a balcony is normally provided as an exterior replacement to a garden, but some developments may offer a shared private outdoor space that all residents can utilise.
Compared to other housing types, apartments offer less privacy and outdoor space. However, they provide convenient access to city amenities and often cost much less than a house.
The key differences
The main differences between housing types relate to privacy, costs, community, customization, and location. Terraced homes offer the least privacy but most community and affordability. Detached homes provide the most privacy and customization at a higher price. Apartments maximize density in cities while minimizing living space and privacy.
The housing type that best fits your needs depends on lifestyle preferences, and budget. Understanding the pros and cons of each housing type will help you make the right decision.
View prices differences for your area
By using our prices page, you can view how each type of housing differs in cost in your area, and how this has changed over time, on an all time scale, and in the last 12 months. You can easily filter to a national level, or to a smaller regional level to view data in your local area.
