What's a better buy long term, a new detached condo or a new attached condo? I'm heavily favoring detached condo for the following reasons: low HOA fees; resale value should be higher; not attached by a common wall; potential neighbor might be renters that slams the door/ cabinets, plays loud music and then you can hear it because you are connected by a wall; a water issue next door becomes your problem if they don't fix it
Detached condo or Attached condo?
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Sorry but why would an attached condo ever be a better buy than a detached condo?
All things being equal, the detached home will sell for more. But all things are never equal.
Either can be the better buy.
It depends on the situation of the seller, the buyer, the location of the home, the condition of the property, the sales price, the other terms of the sale, and your priorities.
If the attached product is in a location you prefer, or seller is distressed, or in incredible condition, you might opt for it over the detached home.
Just make sure to do your homework.
Every sale is different, and is up to chance. And as Louis Pasteur said, "Chance favors the prepared mind."
-IR2
Well said... there is no reason to pick attached condo, or even detached condo (compare to SFR).. if they are same price and same location... that's a question I ask myself too when I am searching for home, but unfortunately, at least for myself, I have a limited budget so I can only pick a small and/or old and/or close to freeway/power line SFR (or detached condo), or a bigger, better located, quiet attached condo or even flats.
I'm in the same situation right now. Detached vs. Attached. I currently live in an attached condo and I am so lucky that I have the BEST neighbors in the world (the ones that are NEVER home). So I live in peace and quiet land. However I know exactly when my neighbors return because all the noise, my ceiling shaking when they are vacuuming or blasting music, etc starts all over again.
I vowed I would never live in an attached condo again. But price and space is a factor.
For example, I'm looking in the same price ranges right now for an Irvine home:
Most attached condos have larger living spaces and have a good size yard. Maybe even a nice garage in the front (as in the case of many homes in Woodbridge).
Detached condos generally have smaller yards (many zero lot lines), smaller floor plans, and motorcourt style garages.
It's a tough choice. I'm leaning towards the detached condos but not 100% yet. All I know is when I sleep, I dream about walking through open houses and model homes. ???
Was it an older attached condo? I lived in a Woodbury one and never heard my neighbors. Occasionally I could hear the vacuum, but it was a pretty faint sound and I was sitting next to the wall. I guess with newer construction, there are fire wall barrier regulations that should help with the noise.
Mine was built in 1983, Woodbridge.
Good to know that newer construction has better sound barrier. Do you think Oak Creek would be considered as newer? I like the homes in Oak Creek but they are so pricey. I may have to go attached condo there if I find one I really like.
I lived in a TIC apartment (built in mid-2000s) on the first level and never heard noise from adjoining neighbors on the same level but I would say I would never live with someone above me again, or in an apartment layout that has a courtyard where someone talking in one unit can bother every other unit that has windows facing the courtyard. However new attached construction say built 2000 and newer seem to have great sound insulation between neighbors on the same level so I would say attached high density units where you have no one above you might even be lower noise than detached high density units (like motorcourt design that is basically equivalent of courtyard apartment design) where you can have noise reverberating...also in detached high density units you will have windows maybe 10 feet away from your windows and if their window is open and they are watching TV or listening to the radio the noise can drive you nuts compared to attached high density units where windows are not likely to face you and the between wall insulation is pretty good with newer construction.
Interesting point you mentioned about the noise reverberating in the motorcourt design. How bad would it be if all the windows in the front of the house are closed?
Irvine seems to love motorcourt design, in new construction and old. Even in the homes I saw in Oak Creek and Woodbridge, the detached & attached condos have motorcourt design, although not as tightly packed together as Cypress Village.
I believe I live in a motorcourt layout detached home. There is no such noise reverberating phenomenon. It's very quiet. With the windows open it's a little noisier, but not bad at all. When I lived in an apartment I'd hear my neighbors outside even with the windows closed (no courtyard layout) and I'd hear them through the floors and walls.
I think when you think of an apartment courtyard you are thinking of one with no openings. A motorcourt is just as open as a regular road. The only difference is that it's a narrow road.
homer_simpson
Well-known member
detached condo.
Irvinecommuter
New member
eyephone said:
Sorry but why would an attached condo ever be a better buy than a detached condo?
irvinerealtor
Well-known member
Irvinecommuter said:
All things being equal, the detached home will sell for more. But all things are never equal.
Either can be the better buy.
It depends on the situation of the seller, the buyer, the location of the home, the condition of the property, the sales price, the other terms of the sale, and your priorities.
If the attached product is in a location you prefer, or seller is distressed, or in incredible condition, you might opt for it over the detached home.
Just make sure to do your homework.
Every sale is different, and is up to chance. And as Louis Pasteur said, "Chance favors the prepared mind."
-IR2
IrvineRealtor said:
Well said... there is no reason to pick attached condo, or even detached condo (compare to SFR).. if they are same price and same location... that's a question I ask myself too when I am searching for home, but unfortunately, at least for myself, I have a limited budget so I can only pick a small and/or old and/or close to freeway/power line SFR (or detached condo), or a bigger, better located, quiet attached condo or even flats.
I think the question might be in relation to appreciation. Of course if both the attached and detached similar homes cost the same, of course no one would willingly pay to share a wall and have higher HOA fees, however if buying an attached condo that is more likely to appreciate say 50% vs a detached that in the same location, time period etc appreciates 30%, well then you're talking about something totally different.
If I were to answer that question, going forward I still believe that detached homes will appreciate more. It does obviously depend on how "good" of a price you can get yourself into one.
If I were to answer that question, going forward I still believe that detached homes will appreciate more. It does obviously depend on how "good" of a price you can get yourself into one.
paperboyNC
New member
Only two reasons:
1) Attached are cheaper (to make up for all the downsides)
2) In some locations an attached condo might be your only option (think Manhattan)
1) Attached are cheaper (to make up for all the downsides)
2) In some locations an attached condo might be your only option (think Manhattan)
woodburyowner
Well-known member
I had the same choice to make back in 05. 1200 sq ft detached condo or 1550 sq ft attached condo (similar price for both). I chose the 1550 sq ft. attached condo for the extra size (sq ft. + extra bed and bath).
I would not want to buy an attached product that has an upstairs and downstairs unit. This is the only time where noise could be an issue.
I would not want to buy an attached product that has an upstairs and downstairs unit. This is the only time where noise could be an issue.
ZeroLot
New member
kberry said:
I'm in the same situation right now. Detached vs. Attached. I currently live in an attached condo and I am so lucky that I have the BEST neighbors in the world (the ones that are NEVER home). So I live in peace and quiet land. However I know exactly when my neighbors return because all the noise, my ceiling shaking when they are vacuuming or blasting music, etc starts all over again.
I vowed I would never live in an attached condo again. But price and space is a factor.
For example, I'm looking in the same price ranges right now for an Irvine home:
Most attached condos have larger living spaces and have a good size yard. Maybe even a nice garage in the front (as in the case of many homes in Woodbridge).
Detached condos generally have smaller yards (many zero lot lines), smaller floor plans, and motorcourt style garages.
It's a tough choice. I'm leaning towards the detached condos but not 100% yet. All I know is when I sleep, I dream about walking through open houses and model homes. ???
woodburyowner
Well-known member
ZeroLot said:
Was it an older attached condo? I lived in a Woodbury one and never heard my neighbors. Occasionally I could hear the vacuum, but it was a pretty faint sound and I was sitting next to the wall. I guess with newer construction, there are fire wall barrier regulations that should help with the noise.
ZeroLot
New member
woodburyowner said:
Mine was built in 1983, Woodbridge.
Good to know that newer construction has better sound barrier. Do you think Oak Creek would be considered as newer? I like the homes in Oak Creek but they are so pricey. I may have to go attached condo there if I find one I really like.
woodburyowner said:
I lived in a TIC apartment (built in mid-2000s) on the first level and never heard noise from adjoining neighbors on the same level but I would say I would never live with someone above me again, or in an apartment layout that has a courtyard where someone talking in one unit can bother every other unit that has windows facing the courtyard. However new attached construction say built 2000 and newer seem to have great sound insulation between neighbors on the same level so I would say attached high density units where you have no one above you might even be lower noise than detached high density units (like motorcourt design that is basically equivalent of courtyard apartment design) where you can have noise reverberating...also in detached high density units you will have windows maybe 10 feet away from your windows and if their window is open and they are watching TV or listening to the radio the noise can drive you nuts compared to attached high density units where windows are not likely to face you and the between wall insulation is pretty good with newer construction.
ZeroLot
New member
fumbling said:
Interesting point you mentioned about the noise reverberating in the motorcourt design. How bad would it be if all the windows in the front of the house are closed?
Irvine seems to love motorcourt design, in new construction and old. Even in the homes I saw in Oak Creek and Woodbridge, the detached & attached condos have motorcourt design, although not as tightly packed together as Cypress Village.
I had one set of neighbors at the TIC apartment that talked on their balcony in a normal conversational voice, not a booming voice, and their normal voices reverberated in the courtyard like a loud TV at night ... I closed every window and could still hear the "TV talk show" from the courtyard. I had to order the white noisemaking sound machines but of course those don't really work, it's one noise substituting for another ... I imagine in a motorcourt design the sound would reverberate the same way and it takes only one noisy neighbor to impact all the others in the courtyard even with windows completely closed.
paperboyNC
New member
fumbling said:
I believe I live in a motorcourt layout detached home. There is no such noise reverberating phenomenon. It's very quiet. With the windows open it's a little noisier, but not bad at all. When I lived in an apartment I'd hear my neighbors outside even with the windows closed (no courtyard layout) and I'd hear them through the floors and walls.
I think when you think of an apartment courtyard you are thinking of one with no openings. A motorcourt is just as open as a regular road. The only difference is that it's a narrow road.