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End of terrace vs semi-detached

  • 18-05-2018 5:44am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12


    Quick question what is the difference between an end-of terraced house and semi-detached house? Currently we are looking to buy a new house and other than price I can't see a huge difference between the two. The price could be nearly 10grand in the difference between the two. In one estate the end of terrace was bigger and cheaper. Any thoughts why?


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,647 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Snobbery. Semi-detached sounds 'better', so much so that many people with end of terrace properties will call them semi-detached.

    Other than that, there will be natural variation from house to house and estate to estate.

    With 19th century houses especially, ensure the party wall extends to the roof, not just the ceiling.

    With 19th and 20th century houses (but probably not modern houses), be aware that there may be shared drainage at the read of terrace houses, joining the street at the end of terrace. Councils / Irish Water are likely to disclaim problems with these sections of drains.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,110 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    Newbie007 wrote: »
    Quick question what is the difference between an end-of terraced house and semi-detached house? Currently we are looking to buy a new house and other than price I can't see a huge difference between the two. The price could be nearly 10grand in the difference between the two. In one estate the end of terrace was bigger and cheaper. Any thoughts why?
    The price difference could be due to a number of reasons.
    Better condition
    Better decoration
    Better location in estate
    Better orientation
    Better garden
    Bigger house
    Better scope for extending
    And so on.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,905 ✭✭✭fret_wimp2


    Access to back garden. Some terraces don't have a lane way along the back of the house, so no back gate into the garden. This means everything has to come in the front door. Fine for the odd bicycle but can be awkward for bigger items or if trying to do landscaping etc.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,703 ✭✭✭✭Cyrus


    fret_wimp2 wrote: »
    Access to back garden. Some terraces don't have a lane way along the back of the house, so no back gate into the garden. This means everything has to come in the front door. Fine for the odd bicycle but can be awkward for bigger items or if trying to do landscaping etc.

    if you have an end of terrace its pretty unlikely you wont have access to the back of your house from the side


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,703 ✭✭✭✭Cyrus


    Newbie007 wrote: »
    Quick question what is the difference between an end-of terraced house and semi-detached house? Currently we are looking to buy a new house and other than price I can't see a huge difference between the two. The price could be nearly 10grand in the difference between the two. In one estate the end of terrace was bigger and cheaper. Any thoughts why?

    if its in a new build estate i cant see the disadvantage assuming all else is equal,

    i was looking at a new estate a while back and the semi d's and detached houses were identical in size layout etc, even the garden on the detached was only bigger by the size of the extra side passage, cost differential between the two? 275k, bear in mind the semi d was 975k :P


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,259 ✭✭✭rameire


    I had an end of terrace house only up to recently.
    its a semi D in reality.
    as mentioned above the draining shores will usually be at the end of the terrace.
    the other issue I found but got used to was noise and vibration from houses on the terrace.
    if you have a terrace of 6 or 8 houses you are all on the same concrete pad and any hammering or knocking will transfer to all the houses on that block.
    if you are just a semi D you only have to worry about your next door neighbour.

    🌞 3.8kwp, 🌞 Clonee, Dub.🌞



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,710 ✭✭✭D3V!L


    I live in the end of terrace and one of the neighbours who thankfully moved out was trouble. She would slam her door every time she came in or out. Three doors down and my house would shake.

    When I eventally buy I want a Semi-D. Less likely to have that problem.


  • Administrators Posts: 54,834 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    We bought an end terrace, the same development had a few semi detached too. They are the exact same house in every way.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 436 ✭✭REFLINE1


    recently bought an end of terrace (row of 3) house. Identical to a Semi-D. We could have bought a semi-d but the orientation etc was better for the EOT.

    Particularly with new builds there should be no difference.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭The Mulk


    Just be careful where the bins are kept, especially your neighbours, my mam is end of terrace and keeps the bins out the back. Her neighbours are mid terrace and have their bins out the front, right beside the dividing wall.
    My mam is overrun with fruit flies in the summer from the brown bin!!
    There can be an awful smell too


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,825 ✭✭✭LirW


    You might not have access to the back of the house but in my case there's a passage at the side that doesn't belong to my plot and there's a right of way in the very back of my garden to access the oil tanks. Now thankfully it works out well but if you're having troublesome neighbours it might be a pain.
    My plot is almost double the size of the terraced units and I have a huge lean-to shed.

    In reality though I don't really see much of a difference if you now have a end of terrace or a semi-D.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,766 ✭✭✭GingerLily


    The difference isn't worth 10 grand, semi is slightly better then EOT but not 10k


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12 Newbie007


    To be honest the end of terrace looked a better house slightly bigger like that it's a row of these and the semis are beside it no difference other than price


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,063 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Interestingly I live in an EOT and our houses are built in blocks of two so you don't get any of the sound/vibration issues from the other houses that users have mentioned here.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,359 ✭✭✭jon1981


    One thing to keep in mind if there is another house beside the end of terrace, if your neighbour puts in for planning they can potentially extend to the side making your end of terrace a terraced house. Happened to neighbours of ours.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 724 ✭✭✭Askthe EA


    Interestingly I live in an EOT and our houses are built in blocks of two so you don't get any of the sound/vibration issues from the other houses that users have mentioned here.

    A block of two terraced houses? So, semi detached then?


  • Administrators Posts: 54,834 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    jon1981 wrote: »
    One thing to keep in mind if there is another house beside the end of terrace, if your neighbour puts in for planning they can potentially extend to the side making your end of terrace a terraced house. Happened to neighbours of ours.
    This seems incredibly unlikely. I don't understand how it is possible unless your neighbours agreed to it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,766 ✭✭✭GingerLily


    awec wrote: »
    jon1981 wrote: »
    One thing to keep in mind if there is another house beside the end of terrace, if your neighbour puts in for planning they can potentially extend to the side making your end of terrace a terraced house. Happened to neighbours of ours.
    This seems incredibly unlikely. I don't understand how it is possible unless your neighbours agreed to it.

    It would be the same for a Semi detached if it could happen


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 436 ✭✭REFLINE1


    jon1981 wrote: »
    One thing to keep in mind if there is another house beside the end of terrace, if your neighbour puts in for planning they can potentially extend to the side making your end of terrace a terraced house. Happened to neighbours of ours.
    This couldn't happen as the side entrance to your property is part of your plot, they couldn't build on that and join your houses together!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,342 ✭✭✭MayoSalmon


    Victor wrote:
    Snobbery. Semi-detached sounds 'better', so much so that many people with end of terrace properties will call them semi-detached.


    Semi detached have back of garden access and end of terrace in the vast majority cases don't. Garden access does sound a lot better if you ask me.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,766 ✭✭✭GingerLily


    MayoSalmon wrote: »
    Victor wrote:
    Snobbery. Semi-detached sounds 'better', so much so that many people with end of terrace properties will call them semi-detached.


    Semi detached have back of garden access and end of terrace in the vast majority cases don't. Garden access does sound a lot better if you ask me.

    Really? I've never seen an EOT without access to the garden. I own an EOT myself.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,703 ✭✭✭✭Cyrus


    GingerLily wrote: »
    Really? I've never seen an EOT without access to the garden. I own an EOT myself.

    i havent either

    unless its a feature of old end of terrace?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,182 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    EOD, Semi ?

    Detached for the Win OP, get on that train :P


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,952 ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    Newbie007 wrote:
    Quick question what is the difference between an end-of terraced house and semi-detached house? Currently we are looking to buy a new house and other than price I can't see a huge difference between the two. The price could be nearly 10grand in the difference between the two. In one estate the end of terrace was bigger and cheaper. Any thoughts why?


    I covered this in geography years ago.


    The house you are attached to in a semidetached situation is also semidetached.
    When you have an end of terrace House , the other house you are attached to is med terrace

    You've a pair of semidetached houses

    There could be a line of 8 terraced houses, with an end of terrace House at each end and 6 mid terraced in between them.


  • Posts: 14,266 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    jon1981 wrote: »
    One thing to keep in mind if there is another house beside the end of terrace, if your neighbour puts in for planning they can potentially extend to the side making your end of terrace a terraced house. Happened to neighbours of ours.

    You must have worded that wrongly?

    The only way an end of Terrace can become a terrace, is if the neighbour extends their house onto the other side of the OPs house.

    The neighbour can extend sideways half a mile down the road, but the OP is still end terrace as he's on the end of the row.


    The difference between end terrace and Semi D is that a terrace consists of more than two houses.

    Two joined houses = both Semi D.

    Three houses = 1 terrace, 2 end terrace

    Four Houses = 2 terrace, 2 end terrace.


    You can never have more than 2 end terraces on a terrace of houses ('end' means that your house is 'book ending' the terrace).

    End terrace is effectively a Semi D where I live (I live in an end terrace - a row of 4 houses). Noise will come down to your build quality. Ours is ex-council, built in the 80s, and minimal noise comes through (helps that my next door neighbour isn't an assh*le).

    Someone described above about hearing the door bang of their neighbour 3 doors down, or the noise of hammering etc. going through the terrace. I must admit this is not my experience, personally.

    Having to worry about where your neighbour leaves their bins etc. comes down to your neighbour, not your house. Although if you're scoping out a house to live in, definitely spend a bit of time hanging around the place at different times to feel the place out.


    I'd always opt for end terrace over a terraced house, but end terrace VS semi D is much of a muchness to me. Pretty much the same thing.

    (I do find newer houses to be very poor with sound proofing though, so i'd definitely judge sound proofing on a house-by-house basis).


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,063 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Askthe EA wrote: »
    A block of two terraced houses? So, semi detached then?

    Not quite. There are 8 houses on the terrace but there are two 'joined together' and then there's an 'offset' if you like to the next ones. They definitely couldn't be described as semi-detached.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,453 ✭✭✭batistuta9


    Teens are more likely to hang around the end houses or alleyways, could be that.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,703 ✭✭✭✭Cyrus


    Not quite. There are 8 houses on the terrace but there are two 'joined together' and then there's an 'offset' if you like to the next ones. They definitely couldn't be described as semi-detached.

    Ours are like that 4 houses joined but two are one level and next two are lower


  • Administrators Posts: 54,834 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    batistuta9 wrote: »
    Teens are more likely to hang around the end houses or alleyways, could be that.
    This is a problem with a particular area, not the house itself.


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  • Posts: 8,856 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    batistuta9 wrote: »
    Teens are more likely to hang around the end houses or alleyways, could be that.

    It's the first thing I always think of when I hear "end of terrace". Depending on the area, there might be a green site next to the side of the EOT house- so kids congregating in the summer months, sitting on your front wall, playing football against your side wall.
    It's not an absolute that there will be trouble or annoyance with an EOT house but chances are increased in certain areas.


  • Administrators Posts: 54,834 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    People are mixing up modern terrace houses with old council estates.


  • Posts: 8,856 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    awec wrote: »
    People are mixing up modern terrace houses with old council estates.

    in what way?


  • Administrators Posts: 54,834 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    in what way?

    These issues of kids playing against your wall on a green etc are the problem of big council estates where they’ve nowhere else to play.

    In modern developments people’s houses don’t back right into a green, you are no less likely to have these problems in a semi d than in an end terrace.


  • Posts: 8,856 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    awec wrote: »
    These issues of kids playing against your wall on a green etc are the problem of big council estates where they’ve nowhere else to play.

    In modern developments people’s houses don’t back right into a green, you are no less likely to have these problems in a semi d than in an end terrace.

    It wasn't just big council estates. Kids play where they can. End of terraces have nice large side walls, perfect for sitting on, playing ball against and congregating. It could happen in any housing estate- council or otherwise.

    The sound of a ball hitting your back garden side wall repeatedly for 3 long months of summer can be as annoying in a private estate as it can be in a council estate.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,342 ✭✭✭MayoSalmon


    GingerLily wrote:
    Really? I've never seen an EOT without access to the garden. I own an EOT myself.


    Well I also live in 1 that doesn't have access nor do any in my estate. New enough estate though


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  • Administrators Posts: 54,834 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    It wasn't just big council estates. Kids play where they can. End of terraces have nice large side walls, perfect for sitting on, playing ball against and congregating. It could happen in any housing estate- council or otherwise.

    The sound of a ball hitting your back garden side wall repeatedly for 3 long months of summer can be as annoying in a private estate as it can be in a council estate.

    How does this differ from a semi detached?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,194 ✭✭✭mada999


    fret_wimp2 wrote: »
    Access to back garden. Some terraces don't have a lane way along the back of the house, so no back gate into the garden. This means everything has to come in the front door. Fine for the odd bicycle but can be awkward for bigger items or if trying to do landscaping etc.

    totally agree not forgetting the wheelie bins also


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,194 ✭✭✭mada999


    awec wrote: »
    These issues of kids playing against your wall on a green etc are the problem of big council estates where they’ve nowhere else to play.

    In modern developments people’s houses don’t back right into a green, you are no less likely to have these problems in a semi d than in an end terrace.

    there's a detached house near us and the kids just sit on their wall etc... they are plagued id say


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 57 ✭✭dude_abided


    Wouldn't want to buy a semi/terraced....Too many problem. I like my music as well...


  • Administrators Posts: 54,834 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    Wouldn't want to buy a semi/terraced....Too many problem. I like my music as well...
    I'm sure if given a realistic choice nobody would buy a semi / terraced.

    But a detached house in Dublin and surrounding counties is going to set you back an absolute fortune, and is just not affordable for the majority of people.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,403 ✭✭✭✭jimmycrackcorm


    Usually end of terrace House are smaller than semi detached. Otherwise there no difference.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 57 ✭✭dude_abided


    awec wrote: »
    I'm sure if given a realistic choice nobody would buy a semi / terraced.

    But a detached house in Dublin and surrounding counties is going to set you back an absolute fortune, and is just not affordable for the majority of people.

    Still some for around 200k prob in Tallaght etc?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,342 ✭✭✭MayoSalmon


    Still some for around 200k prob in Tallaght etc?


    For good reason


  • Administrators Posts: 54,834 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    If you can buy a detached house in Dublin for 200k then either:

    1. The house is a complete kip
    2. The area is very dodgy


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 72,187 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    jon1981 wrote: »
    One thing to keep in mind if there is another house beside the end of terrace, if your neighbour puts in for planning they can potentially extend to the side making your end of terrace a terraced house. Happened to neighbours of ours.

    Only possible if the neighbours have already extended to their side of their plot

    My estate has a road of "semi detached" houses which is actually a 20 house terrace - they were always attached via garages. More than half have built above the garage and in cases where both have they are indistinguisable from a terrace.

    Everyone still sells them as semi detached.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,869 ✭✭✭Ray Palmer


    L1011 wrote: »
    Only possible if the neighbours have already extended to their side of their plot

    My estate has a road of "semi detached" houses which is actually a 20 house terrace - they were always attached via garages. More than half have built above the garage and in cases where both have they are indistinguisable from a terrace.

    Everyone still sells them as semi detached.

    Yeah same on the street I grew up on but there are differences. Many retained their garage and still have access to the back garden. Tends only to be bedrooms added which in general are not that noisy.
    Where I live now there is real weird mix in the terrace design. They are very random with the garages and how the terrace is broken up. Some house have no garage and are mid-terrace then one has a garage but the next one doesn't then there are two garages together. Some people extended over the garages many didn't but extended their kitchen into the garage. The problem is the garages are very narrow so modern cars can't really fit so they are just storage. Not a bad size for a room when converted. The kitchens were small at 9x7foot but functional so the garages as a kitchen extension makes sense. The main thing is noise and back garden access. The terrace have a lane and the garages don't is how it breaks down so it is thought out in the back but from the front it makes no sense. The terrace houses with not garage at the front have one at the back which is big enough for modern cars.
    The things is you really have to look around at the exact house you are buying because there are all these little details that change everything and it depends on what you want.


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