topic House or Condo in Home

House or Condo

deedledeedeedle — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 14:39:58 GMT

If you had it to do over would you opt for a house or a condo? I see the pros and cons for each, but right now my condo has a long list of cons. Look forward to your input.

dee

Re: House or Condo

scatcat — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 14:45:18 GMT

House

No HOA fees, rules, board.

No shared walls, no nosey people in your business.

Maybe I'll change my mind when we get older and want to downsize

Re: House or Condo

KingstonsMom — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 14:45:29 GMT

I value my peace, quiet and privacy too much to live in a condo, only a house for me.

Re: House or Condo

LindaSal — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 14:50:40 GMT

We alaways had our own home out in the country. We loved the tranquility and the privacy........but now that we are older we downsized a little over a year ago to a condo.

I think you have to be choosey about what type of condo though. Ours is considered mor of a townhouse. We lucked out and took our time finding what we wanted. We have 2000 square feet, an end unit with a double garage and our back deck races a state park that has 373 acres. We got the most similar to what we were used to and so far we actually do love it! And no yard work is the best part!!

Re: House or Condo

kjae — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 14:51:16 GMT

House-no question. Even if is not quite as nice, you are in control. Monetarily condos have homeowners fees, special assessments, boards that make decisions. Then there are the noise and privicy issues. Our first home was a condo. My sister kept her condo and has rent it out for 30 years, now wants to sell because of all of the issues that going on with repairs and reserve funds and no one wanting to do anything. Always better for you to be in control.

Re: House or Condo

Sadiesadie — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 15:06:05 GMT

@deedledeedeedle : When I was single I had a townhouse with a back yard and large olive tree.
Got married and have lived in a house for 46 years. I dread downsizing if I had to go into a condo. I need some kind of yard to plant and putter. Not sure they build townhouses like the one I bought in '70s. The yard is surprisingly large.

i could live there again if I had to but we have it rented out.

Re: House or Condo

DREAMON — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 15:09:22 GMT

House for sure

Re: House or Condo

software — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 16:00:44 GMT

My late MIL lived in a lovely condo, it was like a resort. In a city but a bit secluded. As people died or moved off, they couldn't sell so now it's full of renters. It's like an apartment complex. Her condo is old, developers are building new ones all the time, so why buy old when you can buy new.

Personally, I don't care for an HOA. Not that it's bad because it's perfect for some lifestyles, just not mine. I can't see any pros for living in a condo, for me. But I would take it over a nursing home!!

Re: House or Condo

catter70 — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 16:37:42 GMT

I have a 2 story end unit town house. I've been blessed all these years with great neighbors. No HOA or association panel.I do wish, though, that I had a smaller place, but I'm sure this is where I'll spend the rest of my days. Besides I need to be where I can have my cats.

Re: House or Condo

MandyG06 — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 16:43:30 GMT

We sold our house and moved into a condo. I can't wait to get back into a house!

Our condo is more like a townhome, or a 3 story house. However, one of my neighbors has 3 kids and they are so loud, my other neighbor smokes all day long. I have kids, ages 11 and 8, so they want a back yard and driveway to play in, and right now we don't have that. Not having yard work is nice, but I miss planting the flowers that I want to plant.

It all comes down to what you value, or need, the most.

Re: House or Condo

on the bay — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 22:18:01 GMT

@deedledeedeedle -

You know, whether a house or condo, it really depends on which one and where.

You could have a house next to awful neighbors and the same with a condo.

With a house you do have to worry about everything that needs repair and there are a lot so you need lots of extra money. And if you have awful neighbors there is not much you can do.

With a condo, its the same but one of my favorite places to live was a beautiful condo we had with wonderful (for the most part) neighbors.And yes you can enjoy the outside without taking care of it.

Our townhouse had great neighbors too all but one and that can change everything.

If you are trying to decide and actually looking at places, talk to the neighbors who hopefully will tell you the truth.

and it is probably harder to resell a condo for the most part than a good house.

Re: House or Condo

Snowpuppy — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:01:25 GMT

I've had 2 townhouse style condos when I was young. Often worked OT or a 2nd gig job so no yard work was a plus. The second condo was larger and built like a fortress so I never heard neighbors.

The HOA's can be a PITA. Big time. Along with rules about no cars in your driveway at night (garage only), pet rules, trash can rules, visitor rules, you can't control your costs. HOA votes it, you pay for it.

The cost control and pet issues are why I decided to live in a single family home in retirement.

Re: House or Condo

millieshops — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:24:52 GMT

@deedledeedeedleI do not believe there's one answer that fits everyone, and there's not even one answer that fits everyone in a category because there are just so many different people and so many different condo developments.

For myself, there was a right time to be the owner of my own separate house. And now is the right time for me to own my condo. But the reasons for each have to do with my own personality, my family-community support, my financial situation, my health as well as the location of each.

Knowing oneself well is an important factor in many decisions and choosing housing is right up there close to the top of that list.

Re: House or Condo

Meowingkitty — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:28:51 GMT

House. Even though I don't like yard work I can hire someone for that. With a condo you never know when the owners will decide to turn them into apartments and you are sc***ed because you can't sell it. Then you have nothing but renters around you, I like my peace and quiet and don't want neighbors that close to me. As for HOA's all houses built after 1988 in Arizona (except for custom homes) are stuck with them, I don't have one and like it that way.

Re: House or Condo

riley1 — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:37:32 GMT

House (with no nearby neighbors).

Re: House or Condo

KingstonsMom — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:40:03 GMT

@MandyG06

That's what I'm talkin' about!

We have a large yard, but when the day comes that we can't maintain the yards, etc., we'll hire a lawn crew, LOL!

They aren't that expensive and for us it would be a better option than living in a condo.

Re: House or Condo

jeanlake — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 18:21:50 GMT

We downsized from a lake community home, after 24 years, to a townhouse - or some call it a patio home that connects with one other home. Our backyard has a beautiful (my opinion) courtyard and deck off the dining room and we back up to green space. Lots of opportunity to landscape in front and back. No pool or exercise areas like you may find at a condo, so our HOA is maintenence-provided details only. Reasonable. We're tucked away from main roads but very close to conveniences. This was the only way hubs would move and we're thrilled with our place. I could do a condo, though. I could really do a condo at the beach. I know....

Re: House or Condo

suziebee1 — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 18:33:34 GMT

I have lived in both - a house and a townhouse. I had the house when I was married and my daughter was young. We divorced and my daughter and I moved into a townhouse when she was about 15. The townhouse was fine because she wasn't playing outside any longer.

I think both were perfect for the place I was in life - the house for a young family, with a husband to take care of it, and now a townhouse for me and my older daughter, with no husband to take care of it. When she moves on with her life, it will be just me and will be fine.

Both have their positive and negative points. Remember, nothing is perfect.

Re: House or Condo

CANDLEQUEEN — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 18:47:39 GMT

House, although there are some beautiful, very spacious townhomes and condos out there. When we were first married we lived in a Duplex, and while it was very nice and quite spacious, you always had someone right on the other side of the wall from you.....There was very little privacy as well.

If you were lucky enough to have good neighbors, not so bad, but you always had to worry about the noise factor, and the privacy issues, so my choice would always be a Single Family House, but I do think if you are single, sometimes a Condo or Townhome make a lot of sense.....

Re: House or Condo

VegasBusinessWoman — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 18:49:57 GMT

A house, hands down, NOT in an HOA community.

In college I lived in a condo, a duplex. That was fine for then, I worked nights and went to classes during the day. No time for maintenance work of any kind. I was lucky to have quiet neighbors so I could sleep whenever I had the chance.

After I married my late husband, we always lived in a house, trading up as economic conditions permitted to the house I have now. No pool (YAY!), no HOA, no problem. Having a lawn service is cheaper than HOA fees and the men do what you want them to do. I can have my gardens and enjoy our yard (VERY high walls separate the properties) in peace.

After I married DH we lived in his house on a golf course with an HOA--awfull!😫 It only took 2 years of them telling us what color our house could be, when to paint it, must apply to put in a tree and wait for approval, fines for using your garage for storage and on and on before we sold that and moved into my house. Remodeled it to suit us and have lived happily ever since.😊

@deedledeedeedle Draw your own conclusions.