Condo Vs Single Family Home | 16 Popular Pros & Cons

Looking through the property listings, you might find yourself interested in both condos and single-family homes. There are distinct differences between the two types of housing, however, each offering its own advantages and disadvantages.

If you have a family, a single-family home could seem like a straightforward choice. Whereas younger or older couples could make the most of living in a condominium. But whatever your family situation, we review the Pros and cons you need to consider when you are comparing condo vs single family home living.

Condo Vs Single Family Home | 16 Popular Pros & Cons

Living in a Condo; The Pros

Maintenance

If you like the idea of handing over the responsibility for a lot of home maintenance to someone else, living in a condo offers this advantage. All of the communal areas and the outside of your condo will be the responsibility of the homeowners association.

Community

There will likely be a better sense of community in a condo development. Since you are going to meet your neighbors more frequently than if you were living in a house, you should get to know them better. If you are someone who thrives on the opportunity to make friends, this could be a big advantage.

Urban Living

Condo developments are often located near or in cities, and if you want to be closer to the heart of things, this will be a better option. Houses are going to be far more expensive for a similar location, and there will be fewer to choose from.

Access to Amenities

When you choose to live in a condo, you are more likely to have access to amenities. This could include a swimming pool, a gym, or perhaps a clubhouse.

What is available will depend on the development, and you will likely find that there is more available than you would normally expect in a single-family house. However, you will have to pay your share for the use of these facilities.

Condos; The Cons

Space

Condos generally offer less space over single-family dwellings, and there is less opportunity to expand, creating more room if you need it. While this will be fine in a lot of situations, it is a restriction that could see you looking for somewhere else to live if you find you don’t have enough space.

Privacy

Since living in a condo involves being close to other homeowners, you will inevitably have less privacy. With shared walls, you may end up knowing more about your neighbors than you will probably want to, and them more about you.

Getting a Mortgage

When buying a condo, you can sometimes find it more difficult to get a mortgage. Some condo developments haven’t been approved by the FHA, meaning that buyers can’t benefit from that type of mortgage loan.

And if the condo association doesn’t have enough money in reserves a lender may require buyers to put down at least 20-25% for their down payment in addition to closing costs.

This will prevent some buyers from being able to get a mortgage on the property. And this can have wider effects on the value of the homes within the complex, with some people being shut out of buying.

Badly Run HOAs

While the idea of the homeowners association dealing with the running of the development might be appealing, this is only going to be true if it’s well managed. If the HOA has poor management, living in the development could begin to get unpleasant and your condo more difficult to sell.

There are the fees payable to the HOA to consider as well. These funds go towards maintaining the development, but they could end up being badly spent. You will be expected to pay either quarterly or monthly towards the maintenance, regardless of whether you agree with the decisions the association makes.

Restrictions

While you will be able to change many things within your condo, the same can’t be said for the outside of your unit. If you want to make some change to anything outside of your home, you will have to seek permission.

There can be other restrictions as well, like a limit on the type or number of pets you keep in the home. You can also find there are rules limiting the number of properties within the condo development that are rented. Depending on your situation, these rules could be a big negative.

Choosing a Single-Family Home; The Pros

Freedom

A house that isn’t part of a homeowners association won’t be restricted by the rules put in place by such an organization. If you want to landscape your front yard, you can, and if you’d like to display your patriotism with a flag, no one’s going to stop you.

More Privacy

With a separate entrance, more distance between you and your neighbors, and a private yard, you aren’t forced to interact with other members of the community if you don’t want to. If you really value your privacy, this could be a very significant advantage.

Giving you More Options

When you own a house, particularly one that isn’t part of an HOA, you will have more options to change things. This could include completely renovating the home or creating more space by having another room constructed.

Choosing an HOA

If you like the benefits of living within a homeowners association area, you can look for that when searching for property. This will provide you with the benefits, like making sure standards and the design of the homes are maintained. These benefits can have a positive effect on the value of the homes within these developments.

Single-Family Homes; The Cons

Responsibility for Repairs

With a house that isn’t part of a homeowners association, you will be solely responsible for any repairs required. This is likely to mean that your repair bill will be greater than if you were living in a condo.

Maintaining the Home

You are also going to have to do all the yard work yourself if you own a house. While the outside spaces of a condo development will be taken care of through the homeowners association, this is unlikely to be the case with a single-family home. Though this isn’t necessarily a negative, with some homeowners enjoying landscaping.

Expenses

In general, you can expect that owning a single-family home is going to be more expensive than living in a condo. You will have to deal with and pay for your homeowner’s insurance, for example.

Final Thoughts

There are important distinctions when comparing the condo vs single family home choice. Your lifestyle and family situation will have a lot of bearing on which type of housing is right for you. Though they both have notable advantages and disadvantages that should make your choice clearer.

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About the Author

Top Wellington Realtor, Michelle Gibson, wrote: “Condo Vs Single Family Home | 16 Popular Pros & Cons”

Michelle has been specializing in residential real estate since 2001 throughout Wellington Florida and the surrounding area. Whether you’re looking to buy, sell, or rent she will guide you through the entire real estate transaction. If you’re ready to put Michelle’s knowledge and expertise to work for you call or e-mail her today.

Areas of service include Wellington, Lake Worth, Royal Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Greenacres, and more.

Condo Vs Single Family Home | 16 Popular Pros & Cons