Also known as a cluster home, garden home, garden villa, club home, courtyard home and less often cottage home, what is a patio home has a rather broad definition. A patio home is most commonly a ‘single family’ home with one story and often sits on a slab foundation. Many homebuyers find the convenience of a patio home to be a great alternative to a single family home on its own lot.
What is a patio home and how is one Defined?
Another term for a patio home is ‘zero lot line home’ because the footprint of a patio home is not much bigger than the lot on which it sits. This is advantageous to homeowners who want the privacy of a single family home and the easily managed maintenance requirements of a condominium. In its most strict definition, a patio home is a single-family residence but the term can apply to multi-family homes that are  built as duplexes or multiplexes and share a common wall.
Is a Patio Home a Zero Lot Line House?
Yes, they are because the sit on a lot that is barely large enough to hold the house. The terms that realtors and sellers use for homes can be confusing. Knowing the different terms and conditions that may come with a particular home will help you make an informed decision when buying a home and the term zero lot line houses can apply to patio homes, garden homes, townhomes and row houses.
Is a patio home a Condominium?
That depends on how the development was planned. If you hold a fractional interest in the land throughout the development, it is. However, if it is titled like townhome and you own the lot on which your home sits, it is not. Homeowners in a patio home community may likely be subject to a homeowners association (HOA) and will likely have covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&R’s) regulating activities on your property. These types of restrictions are often equated to condominiums and are where some of the confusion arise concerning what a patio home is.
The presence of an HOA may require that you pay a fee for the maintenance of common areas of the community. This could be a monthly, quarterly or annual fee will be based on the needs of the community, overall. This may include lawn care for you patio home depending on the community in which you buy and should include maintenance of any swimming pools, tennis courts or other community amenities.
What is the History of Patio Homes?
Designed to take advantage of multi-family zoning and the desire of homeowners for single family housing the patio home came about in the 1960’s to fill this gap giving them the name cluster homes because they nestle together in clusters forming a neighborhood of homes that conform to each other in size, design and price. The fact that patio homes have more homes per acre and often share a wall, which helps keep the price lower than that of a conventional single family home. This makes them more affordable for both first-time buyers and retirees.
Are patio homes of a Particular Design?
Today many patio home communities offer affordable starter homes and go all the way to luxury homes where homeowners enjoy the easy lifestyle of a patio home. Although they do not offer the privacy of a single-family home in a city or suburban lot, retirees have found the convenience and easy maintenance of a patio home to be a good alternative when downsizing and they still hold the appeal to homeowners that they did in the 1960’s. Homebuyers looking for a second home also find the convenience and affordability of a patio home appealing over other types of homes.
Is a Patio Home easy to Finance?
Financing for a patio home is much like that of a single-family home or condominium. Depending on the way the ownership of the land is determined, you may be able to get the same financing that you would on a single-family home. If it is set up like a condo your interest rates may be slightly higher. Before you buy a patio home, talk to your lender and find out how the ownership of the home you are interested in is set up.
Along with your mortgage and other monthly expenses, you need to budget for an HOA fee if one is applicable to the property you want to buy. You may find, after all, costs are considered that a single-family home is as affordable but it all comes down to what you want in a home and patio homes offer many benefits.
Should you consider a Patio Home?
The shared property expenses and lower cost of construction when building patio homes make them more affordable than a single family home and are ideal if you are just starting out or downsizing. The availability in some area of communities that offer the amenities of condominium complexes may be appealing to you and give you more value than a single-family home on its own lot. The ease of maintenance, close sense of community combined with modern designs makes patio homes a competitive alternative to other types of housing.
2 Point Highlight
Also known as a cluster home, garden home, garden villa, club home, courtyard home and less often cottage home,what is a patio home has a rather broad definition.
The shared property expenses and lower cost of construction when building patio homes make them more affordable than a single family home and are ideal if you are just starting out or downsizing.
