What Is The Difference Between a House, Townhouse, Terrace, Semi-Detached and Duplex in Sydney

What Is The Difference Between a House, Townhouse, Terrace, Semi-Detached and Duplex in Sydney

 

Do you Know Whether the Dwelling on Your Block of Land is a House, Townhouse, Terrace, Semi, Duplex or Villa?

 

 

What you are allowed to develop on your land depends in part on the definition of the dwelling type under the New South Wales Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and Regulations, as well as State Environmental Planning Policies and Local Environmental Plans.

Our experienced team delivers Development Approval documentation including custom design plans, sections, elevations, shadow diagrams, stormwater design and various consultant reports, incorporating town planners where needed. Once complete, your Development Application  documentation is submitted to Council with Domus Homes expertly managing the application process through it.

 

 

Freestanding House

These are stand-alone, unattached dwellings and can include secondary dwellings like a granny flat on the same title. You own the land and any built forms within the boundaries. There are large variations in land size, typically decreasing from Sydney’s outer to middle ring suburbs.

This dwelling type is popular with families with young children, generally offering more accommodation and garden space but can generally be the most expensive in terms of construction and higher maintenance, land tax and insurance rates.

Contact Domus Homes for free-standing house knock down and rebuilds, first floor additions and renovations to suit your personal tastes and accommodation requirements in Palm Beach, Whale Beach, Fairlight, Curl Curl, Turramurra, Pymble, St Ives, Chatswood, Roseville, Willoughby, Balmoral, Cremorne, Mosman, Greenwich, Riverview, Lane Cove, Chatswood, Neutral Bay, Castlecrag, Northbridge, Freshwater, Manly, Balgowlah, Seaforth, Clontarf, Cammeray, Naremburn, Woolwich, Logueville, Kirribilli, Rose Bay, Randwick, Coogee, South Coogee, Bronte, Maroubra, Queens Park, Waverly and Vaucluse.

 

 

Terrace

Typically found in the older inner city Sydney areas, terraces can be freestanding but usually share party walls. Frequently with two to four bedrooms and front and back courtyards, they range from a single to four storeys in height. Some feature rear lane access with garages. With easy access to the city for work and vibrant inner-city lifestyle and entertainment choices, terraces can be sympathetically extended or renovated retaining their distinctive Victorian and Edwardian period features.

Contact Domus Homes for renovations to terrace houses suiting your personal tastes and accommodation requirements in exciting inner-city areas and suburbs close to the city such as Paddington, Darlinghurst, Redfern, Surry Hills, Woollahra, Randwick, Waverley, Tamarama, North Sydney, Crows Nest, Cremorne, Neutral Bay, Cremorne, Mosman, Annandale, Balmain, Birchgrove, Camperdown, Glebe, Newtown, Chippendale and Ashfield.

 

 

Semi-Detached

Offering “character” and great scope for renovation, semi’s have a smaller footprint than free-standing houses and share one common wall with the neighbouring house. They are often ‘pairs’ in which each house’s layout is a mirror image of the other’s. Most have a backyard that may double as off- street parking. With lower entry level purchase prices and without the levies that come with townhouses and villas, semi’s require less maintenance than freestanding houses. Semi’s share many of the advantages of terrace houses, achieving house size accommodation on smaller blocks of land. They are commonly close to the city and beaches in the Eastern Suburbs, Lower North Shore and Inner West.

Contact Domus Homes for first floor additions and renovations to Sydney semi-detached houses to suit your personal tastes and accommodation requirements in exciting inner-city areas and suburbs close to the city like Paddington, Woollahra, Bondi, Queens Park, Bondi, Bondi Beach, North Bondi, Waverley, Randwick, Waverley, Tamarama, Bronte, North Sydney, Crows Nest, Cremorne, Neutral Bay, Mosman, Camperdown, Glebe, Newtown, Chippendale and Ashfield.

 

 

Duplex

The modern version of a semi, duplexes are two separate dwellings with their own entrances and amenities, under one roof with a shared wall. Since they can be on a single or two titles either Torrens or Strata, each dwelling can be individually owned and sold and typically require an insurance policy covering both homes. Duplexes are popular investments, providing two rental incomes comparable with two detached houses at a lower land cost; or the option for the owner to retain one as a primary residence and sell the other dwelling or rent it to a tenant.

Contact Domus Homes for duplex first floor additions and renovations to suit your personal tastes and accommodation requirements in exciting inner-city areas and suburbs close to the city such as Vaucluse, Dover Heights, Rose Bay, North Bondi, Bondi, Waverley, Paddington, Woollahra, Bondi, Queens Park, Randwick, Waverley, Tamarama, Bronte, North Sydney, Crows Nest, Cremorne, Neutral Bay, Mosman, Balmoral, Roseville, Chatswood, St Ives, Pymble, Killara, Turramurra, Camperdown, Glebe, Newtown, Chippendale and Ashfield.

Hybrid Duplex and Townhouse

 

 

Townhouse

Townhouses are typically two storey self- contained properties within a complex of three or more dwellings. They can be attached or freestanding, with the buyer owning the dwelling and sharing ownership of the land and common property with the other owners in the complex. Most have a courtyard and a garage or carport and are strata titled, with owners paying an annual levy to a body corporate that maintains common property and takes care of insurance.

Contact Domus Homes for townhouse renovations to suit your personal tastes and accommodation requirements in exciting inner-city areas and suburbs close to the city such as Vaucluse, Dover Heights, Rose Bay, North Bondi, Bondi, Waverley, Paddington, Woollahra, Bondi, Queens Park, Randwick, Waverley, Tamarama, Bronte, North Sydney, Crows Nest, Cremorne, Neutral Bay, Mosman, Roseville, Chatswood, St Ives, Pymble, Killara, Turramurra, Camperdown, Glebe, Newtown, Chippendale and Ashfield.

 

 

Villa

A villa is a small, single level home often within a small complex, usually with a private courtyard and an attached garage. They are generally strata titled with owners paying a levy to a body corporate that maintains common property and takes care of insurance.

Contact Domus Homes for villa renovations to suit your personal tastes and accommodation requirements in Vaucluse, Dover Heights, Rose Bay, North Bondi, Bondi, Waverley, Paddington, Woollahra, Bondi, Queens Park, Randwick, Waverley, Tamarama, Bronte, North Sydney, Crows Nest, Cremorne, Neutral Bay, Mosman, Roseville, Chatswood, St Ives, Pymble, Killara, Turramurra, Camperdown, Glebe, Newtown, Chippendale and Ashfield.

 

 

 

Whatever your dwelling type, Domus Homes delivers full design, Development Application documentation and management through the Council process in all Sydney Council areas through to final delivery.

 

 


Content based on Kate Farrelly’s ‘House types explained: What’s the difference between a house, townhouse, terrace, semi, duplex and villa?’

To find out more, call Domus Homes on 0404 0202 77 or email us at info@domushomes.com.au for your free site inspection.

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