Townhome or Single-Family Home? How to Decide What’s Right for You

In the market for a new custom Florida home but uncertain what it should be?

That’s a common conundrum in today’s home-buying market, where blended families, multi-generational families, retirees and younger generations all have different needs and priorities.

It’s also a question that’s always relevant. Older folks have long ditched their big family homes for lower-maintenance townhomes and condos. 20-somethings have long nabbed starter single-family homes.

But today’s 21st-century market contains more home-buying options than ever before. Both single-family homes and townhomes remain perennially popular for valid reasons.

Here’s how to decide what’s right for you.

Start with the season you’re in

Not spring, summer, autumn or winter!

We mean the life season you and your household are in right now. Younger adults beginning their work and family lives will have different priorities than empty nesters whose children are grown and gone. The thing to remember is that it won’t matter how splendid (or what a bargain) any new home might be if doesn’t fit your life.

So, banish the one-size-fits-all mentality. Look inward, first, when it comes to choosing your next home rather than focusing on how other people — friends and co-workers, for example — may have chosen their new homes.

There’s point in the process when their experiences may be instructive. But not immediately, with the decisions only you and yours can make.

The case for single-family homes

Big family? Big social life? Is a backyard pool or garden a priority? How about aging family members who live with you? Or, is a large and/or fenced in backyard a must for the dog?

Simply put, if you need space for pets and people, and privacy for multiple family members of any age, a single-family home can be a good choice.

Those older family members might thrive in a one-level, in-law suite. Kids’ bedrooms can open to an activity area for homework and crafts. If your household enjoys pool parties, cookouts and impromptu movie nights on the lanai, a single-family home allows more sufficient space for indoor and outdoor living.

And, feeding growing teenagers (and their friends) is simply easier with a bigger kitchen…

The case for townhomes

Many Baby Boomers — generally folks born between the mid-1940s and mid-1960s — are headed toward retirement and second careers these days.

Their houses no longer fit a more streamlined lifestyle and they’re done with — or done paying for — yard work, painting and all those chores that accompany single-family homes.

Townhomes also are good choices for younger adults seeking to own their first home, but who aren’t ready for a larger-priced, single-family home.

Regardless of your age group, buying a townhome often includes the same perks as in single-family neighborhoods: pools, residents clubs and other amenities. The difference in townhome communities is your HOA fees go toward someone else taking care of outdoor chores and maintenance.

Plus, you can lock up and go without worrying about hiring a house-sitter.

Ready for your new custom Florida home? Check out ICI Homes’ Woodhaven in Port Orange or Plantation Bay Golf and Country Club in Ormond Beach, where you’ll find townhomes and single-family homes convenient to everything in the greater Daytona Beach area.