I live in a townhome as a renter, and I love it. I really dislike apartment living, so there's that. To me, a townhome is the perfect balance between apartment living and detached SFH. It's got all the advantages of both - smaller than a SFH (I'm single, and SFH around here are either way too big or look like they've been built a hundred years ago and never maintained since), well maintained, it has a very nice patio, a small yard, a private entry, private garage, backs up to a small greenbelt, and the rent is reasonable.
I think one of the things that makes it so great is that the whole neighborhood was built with home owners in mind, and to this day, most people are home owners (and/or higher income renters). The build quality is a lot better than most buildings that have been built for renters.
It's not very bright - middle unit, with tall trees in the back (PNW problems!) but still better than some of the condos I live in in LA.
My only gripe is more of a renter issue than a townhome issue - soundproofing and weatherproofing suck - but it's *mostly* because of the windows, not the walls. If I owned the place, I would have to replace all the windows, but as a renter, I can't do that. I probably also would insulate the walls better. I do hear my neighbors from time to time, but they're older and normally very quiet. When I hear them yell and stomp, I know the Seahawks are winning 😁 - never heard them doing things like vacuuming or smelled cooking.
It's funny everyone experiences noise so differently. I live next door to a playground, I hear screaming kids all the time. But these are the sounds of happy kids, so they make me happy. My screaming neighbours who should get a divorce, on the other hand, that really stresses me out.
+1. I used to live next to a playground, now live next to a greenbelt that has small kids running around all the time, and hearing the happy yells always makes me happy. Someone in my neighborhood has a newborn. I'm not sure where they are exactly but close enough that I can hear the baby cry his or her heart out when my windows are open (I sleep with open windows). I don't mind. Somehow it also makes me smile and feel sorry for the parents. But then I also know that it won't last more than a few months.
I guess it's different when the noise comes from inconsiderate people - music, yelling, etc. But then, it's worse in a condo/apartment. Comes down to how lucky you are with the neighbor lottery.
