The phrase “single-family home” is something you’ll often see when browsing through real estate listings. A single-family home might seem easy to define: It’s a home for a single family, right? Eh, not exactly. To be classified as a single-family home, there are requirements the property must meet.
What are those requirements? Let’s take a look.
What is a single-family home?
The legal description for a single-family home is “a structure maintained and used as a single dwelling unit.” So what does that mean exactly? A single dwelling unit will have these characteristics:
No common walls: A single-family home is a stand-alone, detached property, says agent Chrisoula Papoutsakis, a real estate agent with Triplemint in New York. This means the home doesn’t share common walls or a roof with any other dwelling.
Land: A single-family home has no shared property but is built on its own parcel of land. “The area around the building is for the private use of the owner,” says Kevin Adkins, CEO of Kenmore Law Group in Los Angeles.
Entrance and exit: A single-family home has its own private and direct access to a street or thoroughfare. This is as opposed to an apartment, which has hallways and a lobby that lead to street access.
Utilities: Only one set of utilities can service a single-family home—and may not be shared in any way with another residence. This applies to heating, electricity, water, or any other essential service.
One owner: A single-family home is built as the residence for one family, person, or household, whose owner has an undivided interest in the property.
Single kitchen: A single-family home has one kitchen. Adding a kitchen to an in-law suite or carriage house will alter a home’s zoning classification.
Benefits of buying a single-family home
The type of home you buy depends on your budget and needs. A single-family home will suit you if you are seeking privacy. Since it is built on its own slice of land, you’ll have some distance from your neighbors.
You’ll also probably enjoy the extra storage space of an attic or garage in a single-family house.
Single-family homes also come in many different architectural styles—whether ranch, Colonial, Mid-Century Modern, Cape Cod—as opposed to the more straightforward design of a condo.
Disadvantages of buying a single-family home
While owning a single-family home will mean total independence, there are a few factors that can be seen as downsides. Condos, townhouses, or multifamily properties may come with common gyms or pools open to all owners; single-family homes don’t usually have community amenities.
The purchase price of a single-family home tends to be higher, since you’re buying an entire lot, says Papoutsakis. That translates into a larger down payment and closing costs as well as recurring expenses like insurance and property taxes.
Searching for single-family homes
When you’re looking at a real estate listing, you’ll see a zoning letter in the house’s description. A single-family home will be zoned “R,” which refers to “Residential,” followed by a number, says real estate agent April Kozlowski Palomino at Coldwell Banker Residential in Winter Park, FL. An R1 rating indicates that the land allows only one home.
Multifamily residences normally have an R2 rating, which means two residential dwellings can exist on the property, typically in the form of a duplex. And an R3 rating permits multifamily units such as apartments or condominiums.
CREDITS TO THE OWNER OF THE ARTICLE & PHOTOS: https://www.realtor.com/advice/buy/what-is-a-single-family-home/
Mortgage Brokers Australia says
Great post! Thank you for sharing this kind of post.
Olivia Smart says
Thank you for explaining that a single family home will have no common walls. My daughter has been thinking about buying some property, but she’s been a bit confused when she looks for a house that is single family and some of the other terms confuse her a bit. I’ll be sure to share this with her and see if it helps her to understand what the listings are saying.
Victoria Addington says
I think a single-family home will suit my friend since she’s seeking privacy and as you stated it is built on its own slice of land, so she will have some distance from neighbors. She is looking for a new home that doesn’t share common walls or a roof with any other dwelling. I will inform her about the single-family residential property so she can look for a real estate broker with such listings.
Braden Bills says
My wife and I want to invest in property, but we’re not sure how to choose one. It makes sense that a single family home would be a good choice for us. That seems like a good way to ensure that it’s affordable.
Thomson Smith says
It’s cool that you highlight the fact that single-family homes offer a lot of privacy. I really like having privacy, so I’m thinking about purchasing a single-family home. I’m going to see if there’s a good real estate agent in my area that can help me buy a single-family home.
Thomson Smith says
It’s interesting that you mention that single-family homes are great for people who like privacy. Privacy is very important to me, so I’m considering buying a single-family home this year. I’m going to look for a good real estate agent in my area that can help me buy a single-family home.
Zoe Campos says
My favorite part is where you mentioned that living in a single-family home can provide the privacy that we need. We’re currently renting a condo and the walls are too thin that we hear our neighbors often. I think it’s time for us to settle down and find the perfect property for our needs.
Zoe Campos says
My favorite part of the article is where you mentioned that single-family homes have no shared property and is built on their own land. We used to live in a multi-family home and we didn’t have a good relationship with our neighbors. It would probably be better to look for this type of property for sale for a more comfortable type of living.
Levi Armstrong says
I like that you said that purchasing a single-family home would give a person or a family more privacy since they’d have some distance from neighbors. My dad doesn’t like being social or friendly with strangers, so a single-family home would be a nice choice for him. I’ll share this with him when we have dinner downtown tomorrow. Thanks!
Taylor Hicken says
You made a good point when you mentioned that a single-family home can provide the needed privacy for you and your family members. Since my wife is currently pregnant with our third child, I am thinking to find a bigger home to accommodate us. I think it would be great if I get a single-family home since it can provide us the privacy that is very much needed.
Megan Alder says
It’s interesting to know single-family homes are the regular no-common-wall homes most people live at. I always had the idea that single-family homes were something else, and now that I want to buy my first house I want to answer all my questions. I will definitely follow your advice to ensure that I choose the right house.
Greg Hampton says
I like what you said about getting a single-family home since they won’t have any common walls. My sister wants to make sure that she can sleep easily in the coming weeks. I’ll share this information with her so that she can look into her options for buying the right house to help with this.
Braden Bills says
I’m trying to get a home, but I’m not sure how to choose one. It makes sense that a single-family home would be something worth looking into for me! I’ll be sure to find one that has a decent property around it. That way, I’ll have plenty of space to make things look nice.
Hazel Owens says
My husband and I are looking into buying our first home. We want a landed property and at the same time, we want some privacy as we are expecting our first child in 2 months. I love that single-family homes are stand-alone, detached properties with no common walls, and no shared roof with other dwellings. Seeing as to how we are expecting our first baby, we will need ample storage space, and the idea of having an attic sounds very appealing. I will be sure to discuss the possibility of purchasing a single-family home with my husband.
Fred Gibbons says
It’s great that you mention that single-family homes include a lot of storage space. I need my next house to have space for all of my sports gear, so I’m thinking about buying a single-family home. I’m going to search for a good real estate agent in my area that can help me buy a single-family home.
Alec Burns says
It’s wonderful that you point out that single-family homes allow you to enjoy a lot of privacy. I want to purchase a private living space for myself, so I’m thinking about buying a single-family home. I’m going to search for a good real estate agent that can help me buy a single-family home.
Alec Burns says
It’s helpful that you point out that living in a single-family home allows you to enjoy a lot of privacy. Privacy is very important to me, so I’m considering buying a single-family home. I’m going to look for a good real estate agent in my area that can help me purchase a single-family home.
Nelson Fogerty says
It’s good that you point out that living in a single-family home affords you a lot of privacy. I really like my privacy, so I’m considering buying a single-family home. I’m going to look for a good real estate agent in my area that can help me purchase a single-family home.
Nelson Fogerty says
It’s good that you point out that single-family homes allow you to enjoy a lot of privacy. I really like my privacy, so I’m considering buying a single-family home. I’m going to look for a good real estate agent in my area that can help me buy a single-family home.
Conrad O'Connor says
It’s good that you point out that a single-family home allows you to enjoy a high degree of privacy. I really like my privacy, so I’m considering moving to a single-family home. I’m going to look for a good real estate agent in my area that can help me purchase a single-family home.
Zoe Campos says
Thank you for telling me that a single-family home can provide our family with the privacy we need. We are deciding to leave the current neighborhood where we live because of neighbors who are too nosy. Since you said that we can choose from different architectural styles by choosing single-family homes, we might apply for a loan so we can move out immediately once granted.
Todd Stauffer says
I love how you said that a single-family home is really great if you are seeking some privacy from the rest of the world. My daughter and her husband have been looking for a nice place to settle down with their growing family and it seems like a home would be really great. That way they can get some privacy and with it raise their family.
Shaylee Packer says
As you mentioned, a single family home also has no shared property. It is time for us to start looking for a home to purchase, and I would like to have a large backyard for the kids to play and enjoy. I will have to keep this in mind as we start the process.
Vivian Black says
You made a great point about utilities and how one set of utilities can serve a single-family home. My husband and I are looking for a single-family home we can move our family into since we got new jobs. We will keep these tips in mind as we search for a professional that can help us best.
Conrad O'Connor says
It’s good that you point out that living in a single-family home gives you ample storage space for your belongings. I would like my family and I to have lots of room to keep our stuff, so I’m considering buying a single-family home. I’m going to look for a good real estate agent that can help me purchase a single-family home.
Eli Mcmullen says
I appreciate that you mentioned how single-family homes give you access to more privacy since there is considerable space between you and your neighbors. Now that my wife and I are retiring this summer, we would like to find a quiet home that will allow us to relax since we enjoy taking naps throughout the day. Maybe a single-family home will give us the privacy we need.
Bob Newton says
It’s good that you point out that you get a lot of privacy when you live in a single-family home. I want to enjoy a high amount of privacy in my next house, so I’m considering buying a single-family home. I’m going to look for a good real estate agent in my area that can help me buy a single-family home.
Sabrina Addams says
It’s really great that single-family homes don’t share any roofs, walls, heating, water, nor electricity bills with any neighbors. My husband and I have always lived in apartments or condos and are wanting to find our first home to move into. It’d be great to find Salt Lake City, UT homes for sale to get some more privacy and independence like this.
Ellie Davis says
It’s interesting to know that buying a single-family house will provide you with some extra storage space. My husband and I are thinking about buying our first house, and we are looking for advice about what to do. I will let him know about the benefits of single-family homes to help his decision.
Faylinn says
Wow, I had no idea that one set of utilities can service a single-family home and it is not necessarily shared with anyone else in the area. My sister recently got divorced and she mentioned that she is looking for options to move out of her old home, so I am trying to help her. A single-family home would be a really good option for her, so we will keep looking into it and see what options are available in the area.
Vivian Black says
I love that you mentioned the utilities and how there is usually just one set of them in a single-family home. My husband and I just moved for his job with our children and we need to get a new home in the area. We will keep these tips in mind as we search for a professional that can help us find our dream home.
Ellie Davis says
It’s interesting to know that a single-family home will provide you with a garage and an attic that will mean more space for your family. My husband and I are thinking of buying our house, and we are looking for advice. I will let him know about your recommendations to buy the right house for our family.
Jay Jorgenson says
My dad wants to move away from his loud neighbors. I like how you mention that a single-family doesn’t share property because it’s for the private use of the owner. Thank you for the information. I’ll recommend my dad to contact a real estate agent so they can help him look for a quieter place.
Michaela Hemsley says
My sister is thinking about buying a single-family home so that she can have more room for her kids. I appreciate that you mentioned that single-family homes don’t have any common walls with other properties. I think that would also help make sure that she wouldn’t have to worry about her kids being too loud for the neighbors.
Michaela Hemsley says
Thanks for pointing out that a single-family home will suit you if you are seeking privacy. My husband and I are thinking about moving our of our apartment and we are trying to decide on what would be the best living situation for us if we do. I think that a single-family home would be a good option because it would give us privacy and also help make sure that our new daughter wasn’t bothering the neighbors when she cried in the middle of the night which would be nice too.
Amy Winters says
Thank you for pointing out that a single-family home has no shared property but is built on its own parcel of land. My brother has been thinking about purchasing a single-family home. It’s good to know that they have their own private access to a street.
Steele Honda says
Thanks for pointing out that a single-family home will suit you if you are seeking privacy. My husband and I are thinking about buying a single-family home because we want more privacy than what we have in our busy apartment complex right now. I think that it would just help us relax more when we were at home and it would help us have a more permanent home base.
Amy Winters says
Thank you for pointing out that a single family home has no shared property but is built on its own parcel of land. My husband and I have been thinking about moving from our apartment to a new house. It would be nice to have our own yard.
Steele Honda says
Thanks for pointing out that a single-family home has no shared property but is built on its own parcel of land. My husband and I are thinking about investing in a single family home because we think it would be a good way to add a little to our income. I think that it would be nice for us and whoever was living in the home that it wouldn’t have to share any walls or land because I think that would make it feel more like a home.
Tim Yaotome says
I am planning to propose to my girlfriend this year when I came across your article. When I learned that getting a single-family home will help a person get enough privacy that also includes an attic or garage, it convinced me to find a real estate agent as early as now. That way, I can choose and buy the right home where my future wife and I can stay right away after the honeymoon.