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Newcomer's guide to buying a home |
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Page 2 of 4
Choice of homes
Before embarking on the search for a home, you should decide on the
type of house you would like to buy and whether it will fit your
budget.
The first big choice you must make is whether to buy in an apartment
building or a house.
One major advantage of living in a building is
that you won't have to bother with either gardening or shovelling snow
off your driveway and sidewalk. (One winter in Canada and you will see
what a huge advantage that is!).
Costs for several amenities
such as cable television and heating are also often shared among the
residents which can translate into substantial savings. By and large,
this is also the cheapest option when buying a home.
People often use the term ‘condominium' in connection with an ownership
apartment building. However it's useful to know that a condo is merely
an ownership term, and can also relate to townhouses.
Townhouses, known in some parts as ‘row housing', are homes that share
common walls with neighbouring units on both sides. Usually the
smallest (and least expensive) of the house types available, they
typically have two to three bedrooms, living room, a small basement,
garden and yard.
Semi-detached homes, as the name implies, are homes that share a common
wall with a neighbouring unit on just one side. More expensive than
townhouses, most semis have between three and four bedrooms and besides
the living room, will also have what is known as a ‘family room'. While
most entertaining is done in the living room, the family room is
usually a cosy alcove for evening and weekend relaxation in front of
the television and fireplace. Like all houses, the semis come with a
basement, front garden and a back yard.
What most people dream of, however, is owning a detached house. These
are available to suit virtually every taste, though not every budget.
Most detached homes come with at least three bedrooms, and the size and
features available to you are limited only by the funds in your bank
account!
Townhouses, semis and detached homes are all built on three (sometimes
four) levels; with the living room, family room and kitchen on the main
level, bedrooms on the upper level, and a basement. You can also opt
for a bungalow, which has all the features of a
detached house except that it has just one main level and a basement.
Home-owners find a wide variety of uses for their basements - a
storage dump, converting it into a home office, a games room or
entertainment centre, or furnishing it as a self-contained apartment
which can be let out.
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