PROS AND CONS OF A CORNER HOME:
The choice of living depends on the personal preferences. But everyone wants to live in a home that has prime location and good resale value. In many countries corner homes are very popular whereas in other countries people avoid homes built on corner lots. This is because corner homes have many plus and minus points. If you are planning to buy a corner lot then ideally you should consider the both advantages and disadvantages. This blog describes the pros and cons of a corner home.
ADVANTAGES OF A CORNER HOME:
Extra space on Side Street
The fast urbanization of cities has reduced the house sizes. Now houses are shrinking worldwide. It is very expensive to buy a home with extra parking space and open green area. But corner home has extra space as the side street which is mostly the green belt. This space can be used to park the extra cars and also to grow trees, plants and flowers. Therefore the first advantage of a corner lot is that it offers extra space for parking and landscape.
Design flexibility
The second advantage of corner lot is that you can design your home as you want. Firstly it gives you the perk to design your home according to the sun orientation. Secondly an extra car porch or garage can be designed in a corner home. Thirdly corner lots offer the flexibility to build a front or back lawn. Fourthly in many countries first floor area can be increased by building the cantilever structures. These facilities are only available for the homes that are built on corner lots.
Ample natural light and ventilation
The lots are shrinking in cities due to the limited land. Therefore it’s very difficult to provide the ample natural light in home. Similarly in many small homes natural ventilation is not possible. Both natural light and ventilation are necessary to secure homes from germs and smell. The corner lots are the best solution for the matter. As side street is available in corner lots, so homes have both natural light and ventilation. It is also observed that homes built on corner lots have less damp due to strong sunlight.
High resale value
In olden days, homes were just for living. But this has changed in the recent times as now homes are best to make quick bucks. This is because people now sell homes more frequently for jobs. So people prefer to buy a home that has high resale value. The homes built on corner lots sell like hot cakes as most buyers want to live in a home that has extra parking space, lawn, better ventilation and ample natural light. So the fourth benefit of a corner lot is that it has high resale value.
DISADVANTAGES OF A CORNER HOME:
High maintenance cost
The first disadvantage of homes built on corner lots is that they have high maintenance cost. Corner homes have normally high heating and cooling costs. Secondly the corner lot has extra cost to maintain back garden and side street green belt. Thirdly in many cities, corner lots have extra yearly taxes. Fourthly it’s expensive to renovate a home built on a corner lot. These all expenses make the corner homes undesirable by many people especially the first time buyers.
Noise issues
The second disadvantage of corner homes is that they are noisy. Corner lots have side streets that are always busy with traffic. The constant traffic causes high noise due to which people get disturbed. Although trees absorb the noise but still noise level is very high in corner homes. The high noise volume has huge affect on sleep. People can’t sleep properly as they are constantly irritated by high noise volume. This is why some people dislike homes built on corner lots.
Less privacy
The third disadvantage of corner homes is that they offer low privacy. The high traffic volume of pedestrian and vehicles is always a disturbance. In most cases corner homes have low boundary wall or fencing. When you are sitting in your lawn, you are visible to neighbors. The only solution is to plant shrubs and small trees. This will only provide the visual privacy to some extent but still you will be disturbed by the noise. The less privacy is one of the reasons that people avoid living in corner homes.
Low security
The fourth disadvantage of corner homes is that they are always vulnerable to burglary. It’s very easy for thieves to break in corner homes from front and Side Street. In some cases, burglars steal the valuable items even when family members are inside home. This is because it’s so easy for the thieves to get out from front or side entrance of a corner home. The high risk of burglary is one of the many reasons that people dislike homes built on corner lots.
Pros and Cons of a Corner Home