What Does A Single Family Home Mean? Should You Buy One?

When you are looking for a new home to buy, you might be looking at a variety of different types of dwellings. You might consider a townhouse or a condo, or you might think of a detached home. You most likely have seen the phrase single-family home for sale when searching the MLS listings. What exactly does this mean?

What does a single-family home mean? Should you buy one instead of a townhouse or a condo? Here is some information to help you sort it out before you buy.

What Is The Meaning Of A Single Family Home?

A single-family home is exactly what it says it is. A structure that was built to house only one family at a time. This means there are no common walls with any other home such as with a townhouse or condo. The building is completely detached and is considered a stand-alone property. It will also not share any common roof with any other home beside it either.

What Other Characteristics Does A Single Family Home Have?

Besides not sharing any type of common wall or roof, a single-family home will sit on its own piece of land. This isn't rented land typically, and the property is for the private use of the homeowner. This could be situated in a neighborhood filled with houses, or it could be located on a beachfront property with a few other houses scattered nearby. There are property lines usually indicated by a fence, that will surround the home indicating what belongs to the homeowner and what they can use for their own use. Land ownership is a definite perk to owning a single-family home and can raise the value of the home for future sales purposes.

A single-family home will have it's own direct access to the street. This means, when walking out of your front door, you can walk directly to the sidewalk without having to go through a lobby or hallways in the same manner that condo owners or apartment renters must. This also means you have access to the street for your car without having to drive through a parking lot to get there. Plus, you don't have to pay for parking in the same way condo owners and renters do when you buy a single-family home.

Single-family homes are served by only one set of utilities. Condo buildings and apartments and even townhouse complexes tend to share their utilities with each other. While each unit does have a dedicated electric hookup, heating, and water hookups, they come from a shared source located within the building.

A single-family home has its own, completely dedicated utilities source directly from the city's grids. This can provide for better water pressure for the home as well as a more stable electrical source. Keep this in mind when you are searching for a single-family home for sale.