Ifind that most people who walk into a townhouse arrive with certain pre-conceived notions about what a townhouse should be. For the most, part they expect front and rear rooms, entertaining spaces on the bottom two floors, bedrooms on the upper floors, high ceilings, and a garden. Gone are the days when purchasers are seeking lots of dark wooded wainscoting, staircases, and mantels, but for most buyers, a classic layout still holds the widest appeal.
Details such as paint colors and and the size and quantity of molding as well as the use of glass on the rear facade can make an enormous difference in creating a more or less modern feel, but meeting or exceeding buyer expectations is critical to enhancing value. Within the context of a classic layout, key design decisions to make include:
- whether to put the kitchen on the garden level or parlor floor
- where to put the elevator
- whether to separate entertainment rooms or create larger more lofty open spaces
- where to place the master bath and dressing rooms and whether the there should be 2 master baths or one shared room
- whether to remove the rear extension and square off the back of the building
- how to create outdoor space on multiple levels
For many buyers, design features to stay away from are excessive use of atria as they take away from useable square footage, exotic features such as water falls or swimming pools, overly designed staircases, and chopping up the floor plates into small spaces.
Most townhouses in the City go back to the late 1800s and the way owners live in these houses has changed little over time so when renovating a townhome remember to go classic!