Its a key part of the American Dream, but do you know exactly what a single-family home is?
See how experts define these sought-after structures.
The answers arent so straightforward.
Credit: Edward Everett (Rett) Peek Jr
What is a Single-Family Home?
When it comes to the question of what is a single-family home, the key word is single.
Think one or soloand picture that idyllic, standalone house with a private yard and driveway.
Credit: Helen Norman
Its designed to be used as a single dwelling unit with one owner.
Outside that simple definition, single-family homes come in many shapes and sizes.
Itsnot a duplexto start.
A single-family home is not a condoor an apartment, even if a unit only houses one household.
Condo properties can be as few as two units and up to thousands.
There are typically condo documents that outline rules about using common and individually owned units.
Single-family homes aredistinct from modularand mobile homes, too.
Modular or mobile homesare built off-site and assembled on the plot of land where it will be housed.
A single-family home is built on-site, Dempsey says.
[They are] designed to accommodate more than one family living separately.
Examples of this are condos or an apartment complex, Klosterman says.
Single-family homes also mean you getyour own backyardand the freedom tochange and upgradeyour property.
Youll also be solely responsible for maintaining the home, both inside and outside.
Mostmulti-family homescome with anHOA that covers the exterior partof the home and grounds.
Sometimes utilities like water and trash are also covered by the HOA, Klosterman says.
Some single-family homes also have HOAs, depending on the neighborhood.
Youll want to keep up withregular, seasonal maintenanceand especially watch for problems like leaks.
We find that the simplest tasks can be the most important to prevent accidents before they happen.
Start byreplacing HVAC filters,cleaning your dishwasheranddryer filters, and replacing the batteries in your smoke detectors.
