The first thing you have to choose when looking online for houses to buy or rent is the type of property – and there are quite a few! Studio, flat, apartment, unit, house or townhouse – what’s the difference?

Flat and apartment are almost the same; both are located in high-storey building. I think the difference between the two is that flat is smaller than apartment.

Studio is a flat with only one room, which serves as a bedroom / lounge / kitchen; it is something that a student would go for.

Unit means small house, usually located in a block of similar houses, it has mutual walls with other units – as opposed to a house, which is free-standing. Some units look very much like motel rooms. There is one big parking space for all the units in the block and there are common rubbish bins (you don’t have your own driveway or garage or even a rubbish bin ).
It is very common that units belong to body corporate – click on this link to read who they are and what they’re for. Units are usually smaller than houses and most of them will have 2 bedrooms, but there are also relatively big units, with 3 bedrooms and 2 toilets and even a court yard.

The difference between a house and a townhouse is that house has one level and townhouse – 2 or 3 levels with lounge and kitchen located on the first level and bedrooms above them. Both house and townhouse usually have front lawn and rear garden or courtyard, own driveway or garage and own garbage / recycle bins.

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