We currently rent an end terrace, but will be house hunting soon, I know semis tend to be more expensive in general, but, other than having possibly a bit more ground, and neighbours on one side only, what are the pros and cons of each?
Mid terrace vs semi detached...
- Thread starter Uther
- Start date
- Joined
- 13 Apr 2010
- Posts
- 18,464
- Location
- Sunny Sussex
Share heat in a terrace.
Potential twice the risk of noisy buggers next door
May not have side access on a terrace
Seen as less desirable
Dull garden as usually rectangle patch of lawn only
Potential twice the risk of noisy buggers next door
May not have side access on a terrace
Seen as less desirable
Dull garden as usually rectangle patch of lawn only
- Joined
- 13 Apr 2010
- Posts
- 18,464
- Location
- Sunny Sussex
A lot of terrace housing never had a bathroom, there was an outhouse in the garden, to modernise bathrooms were bolted on the back. Most of them have been pulled down by now.
Associate
- Joined
- 27 Oct 2008
- Posts
- 1,938
- Location
- Gloucester
They'll be old Victorian style houses.
I looked at some of these a few years ago and that seriously put me off buying them.
Modern mid terrace houses will be the same as the houses on either end of them.
I looked at some of these a few years ago and that seriously put me off buying them.
Modern mid terrace houses will be the same as the houses on either end of them.
I got a mid about a month ago which is about 15 years old. Brilliant size with access via the estate at the back as it over looks it. Garage at the back and parking for 2 cars. Hit it lucky mind you as I seen a few others which are old VIC ones with no rear access etc.
Soldato
- Joined
- 28 Oct 2003
- Posts
- 5,510
- Location
- Worthington-on-sea
The largest annoyance for me living in a mid terrace is no immediate rear access. We don't have a ginnel at the end of the garden either but we do have access across the neighbours' gardens and we all have low gates either side of the garden. That said we have to cross 4 gardens to get out to the front, bit of a pain. Previously we had the top half of a semi as our flat with the rear garden and side access was a lot easier.
Old terraces are not so bad, access sometimes is issue. Modern houses from what i have seen so far assume that everyone next door will be really considerate and quiet. I stopped in the spare room and the kid next door had his TV on all night in his bedroom and it was awful nights sleep. There reply, yeah the parents go to sleep with the TV on and we can here that as well.. you get used to it !!!!
Noisy neighbors is something i would not wish on anyone (apart from a hacker/cheater)
Noisy neighbors is something i would not wish on anyone (apart from a hacker/cheater)
My mid terrace in Bristol had an upstairs bathroom, where the second of the original two large bedrooms had been split.
Was a great house, and the victorian terraces carry a premium in Bristol over newer, similarly sized properties. They certainly aren't knocking them down round those parts.
Was a great house, and the victorian terraces carry a premium in Bristol over newer, similarly sized properties. They certainly aren't knocking them down round those parts.
Last edited:
add some of that sound killing plaster board stuff you can get and i would imagine you could turn up the noise a fair bit.
Couple of other disadvantages of mid-terrace vs semis:
-Potentially less light in rooms due to no side aspect windows
-Can't run cabling etc round the side of your house, has to go through or over
-Potentially less street parking available i.e. in a mid-terrace you are more contended with houses either side compared to having a space on one side (i.e. potentially fewer cars relative to the road space)
-Semis typically more expensive so on average would expect neighbour has paid more for their house/rent compared to a terraced neighbour (slightly controversial but on average I prefer wealthier neighbours)
-Potentially less light in rooms due to no side aspect windows
-Can't run cabling etc round the side of your house, has to go through or over
-Potentially less street parking available i.e. in a mid-terrace you are more contended with houses either side compared to having a space on one side (i.e. potentially fewer cars relative to the road space)
-Semis typically more expensive so on average would expect neighbour has paid more for their house/rent compared to a terraced neighbour (slightly controversial but on average I prefer wealthier neighbours)
Used to live in an end terrace many years ago - decently long garden and most of the rooms weren't that bad size - but it had been extended twice - first a 2 story half the width of the house where most have bathroom extensions - then later a single story bathroom extension on to that.
Can't say I'd want to live in a mid terrace ever though (mostly due to the average quality of neighbours).
Depends very much on the house. We went for an Edwardian mid terrace, approx 2200s***, rear access, decent garden, 2ft of stone between us and the neighbours, can't hear a thing. Also have good neighbours who aren't likely to change.
The important thing is finding the right house, we were looking for a period property but we looked at all sorts and it was never the nature of the join to the next property that was the key factor as to which list it went on.
The important thing is finding the right house, we were looking for a period property but we looked at all sorts and it was never the nature of the join to the next property that was the key factor as to which list it went on.
I wouldn't say just because it's a semi and they paid more you are going to get a better neighbour.
Yeah, slightly controversial as I said. I just think on average I am more likely to get on better with people who have paid more, that they will take better care of the property etc. Based on some prior experiences I have become a bit of a snob about it, I just want to reduce the probability of living directly adjacent to poor people. Obviously there is a lot more to it than just property type, but all else being equal that's my theory.
To date however we've only ever bought terraced properties because at the time we thought those properties were the best fit for what we were looking for relative to the cost.
To date however we've only ever bought terraced properties because at the time we thought those properties were the best fit for what we were looking for relative to the cost.