Quicklist: Types of Houses
- Single-Family (detached)
- Condominium
- Apartment
- Co-op
- Townhome
- Bungalow
- Ranch
- Cottage
- Cabin
- Chalet
- Multi-Family
- In-law Suite (aka basement suite)
- Barndominium
- Carriage/Coach House
- Tiny home
- Mobile Home
- Mansion
- Yurt
- Floating on Water Residence
- Tree House
- Castle
- Palace
- Chateau
- Villa
- Manor
- Fort
- Underground
- Cave
- Container
- Split-level
- Farmhouse
- Stack House
- “I” Type
- Prairie
- Cape Cod
- Hut
- Tower
- Longhouse
- Courtyard
- Stilt House
- RV Home/Camper
- Tipi
- Linked House
There are two ways to categorize the different types of houses. In other words, when people search for “types of houses,” some are looking for architectural styles, while others are looking for residential building structures that exist and are available.
For home architectural styles, go here.
For different residential building structures and homes, see below.
What’s the difference?
Architectural styles dictate the style in which a home is built. There are many different architectural styles, and these are typically based on some historic era or geographical location. Examples include the Cape Cod, Mediterranean, Mid-Century Modern, Georgian and Ranch styles.
Types of building structures more accurately reflects the meaning of the phrase “types of houses.” This definition includes single-family, condominium, townhome, bungalow, split-level, and castle homes, among others.
Since we have a dedicated article setting out the different architectural styles, this piece focuses on the different types of building structures that are typically used for homes. We identify all the different types of houses with photographs and names.
Related: Unusual Homes | All Asian Style Homes | House and Floor Plans | Types of Lots | Types of Round Houses | Types of House Foundations | Houses with Stone Exterior | Houses with Stucco Siding | Rustic Style Homes | Florida House Style | Scandinavian-Style Homes | Types of House Insurance
A. Types of House Styles by Structure Type
Single-family (detached)
Seventy percent of Americans live in single-family homes. While it’s likely that that rate is not nearly as high in other countries, the single family detached residence is a very much sought-after type of home.
The single-family house is a kind of home that is not attached to another home in any way. It sits on its own property and stands completely separate from the other houses around it. Most detached single-family homes are located in suburbs throughout North America.
The single-family type of home exploded after World War II. During this time, a mass migration to the suburbs took place, as soldiers returned home and settled down into family life. Before WWII, only 13% of people lived in suburbs. By 2010, one-half of the US population called “surburbia” home.
As of 2010, most people seek to live in single-family homes, although with the baby boomer generation decreasing in size, demand for alternatives to single-family homes is rapidly growing. Some of these alternatives include condominiums (condos), apartments and townhomes.
Condominium
A condominium is one home among many that are housed within a building or series of buildings on a given piece of land. Each condominium owner has the title to the unit, meaning that they own the unit. A condominium building is governed by an elected body (Homeowners Association [HOA] in the United States, or Strata Council in Canada), which makes decisions on behalf of all unit owners and owns the communal areas and land where the condominium sits. This elected body makes decisions that pertain to maintenance, grounds, regulations and more.
- Duplex: A duplex condo refers to a two-story condo unit. This often results from the joining of two separate units and renovating them into one larger unit. However, some duplex condos are initially built as two-story homes.
- Triplex: This type of condo is the same as a duplex condo, but has three levels instead of two.
The terms “duplex” and “triplex” refer to the fact that these are two- or three-floor condos, as the terms are used in New York City. In other locations, the terms “duplex” and “triplex” refer to two and three unit buildings that stand side-by-side. Naturally, a fierce debate exists about the technical definitions, but in the current jargon, the terms are defined differently in different areas.
Some structures that appear to be townhouses (row-house design) are technically condos. This is due to the fact that the owners only own the unit, and not the shared space.
Apartment
An apartment is a group of housing units in one building, all owned by one entity. The units are then rented out to tenants. This is the key difference between a condo and an apartment. In a condo, individual entities (i.e. a person or corporation) own each unit, whereas with apartments, all the units in the building are owned by one entity.
Co-op
A co-op is similar in physical appearance and function as a condo or apartment, but the financial and legal arrangement is quite different. In a co-op, each entity or person who buys in to the co-op doesn’t own a particular unit; instead, they own a percentage of the building. Co-op owners are akin to shareholders of an entire property, and technically lease their unit from the co-op.
The advantage to a co-op over an apartment or condo boils down to the fact that the co-op association (the co-op members) can prevent a prospective buyer from buying into the building by rejecting their application. That said, a co-op association can only reject applications on financial basis and/or an unwillingness to follow the rules set out by the association. A condo HOA or strata cannot reject a prospective buyer if they fit within its rules (i.e. age restrictions).
Townhome
Next up in this massive list of house types is the townhome. A townhome is similar to a row home in that it shares one or two walls with other homes. Townhomes are usually two or three stories tall, but some stand even taller. These homes are different from condos in that owners of a townhome own both the interior and exterior of the unit, and are therefore financially responsible for maintenance of the exterior as well as the interior. With condos, the exterior of the building is maintained by the regulatory body (the HOA or Strata Council).
A townhome is more like a single-family home, except for its attachment to another unit on either one or both sides.
See our collection of luxury townhomes here.
Bungalow
The word “bungalow” is derived from an Indian word for small houses, stemming from “Bengali house.” In fact, the bungalow was developed because the cottage-style house with thick walls didn’t work in India, with its warm climate.
Bungalows, including American Craftsman, are small, square single-story homes with front porches. The single floor is raised, with front steps leading up to the porch. Often, a single dormer window is built into the pitched roof of the attic. These types of homes began being built in the United States in the early twentieth century. Bungalows are found all over the USA nowadays. These days, bungalows aren’t as common, given the modern penchant for larger homes. Moreover, with computer-aided design, simple designs are no longer necessary to keep costs low.
Ranch-Style
A ranch-style home (a.k.a. a rancher) is also a single-story home. However, a rancher has a larger, more rectangular footprint than a bungalow does. The ranch home dwelling is a derivative of the wide Spanish hacienda-style of home. Ranchers grew in popularity during the 1950s as huge tracts of land turned into suburbs, with larger plots than the typical urban plots. This type of house has plenty of open outdoor spaces, given that they require larger-than normal lots. Read our ranch vs. two-story houses comparison here.
Cottage
We’d be remiss to not include “the cottage” in our home categories list. The term cottage stems from a home commonly built in England. While in today’s parlance it refers to a small vacation home, historically, a cottage was a small home with a high thatched roof, thick walls, and a single interior room.
In an odd, ironic twist, some wealthy people refer to their vacation properties as “the cottage.” Use of this term downplays what is truly a luxurious vacation home. For example, sometimes the spectacular Newport, RI mansions built by the Robber Barons are referred to as “cottages,” though they in no way resemble the traditional English cottage.
Because there are several meanings for the term cottage, we’ve included three different photo examples of cottages:
Cabin
There is no real consensus regarding the differences between a cabin and a cottage. Although a cabin connotes a simple, rustic and minimalist aesthetic, a cottage, in the current usage of the word, does often refer to a more upscale vacation dwelling, though not historically.
Cabins are usually less finished than cottages. Cottages are painted and adorned, giving them a finished look. Additionally, cabins are almost always rural, whereas a cottage can be located in a rural or urban area. Some state assert a cabin, at least traditionally, is a log-built structure. FYI, there are distinct types of cabins you can design and build.
Chalet
The word “chalet” finds its roots in the structures that traditionally housed sheep and goat herders in Switzerland. Today, the chalet is a vacation home, usually located in mountainous areas. Now that skiing is a globally popular sport, a chalet often refers to a vacation home with access to skiing.
However, a chalet, technically speaking, has certain design characteristics. These include a steep roof and long overhangs, designed for handling piles of snow.
Multi-family
A multi-family home is the “house name” to describe a residential structure that contains two or more housing units. It’s an umbrella term for a detached home with an in-law suite, or an apartment building, townhouse development, condo building, etc.
In-law suite (aka basement suite)
Most new homes include in-law suites, and many older homes have added them. This is because a 15-year real estate bubble has increased real estate prices so dramatically that many homeowners need to rent a portion of their home to others in order to afford their home payments.
An in-law suite is a separate unit built inside a single-family home. Often it’s located in the basement, but not always. An in-law suite is part of the single-family structure, as opposed to being a completely separate structure. A separate structure available for rent and/or guests would fall under different terminology, such as a carriage house or laneway house.
Barndominium
A barndominium is a barn that has been partially or fully converted into a living space. Check out the beautiful one we show above! Chip and Joanna Gaines built one (making the term famous despite the fact that these have been made for many years).
Read our “what is a barndominium?” guide here.
Carriage/Coach house
Carriage and coach houses are the same. Historically, these are structures on a property that were built to house horse-drawn carriages. Since then, many have been converted into separate living units that are rented out or are reserved for guests.
While humans no longer need such structures to house carriages, many new builds include such structures on a property. Carriage houses allow owners to generate additional revenue, or can be used as guest accommodations. The term carriage or coach house is still widely used, even if the building was never used as a such a structure.
Tiny home
A tiny home is an exceptionally small home that may be stationary or mobile. These homes range in size from 100 to 400 square feet. Tiny homes are incredibly efficient, both in design and layout. They are growing in popularity as people downsize and/or seek to live mortgage-free. Tiny homes cost anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 depending on whether you built it yourself, it’s built for you, and the materials used to build it.
See our awesome collection of tiny houses here and our examples of tiny house floor plans here.
Mobile Home
A mobile home is a mobile structure that can be towed, but isn’t designed for frequent towing the way a recreational vehicle is. Mobile homes are built in factories, towed to a lot, and remain in place. These homes are inexpensive. Mobile home parks exist where the mobile home is owned by a person or family, but they rent the lot or pad where it sits. In other instances, people live in mobile homes on property they own.
Manufactured homes are also built off-site, and built on a steel frame with wheels. They are a more modern version of the mobile home. Here’s an example below:
Interesting: Read about the history of the mobile home here.
Mansion
A mansion is a large, imposing home (read our in-depth analysis on what a mansion is). Interestingly, there is no legal definition regarding how big a home must be in order to be called a mansion. Moreover, there isn’t consensus within the real estate industry, either.
In 1950 the average house size was a tad under 1,000 sq. ft. Today, the average house size is 2,500 sq. ft. That’s 250% growth in size for the average home in seventy years. Since the average home size is now 250% bigger than the average home of the 1950s, the size required for a home to be a mansion should be proportionate.
A mansion isn’t a size set in stone; instead it’s a term to distinguish a house from the average house — something huge and luxurious. See mega mansions here (20,000 square feet or more).
Historic mansion
Contemporary Mansion
McMansion
McMansion is a derogatory term for a poorly designed, large, new home. Usually these homes are built in large suburbs by a single developer. The individual homes are a mishmash of architectural styles and features that serve no purpose and end up looking silly or superfluous. The McMansion is not a technical name nor an official type of home, but it’s definitely become a common term in our parlance.
The best website that covers and explains McMansion, is McMansion Hell. Not only is the site funny, it’s quite informative. You’ll learn a lot about architecture via the ridicule of McMansions.
Yurt
The yurt is the primary housing structure used by the East Asian Mongol cultures. Mongols are a nomadic people. Since yurts can be packed up and moved easily, it’s an ideal type of home for a nomadic culture. Yurts vary in size from approximately 12 feet in diameter (115 square feet) to 30+ feet in diameter (706 square feet or more). They are relatively inexpensive to build.
A yurt is a round structure with a wall and roof made from waterproof fabric. While traditional yurts are fairly rustic, custom-built yurts built with pretty much all the amenities of a regular home are also available. While some in North America live in yurts year-around, other people keep them as vacation homes.
Floating on Water Residence (aka Floating Home or Houseboat, but there are differences)
There are important differences among the five types of floating on water residences. These types of homes are built differently from their landed counterparts, have various moorage arrangements, and are highly regulated in the cities where they are located. If you’re interested in such a home, it’s a good idea to engage a real estate agent who has extensive experience buying and selling such homes.
Tree house
Very few people choose to live in treehouses, but treehouse residences do exist. These are houses built in trees; some are quite large. Generally, they aren’t nailed into the trees where they’re located; their stilts and structure are built around the tree to elevate the home. Treehouses obviously look like fun houses to live in, and they’re definitely different.
See our collection of kids tree houses here.
Castle
One of the more atypical types of houses, a castle is a dream home for many people. There are many different types of castles. Castles were built from early the Middle Ages through the 19th century. Their primary purposes were to both house and defend their residents. Over the many hundreds of years that castles were built, their designs greatly evolved.
See all castle galleries and articles here.
Palace
While the term palace is often used in place of castle, a palace differs from a castle in that a palace’s primary function is as a residence only; they weren’t built to defend. Instead, palaces were luxurious structures that housed royalty and nobility, and often also housed government functions.
Chateau
A chateau is a French term that is used to describe a private palace of sorts. Chateaus are luxurious mansions that don’t serve any state purpose. They are purely private residences that are also extremely grand.
Villa
A villa is the Italian version of a chateau.
Manor
A manor is the English version of a chateau.
Fort
A fort is a military structure built to defend and house military personnel and their families.
Underground House
While the term “bunker” refers to some form of bomb shelter or protective shelter, some people do live in underground houses.
Cave
Historically, people lived in caves. This choice was a no-brainer, given caves are pretty much turn-key, in a crude way. Caves were essentially created for humans and other animals to live in by nature. That said, while many cave houses were crude, some cultures created cities that were made with a series of cave homes.
Check out this example of a house built into a cave.
Container Home
A recent development in home construction and design is the use of existing containers as the main structure of a home. Small homes use one container, while larger homes use multiple containers. As you can see below, containers can be configured in a variety of different ways. Companies exist that specialize in designing and creating container homes.
See featured shipping container homes here.
Dome/Round Houses
Geodesic dome houses and roundhouses, while not terribly popular, are another unique type of home. In fact, round structures have been used in some cultures for thousands of years — think tipis, yurts, huts, fortress towers, etc.
Click here to see a collection of dome and round houses.
Hut
This single room and story dwelling is made of local materials like sticks, dirt and leaves. It is not meant to be a permanent shelter in most cases, just a place to get out of the sun. Huts are usually found on the beach areas because the materials needed to build them are nearby.
Even if a hut is built with sturdier materials for a permanent shelter, it will be just off the coast and in a circular shape. This is to allow the wind from storms, hurricanes, and typhoons to blow beyond the hut and minimize the amount of damage.
Huts can be as wide or as narrow as they need to be. The huts that are used for permanent homes are usually found in island areas like the Caribbean.
Tower
Dunguaire Castle, a 16th-century tower house on the southeastern shore of Galway Bay in County Galway, Ireland.
Made of stone to withstand the height and design of the structure, tower homes are built in areas where there is a need for less space on the ground and multiple stories are available. Towers are meant to give a level of protection so that you can see who or what is approaching.
Tower houses are most common in Western Europe, around Scotland and Ireland, among other places. Historically, the homes belonged to elite families in a community.
Longhouse
Longhouse designs were intended for communal living and shelter for extended families or king groups. The idea was to house a majority of the family members in the same place while working and cultivating the land nearby.
Courtyard
For thousands of years, homes were made with a courtyard in the middle surrounded by the main structure.
Stilt House
Stilt homes are elevated and meant to protect property from flooding in coastal areas. The stilts are reinforced to maintain the weight of the home and distribute it properly so that the home is secure during a storm or periods of flooding. In most cases, the area below is a place for outside storage or parking.
RV Home/Camper
In the last century, there has been a mobile trend to pack up material possessions and go mobile. Some folks live and travel in RVs year-round.
The mobile homes come in a variety of sizes. Smaller RV homes can be pulled by a standard pickup truck, and have a bed, living space, kitchen, and bath area inside the camper. Larger models feature multiple sleeping areas, with sides that pull out to extend the interior space.
Tipi
Another portable home, that has its roots in North America, is much older than the RV. The tipi was designed by indigenous cultures of the American Plains to be taken apart and put back together with relative ease. Ideal for people on the move who had to pack up quickly while tracking food sources, such as buffalo herds. The seven tribes of the Sioux, Pawnee, Blackfeet, Crow, Assiniboine, Arapaho and Cree were among the groups that built their communities with tipis.
Linked House
No longer popular as a design choice, but the linked house is a style that appeared briefly in the 1970s and 80s in the greater Toronto region. Homes share a foundation or basement wall with a neighboring home but the connection is not perceptible above ground.
B. Most Common House Types By Region:
1. Urban Houses
Apartments
In a multi-story building, an apartment is a unit that shares the same wall as an adjacent unit. Each unit in the apartment building is rented out to a single renter by the building’s owner.
Co-ops
Residents in co-ops don’t own their units, but they do own a stake in the organization or cooperative which controls the structure and all of the residences in it, which is similar to an apartment or condo.
Co-op buildings, which are managed by a board of directors, are well-maintained, but the board’s rigorous rules may not sit well with members who want greater control.
Townhomes
A townhouse is a single unit connected to a multi-unit development. Despite having a limited footprint than stand-alone or semi-detached houses, most townhouses offer greater square footage per dollar than condominiums.
Multi-family Residential
Individual dwelling units are found in low, mid, and high-rise buildings that are part of the multi-family residential category. This includes co-ops, condos, and apartment complexes, and is prevalent in urban areas.
2. Suburban Houses
Prairie
Flat or minimally sloped rooflines featuring drooping eaves are are common features of prairie-style homes, as are low-profile facades made of flat lines as well as planes. These homes are constructed with natural materials including wood, stucco, stone, and rustic brick for their siding.
Bungalow
Bungalows make life easier for the owner because all of the living spaces are located on a single floor, with no need for stairways to connect them. People with limited movement, like seniors or those in wheelchairs, will find a cottage ideal.
Single-Family Detached
It’s most people’s dream in a nutshell: seclusion, backyard space, as well as the ability to design your home as you see fit in a single-family home. Neighbors don’t have access to the land or any of the building’s mechanical, electrical, or plumbing elements.
Single-Family Semi-Detached
A semi-detached house is half of a pair of houses that are connected by a wall. A townhome or a condo may be more crowded and less private than a separate house, and it gives a greater sense of room and independence.
Split-level
Houses with many stories are called split-level because they are connected by a brief set of stairs. Most split-level homes have three levels: a primary floor, an upper floor (where the bedrooms are located) and a lower level (the den or garage).
3. Country Houses
Farmhouse
As the primary residence in a rural or agricultural context, the farmhouse is referred to as a residence. A housebarn, a combination of a farmhouse and a barn, was common in the past.
Stack House
One over one, or “one up, one down,” is another common name for a stack home, which is essentially an expansion of a single room. Entryways are usually located between two windows on the lower floor and two windows on the second story in a stack house’s typical layout.
“I” Type House
In rural locations, the “I” type house is mainly in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. The foundation of the house is one room broad, two stories high, and one room deep. Brick, wood, and stone are common building materials. The “I” house is an innovative and beautiful home.
One-Room House
Due to its structure, the one-room house can be constructed of logs or bricks. The house also has a chimney on the side. The one-room house, single pen house, basic cottage, and basic tidewater are just a few of the various names it goes by. The original site of the house was a Tennessee farm.
4. Houses in the Mountains
Multi-Level
In the mountains, you can practically build any form of house, based on the region. In many mountainous areas, multi-story homes are common. Building a home might be affected by the land’s incline and stability.
5. Beach, Lake and Waterfront Houses
Cottage
It is possible to build a cottage in any architectural style or housing design, so long as it’s small enough. Cottages can be defined in a variety of ways, but the most common meaning is a tiny, pleasant dwelling in the countryside, frequently used as a holiday or summer residence.
6. Warm Climate and Tropical Houses
Bungalow
Bungalows make life easier for the owner because the main living space is on a single level with no stairwells. People with limited movement, like seniors or those in wheelchairs, will find a cottage ideal.
7. Cold-Climate houses
Cape Cod
The chimney is a typical element in Cape Cod-style homes. Originally built in colonial America, Cape Cod-style homes have come to be recognized as a distinct class of residences distinguished by several distinctive architectural features.
Other Housing Arrangements:
Complexes: What Are They?
A complex, often known as a subdivision, is a collection of houses and other structures constructed as a single unit. Depending on where you live, the exact format may be different.
It’s not uncommon for these homes to be unattached or semi-detached, with little pieces of property creating gardens everywhere around them.
Cooperatives: What Are They?
A cooperative-owned real estate, which may include one or more housing structures is a kind of residence known as “housing cooperatives” or “housing co-ops.”
Numerous traits set housing cooperatives apart from other types of living arrangements.
Communities: What Are They?
A community comprises a social group that shares a commonality, like a familiar location, norms, faith, values, traditions, or identity, with other members. A rural, an urban, and a suburban community all fall under this broad category.
- A rural community is one where homes are stretched out over a large area of land. In the minds of many, rural areas are synonymous with agriculture.
- Cities are home to urban communities.
- The suburbs are a mix of urban and rural areas.
Construction Method
Another type of house classification is the construction method. These days buyers have several options in how homes are built.
Site-built home: Is a home that’s built on-site. Most homes are built this way.
Prefab home: A prefab home is the general term referring to a home built in a factory. This type of home typically arrives in pieces that have been shipped to be assembled on-site. Some arrive with the interior and/or exterior completely finished, while others require finishing work on-site.
Modular home: A modular home is a type of prefab home that’s built in a factory. The home is made of a series of modules, or pods, that are locked together to form the entire home once on-site.
Manufactured home: A manufactured home is another that is built off-site in a factory on a steel frame. These homes are transported in their entirety or in sections to a site. Manufactured homes are similar to mobile homes, but look more like a permanent home than the traditional mobile home does.
Panel home: This is a home constructed of panels. The panels are built off-site and assembled on-site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the different types of houses.
How big is the average house in the USA?
From statistics gathered during the first quarter of 2019 by an NAHB analysis as well as from the Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, the average single-family home has increased to around 2,584 square feet. The average size of a house is constantly changing over time. For example, in 1983 the average house in the USA was 1,725 square feet, and in 2003 the average was 2,330 square feet.
What are the different types of houses?
What defines a house has really branched out from what people traditionally considered to be a house. However, there are two defining ways of categorizing types of houses. Some define these by their different architectural styles, while others define them by the different types of residential building structures. Architectural style refers to the aesthetic style of a house, and types of residential building structures encompass whether a house was built as a single-family, a townhouse, etc.
To put it into perspective, types of houses by structure include the following:
- Single-Family Detached House
- Apartment
- Bungalow
- Cabin
- Carriage/Coach House
- Castle
- Cave House
- Chalet
- Chateau
- Condominium
- Container Home
- Co-Op
- Cottage
- Dome Houses
- Fort
- In-Law Suite (also called a Basement Suite)
- Mansion
- Manor
- McMansion
- Mobile Home
- Multi-Family
- Palace
- Tiny Home
- Townhome
- Tree House
- Ranch-Style
- Underground House
- Villa
- Yurt
- Floating Water Residences (Houseboats, etc.)
- Hut
- Tower
- Longhouse
- Courtyard
- Stilt House
- RV Home/Camper
- Tipi
- Linked House
Can houses be moved?
Houses can be moved, but it is not usually an easy or an inexpensive task. To move a house means one must lift the structure from the foundation to move it, sometimes many miles away, before setting the home down somewhere else. In extreme cases where a home is in danger of flooding or another impending natural disaster, in the way of development of highways or shopping centers, or simply because it is no longer wanted on the land, houses may be moved from one location to another.
Can houses sink?
If a house is built on poor soil or somewhere in which copious amounts of water can weaken the foundation, houses can indeed sink. Homeowners don’t have any way of controlling the soil beneath their home, but they can deflect water away from the foundation as much as possible to prevent this from happening.
Can houses be financed? If so, how?
If you do not have the cash in hand to purchase a house, they can be financed by way of a mortgage. Mortgages are secured loans handled between the home purchaser and a financial institution (usually a bank or credit union) which loans the money to purchase a house to the buyer. Once the price range has been decided, one must apply for a mortgage. However, it is best to have a credit score of over 600 before trying to apply for a mortgage, and to only borrow what is necessary to prevent paying back more than what is affordable.
What materials are houses built from?
Homes can be constructed from a list of materials. Some of the most common ones are wood, brick, concrete, cement and mortar, and clay. Many houses are also now constructed with steel frames that are reinforced with bolts and rivets.
Can houses get hit by lightning?
Houses can be struck by lightning, with the roof taking a major hit, sometimes sending a charge of electricity through any electrical devices and even metal piping within the house. Lightning is attracted to anything metal, electrical, and sometimes even window frames and gutters. Occupants inside a home can be affected by lightning if they are in contact with an electrical device or plumbing.
Can houses lose value?
A house can deteriorate in value because of a few different factors. This includes physical damage and/or neglect, the neighborhood where the house stands, the risk a homeowner could take buying that house, and the economic climate.
Can houses withstand an earthquake?
Because every house is unique, withstanding an earthquake depends on the time in which a home was built, the materials it is made from, and the structure of the house. Most houses built after 1958 are more secure than older homes due to increased anchoring and bolting, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule. The most likely houses to withstand an earthquake are those with a concrete foundation. However, older houses without concrete foundations can have braces, such as new beams and bolts, installed underneath the house to better anchor it to the ground.
Who appraises houses?
Houses are appraised by licensed, highly-trained professionals who know what to look for during the appraisal process. Many appraisers train and spend years on the job. They are continuously educated on the ever-changing housing market. It is the appraiser’s job to fairly and objectively determine the value of a house without any sort of bias as to where the property is located. Appraisers have to prove that anything in or outside of the house that they find could affect its value. Appraisers and the appraisal process are heavily monitored.
Can squirrels climb houses?
Squirrels have an incredible knack for being able to climb just about anything, and this definitely includes homes. They can scale chimneys and walls headfirst and are motivated to do this because they absolutely love to live within walls, ceilings and attics.
Can raccoons climb houses?
Like squirrels, raccoons are amazing climbers, and there aren’t many places that they won’t try to go to find food or shelter. This said, raccoons can climb up the corners of a house with ease and make good use of any gutters and downspouts they can find. Raccoons are capable of causing a lot of damage when they do this, so it’s best to be aware of them.
Can possums climb houses?
Possums can climb quite well and will climb a house, and even if they cannot scale a structure they can climb a tree to get up onto and into that structure if they can find an opening large enough to get in through.
Can tornadoes lift houses?
Brick and concrete homes are a bit more stable when facing the dangerous winds of a tornado. However, tornadoes of certain categories certainly have the power to lift any house from its foundation and send it spiraling, sometimes miles away. Mobile homes are especially prone to this, since more often than not mobile homes do not have a permanent foundation. Even if a tornado doesn’t lift a house, it can cause a lot of damage to it, and even possibly level the house to the ground.
How many houses are in the world?
There are an estimated 2.3 billion houses in the world that offer shelter to nearly eight billion people. These estimates are based on census figures retrieved from around the globe over the past two decades.
How long do houses last? How long do wooden houses last?
Most residential buildings or houses are built to last (meaning their vital components and systems are designed with a useful life) from 70 to 100 years.
Maintenance is the most significant factor influencing the lifespan of a home. Wood homes properly constructed and maintained can last more than 100 years.
Why do houses have basements?
While basements are now used as entertainment areas, basements were initially designed for storage purposes. Before modern conveniences, people would use basements to store wine, water, and even food — mostly because it was below grade and, therefore, cooler year-round.
Why do houses have gutters?
Rain gutters are more than decorative additions to a home — they are an important functional component. A gutter on a home is used to direct rainwater from the house, siding, and foundation. Gutters, therefore, prevent mold, mildew, and other costly water damage.
Why do houses have crawl spaces?
Crawl spaces, which are small areas beneath a home, were typically built as a buffer between that existed between a home (and its occupants) and the damp earth. Crawl spaces can be used as storage and are often where air-conditioning, utility, and heating conduits and lines run — out of sight.
Why do houses have attics?
Attics are the space that exists between the ceiling on the home’s highest floor and roof. An attic can be used for storage, insulation, or the equipment used to heat or cool the home. Some attics can be converted to dormer rooms.
What size house is considered a mansion?
A mansion, which symbolizes elegance and luxury, is defined as a home with at least 5,000 square feet and a minimum of five or six bedrooms. Mansions typically sit on smaller lots because mansions that are situated on larger properties are known as estates.
Why do houses make noise?
A house is known to make creaky noises for a number of reasons. It may happen from changes in air temperature or thermal contraction/expansion — both cause wood, metal, and other construction materials structure to creak when expanding or contracting.
Why do houses go to auction?
There are a few reasons why homes are sold at auction. The two common reasons that a home will be sold through an auction include unpaid real estate taxes or a foreclosure action triggered by a borrower’s non-payment.
How are houses numbered?
House numbers will vary by location, often changing within cities and towns. However, homes in the same neighborhood are generally numbered consistently. In some of the world’s more remote areas of the world, houses are named rather than numbered.
Can brick houses be painted?
Yes. Bricks can be painted. Many people paint brick because it is porous when unpainted. Its porous nature allows for debris and dirt to collect, which is hard to remove and keep clean. Painted bricks create smooth surfaces, which can be power washed occasionally. Painting bricks help reduce the fading of the bricks as well as slow the deterioration of the exterior of the house.
Can I build two houses on only one lot?
The answer is a definite maybe. The legality of building two houses on one lot will depend on the zoning requirements established by the authorities in the district in which the home is located. Consult with an expert or real estate attorney in the area to determine the answer for your specific location.
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