Do you know the difference between a condominium townhouse and a freehold townhouse?

If you saw photos of each, would you know which was which?

Once upon a time, “condo townhouses” were the obvious recommendation for buyers who couldn’t afford a traditional freehold, ie. a semi-detached house, but who needed 2-3 bedrooms, 2-bathrooms, and more space than a condo apartment could provide.

But that doesn’t mean that every large block of new-build townhouses that you see throughout the central core are all of the condominium variety.

Many of these developments offer freehold townhouses, but since they are attached and share components (like the brick, roof, foundation) or amenities (walkways, underground parking), a shared-facilities agreement is necessary.  This means that the type of property is freehold but the ownership is through a “parcel of tied land,” which carries a condominium component for those shared elements.

In today’s Pick5, I want to show you several examples of each: condo townhouses and freehold townhouses, while comparing the value proposition to condo apartments for the lower-priced properties and then entry-level freehold for the higher-priced properties.