The lifestyle advantage of townhomes

Townhomes can be considered the Goldilocks home of the multi-family set – they’re not too small, not too big, nor all that expensive either. They’re just right for the right-sizers, and they are among the hottest sellers in the Edmonton market right now.

The versatility of the townhome is what makes it the top pick for many of today’s new home buyers.
Whether upsizing or downsizing, for many, the townhome is about right-sizing.

New home buyers love the fact that they can get a two- or three-bedroom home for a lower price than is typical for a duplex or laned home, with the extra advantage of a low-maintenance lifestyle. Some also come with attached garages, which is a big bonus.

The flexibility they offer is unmatched and affordability is a key reason why townhomes are hot right now. They are largely available in many of Edmonton’s newest communities, so location is not a problem.

“Townhomes are great for a variety of reasons, but all of those reasons come down to lifestyle,” says Jacq Lakusta, Sales Manager at Akash Homes. Townhomes, she adds, offer flexibility for every stage of life: young professionals and downsizers/empty nesters are drawn to them because of the low-maintenance lifestyle – no yard work or taking care of roofs and sidings as they are typically handled by their condo board.

The strong bonds of community engendered between neighbours by the shared living experience is also a big plus for townhomes, says Vanessa Freeman, Sales and Marketing Director at StreetSide Developments.

“You are connected with your neighbours which offers both security and a great sense of community, but you still get the privacy as you don’t have neighbours below/above you.”

She also notes that townhomes offer an appealing investment option with strong rent potential. “So, whether you chose to live in one and eventually rent it out or you’re buying now as an investment, you have great benefits that translate over to the rental market.”

Townhome options

Townhomes can come with condo fees, but there are also those with no-condo fees and it is worth noting the differences.

StreetSide Developments, which won Multi-Family Builder of the Year at this year’s CHBA Edmonton Region Awards of Excellence in Housing, actually offers a variety of townhome owning options.

“We offer both condo and non-condo townhomes in Edmonton,” Freeman says. “Within our condo ownership model, we offer two choices – bare land and maintenance free. All three of these options provide a different ownership model and a different monthly fee (or no fee in the case of non-condo).”

She explains that in a non-condo townhome, or fee simple townhome, you take on the work from shoveling snow and cutting the grass, to any exterior repairs or maintenance that is required much like you would a single family or duplex home. There is no monthly fee with these townhomes, and this is the most similar ownership format to single family.

In a traditional maintenance-free townhome, she says you are not responsible for exterior maintenance such as shoveling, lawn care, road maintenance or any exterior repairs that may come up. “Your development will have an established condo board and your condo fees go towards these costs.”

In a bare land condo townhome, you almost get a mix of the two ownership formats above. There are some things you may still be responsible for such as lawn maintenance or shoveling the snow, but there are common amenities, such as the road or common property fencing, that the condo board will manage. This option will result in a lower monthly condo fee than a maintenance-free ownership format as the owners take on more responsibility for exterior maintenance.

Lakusta recognizes that buyers sometimes balk at having condo fees, but she says that this can be an advantage as it gives the owner peace of mind. “Condo fees contribute toward things like Reserve Funds, which are accumulated for future repairs (think long term future repairs like a new roof in 20 years) so there’s less burden on owners later.”

Akash Homes

Akash Homes’ newest condo community is coming in Keswick, which Lakusta expects to be fully built by the end of 2026. “We have two great floor plans available: the first floorplan is roughly 1,100 square-feet and features an attached single garage, 3 beds and 2.5 baths and our secondary model offers roughly 1,300 square-feet, a double attached garage along with 3 beds and 2.5 baths.”

These townhomes come in under $400K for their single garage units. These prices offer great affordability and in a community like Keswick, you’re close to newer schools, the ravine, plus all the nearby amenities of rec centres, shopping, and easy access to transit. It offers a great lifestyle and serves as a great gateway for first time buyers to enter the real estate market.”

Find out more at akashhomes.com.

StreetSide Developments

StreetSide has two brand-new two-storey townhomes that have become very popular – the Willow and the Brooke. These homes start from $299,998 and are a two-bed, two-bath plan with an optional basement development.

“They have been selling out quickly and we currently have these homes available in Secord Heights,” Freeman says. The price point of these two-storey homes is unmatched in the west end, and with our bare land condo ownership format, we find people are waiting for our next release to get into a community like this.”

Secord Heights is located in the heart of west Edmonton and is close to so many amenities – including a K-9 Edmonton Catholic School right across the street. The community offers three large ponds with connected walking trailers. “We have 75 homes available in Secord Heights and construction has just begun this spring!”

She adds that breaking the typical housing mold in Edmonton has allowed StreetSide to bring on so many new products and be the first to market with exciting and affordable options. “I would like to share one story. We received a survey after a client moved into one of our new plans (an 11-foot wide model called the Nero) and naturally, we wanted to see how she felt about the home now that she had spent the last month living in it. Her feedback was “thank you for building a home that I could afford, I absolutely love it” and that really hit home for our team. This is what drives us to build better homes and better communities.”

Go to streetsideedmonton.com for more.