Here, in guess, a condo is an apartment that you buy. An apartment is (usually) a place that you rent. Of course some people use the terms interchangeably. If it is multi story and connected, it's a townhouse. If it's single story and connected it's a villa... but the rules aren't that strict. Where are you exactly. If I knew, I've forgotten.
Now I remember that you are in the UK. I always see the term maisonettes, but didn't know what they were. Are the mainsonettes on the ground level, or can they be higher? Do you live in a house, flat of maisonette?
Hello Remy, welcome to the discussion. It sounds like we're going in the opposite direction. You bought a home (well mobile home) and wish you had a condo. I'm getting sick of my condo and want a townhouse of a house. There are three things that are bothering me about the condo. First I feel so impersonal, stacked up above the ground. I want to park at my own front door. Secondly, is my wife wanted a small place... and we went too small. I'm used to something much bigger. Finally, it turns out that I don't like the glare of the ocean nearly all day. I thought that everybody loved the ocean and I always would, but it becomes like having a bright movie screen covering one wall. I think that these condos were really intended for purchasers to use for vacation rentals. I'm getting claustrophobic after less than three months.
We also had a townhouse until two years ago. It may be the way to go. The only problem was that it was on three stories? For my knees, I'd prefer a two story unit. Particularly end units give you the feeling of a home without the yard work. It may be out next move.
HI Mellow. I actually like the dark days better, since I'm a bit melancholy. The bright days put your eyes out. But you feel silly closing the drapes on the ocean. Catch 22. Maybe if I'm a few blocks from the ocean, I will have the best of both worlds.
I think that you were smart to stay in the house. Condos are find if you're used to them, but I find them terribly impersonal... like a lovely cell. That is terrible, but it's the way they make me feel.
I live in a House with very large gardens....... I've lived in a flat during one period when I was growing up and once again during my marriage to a service personnel and one of our Married Quarters out of 6 was a flat..(apartment)
Do I understand this correctly the Mainsonette has it's own door. But with a door immediately next to it for an upstairs apartment. That is an interesting arrangement. I'm don't think I've ever seen anything exactly like it in the states. I assume that you prefer having your house? Correct? Are you in the city or in a village? Attached or freestanding? Just curious, as we're looking at all options.
Hello Win, you're right. I think that I'd be much happier on a first floor with parking at my door. With me it's not just about fire. I also feel a bit impersonal, stacked up over so many other strangers. Since most of the units in out building are used for vacation rentals, they do tend to be strangers.
Hi Sassycakes, do you guys like the house better than the row home? Are you glad that you made the trade.
I prefer a house, of course, mainly due to having my own outside space.. my gardens.. In a flat or maisonette you share whatever outside space there might be with everyone else, and most don't even have a lawn... Where there is a small lawn back and front .. although some maisonettes tenants or owners have an arrangement whereby the bottom dwelling.. has sole use of the front and the upstairs has sole use of the back garden..or vice versa...
We seem to be moving in the same direction. I want my own front door and at least a small piece of land. Of course the trick is that I want it near shopping. That is every retiree's dream.
there's another example right there in the difference between the 2 countries descriptions.. a 'row home' is called a 'terrace'' here..where all the houses are joined together..some with front gardens, some no gardens at all if they're in the city...
Speaking of people being "Stacked up on top of each other," years ago, I had a girlfriend who had a first-floor apartment. The tenants above her often kept her up half the night with their......uh.......nightly workouts. My girlfriend also said their bed had a terrible squeak in it.
I'm the same , I have a problem with my right knee, which gives out quite often when going up and downstairs...recently however I've been using a treadmill for 15 minutes a day and it's made my knee a whole load stronger...
