5 Types of Homes in Oshawa, Ontario
Detached Houses
The variety of home types in Oshawa can be confusing and, just to be difficult, there are variations within the house types.
The information set out in this article also applies to:
· house types in Clarington
· house types in Whitby
· house types in Ajax
· house types in Pickering
and most other cities and communities within the South Durham Region of Ontario.
The 5 major home types in these areas are:
· Detached Houses
· Condominium Apartments (Condos)
This Article Discusses Detached Houses.
Detached Houses:
A detached home is a single family dwelling constructed on an individual parcel of land.
It is not attached to any other dwelling, or structure, (except its own garage or shed).
It has land surrounding the building on all sides and has no dwellings either above or below it.
It is important to note that it is easy to get confused between detached homes and link homes because link homes look very like detached homes.
Some real estate boards use the expression single family, or single family homes, to refer to a detached house in their search software.
There are a number of different versions of a detached house:
Bungalow:
In a bungalow, the primary living area is concentrated on the main, above ground, floor.
In Ontario, the bungalow has been in existence since the early 1900s. However, its popularity really rose in the late 1940s and 1950s, after World War II.
The main advantage of a Bungalow is that there is only one-floor of principal rooms and, consequently, there are no stairs for the residents to have to climb to go from the living areas to the bedrooms.
This makes a bungalow very popular among empty-nesters.
The main disadvantage of a bungalow is that it requires a significantly larger lot than a 2 storey house.
As the cost of land, and providing services to the land, has become a major factor, a bungalow is considerably more expensive than a 2 storey home with the equivalent floor area.
As many bungalows were built soon after the Second World War, most have only 1 garage and some have no garage at all.
Variations on the Bungalow:
· Ranch Style
A ranch style bungalow is an extended bungalow and often contains 2,000 square feet, or more, on one level.
Because of the larger footprint than a standard bungalow, an additional benefit is a large basement which can be finished with entertainment areas, additional living space and storage area.
The ranch style bungalow also often offers a double garage.
Because of the size of the ranch style, an even bigger lot is required than for a standard bungalow.
Due to the rise in land costs, and the additional costs associated with construction, few ranch style bungalows are now being built, except in more rural areas where larger lots are more available.
· Bi-Level/Split Entrance
The bi-level, or split entrance bungalow developed as home owners wanted to make better use of the basement.
A split-entrance bungalow has the foyer positioned between the upper level, containing the principal rooms, and the basement.
The basement usually has higher head-room than a normal basement which enables it to have larger windows for better light and a more appealing environment.
One and a Half Storey
In a one and a half storey home, about 60% or the total living area is on the first floor.
This type of home provides more space, at a lower cost, than a bungalow.
A high pitched roof is usually used to provide more living area, and part of the exterior walls, on the upper floor, are usually sloped to fit within the roof line.
Often, dormers were added to provide additional lighting.
The Cape Cod style is a one and a half storey type of home.
Split Level
A split level home is really a combination of the split entry bungalow style and the 2 storey.
Split level homes were first built in the 1960s and became most popular during the 1970s and early 1980s.
The most common split level homes are the back split and the side split.
Both types usually involve 3 or 4 split levels of living areas.
A typical split level 3 layout may involve:
· family room on the lowest level
· living, dining and kitchen on the middle level
· bedrooms on the upper level
Those who like the split level format favour the fact there are only a few steps (as distinct from a full staircase) between each level.
Those who don’t like the split level format object to the complexity of the layout and the fact that there seem to be many sets of stairs.
Two Storey
The most popular design, since the 1980s, has been the 2 storey home.
The design provides a combination of a large living area on the first floor and a separate second floor for the bedrooms.
Unlike the one and a half storey home, the two storey home does not have angled ceilings and the upper level rooms are more spacious.
In recent years, planning authorities have introduced housing approaches that promote the efficient use of land in housing developments. This, combined with the increasing cost of land, and the provision of services to the land, has led to smaller sized lots and 2 storey houses.
The 2 storey home, in addition to lower land costs (due to smaller lots), has lower construction costs because the footings, foundations and roof are smaller than those costs for a bungalow providing a similar living area.
Due to the ability to maximize living areas on smaller sized lots, 2 storey homes now dominate new housing developments in urban areas.
Find Detached Homes for Sale in Oshawa, Whitby, Clarington, Ajax & Pickering, Ontario
YOU ARE INVITED to visit my website, at any time and as often as you like, to find pictures & details of homes for sale
For photos and details of detached homes currently for sale:
You can also arrange to be notified when homes, that meet your criteria, come onto the market.
These services are available to you without obligation.
If you are thinking of selling, you can also:
ü Search on my website for homes, similar to yours, that would be competition for your home, if you list it for sale
ü Obtain an indication of the market value of your home
For answers to your questions, email me; or call 905-723-5944.
About the Author:
Brian Wiseman LL.B., CIPS, is a Sales Representative with Keller Williams Energy Real Estate Brokerage in Ajax & , Ontario, Canada.
In his past lives, Brian was a Partner in Legal Practices, specializing in Real Estate and Business Law (not in Family Law!) in Australia and a Principal of a successful Financial Planning Practice in Australia.
After the sale of his business interests in Australia, Brian started a new adventure by relocating to Canada with his Canadian wife.
He is particularly interested in relationships in real estate:
ü when 2 or more are purchasing a property;
ü when a relationship has ended and the home is to be sold – see The Future Focus Method
Brian has completed a basic intensive training course in Dr. William Glasser’s Choice Theory Psychology, upon which The Future Focus Method is based.
Brian is not authorized to give legal advice or financial planning services in Canada.
He is not authorized to provide marriage counselling.
He IS AUTHORIZED to provide real estate advice in Ontario.
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