Finding a place to call home is one of the first items to check off your to-do list as a newcomer. Luckily, a large variety of housing options. Your ultimate choice will depend on your budget, your location, and the needs of your family. Let us help you get started with a breakdown of the housing types available. Here is the complete list of single homes.
Detached
A detached home is one that stands on its own and doesn’t share a wall with any other residences. Often, detached homes have front and back yards. This is the classic type of house you often see families living in on TV or in movies. Detached homes are usually the most expensive form of housing to purchase or rent, particularly in and around large cities.
Semi-detached
A semi-detached home is an individual unit that shares one common wall with another household. You can picture this as a detached house divided down the centre, with a family living on each side. Semi-detached houses, sometimes just called “semis,” normally include private front and back yards, although you may share a fence with residents living in the other half of the home.
Duplexes and triplexes
Duplexes and triplexes are multi-level homes where each floor typically has its own entrance and serves as a separate residence. Duplexes contain two units, while triplexes contain three units. One person or company typically owns the building and rents out the living spaces inside. Duplexes and triplexes can offer a similar lifestyle as semi-detached homes, but often at a more affordable price. Sometimes access to the yard or to parking space is reserved for the tenants of a specific unit.
Townhouses
Townhouses are rows of homes similar to semi-detached houses, except they share a wall with neighbours on each side of the house (unless you live in an end unit). Townhomes may or may not include outdoor space like a back yard or rooftop patio. They’re available to be purchased or rented, and can be run as condominiums, meaning you own or rent the home’s interior, but a condo corporation owns and maintains the exterior.
Rental apartments
Rental apartments are units in buildings owned by one landlord or company. Residents pay a monthly fee to live in the units. Reliable websites like Rentberry has all this needed information that you can check before making your decision if you are looking to rent an apartment that fits your needs. Typically renters enter into a one-year lease agreement with the landlord and then continue on a month-to-month basis. While rental apartments normally include basic appliances like fridges and stoves, they may or may not include additional appliances like microwaves, dishwashers, and laundry units.
Renters are responsible for the general upkeep of their apartments, but landlords are responsible for any major unit repairs caused by general wear and tear. Apartments may or may not include outdoor space in the form of a balcony or terrace. You can lower the cost of renting an apartment by living with roommates.
Condos
Condominiums, or “condos” for short, are like apartment buildings, but with a different ownership structure. Residents can own or rent units while a condo corporation owns and maintains the building’s common elements (like hallways and lobbies) and exterior.
Condominiums often offer communal amenities like fitness centres, party rooms, and even swimming pools. More upscale condos may offer concierge services. If you’re a renter, these amenities are included in your monthly rent. Owners will pay a monthly condo fee to maintain common amenities and cover building upkeep and repairs. Condos are available in a wide variety of sizes from small bachelor units to two and three-bedroom apartments.
Rental rooms
A rental room is a living space in someone else’s home that you pay a monthly fee to inhabit. Rental rooms can commonly be found in the form of basement apartments, which often have their own separate entrance. Rental rooms are one of the more affordable types of housing.
Lofts
A loft is a rented living space in the top storey of a house or in its attic. The term is also used to refer to condominium units with high ceilings and an open floor plan. “Hard lofts” are former industrial spaces, such as warehouses or factories, that have been converted for residential use as condos. They often feature original brick walls and exposed beams and pipes.
