Different Types Of Homes

When you are searching for a resort home you may be confused by the different terms used to describe the various properties. Townhome, Condo, Chalet, Quarter ownership what is the difference? In order to get the property that will suit your needs the best it is important that you know what the terms mean when you speak to your Whistler realtor.

Cottage is a very common term used for vacation homes. A cottage is a small one story home that is usually located near a lake or mountainous area. A cottage is always a free standing building and it will usually be rented or owned as a vacation property.


In larger cities townhomes are quite popular. A townhome is a single family home that shares common sidewalls with the neighboring homes. This is similar to a condo in that the homes are very close together but townhomes are more like freestanding houses that are built so close that they touch one another.

A condo or condominium is a common type of vacation home. At first glance a condo looks like an upscale apartment complex. The difference is that each unit in a condo is individually owned. The owner has a full deed and the right to sell the unit the same as if it were a free standing house.

Townhomes are popular in larger cities. A townhome is a single family home that shares its sidewalls with the neighboring houses. This sounds similar to a condo but it is different because although the homes might be technically in the same building there are no common grounds. They are more like freestanding houses that are located close enough to touch one another.

If you are looking for a home in the north you may hear the word chalet quite a bit. A chalet is a wooden home with a pitched roof and deep overhanging eaves. These are common in Alpine areas like Switzerland and Whistler, British Columbia.

Quarter ownership means title to the suite is split into four quarters so it's like owning a suite with three other partners that you don't know. You get to use the suite one week a month with every year rotating so that every fourth year you'll get Christmas and New Years. This is a relatively new concept for Whistler that was spearheaded by Intrawest Corporation and it's really taken off. There are currently three quarter ownership complexes in Whistler.

By: The Linnell Group

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Dean Linnell the CEO of the site Whistler-RealEstate.com is a true on-the-ground expert and his team has a combined 20 years of experience in this real estate market. Now he is providing many proven home buying and home selling tips in his website Whistler-RealEstate.com.