My husband and I want to buy a home...we never considered a townhome but it seems like we can get a bigger townhome than house with how much we want to spend. I can't seem to get over the idea of not having a huge fenced in yard for my kids to play in so please tell me if you like or dislike living in a townhome. What do you like about it?
We have lived in a townhome since before we had kids and if you find the right community you can find a home that has a yard that is surrounded by homes and so as long as you are watching the kids there isn't an issue.
Just remember...there is normally an association fee that you need to pay. When you consider this could go towards a mortgage in a regular house, you may be able to afford more house. Also, townhomes are nice in that they mow the lawn, shovel etc, but also some have a lot of restrictions on your garbage cans, your toys outside, how many cars in your driveway, plants etc...so make sure you ask a lot of questions about the rules. Your kids may also need to play in a "shared" space...some neighbors may not like your kids in their space.
We liked our townhome and stayed in it until our son was almost 2. By that time, we were tired of not being able to put a swingset in our own yard (some associations might allow it; ours didn't) and not having any garage or storage space. Now that I think more about it, I would no longer want to share walls. My son is usually well behaved, but when he has tantrums, they can be LOUD and annoying. He can also get loud when he is just goofing around and playing; I would worry that this would bother neighbors. The walls are pretty thick in townhomes, but depending on which rooms back up against each other, you can hear some things (dogs, etc).
The biggest factor, however, was that we wanted someplace where we could make changes as we wished. Complete remodels; additions, whatever. A townhome doesn't have a lot of flexibility for changes, nor does it appreciate much at all.
My twins are two. Our townhome was a middle unit and TOO small...Many are much larger... We are now moving. Now that the kids are two, they want to be outside all the time, and the townhome did not offer much for a yard. Not play friendly, not outside toy friendly. Our wagon, etc was always camped out in our little front area...We wanted a cozy coop for them, but where do you put it??? Our townhome garage was TINY, so that made it difficult too. Not having a yard just wasn't for us anymore. There is no grass area you really feel is YOURS.
If you can find a townhome near a park, that may help with the "lack of yard" issue. Are you looking at detached townhomes? A friend of mine lived in a townhome that was attached, and her neighbor smoked. It seeped into her home and she ended up moving because of it. I don't live in one, but there are many days when I think life would be a lot easier if I didn't have a yard to take care of!
