Your Guide to Edmonton’s Most Popular Home Styles

February 5, 2021 7:00 am Published by Terry Paranych Real Estate Group

Whether you’re new to the market and looking to purchase your first home or an experienced homeowner considering downsizing (or somewhere in between), our city features a vast number of diverse home styles (across countless amazing Edmonton neighbourhoods) suitable for every lifestyle, taste and budget.

If you’ve been thinking about buying a new home in the capital region but unsure which style may be right for your unique wants and needs, here are Edmonton’s top home styles revealed.

Single-Family Homes

A single-family home is a stand-alone property, maintained and used as a single dwelling unit. Unlike, say, an apartment-style condo or townhome (outlined below), single-family homes don’t share walls, or a roof, with any other structure. Sometimes referred to as a detached dwelling, other characteristics that define single-family homes include:

Separate, large and independent lots – You own the home as well as the land on which it’s built.
Independent utilities – The home runs on its own utilities and individual meter (not shared by any other unit or property).
Private entrance and exit – No common hallways or entrances.
A single owner – No “community ownership” as is the case with many condo developments.
Various styles – Including front attached and laned single-family homes, bungalows and two (or more) storeys

Single-Family Homes: The Pros and Cons

Pro: Your own private, personal space (no shared walls)

Con: Depending on the property, single-family homes can come at a higher price point.

Pro: Single-family homes generally come equipped with more space and square footage than any other home style.

Con: With more space comes more maintenance and/or repairs, for which you will be responsible.

Pro: Single-family homes usually hold the highest resale value.

Con: You are more apt to pay higher property taxes, and you will require a larger down payment upfront.

Duplexes

Yet another one of Edmonton’s many popular home styles, duplexes provide a similar experience to single-family living. In addition to ample square footage and roomy, two (plus) storey floor plans, duplexes also offer two (plus) bedrooms and bathrooms and garage parking (in most cases). Other duplex-specific characteristics include:

Two attached units – Although separate residences, these units share a single wall.
Two separate entrances, garages and driveways – Each will maintain its own private entrance (front and rear) as well as its own driveway space and garage (either front attached or rear lane).
Private rear yard space – So long as the rear yard space is partitioned, duplex owners have their own private back yard.

Duplexes: The Pros and Cons

Pro: Duplexes tend to be more affordable than single-family homes (upfront costs and utilities, property taxes and mortgage payments), yet come with many of the same perks.

Con: While a shared wall doesn’t mean shared noise, you will have a neighbour/tenant living immediately next door.

Pro: You own your lot while enjoying relatively low-maintenance front and rear yard spaces.

Con: Like a single-family home, you will be responsible for all maintenance and repairs, as well as their associated costs.

Pro: The potential for real estate investment property income (when you purchase the entire unit).

Con: While duplexes and single-family homes tend to share many of the same benefits, yard space and square footage tends to be larger in single-family home (on average).

Townhomes

Like duplexes, Edmonton townhomes maintain a shared wall with a neighbour, however, this home style tends to see shared walls on either side, unless you opt for an end unit. Because townhomes typically come in a row of several units, they’re often referred to as “row homes,” with each unit maintaining its own private front and rear entrance.

It’s also not uncommon for townhome developments to be governed by a condo board, whose role is to oversee and maintain community standards.

Other typical townhome features:

Multi-storeyed – Townhomes ordinarily feature a minimum of two storeys (sometimes more) as well as a basement.
Shared roof – In addition to shared walls, townhome units may also share one continuous roof.
Private rear yard space – So long as the rear yard space is partitioned, townhome owners have their own private backyard.

Townhomes: The Pros and Cons

Pro: Townhomes are often every bit as low-maintenance as apartment-style condos (more on that below) while delivering many of the same advantages as single-family homes.

Con: While there are freehold townhome options available throughout Edmonton, many townhome developments come with monthly condo fees.

Pro: Townhomes remain one of the most affordable home styles on the Edmonton market.

Con: When opting for an Edmonton townhome, you may share a wall on either side (the good news is, these units are known for their soundproofing).

Pro: Like duplexes and or single-family homes, townhomes come in a variety of floor plans and layouts, most of which include multiple bedrooms and bathrooms (even an attached or detached garage).

Con: Depending on the townhome development you choose, you may face certain restrictions regarding the personalization of your unit, pets, parking, etc.

Apartment-Style Condos

Apartment-style condos are part of a larger, multi-story building – including high-rise, medium-rise and low-rise structures. Depending on the unit’s location within the larger structure, apartment-style condo owners may share a wall with their neighbours above, below and/or on either side. Governed by a condo board, this home style is the ultimate in low-maintenance living and is an extremely popular choice among first-time buyers and downsizers.