Trying to decide on buying a single-family home or a condo can be difficult when you're used to apartment life and having someone else take care of maintenance. However, owning your own home gives you a lot more freedom than you'll have in a condo. Here are some reasons why you might enjoy raising a family in a home rather than a condo unit.
You Can Enjoy Control Over Your Property
Some single-family communities are created with houses that look alike, but if you buy into a traditional or older neighborhood, you can enjoy diverse living conditions with a mix of housing types and yard landscaping. If you like to be unique and live in a neighborhood where everyone can do their own thing, then you probably don't want to live in a condo where everyone needs to follow rules and keep their units looking identical on the outside.
Your Monthly Expenses Could Be Lower
When you move into a condo, you'll have to pay fees that help pay for grounds maintenance and other expenses. Some condo fees can be quite costly. If you move into a single-family home that isn't in an HOA community, you won't have any association fees to pay at all. This could make your monthly expenses lower as long as you don't buy a house that needs constant repairs.
You Have More Personal Space
If you want to live in the country away from crowds of people, then a single-family home will probably be your only option. Even if you want to stay in the city near your work or your child's school, you'll have more privacy when you live in a single-family home. You can have nosy neighbors no matter where you live, but you'll always have a private oasis in your backyard and your home. You won't have to worry about hearing people stomp on the floors above you or hear music through the walls. If you want a quieter life with plenty of personal space, then living in your own home would probably be the most enjoyable choice.
You Have a Yard You Can Landscape
A home usually comes with a yard that you can landscape how you want. Your kids may enjoy growing flowers or vegetables over the years. A fenced yard gives your kids a safe place to play and room to throw a ball and run around without having to go to a playground. Having a yard is one of the big reasons to consider moving into a single-family home, and if you're concerned about keeping up with mowing, you can always hire a mowing service or pay a neighborhood kid to mow the grass for you.