How to Spot a Bad Townhouse Floor Plan Before It's Too Late (2 Bedroom)

When it comes to purchasing and living in a two bedroom townhouse, there are some floor plans that you will want to consider and others that you should likely steer clear of.
In today’s video, Surrey Real Estate Specialist, Steve Karrasch of Macdonald Realty walks through some of the common floor plans that he is seeing in Surrey townhomes and provides some tips and advice on what to look for and what to be careful of.
#SurreyRealtor #SurreyRealEstate #TownHouseLiving
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The opinions expressed herein are solely that of Steve Karrasch PREC and not Macdonald Realty or the FVREB and should not be misconstrued as advice or the basis of an agency relationship whatsoever. Please consult your professional advisor prior to taking action on any decisions relating to the matters discussed in these videos. This communication is not intended to cause or induce breach of an existing agency agreement.

[@SteveKarrasch]

Looking for a townhouse in Surrey? Book a Call: calendly.com/stevekarrasch

[@mh0862]

Just watched this and the condo video, and learned more than I ever thought I'd want to know about floorplans. Having worked from home for the past four years, I would not want my home office to be windowless.

[@SteveKarrasch]

Totally!

[@jeme7339]

Why are builders allowed to use such horrible floorplans? No matter how modest the home (especially in places that have rain and snow and possibly 4 or 5 types of weather in a week), every entry needs places for coats and boots and places to change shoes. Every home needs a broom closet. Every home needs a rest room on the main floor. Kitchens should not be a passage to other parts of the home. Bedrooms need room for beds! (Not against windows)...

[@Heyu7her3]

Uhh, because people will STILL pay for it.

[@stonecrestquilt]

Bc people buy them?

[@TheDriftwoodlover]

Buyers don’t pay attention, so developers can get away with it. A friend bought a townhouse with closets so narrow the builder installed a slanted board to store shoes (floorspace to narrow to house large shoes) on and when you closed closet doors, the clothing shifted to the side because the closet couldn’t accommodate the width of the hanger. This also meant no storage space on closet floors for the odd items.

[@janicewolk6492]

Lousy developers.

[@Erin-Thor]

Why is nabisco allowed to sell Oreo’s at 11 different prices to 11 different stores?

[@burgundymarcia]

I have never figured out why on earth designers put the kitchen directly in front of the front door. No woman EVER wants their guests to see their kitchen before anything else. Our living rooms and dining rooms are usually nicely decorated and pretty tidy. A kitchen, no matter how clean it is, still LOOKS like a kitchen. The stove, sink, fridge, DW, small appliances on the counter, etc., are NOT things we want to advertise to our guests. One "luxury" apartment I lived in, not only was the open kitchen directly in front of the door, but the front door looked down a long dark hallway ending in my laundry room.

[@Amara262]

I feel called out. Our "dining room" is my daughter's playroom, haha. And the den upstairs is her bedroom. We really had to get creative and use the vertical space to make it work, but it's cozy and she likes it. My biggest gripe with layouts nowadays is how so much space is wasted. In our place, none of the vertical space is used. And all of the narrow hallways, and rooms have big clunky doors that block precious wall space that could be holding cabinets or other units, since there are no closets for linens/towels, etc. I completely removed the doors to the laundry, because they blocked the whole hallway, and replaced them with nice curtains.

[@FerretKibble]

Being neurospicy, having a formal living/dining area separate from my normal living space is a big plus - It can be ready for visitors and I don't have to tidy away my craft stuff that's all over my space.

[@FerretKibble]

Big no on open plan, though...

[@michaellowrey1845]

Very informative video. Not having a powder room and at least a small closet (to store a vacuum cleaner etc.) on the main level would be a deal-breaker for me. Speaking of which, the plan with the flex area on the lower (garage) level is particularly unfortunate - going up two flights of stairs to get to a bathroom is kind of brutal and would limit my desire to do things down in that space.

[@VictoriaKimball]

You made a couple really good points!

[@larryk731]

I hate open concept in large areas but love in small areas. I live in a 960 sf townhouse in New Jersey and like that the 1st floor living/ dining room and kitchen are basically 1 large room because it's only around 450 sf total. My sister has a 4500 sf McMansion featuring an open huge kitchen/family room (around 900 square feet ) and it is so echoey - I think it needs partial walls to separate the 2 rooms.

[@AaronSmith-kr5yf]

This, I live in a 1 bedroom 900 sq ft duplex. Main reason I bought it was the floor plan, the kitchen, living room, dining room are all one big room with a vaulted ceiling. If I do have people over for dinner, its easy enough to pull my table away from the wall, rearrange the furniture a bit and there is enough space for 6 people to eat there. Large house where rooms can be GENEROUSLY sized, yeah not a fan of the open concept.

[@susandavison1134]

Living in a 2 story home since 2000. Designed and built it ourselves but when we put our laundry room upstairs, people thought we were nuts. I absolutely love it. The only thing to take downstairs are tea towels!!!🙂

[@jellybeansi]

Same. It's way easier to have the laundry on the same level as opposed to dragging a fully laundry basket/can up or down the stairs.

[@jstephens2758]

I really do not understand the need for two eating areas in a small unit, especially for people working or going to school who eat only one or two meals a day at home. The space can be used for something else, or the unit can be smaller and less expensive.

[@TomStorey]

Steven, thank you for proving that educational videos that are helpful and not just about a housing crash can get a lot of views. You have restored my faith in KZbin and Canadian Real Estate.

[@SteveKarrasch]

Just wait.

[@coffeewithextrasuga1017]

In my culture, the kitchen is always separated from living and dining areas. It's also typically located at the back of the house/apartment. We use a lot of spices and some dishes might leave a lingering smell so it's always hidden . At a matter of fact, everything is separated in our households. Every room has a distinct function and spaces don't mix. Kitchen is for cooking/eating, living area is for living, formal living/dining is for guests, bedrooms, bathroom is for bathing/shower, powder room is for washing hands/ teeth, and then the toilet. You won't find open concept here. They tried to do it around 15 years ago, but these units didn't sell since people like separations especially when it comes to the kitchen and bathroom. Like sir no, I don't want to shower where I poop, Ew.

[@krhode5185]

The old folks you describe are those over 80 who retired in the 80s and 90s when the developments were built. They’re headed to retirement homes. Younger retirees don’t want their parent’s musty townhouse with pastel carpet and formal dining room, but they also don’t want 4 levels. The main pluses to older townhouses are, generally, more privacy between units, larger outdoor spaces, and space for hobbies. These are things younger retirees will value.

[@theOlLineRebel]

Hate the town/row houses with no bathroom on the MAIN floor! My friend had one and a relative has one now, totally different complexes. How do you entertain properly? How do you deal with sickness and weakness and injury and stay in the prime living area?

[@NLR759]

My parents have a lovely 3 bedroom 2.5 bath townhouse in Steveston, with a double side-by-side garage. It has an excellent floor plan, with powder-room on the main level, and a flex space on the garage level which they use as a pantry/storage area. Three bedrooms upstairs are all good sizes and well-lit. It was built in 2004.

[@ericadavan6952]

Upstairs laundry please! I did not like having to bring laundry up and down stairs in a previous home :)

[@waynes.2083]

Very helpful Steve! I watched the entire half-hour of your info. and learned alot. Ours is a 3 bedroom- waiting for this one to come out. However, our 3 story end unit was built in 2010 and has some of the "must have" items which were in your 2 br layouts (glad I bought an end unit). We also have powder room/toilet on second floor and separate large family and living areas. I learned alot in your video as it was nice to get feedback about what styles customers like (or don't like). Great job Steve. I look foward to the 3 br one ...😅

[@matthewluck9077]

10:23 I would be tempted to rearrange these spaces to add a third bedroom on the ground floor by moving the kitchen to the dining area and leaving enough space for a table and putting the bedroom and a powder room in the back where the kitchen was. You could move the left wall in for the new bedroom 3-4 ft to add a rear access door in for the new kitchen/dining area

[@joywebster2678]

The one floor unit doesnt have a 2nd exit, that violates fire code!

[@MarketUAgency]

Helpful content! Thanks for sharing this!👏👏

[@SteveKarrasch]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@pewz2950]

Steve pulled through!!!! Thanks for the video.

[@SteveKarrasch]

Like, comment, subscribe and even Share!

[@garyponting8465]

Thanks Steven, Not sure how I stumbled on your channel, but enjoying the info. My mother and sister will be downsizing to a single floor unit (mobility issues) in the next year or two, so it is good to see what options they will have when they are ready to sell and make the move.

[@SteveKarrasch]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jayatlanta2560]

We just need a three bedroom video now!

[@SteveKarrasch]

Just?

[@paulpoco22]

​@@SteveKarrasch 3 levels and double garage, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, powder room, rec room at almost 2000 Sq ft. The typical 1988/89 Townhouse.

[@gunlindblad6816]

Ok you asked about where to put the washingmashine. This is the ideal: Bathroom- laundry - big walk in closet. Thateans you go in to the bathroom put your clothes in the washinmahine and get dressed in the walk in closet.

[@richardtaylor7485]

Southern California here at the beach. We have beach lots...25 wide and varying lengths. Most designs are 2 car garage with direct access in back to the kitchen, living area and dining usually with a patio or small yard in front. 2nd floor are 2 bedrooms and bathrooms sometimes a 3rd bedroom... laundry room, closets storage is a variable according to the plan. The upside is you are usually outside or busy out and about in the sun.

[@danielponder690]

In the DC area there are townhouses literally stacked on eachother, 2 story below another 2 story unit and across from other 2 story units. The structure is 4 floors, but each unit is 2 floors - 2-3 beds and around 1200 sq ft. Also, for the dining and eating areas, I would put the table in the eating and put a grand piano or practice organ in the dining room :)

[@joywebster2678]

Yes I lived in the upper 2 story town house, below was a one story unit specifically designed for disabled dwellers. Then I had no windows on the backside because there was another matched set twinned facing the other way. Double stacked, back to back. Well insulated for sound.

[@EmelyPhan]

I leave near several townhouses that look similar to the ones at around the 9:00, 12:50, 17:20. It is interesting to see what they look sort of like.

[@GratiaCountryman]

In the US, I’m seeing a lot of townhouses with roof terraces. What are your thoughts on those?

[@MsDesignDiva]

Honestly, that first plan you show, frankly I kinda love it! Like I don't need 2 actual bedrooms, never having kids so the den space would be used as a shared home office between me and my future husband. That 3rd unit you showed is honestly my dream style place and it annoys me to no end that it's restricted to 55+, as a 34 year old woman who is never going to have kids, I want the ability to live in a nice place too where there won't be excessive kid noise and frankly, even though it is an older style layout, it'd be a nice one for hosting extended family (ideal in my fam situation since I can't actually go in my boyfriends Parents place or his sisters place as they all have cats and I'm allergic to cats). Plus that layout with the casual family room (labeled eating area) and the more formal living room, I'd just make them both casual, why, so that when my guy wants to go watch hockey with his guy friends, I can go into the other living room and watch whatever I want to watch in the other living room. The second bedroom could be a shared office for us. That last one is definitely the ultimate dream place for me even more than #3, so much space and my guy and I would be able to have a dedicated Hockey space for him (since he is all about hockey and will watch the playoffs not just for the canucks but also the games for every other team too) and I'd have an upstairs area to do my own thing. There'd even be enough space in that one to each have an office for him upstairs, and the downstairs, den merged with the nearby flex space into one room, that could be my own in home nail salon/office.

[@littlemonster2801]

My preference is double side by side gauarge (with single garage door), and door to backyard is on the main level. Agreed that the double tandem parking would be a pain. In this case I would be tempted to own two very similar cars, and so wouldn't matter which one to take.

[@SteveKarrasch]

You will love the 3 bed video

[@ukirichuful]

I’d love to see more floor plans doing a hybrid open/closed plan, like a walled off room with doors where you could leave them open or closed and use it as a dining room or office. It’s more versatile that way.

[@Beachdudeca]

I hate a kitchen without separation

[@pmariec1]

The plan at 19:30 what I'd do, since laundry is basically in the tiny "office" - make it laundry central. A family closet. It's too tiny for an office to me, and looks like it wouldn't even fit a twin if I wanted a 3rd bed.

[@NorybDrol82]

10:23 Ditch that dining room for the addition of a powder room separating living & kitchen with powder room door facing the stairs. The back of the garage should be separated into a storage AND den space.

[@flowmovementtherapy2096]

I lived in a townhouse in Port Moody that had 6 floors. Entranceway with bathroom and laundry machines, second level with kitchen, dining area and yard, third level living room and balcony, fourth level with main bedroom, half a level up was master bathroom and sixth level was second bedroom. If you had to find someone it was a shouting match up and down the stairs. If you hate vacuuming stairs, you're not going to like it. But the cats loved chasing each other up and down the stairs.

[@rightwingsafetysquad9872]

I could never get a home with no bathroom on the main floor. I can't believe building codes allow that. My grandmother barely made it up 1 flight of stairs into my apartment. My father and I had to carry her down in her wheelchair when she left.

[@Pisti846]

In NJ a "condo" or condominium is a form of ownership, whether it is an apartment or townhouse (attached rowhouse).

[@DaveTexas]

Open concept is awful! They’re noisy and you see all the mess all the time. If I have guests, I don’t want them to see the messy kitchen, nor do I want to have to completely clean the kitchen before guests arrive. I can’t stand the smaller plans. A side-by-side two-car garage is mandatory, as is a main-floor powder room. Having to go upstairs to find the nearest bathroom is a terrible thing. I live in a three-bedroom townhouse. Ground floor has a side-by-side two-car garage in front, with living, dining, kitchen, and primary bedroom also on the ground floor. No powder room, unfortunately, but the primary en suite also has a door to a hallway so guests can use it without having to walk through the bedroom. Second floor has two additional bedrooms, a bathroom, and a laundry room. The living room has a cathedral ceiling - the townhouse is 1970s Contemporary in architectural style - so the upstairs is significantly smaller than the ground level. Overall it’s a great plan, but I’d change a few details if I could. I’d love a main-floor powder room so the primary bath can be truly private. I’d prefer the laundry room on the ground floor as well, since all clothing must be hauled upstairs to wash. The cathedral ceiling might make the living room look huge, but it’s a huge waste of space. We could have an extra bedroom and bathroom above the living room if the ceiling wasn’t 16 feet high.

[@rastry3673]

A private elevator would be useful in a multiple-level townhouse. A few years ago, I read that a private elevator could be purchased and installed in a new townhouse for about $20k (USA). If the cost has risen to $25k, it still might be only 5-10% of the cost of a new townhouse. I would place the elevator in an exterior corner of the townhouse. It might be possible to have the elevator open to the outside at ground level. If the ground is paved, a heavy piece of furniture or appliance could be rolled from the paved area into the elevator, and rolled out into the interior at another level. Water could be prevented from going into the elevator by wide eaves, up to an 8% grade just outside the exterior elevator door, thorough weatherstripping on the door, and a grating over a drainage channel between the paved area and the door. In most townhouses that I have seen, the stairs would interfere with moving things because the stairs are narrow, they may include turns, and there are walls just beyond the stairs. A private elevator could get around these limitations.

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

full bed and bath on the first floor . patio balcony or roof top deck for some out door space

[@SteveKarrasch]

These all have yards.

[@georgensal]

You keep talking about old folks like this or that, and yet is younger people who buy huge houses with all sorts of rooms, from media-rooms to wine cellars and separate studios and dressing rooms, etc, etc, so I guess we older people having a separate room for whatever it might be, should not be such an oddity, right?

[@Bobrogers99]

Some of these floor plans wouldn't work well for me. But"bad" is subjective, and features that I'd consider bad might fit someone else's lifestyle. With housing becoming so expensive, I suspect that units that have a den or unused dining area or flex space are (perhaps illegally) using them as additional bedrooms. Tandem garages might be feasible if the "trapped" vehicle is the sports car that you are rebuilding and won't be drivable for months - or years!

[@jeme7339]

Open concept is like a glorified dorm room - NOT a home!

[@SteveKarrasch]

People sure like their dorm rooms i guess.

[@WorkingProduct]

More floor plan analysis videos please 🙏

[@SteveKarrasch]

Noted!

[@WorkingProduct]

@@SteveKarrasch would love to see some regarding 3bed townhomes

[@jeme7339]

Can it really be a "formal" living room if it is reached only by going through the kitchen? Why do so many plans have the kitchen as a passage into the home?

[@123scrappygirl]

I had a great townhome. It was a two bedroom and loft. The master was downstairs along with the living room, dinning room, kitchen, 1/2 bath, laundry closet and connected garage. Upstairs was a bedroom with a jack and Jill bathroom with a connecting loft with a window, closet and door to hallway. It could be made i to a third bedroom that would be legal.

[@mypointofview1111]

The lack of proper storage in many homes regardless of size is a worrying feature, why do archtects & builders think they can get away with substandard housing? Would they be happy living in such accommodation?

[@chapman1569]

I prefer a stair that has a landing, I find the triangle steps in the corners to be dangerous, I fell a lot when I was a youngster, my coccyx still remembers it. The washing machine should be on the bedroom level, not in the basement, but I understand that in case of a spill/leak, it will lead to major repairs. I prefer vinyl flooring to laminate, it is waterproof and easy care. I find the laminates make sound waves rebound and it is uncomfortable, it makes rooms very noisy.

[@tealkerberus748]

I would like to see the disabled access version of these. When somebody in your household has an illness or injury that puts them off their feet for a few weeks or a few months, how do you adapt to that? You're not going to sell up and move because of something that will be healed by the time you've finished moving out. But right now, your spouse is sitting in a wheelchair with their leg in a fancy cast staring at that staircase. What now?

[@catherinecarney2507]

I would love more places to be built that had two primary bedrooms w/ensuite and larger closet. My husband and I sleep in separate bedrooms. We both have sleep apnea, but my claustrophobia is too much for me to wear a mask. He wears a mask. To keep our sanity, two bedrooms are needed. There has to be at least a half bath available for guests. My dd and dil may visit and need space and a bathroom. A den/guest room/office combo is necessary. AND most important, storage. Where is one to store Christmas decorations or out-of-season items? I remember looking at a townhouse for my sister and her family in the 1990s; all the storage was 7 feet + in the air. I would love to see a bunch of little old ladies and men climbing ladders and putting boxes away or getting them out. What are some architects thinking? It was like the stupid plant shelves of the 90s. Our laundry is in the basement for two reasons, one, there are three bedrooms downstairs, and two, there is no room on the main level. We were only going to live in this house for five years when we built it. That was in 1994. We broke ground on the last Friday of May and moved in at the end of September with tar paper on the dining room floor; no time to finish the wood floor there. No window sills and the refrigerator was in the garage. The school year had started, and as both of us were teachers, our jobs became more important than finishing the house, but the landlord of our rental wanted us out by Sept. 30.

[@cosudu3002]

What I don't like about most "new" builds is the usual gas (or electric) fireplace that gets installed. I don't want one because it is a waste of space, in my opinion.

[@kennixox262]

No wonder why we have some many Canadians flocking down here to the desert southwest.

[@sexygeek8996]

This is minor compared to the other problems in Canada.

[@SomeoneBeginingWithI]

If I was going to have two bathrooms I'd much rather have one on each floor than an ensuite.

[@fayesortor7117]

Townhouse is a physical description. Condo is a type of ownership. Town house can be fee simple, especially in cities

[@SteveKarrasch]

In BC, Condo and Townhome are both Strata Titles.

[@pmaitrasm]

@13:40, Sorry to nitpick, man, but there is no kitchen here. Just writing the word 'kitchen' will not magically make it a kitchen. A kitchen is a room where food is cooked, and a room has to have four walls. What they have done is placed appliances in a large hall. Now the entire house is going to smell like ranch. Why is it most houses these days do not have a kitchen? A good reference would be the The Breakers mansion in Rhode Island. Folks should visit it and see what a kitchen looks like.

[@lulu_9000]

Not the worst I've seen. One house I toured looked like they built the rest of the house first and then thought, "Oh shoot, people need to EAT!" The entire "kitchen" was a stove, a sink, a place for a fridge (no actual fridge was present), and maybe 2 square feet of counterspace shoved into the corner of the living room. This was a three bedroom house, mind you, so in theory, this was meant to be sufficient for three to four people.

[@pmaitrasm]

@@lulu_9000, 😂👍

[@ericadavan6952]

I’m all for open plan! I hate being ‘cut-off’ in the kitchen!

[@Kev4Kev]

How is a townhouse stacked ? I must be missing something because I thought town houses were the same as row houses take the houses in London, New York, Philly, Toronto, Quebec and any other older city

[@SteveKarrasch]

There are all types. Side by side or Up and down.

[@carolfisher5178]

Super informative and helpful, but please stop referring to me as, "old folks"...I might be a downsizing empty-nester, but I don't want a formal dinning room and I sure as hell don't do "canning".

[@SteveKarrasch]

Gramma, is that you?

[@rastry3673]

@@SteveKarrasch We all are on the same conveyor belt of time.

[@paulpoco22]

Where are the 3 bedrooms & 2 full bathrooms on 3rd floor, kitchen/eating area/dining/living on 2nd floor, double garage and utilities and big rec room on 1st floor?

[@SteveKarrasch]

In the 3 bed video?

[@dttra566]

15:21 I ABSOLUTELY hate it when the front door to the house is by the garage. It's absolutely depressing to have to come home every day to a cold damp garage, instead of a grand foyer leading to a beautiful living room. The front door is also supposed to be the first impression and the front facade of your home. Do you really want the first impression and the front facade of your home to be your garage? Don't understand how anybody would design townhouses like that. Windows in the storage is not only an absolute waste of windows, but also a security and flood risk. Tools are super expensive and can be easily stolen from the storage by the garage if there are windows there. And plus if the window is not high enough off the ground, then it's a flood risk when you get too much snow in winter. Plus the no powder rooms on the first floor, I wouldn't give 1 cent to buying these townhouses.

[@saloninegi147]

Those windowless dens are really just another walk in closet. Prospective buyers must keep that in mind.

[@Alverant]

No offense, but the video title is "how to spot a BAD townhouse floor plan" but all you did was talk about good ones. How do we spot a bad one? I'm wondering at how good/bad my floorplan is.

[@SteveKarrasch]

Welcome!

[@gerhardschulzy]

Whats your prediction on what we will see coming in the next few years for townhome floor plans ?

[@SteveKarrasch]

Smaller and smaller.

[@waynerussell6401]

Ditch bathrooms! Three in a two bedroom is insane! Separate toilet maximum needed.

[@TimPeterson]

I've often joked that if we can have 55+ stratas we should be allowed to make bylaws to keep the place 55 and under. not in front of people over 55 though, very few of them have a sense of humour

[@SteveKarrasch]

Same rule needed for politicians.

[@margaretgoodall5043]

Bit tricky for those who only have children in their 40's

[@frankiesayrelax100]

Open Concept sucks. No privacy. Everyone sees you going to the loo. The Lack of a ground level Private Patio is a huge negative. Upper level patios ONLY have a kind of caged-in feel to them.

[@PrinceDuCiel7]

I HATE that families turn their living spaces into kids playrooms. Let them play In Their Room. Or outside!?!? They have to put their toys Away at the end of the night? It confuses me so much. Toys stay in the kids room when not in use. Dinning rooms stay as dinning rooms where you can play but it still needs to be cleaned up for meals and homework etc

[@SteveKarrasch]

Couldn't agree more.

[@Kattywagon29]

PET PEEVE: I detest islands with sinks in them! Everything is all well and good when there is nothing on the counters, but in real life you are gonna likely have a dish drain as well as your soap and stuff. Not to mention when you actually have dishes in the sink or maybe have something soaking next to the sink. Of course, let's not forget about the water that splashes when you are washing dishes, which makes it unpleasant for anyone that might want to talk to you at the bar while you wash. Water will sometimes also leak from the faucet when you are unaware and then someone sets something on the counter when passing by and now the thing is wet...It's just not pleasant. I prefer blank islands with room for barstools. A nice place for someone to sit and chat with another person while they prepare dinner.

[@SteveKarrasch]

I LOVE My island with sink. I get all the dishes done without my back turned to my family.

[@Kattywagon29]

@@SteveKarrasch LOL. I suppose if I was writing a pros and cons list we could add that to the pros column. I will say though, most of the time that I am doing the dishes I am in the kitchen by myself looking out the window and listening to music. However, if someone does come in and wants to chat, they will just pull up a chair next to me so that my back isn't to them.

[@philjones863]

2bd floor plan. Direct line of sight from the entry/kitchen space into both bedrooms. Direct LOS from entry into living space. A terrible floor plan for those reasons alone.

[@Mirror1973]

people need to understand, developers are only looking for efficiency to make as much profit as possible, thus what you see everywhere

[@Beachdudeca]

Who does not like a formal dinning area 😢

[@grumpyschnauzer]

I don’t get it. If they want to build townhouses that are extremely non-functional, why not put a laundry-shute in? Seriously. While looking at townhouses, laundry not on the bedroom level was a dealbreaker. I do not want to risk falling down the stairs from carrying laundry. We have the worst townhouse layout… tiny kitchen, tiny dining (I still fit a 6 person table in though like a booth), weird powder room outside of the main level. Tiny master bedroom and even tinier guest bedroom. We do have a double side by side garage. Our stairs go up in a u-shape. Our townhouse is around 750 sq feet and 3 levels with 3 balconies. Like, couldn’t they have used some of these balconies for additional square footage? We could have used it!!!

[@marti_in_tx]

Hi, being called old is an insult. In 20 years or so, which will go very quickly, you will prefer to be called a senior.

[@SteveKarrasch]

Age is a virtue not an insult.

[@michaelratcliffe7559]

Well you did show us a lot of floor plans for stacked and bungalow townhouses but beyond the comments about the double deep garage and car jockeying and the value of having a powder room on the main floor of a stacked 3 floor unit I’m not sure you gave any clear and succinct advise vice on “How to Spot a Bad Townhouse Floor Plan” so pretty much a waste of my 28 mins. You however presented what you presented well - it just wasn’t really what it was promoted as being about.

[@SteveKarrasch]

Welcome to KZbin, you're going to love it here.

[@jeme7339]

A "formal dining room" should actually be a room (ie 4 walls).

[@SteveKarrasch]

Semi formal then?

[@jeffreynelson2946]

What you failed to discuss is how narrow these townhouses are.

[@waynerussell6401]

No room needs to be over 12ft wide. Broadloom - the width of a roll of carpet.

[@jeffreynelson2946]

@@waynerussell6401 To each their own. I lived in an 18 foot wide and it was claustrophobic. For me, 20 ft minimum.

[@rastry3673]

A long, narrow townhouse can result in going through one room to get to another, as in a shotgun layout, or devoting excessive space to hallways. If the ratio of length to width is large enough, designers might as well look at single-wide trailers for ideas.

[@cthymnn2010]

Guess I am an OLD folk

[@SteveKarrasch]

Me too.

[@rastry3673]

When I was 40, I told my grandmother that I felt old. She said, "You don't know anything about being old." She was 90 at the time.

[@i-m-bossride]

You lost credibility when you said that technically a townhouse and a condo are the same thing. They're not. A townhouse is a type of structure and a condo (condominium) is a form of ownership unrelated to the type of structure. A condo MIGHT be a townhouse, but it also might be a single-family detached dwelling, it might be a space within a common building, or it might even be a commercial space like an office or a warehouse.

[@SteveKarrasch]

You don't know what you are taking about.

[@i-m-bossride]

@@SteveKarrasch You might want to talk with your legal counsel about the difference.

[@SomeoneBeginingWithI]

@@i-m-bossride are you sure that you and Steve are in the same country? the laws and legal definitions might be different

[@i-m-bossride]

@@SomeoneBeginingWithI You are correct that we are in different countries, but a quick review of Canadian laws on condos indicates that they are similar to those in the US. I said by my comment. I believe that Steve was using a common, but incorrect, definition of condo. Even in Canada, condo refers to a type of ownership and not any particular type of structure. And, townhouse refers to a structure, not any particular type of ownership. So, townhouse and condo are not interchangeable.

[@loragunning5394]

The "open" floor plan in the main living area has been a fixture of modern floor plans for over 30 years, reflecting how families actually live their lives. Your dislike of the open floor plan concept seems to reflect a purely male perspective of wanting to be away from the bustle/noise/chaos of a family coming together for both meal prep and meal sharing, you'd rather be able to chill away from the scene during the chaos and not be bothered while your wife copes with hungry children while cooking the entire family a meal. Maybe your wife is a stay-at-home mom, but if so, that is not the norm for most families these days. Most married women with children work at least part-time, if not full-time, and while their earnings may not equal those of the primary earner, relegating them to controlling the kids while putting a meal on the table while dad chills out, after mom's own day at work, is nothing short of ridiculous, IMO. This reality of dads interacting with wife and kids when all were together in the house at the same time, rather than retreating away from wife and kids to find his own "peace of mind", is why and how the open floor plan concept evolved and why it remains not only popular but essential yo many families to this day. Having a kitchen area closed away from other living spaces is a HUGE deal-breaker, period. FYI, I am an architect with over 45 years experience designing luxury homes in the PNW area and have worked on MANY townhouses and condos. My perspective is perhaps from a different POV than yours, as I don't buy/sell new/existing homes...I deal only with new construction (with occasional additions/remodels), I design the homes such as they satisfy my clients' requirements, whether the client is an individual wanting to build a single custom home or a builder/developer building on spec. And I have NEVER, in over 45 years, had any client request anything but an open floor plan for the main living area.

[@RieFur]

I'm a woman and I absolutely HATE open floor plans. I have two kids and a husband, and in my house I literally have doors on my living room, which I close regularly. It's amazing. During covid, having all these separate rooms was such a blessing. I hope I never have to live in an open concept home again in my entire life. I've lived in four different ones and hated it every time. Sometimes single, sometimes with other people, always horrible.

[@pamelasonday-swiger8708]

Well, I have lived in both, and I do prefer a partially open plan, with kitchen open only to family and powder rooms. That allows for communication with your family while preparing meals, but also allows privacy in a living room and dining room for adult conversations, reading, playing music, etc. I think everyone deserves some peace and quit in their own homes. I find it odd that civilization started out in caves or one room huts, evolved into homes with separate rooms, and is now devolving into one room cabins again. I don't like the echoing noise of appliances on one end of the room ruining reading, studying or TV on the other end. I don't like smells from the kitchen all over the house. And if I am cooking for guests, I don't want the distraction of conversation from guests crowded into my kitchen space. I dare say that most of us were prefer some more formal spaces, but we have to live within our means

[@andyiswonderful]

#1 sucked. ZERO closets. You walk into your home right into the living room. really?

[@jolevangelista]

What I think of this video is that the most often words you are using are "old folks". I personally don't find that neither respectful nor productive when you cliche people and put them in categories like that. While chasing the popularity don't forget that you are trying to reach out to real live people.

[@SteveKarrasch]

Okay lady.