Unit vs Townhouse
Unit and townhouse have a lot of differences between them. It is interesting to note that a townhouse would mean a terraced building. In Australia, the word townhouse is used to mean a contemporary housing in the terraced style. On the other hand, a unit need not be a terraced building. It can stand just from the ground level. It can be single storied. Actually, people tend to differentiate one from the other based on the number of stories each building has. However, that is not accurate. Let us find out more about each term unit and townhouse in this article.
What is a Unit?
A unit can mean an apartment, villa, or home unit. In the sense of an apartment, it refers a situation where a group of apartments are contained in one storey or multi-storied building. If the unit is taken as to mean villa unit or a home unit, we are talking about one or many single storey buildings. These buildings are arranged around a driveway.
One of the main differences between a unit and a townhouse is that a unit gives more importance to the building. Hence, it is understood for sure that a unit need not be a terraced one. In some countries, you can find units too in a terraced fashion.
Unit always means individual and hence it refers to an independent house. So, a home unit is a self-contained house inclusive of garden and courtyard and is an independent construction. In some countries, the term unit is used to refer to apartment constructions.
A unit is sometimes called a duplex too. It is not possible to convert units into tenements. One can convert units into tenements or townhouses only after demolishing them.
What is a Townhouse?
A townhouse can be a terraced house with multiple floors. Or it can also be a reference to a house nobility own in the city. Especially, in the past, when British aristocracy was existing in power, every noble used to have one house in the country and one in the city. The one in the country was usually where the noble lived. The one in the city or the town was used during special times such as the festival season as in the Christmas. At that time, it was a luxury that only nobles could enjoy because they had money. Even today townhouses are expensive as the house is situated in a town.
Now, let’s see what townhouse refers to when it means a particular structure. It has been observed that when it comes to the features of a townhouse, it gives more importance to the terrace part of it.
It is interesting to note that in Australia, Asia, and South Africa, townhouses are generally seen in complexes. You would see swimming pools, parks, playground areas and gym too in these large townhouse complexes in the countries mentioned above.
Townhouses are sometimes called terraced housing complexes. Many traditional townhouses are seen even today in cities like New York. It is possible to convert townhouses into tenements. A townhouse is used in some of the cities as the official residence of a peer or a member of the aristocracy. In such cases, you would find townhouses only in the capital cities.
What is the difference between Unit and Townhouse?
Definitions of Unit and House:
Unit: A unit can mean an apartment, villa, or home unit.
Townhouse: A townhouse can be a terraced house with multiple floors that are attached to other similar housesby party walls. Or it can also be a reference to a house nobility own in the city.
Characteristics of Unit and Townhouse:
Other Names:
Unit: A unit is sometimes called a duplex.
Townhouse: Townhouses are sometimes called terraced housing complexes.
Converting:
Unit: It is not possible to convert units into tenements. One can convert units into tenements or townhouses only after demolishing them.
Townhouse: It is possible to convert townhouses into tenements.
These are the differences between unit and townhouse. As you can each offers living facilities to its dwellers. However, generalizing the features of each term is a little difficult as different countries have different ways of using these terms to refer to different buildings. Whatever it is, if you are in the search for a place to live, take into consideration every detail before making a decision.
Images Courtesy:
- Housing Units by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District (CC BY 2.0)
- Townhouses in Portland, Oregon by CC BY-SA 3.0)
