A semi-detached house with a party wall is a dwelling that shares a single wall with one neighboring property. This shared wall is known as the party wall.
Understanding the Components:
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Semi-Detached House: This refers to a pair of houses built together as a single unit, but owned separately. They stand side-by-side, unlike detached houses which stand alone.
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Party Wall: This is the wall that separates the two semi-detached properties. It's a shared structure, and responsibilities for its maintenance and repair are usually shared between the homeowners.
Key Characteristics:
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One Shared Wall: The defining feature is that each semi-detached house only has one wall directly connected to another property.
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Shared Responsibility: The party wall is subject to specific legal considerations, often governed by Party Wall Acts (depending on the jurisdiction), which outline the rights and responsibilities of each homeowner regarding alterations or repairs to the wall.
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Typically Mirror Images: While not always the case, semi-detached houses are often mirror images of each other in terms of layout.
Example:
Imagine two houses, let's call them House A and House B. They are built side by side. The wall that separates House A from House B is the party wall. House A has its own external walls on the front, back, and one side, while House B has its own external walls on the front, back, and the opposite side. They each own their respective sides of the party wall and share responsibility for its upkeep.
In summary, a party wall semi-detached describes a common housing arrangement where two individual houses are joined by a single shared wall, the party wall, creating a single structure split into two separate dwellings.
