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What are the pros and cons of living in an end unit? They're usually a few thousand dollars more than the middle units but which do you think is better? Any experiences?
Right now I live in California (soon to be moving to NC) in an end unit townhouse. The end units are generally larger and you share a wall with one less neighbor. And yes, it costs more but it also will sell for more. I cant think of any negatives.
I also live in CA in an end unit townhouse. The benefit is as the previous poster mentioned--you share only one wall with a neighbor instead of two. I can't think of any negatives about being at the end. Although we probably won't be able to sell it for much, our townhouse has been a nice fit for us--it is smaller than a huge house, and no yard work. It is a nice test run for home ownership in which we learned that no, we're not really ready, nor have the time to put into maintaining a house, yard, etc.
Thats exactly what Im looking for- I hope to find something that I can move into (once I'm finally done with school). I don't plan on spending more then 150k. I'm torn between a few different states at the moment and everything I've looked at is in my price range.
I agree with above posters the unit may be bigger one less neighbor to share a wall or outside in back or front yard with. Some even have extra windows on that end side to give the home more light.
What are the pros and cons of living in an end unit? They're usually a few thousand dollars more than the middle units but which do you think is better? Any experiences?
I've seen some where the end unit had no neighbors on one side (benefit), but had something else - such as a community carwash center (possible negative). So I'd want to be sure I knew what will/does fill that space.
I used to live in a townhouse at the end of a row and liked it. We had small fenced landscaped patios and, since I was on the end, it felt more "open" and less like a fish bowl. Only one common wall, too, so only one neighbor. All of our floor plans were identical so I didn't have more space than anyone else.
I've always bought end units because 1) They are more private (because of only one neighbor) 2) Have more windows and way more light 3) There are less of them so value goes up and bright houses sell better 4) If you're doing yardwork outside, you don't have to walk through the house or around several other houses to get to your backyard 5) There is a side yard which adds more land 6) There are sometimes certain upgrades that are only available on end units
Thanks for the info guys. I have a particular community in mind. I wish I could post pics but i would probably be in violation. I would love to hear some opinons about a few of the models.
As others have said, inspect the property/neighborhood well to see what you must endure on the non-neighbor sides of the home. It might be a blessing & it might be a nightmare, but camping out there for awhile, at different times of the day/evening will give you an idea of neighborhood comings & goings.
A few years ago, I moved into a friend's 1st floor, end-unit condo in Boston's southshore. I thought living in the suburbs would be nice, quiet & non-congested. The 2 non-neighbor walls were 2 streets with neverending traffic, 1 a 4-lane main road. A busstop was 20-ft from the bedroom window where neighborhood n'er-do-wells congregated Fri/Sat's into the wee hours of the mornings talking/laughing/screaming/drug dealing & busses began running at 5:30am. I heard folks talking ALL THE TIME at the busstop, even laughing & conversing at 5:15am, as they waited for their ride into town. Some may not notice the sounds of busses, until trying to sleep through the sound of them & the 20 folks waiting for them, every bloody 9-minutes. A very large school's playground, nightly active church & a fire station were directly across the street. We were literally on the border of an upscale neighborhood & a loud, drug-ridden neighborhood. It seemed that our building separated the two. Many take-out restaurants & a gas station were across the street, which all seem convenient at first, but...
I suffered terrible migraines/insomnia at the time & thought I would go insane with the constant noise - nightly fire engines, continual weekend police car sirens, busses stopping from 5:30am-1am, traffic horns/skids/accidents, kids screaming across the street on early morning school days, people talking outside my bedroom window while either walking by, waiting for the bus or hanging on corners, continual greasy take-out food smells when the windows were opened.
Had I not been on the 1st floor, it would have been quieter. Had I not had migraines, it probably wouldn't have bothered me as much. Had I not lived there, I wouldn't have had insomnia. Had I not bordered 2 streets with constant traffic, I could have survived without my airplane engine sized fan used for white noise. Had the windows not been from the days of Ben Franklin, the outdoor sounds would not have interfered as much with a peaceful home life. Had I not been given low, low rent for several years, I'd have moved out after 1-mo. Had I had any common sense & not been in the regular throes of pain, I'd have thought about it more carefully & moved out after 1-mo, anyway.
Coincidentally, the unit behind me, which was also a corner unit had similar, but different problems. Their unit bordered the parking lot & dumpsters & many occupants of the building worked nights, so slamming car doors, banging dumpster lids & headlights in their windows were problems. They also had the misfortune of being the 1st apt inside the entryway door, so the continual foot traffic, opening/closing door & running up/downstairs made that poor woman almost have a nervous breakdown. On the opposite end of the building, those folks lived directly above the washers/dryers in the basement & dealt with the 24/7 foot traffic, continually slamming aluminum doors & sounds of constantly running machines. Once they had a baby, they moved out as it interfered with the baby's sleep.
So, choose carefully. Scope out the unit, building, neighborhood & definitely swing by on a weekend evening & have a coffee in your car near the building to see what you must contend with while living in your end-unit. Hopefully, it will be wonderful & I wish you good luck. Not all stories are like mine, but I wasn't an owner, just a renter with a great monetary deal, but living there was a daily/nightly challenge.
Best of luck... VV
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