If you’re looking to buy a new build home in the UK, it’s important to look at different types of homes, from apartments to detached villas to townhouses, to ensure you purchase the home that best suits you, your lifestyle and needs.
Townhouse living continues to be a popular housetype for a range of home buyers despite first gaining popularity in the Victorian era. This blog outlines what a townhouse is, its benefits and why it is proving popular with families, not to mention some expert opinions on the housetype.
Contents
- What is a townhouse home?
- What are the benefits of townhouse living?
- Cala Homes’ developments with townhouses
- Expert insight
- Interior designer view: How to style a townhouse
- Hear from townhouse happy buyers
What is a townhouse home?
A townhouse is a property that spans three storeys and tends to sit side to side with at least one other property. It is often referred to as terraced (either end- or mid-terraced) or semi-detached, meaning it is connected to only one other similar property. Nowadays you can also purchase detached townhouses, giving buyers more space and privacy. The third floor creates extra space, so it is ideal for growing families, and although originally seen as properties found in urban areas, more and more townhouses are appearing in suburbs.
Demand for townhouses has been driven recently by more home working, in addition to a growing number of stepfamilies and multi-family households. Families and households are continuously changing shape, which is one of the reasons a townhouse may be the perfect solution, as families can adapt this home to suit the structure of their household.
Townhouse living means homes are built with today’s world in mind. At Cala, townhouses are becoming increasingly popular across our UK developments, with a range of different buyers snapping them up for reasons all tied to modern ways of living.
What are the advantages of living in a townhouse?
So, why buy a townhouse? In our opinion, the answer is more relevant now than it has ever been before - flexibility, adaptability and the opportunity to section off various elements of daily life. Here are our top reasons to opt for townhouse living:
1. Flexibility and adaptability
Townhouses offer the opportunity to adapt your space and use rooms as you need them, instead of more prescriptive standard two-storey homes. Whether you need an additional living space, a playroom or a space to work from home, a townhouse is easily adaptable to all family dynamics, and room uses can be altered as the family evolves.
This is a home that adapts with the homeowner as it can flex to their lifestyle changes and as their family grows – for example, a nursery can become a playroom, morph into an office, or transform into a gym. A ‘forever home’ can sound cliché but with this much flexibility, this housetype really does cater for growth and makes it simple to switch up rooms to suit your needs at a specific time.
1. 2. Extra storey equates to extra space
Homebuyers can enjoy a feeling of more space thanks to the third-floor footprint, which is great for those looking to use their homes for different purposes. For those always wishing for additional space, the extra floor gives an opportunity to create that coveted dressing room, or perhaps a toy room heaven to ‘hide’ the kids’ toys out of sight from the rest of the home. Whatever the purpose, the top floor is the perfect space to fulfil what the heart desires – the possibilities are endless.
3. Opportunity to create your own haven
For those looking for a haven away from all the hustle and bustle of the home, the sanctuary of the top floor could be the perfect answer, offering great views from above and a sense of peace and quiet, removed from the hub of the kitchen and main living areas.
At Cala, we have witnessed a shift in this ever-growing preference of living, with more townhouses within our developments across the UK than ever before.
Cala Homes’ developments with townhouses
One development within our portfolio showcasing the three-storey lifestyle is Rivermead Gardens in Alton, which features The Hamble, a detached family townhouse.
This housetype spans 1,593.43 sq.ft and offers four spacious bedrooms split across the top two levels, allowing homebuyers to decide how best to adapt this home to suit their needs.
The Hamble showhome is available to buy, so potential purchasers looking for a quick and easy move in process can imagine life at Rivermead Gardens.
The Anderson and Alexander townhouses at Southbank by Cala in Aberdeen have also proven popular due to their spacious three storeys.
At 1736 sq.ft and 1641 sq.ft respectively, these townhouses features a high specification, studio-designed open plan kitchen/dining areas, large, light-filled lounges, Juliet balconies, and four-bedrooms, three-bathrooms. You can find out more about our Southbank townhouses here.
The Balvenie and Buchanan housetypes at Rosebery Wynd in the highly sought after town of South Queensferry are part of our Ready for You homes, meaning these three- and four- bedroom townhouses, respectively, are complete and can be ready to move in to within as little as four weeks. Find out more about these contemporary yet stylish townhouses here.
Expert insight
Steve Rule, our Group Design and Technical Director, said: “Townhouse living is far from a passing trend, in fact it has been popular for centuries and this style is a classic within British architecture and design. Post pandemic, buyers are more discerning and clearer about what they need their homes to be able to do for them – townhouse living really fits the bill.
“It offers a collection of spaces that can be tailored and adapted to what you need to use them for, from accommodating new pets or hybrid working, to fitness or separate spaces to unwind, townhouses really can offer it all without compromise on space, great views and, of course, a garden.
“More and more of our developments include townhouse designs, not only to meet demand from our homebuyers, but to reflect the new ways of living we are all settling into. Adaptability is key and I think homebuyers today really recognise the opportunity townhouse living can bring to the table.”
Interior designer’s view
If you’re looking for more reasons to consider a townhouse, then our expert commentary will inspire you.
Eileen Kesson of Envision Interiors, who designed the townhouse showhome at St Crispins Court in Edinburgh, recently chatted with us about the benefits of townhouse living.
Hear from townhouse happy buyers
A Cala happy buyer was “very happy” with their decision to purchase a three-storey home:
“We didn't set out to get a townhouse specifically, however the additional rooms allow us to accommodate working from home, which is a huge benefit. We also like that the top floor allows us privacy and peace. In particular, we love the size of the rooms and the spacious garden we have.”
John Evans bought a townhouse at Waterfront Plaza in Leith. He said:
“First and foremost, it’s easy to look after. It’s also energy efficient, that was really important to me, probably more so now, given energy prices.”
“My favourite thing is the living layout, the floorspace is bigger than your average house. Having the office and the lounge downstairs and then having the kitchen and bedroom on the first floor, I think is a really clever design.”
Interested in townhouse living? Search our developments to view our townhouses for sale and find your perfect home.
