Half Duplex | What it is
Half Duplex or Townhouse: Which Should You Buy
These are the two homes most buyers in this region end up choosing between, and the difference that matters is not the building. It is what you own, who you share it with, and what you pay every month.
The short answer
A half duplex is one of two homes on a rebuilt single family lot, usually in a strata of two owners, on an established street. A townhouse is a unit in a complex with a management company, shared amenities, and a larger monthly fee. In this market half duplexes list higher, because of where they get built.
| Freehold, no strata | Strata | |
|---|---|---|
| Active listings | 245 | 1,068 |
| Median list price | $1,388,000 | $1,358,444 |
| Median per sq ft | $651 | $844 |
| Median size | 2,085 sq ft | 1,568 sq ft |
| Monthly strata fee | None | $373 |
| Who pays for the roof | You, in full, when it needs doing | The contingency reserve, built from the monthly fee |
What each one actually is
A half duplex starts as a single family house. A builder buys it, knocks it down, and puts two homes where one stood, either side by side or front and back. You buy one of them. The street around you is unchanged, so your neighbours are in houses that may be fifty years older than yours.
A townhouse is a unit in a purpose-built complex. The land was assembled, rezoned, and developed as a whole, so everything around you arrived at the same time. There is a strata corporation with a council, a management company, a contingency reserve fund, and usually shared grounds.
That difference drives almost everything else: the fee, the rules, who fixes the roof, and how much say you have over any of it.
Why the half duplex usually costs more here
Most buyers assume the half duplex is the cheaper option and are surprised when it is not. The reason has nothing to do with the quality of the building.
Half duplexes get built by replacing houses on established residential streets, which is expensive land in a neighbourhood people already want. Townhouse complexes get built on larger assembled sites, more often on an arterial or in a town centre, and the land cost is divided across far more units.
So the price gap is really a statement about which streets each product ends up on. Compare the two inside a single neighbourhood and the difference shrinks to what it should be about: complex or no complex.
The monthly cost is where they separate
A two-owner strata has almost nothing in common to maintain. There is no management company, no clubhouse, no elevator, often little more than insurance on the shared elements. The fee reflects that.
A townhouse complex funds grounds maintenance, management, insurance, waste, snow clearing, and any amenities. The fee is larger because it is buying more.
Neither is automatically better. The low fee means you keep the money each month and pay the full bill yourself when the roof needs replacing. The higher fee means a professionally managed reserve is accumulating for exactly that.
Side by side
| Half duplex | Townhouse in a complex | |
|---|---|---|
| What you own | One of two homes on a rebuilt single family lot | One unit in a development of dozens or hundreds |
| Who is in your strata | Usually one other owner | Everyone in the complex, with an elected council |
| Monthly fee | Small, sometimes none at all | Larger, and funding more |
| Who fixes the roof | You and your neighbour, out of pocket | The contingency reserve fund |
| Amenities | None | Often a clubhouse, gym, or playground |
| The street | Established, mixed ages of housing | Uniform, built out at once |
| Rules on pets and renovations | Agreed with one neighbour | Set by bylaws, changed by owner vote |
| Typical location | Residential street, often in Vancouver or Burnaby | Town centre, arterial, or suburb |
Is this right for you
Works well if
- ✓ You want an established street rather than a new development
- ✓ You would rather deal with one neighbour than a strata council
- ✓ A small monthly fee suits your budget better than a larger one
- ✓ You want more floor area than a complex unit at the same price
Does not work if
- ✕ You want amenities, or a professionally managed building
- ✕ You do not want to be responsible for a major repair bill
- ✕ You need a predictable, funded reserve because a large unexpected cost would hurt
Check before you offer
- → Whether the home is a strata at all, or genuinely freehold, confirmed on title
- → The strata agreement between the two owners, and whether the bylaws are workable
- → Whether the roof, envelope, and drainage are shared, and how costs get split
- → Which half you are buying, since front and back are different homes
Read next
Common questions
Is a half duplex cheaper than a townhouse?
Usually not in this market, which surprises most buyers. Half duplexes are built on established residential streets where the land is expensive, while townhouse complexes spread their land cost across many more units. The measured gap is on the price comparison page, and it runs the opposite way to the assumption.
Does a half duplex have a strata fee?
Usually a small one. Most half duplexes sit in a strata of two owners, which has very little in common to maintain, so the fee is a fraction of a complex fee. Some are freehold with no strata and no fee at all. Confirm which on title rather than assuming from the property type.
Which holds its value better?
This site measures asking prices on the market today and cannot tell you what will happen to resale value. Any page that gives you a number for that is guessing. What we can say is that half duplexes sit in established neighbourhoods with long price histories, while newer complexes are often in areas that have changed a great deal recently.
Is a half duplex quieter than a townhouse?
It depends on the wall, not the category. A half duplex shares one wall with one household. A townhouse in the middle of a row shares two. An end unit shares one, like a duplex. What actually decides noise is the construction of the party wall, which is a question for the building, not the label.
Where these figures come from
- VanPlex active listings, MLS® data
Active townhouses, half duplexes, and row houses built in the last two years across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
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See the half duplexes on the market
Every figure in this hub comes from listings you can open. Search the full set and filter by price, bedrooms, freehold or strata, pets, parking, and distance to a station.