Row House Guide: 4 Characteristics of Row Houses

A row house is a multi-level dwelling that shares one or two common walls and a roof with its neighboring buildings. Like townhouses, row houses often line entire street blocks and are uniform in their exteriors.

Row houses are typically built in classic designs that date to the period when they were built, often in the nineteenth century or earlier. American cities known for blocks lined with historical row houses include New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Washington D.C.

Row houses that are split into multi-family homes typically have a governing body like a homeowners association, which charges monthly or annual fees for maintenance.

Row houses, townhouses, and brownstones are all popular residences in cities. Here is an overview of their differences.

• Row house: A row house is a single or multi-family dwelling that shares adjoining walls and a roof with neighboring properties. Row houses are all townhouses, but not all townhouses are row houses.
• Townhouse: A townhouse is an individually-owned, often multi-level dwelling that shares one or two exterior walls with neighboring real estate.Townhouses are very similar to row houses, the only difference is that townhomes do not always share an exterior appearance to their neighbors and may have varied architectural styles, whereas row homes are typically uniform in appearance.
• Brownstones: A brownstones is a type of row house or townhouse with a facade of brownstone, a reddish-brown sandstone. Brownstones are a popular style in Brooklyn. Some brownstones are row houses, but only if they are made with sandstone.

Here is an overview of certain characteristics that row houses share.

1. 1. Number of homes: In order for a row house to be considered as such, it must be connected to two other properties of the same type.
2. 2. Uniformity: Row homes are uniform in appearance and architectural style. A line of row houses will often share the same exterior features, like color and stylistic flourishes like cornices.
3. 3. Individual entry: Connected row homes will have their own individual entry way and will be connected only by their adjoining walls and roof.
4. 4. Low-rise buildings: Row homes are typically between two and five stories high.

Here is an overview of five styles of row houses that have become prominent in certain American cities.

1. 1. Victorian: Victorian-era row houses typically feature nineteenth-century details such as a high-pitched roof, ornate gable trim, tiled corridors, bright painted colors, and stained glass. In San Francisco, the "Painted Ladies" are famous Victorian row houses painted bright colors on Steiner Street, across from Alamo Square park.
2. 2. Federal: Federal-style row homes typically have modest facades made of brick with light ornamental detail surrounding the building’s entryway, which is usually a brownstone stoop with a lower-level entry underneath. They are usually two-and-a-half stories high with three windows along the street.
3. 3. Georgian: Georgian row homes are typically brick buildings that are two to three stories high with large windows and an entrance on the street level.
4. 4. Greek Revival: Greek revival row homes typically have flat roofs with ornate cornices, large windows, an entry or porch with prominent columns, and narrow windows on either side of the entry door.
5. 5. Italianate: The Italianate style is the most commonly used for Brownstones. They are three to five stories tall, have round-top doors or windows, a brownstone stoop, and often feature a prominent bay window.

Here is an overview of the potential advantages of living in a row house.

1. 1. More affordable than a single-family home. Row houses are usually more affordable than free-standing homes while still offering homeowners the privacy and freedom of a single-family house, in the event that your row home is a single-family residence.
2. 2. Potential privacy. Compared with other communal residential properties like condominiums, single-family row homes give you the privacy of having an entire building to yourself.
   
3. 3. Low maintenance. Row homes usually don’t have yards, making the exterior upkeep lower than most single-family homes.

There are a few potential disadvantages to row homes that potential homeowners or renters should consider.

1. 1. HOA fees can be expensive. There may be some HOA fees associated with the upkeep of a row home. These would go to cover maintenance of shared walls, roofs, and any other shared amenities.
2. 2. Restrictions can limit freedom. The HOA of a given row home may impose restrictions on things such as pet ownership, landscaping, and decorating or renovating your home's exterior.
3. 3. Potential lack of privacy. If you’re moving into a row home that is a multi-family complex, you may not have much privacy from your neighbors. It may be similar to living in a condominium or an apartment, in which you can potentially hear your upstairs or downstairs neighbors.

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