The joy of living in detached homes
For many cities, condominiums and other vertical developments seem to be the practical way to go amid a growing population and the lack of land that can be developed. After all, if more people are taking up space on the ground, shouldn’t we be looking for more room to move toward the clouds?
Despite this logical thought, many people still prefer to live in traditional houses that sit on the earth. While horizontal developments often incur high costs and maintenance, people still love being able to live in a lot that they can call their own. A backyard garden, a number of pets and uncompromised privacy—these are just some of the reasons why ground-based houses remain the popular choice. Let us take a deeper look at the romance of living in a house on the ground.
More often than not, detached houses thrive in the suburbs outside the city
Yours for life
To have a house, you must first have land on which you can build. Owning a house and lot means that your family is set for life. As long as no one sells the property, you will always have a place to call home.
Your home is something that you can modify and personalize throughout the years. While expanding your living space in a high-rise residence can be quite restricted, the sky’s the limit (or rather, your budget) when it comes to a house on the ground. You can choose to add rooms until the edge of your lot’s setbacks, or you can expand vertically. Of course, make sure that you won’t be blocking your neighbor’s right to light and ventilation, but other than that, you have ample room for growth.
A place to retreat
Having your own house gives you much privacy. While you have neighbors below, beside and above you in a condominium, you are separated from your nearest neighbor by a fence in a subdivision. This gives you the chance to really unwind and rest at home, or pursue your passions such as gardening and playing with your kids.
More often than not, living in a traditional home puts you in the suburbs. Though this may prove difficult if you work in the city, it still gives you a chance to take a break from the stresses of a fast-paced life. It also provides you with sufficient access to fresh air and green surroundings—things which are sometimes absent in a city home.
A lucky few get to have their own paradise in their own backyards
A safe sanctuary
Our ongoing battle with COVID-19 has led many of us to assess our lifestyle preferences. In particular, people who live in high-density buildings started to worry about their safety living side by side with other families. While many condominiums and high-rise buildings have managed to successfully mitigate the impact of the pandemic within their premises, those who lived in detached homes probably slept better at night.
Our experience with COVID-19 emphasizes the value of space in our lives. With social distancing and face masks considered essentials in the new normal, living in your own house helps minimize your risk of catching diseases. It also gives us a chance to move easily even while on quarantine. While those who live in small spaces probably suffered cabin fever during the worst days of the pandemic, those who had their homes on the ground had more opportunities to take a break outdoors. This gives detached homes an advantage during a health crisis, as people have more control in personalized environments than over shared spaces.
Freedom from spatial restrictions
As mentioned, horizontal developments provide larger distances between neighbors. This gives people more freedom to do as they please, provided it is within legal limits. So if you fancy taking care of numerous dogs or creating your own jungle, having your own house and lot may be the way to go. Of course, this might require more maintenance on your part compared to high-rise residences, but it’s a minor disadvantage if you consider the fact that you’re pretty much creating your own kingdom at home.
Having multiple pets is one of the perks of living in your own detached house.
A privilege that’s about to disappear
If you had lived 50 years ago, you probably would have a lot of vacant lots to choose from when it comes to buying your own property. Today, however, there are only a handful of empty sites in different cities, especially those in Metro Manila. Land has become a precious commodity in recent years. As more people choose to live in the metropolis, the demand for homes in the city is continuously increasing.
With this in mind, it doesn’t seem far fetched that one day, our country will feature cities like Hong Kong and Barcelona. In these areas, housing has become quite limited that only the richest members of society get to live in a detached house. So while there are still a lot of prime lots to choose from in developing areas in our country, go ahead and start working toward your dream home and property. One day, living in your house and lot would probably be a privilege shared by a few. If you start planning now, your family might just be one of those who are lucky enough to do so.
A blessing often unappreciated
Overall, living in your own house on the ground is something to be thankful for. While there are still those who prefer living in multi-family dwellings, nothing beats having a space to move about freely and unwind. So whether your house is a bungalow or a two-story dwelling, be grateful for the opportunity to own your own space on the ground. You are one of those blessed to have that opportunity—one of those who have secured the future of their family for generations to come.
Large or small, your own house and lot is a blessing to be thankful for.
Photo Sources: Jeffrey Czum, Magda Ehlers, Freestocks.org, and Eziz Charyyev from Pexels
