Saving money with a semi-detached house

For buyers dead-set on moving into a single family house, there seems to be little room to budge. The price tag for detached urban homes is out of reach for many, but that doesn’t mean a move to a condo apartment is the right step. For some buyers, no amount of amenities or nearby transit stops are enough to give up on a private backyard, more living space or the freedom to renovate. Lengthy commute times be damned.

Buyers still juggling with the tradeoff between budget, space and amenities, must really contend with finding the right type of home for their family and lifestyle. While detached homes and condo-apartments are options, there are also townhomes and semi-detached homes (known as duplexes in B.C.).

From a price-point perspective, a semi-detached house or a townhome can make good financial sense. Here’s what you need to know about these two housing types.

What is a semi-detached house?

A semi-detached house (semi for short) is a single family residence that is attached to its direct neighbour on one side through a common wall.

Unlike townhouses, which share their walls with multiple homes often in a row, semi-detached houses are built in pairs and connect to only one other dwelling that is similar in size and design. In effect, they are “half-attached.”

Traditionally, semis are built side-by-side, but there is a variety of semi-detached houses that are built front-to-back facing opposite directions (many of these front-to-back semis can be found in Lower Mainland, B.C.).

Although semis share a wall, each sits on a distinct plot of land and are predominantly available as freeholds. So when you buy a semi-detached house, you own both the structure and the segment of land your dwelling is built upon (that doesn’t include your attached neighbour’s land of course).

Typically, semi-detached houses are smaller—both in actual living space and lot sizes—compared detached properties. A semi also has the obvious caveat of sharing a wall with another household (meaning less control over privacy and noises from neighbours). On the other hand, detached homes are stand alone structures free of any connecting walls, granting for greater seclusion.

The average semi-detached house is larger than a townhome and only has one attached neighbour rather being sandwiched between two. Consequently semis are far more desirable in comparison.

Semis are known as duplexes in B.C. This is not to be confused with a GTA-duplex, which is typically one house that is sold with only one title of ownership, but consists of two separate living units.

What is a townhouse?

Townhouses are single family homes built in a row, where each individual home is attached to the next by at least one connecting wall. Nestled on smaller lots than a traditional detached or semi-detached homes, townhouses are often constructed narrowly and are two to three storeys tall. Townhouses open up to the street level and have smaller yards.

A townhouse generally falls into two types of ownership – freehold and condominium.

In a freehold townhome, the homeowner owns the house and the plot of land it sits on. In a condominium townhouse however, the land belongs to a Home Owners Association (HOA), where residents are obliged to pay monthly maintenance fees while sharing ownership of the common spaces, such as the gym, yard, etc. (similar to a traditional condo apartment).

Maintenance and renovation costs

Semis and non-strata townhomes are freeholds, which means that maintaining the home falls solely on the owner. Freeholds, unlike in a condominium, don’t offer a Home Owners Association to upkeep the property in exchange for monthly fees. Air conditioning, wiring and piping must be maintained by you.

However, there are financial perks to buying a townhome or semi-detached house versus a traditional detached home.

Smaller backyards and lot sizes means yard work takes less time in a semi-detached house. Roofs are smaller, and as a result, so are the budgets needed to maintain them. Heating and cooling costs also tend to be lower in semis compared to detached homes.

Depending on how well you get along with your attached neighbour, you may be able to share some home maintenance costs such as roof repairs.

How to take on renovations in a semi-detached house?

If you’re considering embarking on a renovation in a semi-detached house, it’s critical to keep your attached neighbour in the know from the start. It’s also important to realize there are limitations to what work can be done—especially when compared to a traditional detached home.

For small jobs, like installing new kitchen cabinets, it’s not necessary to get the neighbours involved. However, it can help foster goodwill if you inform them a minor reno is in the works, especially if hammering and noise is involved.

When it comes to aesthetic changes, consider consulting your neighbour. For instance, communicate your plans to paint your home a new colour or to swap out metal railings for a custom-wood porch. While you don’t require permission from your neighbour, it’s a good idea to keep them informed of changes that will impact the look and feel of their home.

On bigger projects, informing the neighbours is a must, as is making sure all the paperwork and permits are in order. Your local building authority may even require your attached neighbourhood contractually agree to the project’s go-ahead.

Before starting a reno, it’s a smart move to first have a professional contractor or home inspector assess if and how you’ll impact your neighbour and their home.

When considering a renovation or remodel, keep in mind that because semis have a shared structural wall, fewer windows can be installed and this can impact the flow of natural light in the home. 

In a freehold townhome, you may be restricted to the type of renovation you can complete to the exterior facade. However, almost all cosmetic updates to the interior of the unit are not restricted.

Townhouse vs. semi-detached vs. detached house

Size: Townhomes are typically built as narrow, tall homes. Semis are typically wider than townshomes, but smaller—both in actual living space and lot sizes—compared to detached properties.

Privacy and noise: Townhomes and semi-detached homes share walls, which means noise can travel through the wall from the attached neighbours’ place. Detached homes, on the other hand, are far less prone to noise disturbances given they are stand alone structures.

Maintenance: Smaller backyards and lot sizes means yard work takes less time in a townhouse or semi-detached house compared to a detached. Roofs are smaller, and as a result, so are the budgets needed to maintain them. Heating and cooling costs also tend to be lower in semis versus detached homes given their smaller sizes and the fact there’s a shared wall.

Select home repair and maintenance costs can be split with your attached neighbour in a freehold townhouse or semi—allowing for potential cost savings.

Renovation: In a freehold townhome or semi-detached house, there are certain legal and structural limitations on what projects can be done, as it may impact your attached neighbour. In a detached home, you’re completely and utterly free to renovate as you like (within the confines of zoning laws of course).

Semi-detached vs. duplex

Semis are two distinct homes (with separate owners and lots) connected through one common wall and built side-by-side to each other.

A duplex is a property on a single lot with two distinct living spaces. However, from a legal perspective a duplex is a single property existing on a single piece of land.

In B.C., however, a duplex is actually the same as a GTA semi—a home that shares a common wall with a neighbour, but is considered a separate and distinct legal parcel of land and dwelling.