COMMON TYPES OF HOUSES IN

THE PHILIPPINES
Buying a real estate property is an exciting and challenging experience
for many Filipinos. But with so many types of homes available in the
Philippine real estate market, it may be a bit difficult to find the one that
would satisfy the Filipinos taste, budget, preferences and lifestyle.
In a flash survey recently conducted, over 80% of respondents revealed
that they want to own a multi-level home. Around 20% of females are
considering a bungalow-type property, and around the same number of
women prefer to live in a townhouse. Meanwhile, majority of those who
want to live in a condominium are male.

1. CONDOMINIUM
A condominium consists of a unit space in a building or a real estate
development. This can either be a studio-type home, or a unit that has
one, two, to three bedrooms. Each unit can be owned by different
owners and have individual condominium titles. As a condo owner, you
share interest and access in the building amenities and other common
areas. These project developments are mostly found in urban cities and
central business districts.
Pros: This is popular for real estate investors who wish to earn rental
income. Condos for rent or sale in cities like Taguig and Makati are
favorites to homebuyers simply because of the convenient living
experience it offers. Shared amenities allow you to enjoy facilities like
swimming pools, gyms, and playgrounds without thinking of
maintenance.
Cons: Location and size plays a key influence on the price of a property,
so expect to pay out a substantial amount when buying one, especially
on a home loan. Condominiums have a lifespan of 50 years, and could
present problems for homebuyers who are looking to live in retirement
in a condo. Monthly association dues could also put a dent on your
household expenses, especially if the price of amenity upkeep increases.
These are the different kinds of popular condos in the country:

MID-RISE

Riverfront Residences by DMCI is a low-density mid-rise condo in Pasig.

This type of condominium can be up to 10 floors high. Mid-rise condos

allow urbanites and professionals working in the city to enjoy the
convenience of condo living and still feel like living in a laid-back
community.

HIGH-RISE

High-rise condos like Clairemont in San Juan are popular for active urbanites.

High-rise condos are prevalent near or within the city center, and are in
proximity to shopping malls, schools, and everything that modern
urbanites need. Residents are usually young and active professionals
and families. It features luxurious and exclusive amenities that are not
usually found in other types of homes.

2. TOWNHOUSE

Townhouses are mostly located in underrated localities in Metro Manila.

Also known as a townhome or a row house, this is a style of housing

where similar homes are in a row and share a common wall.
Best for: Starter families, retirees
Pros: A townhouse can provide the comfort of a house and lot plus the
convenience of condo living. It offers just the right size of living space
per household member. It is less expensive than a house and lot.
Cons: Although most townhouses for sale are well-insulated, residents
will still need to be mindful of the noise to avoid disturbing the
neighbors. Unlike a house and lots, owning a townhouse will limit you to
make home improvements that may threaten the uniformity of the
housing complexs building structure, like solar panel roofs.

3. HOUSE AND LOT

This type of home is the preferred real estate property by Pinoys.
Literally speaking, you will own both the house and the land where it is
built.
Best for: Growing and large families, retirees
Pros: Buying a house and lot for sale gives homeowners more freedom
and space to move around or make home improvements. Owning a
home also provides a sense of privacy not achieved in a condo.
Homeowners association fees are only applicable when your house and
lot is in a gated subdivision.
Cons: A house and lot for sale in a gated subdivision is more expensive,
particularly if located within or near the city centers. It is more highmaintenance than any other types of home in the Philippines because
you will be responsible for maintenance, repairs and improvements. For
homeowners whose homes are built on vast patches of prime land,
youll be paying more taxes as compared to a townhouse or a condo.

SINGLE-ATTACHED

For this type of house and lot, one side of your house is attached or built
directly at the side of your lot. If your house would, there would be a big
space on the right, and vice versa. Usually space at the back and front
exist too. It is similar to a duplex, except units would be side by side
only.

SINGLE-DETACHED

Single detached means that your house is detached from any side of the
lot. Basically, there is an open space on the sides plus the front and
back, and your house is in the middle of the lot.

BUNGALOW

This is simply a single-storey house with all the rooms located in the
same floor, and that is in the ground floor. It is suited for families with
members who have impaired mobility such as your elderly relatives
(i.e. lolo and lola) that will find it difficult to take the stairs.

DUPLEX

This is a single building that contains two housing units. They may be
side by side or up and down, depending on the architectural design.

TRIPLEX

This type of building is similar with the duplex, but instead of two, there
are three housing units in one building.

MULTI-LEVEL

This kind of house and lot for sale is typically the big ones located in
gated subdivisions. Since you own the entire perimeter on the property
plus the house, you can do whatever you want with it.

Housing Typology
The following sheets describe a range of:
physical housing types
Housing characteristics
Housing design considerations

HOUSING TYPES IN OTHER COUNTRIES

1 There are so many different names used to describe buildings
where people live.
2 Housing types according to their physical composition are
basically categorized under two main divisions:

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(A) Free-standing or detached dwellings
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Single detached
(B) Attached or multi-user dwellings
Multi-family residential is a classification of housing where
multiple separate housing units are contained within one building.
The most common form is an apartment building.
Both classes may vary greatly in scale and amount of
accommodation provided.
Although there appear to be many different types, many are
purely matters of style rather than spatial arrangement or
scale.

In this lesson we will study 3 main types of multi-dwelling

accommodations:
1. Small detached buildings containing from 2-8 unites in 1 to 4

floor buildings.
2. Long attached row buildings containing several units in 1 to 4
floors.
3.Large detached building containing huge amounts of unites on
many floors.

What are the alternative arrangements (typology)

residential accommodations in a multi-use building?

of

1. A building comprising two units either side-by-side is typically

considered as semi-detached or twin homes on separate
properties, sharing a wall.
2. By contrast, a duplex house is a dwelling comprising two
units on two different floors.
3. Duplex house are two single dwelling units separated over
two floors, connected by an indoor staircase.
4. Similarly, a triplex house refers to three apartments spread
out over three floors.
5. The term "duplex" can also be extended to four-plex or
quadruplex.
6. Because of the flexibility of the term, there is almost no line
between an apartment building and a duplex.
7. Apartment buildings tending to be bigger, while duplexes
are usually the size of a normal house.
8. Twin house or semi-detached:One building consisting of
two separate "houses", typically side by side, each with separate
entrances and without common inside areas. Each of the two
houses has separate owners.
9. Two-units or Duplex house: A building basically like a
house, built on a house lot, consisting of an apartment taking up
the first floor, and another taking up the second floor.usually a
common basement, a common front entrance, foyer, and stairs to

the second floor, and often a similar back entrance, foyer, and
stairs.
10. Three-units or Triplex:A building similar to the duplex,
except there are three apartments over each other.
11. Four-units or four-plex:A building similar to the duplex,
except there are four apartments. In some cases, the arrangement
of apartments may be different and the lot size may be larger than
that of a regular house.
12. Terraced house or Row house or Townhouses, are houses
attached to any number of other houses.
Each house may have multiple floors, side by side, each with
their
own separate entrances.
Originally associated with the working class.
In many cities terraced housing was favored over the
apartment building.

Row house in the states

A style of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the

late 17th century where a row of identical or mirror-image
houses share side walls.

Row house in the UK

Early example of Row house in Paris

13. Shop-house (mixed use building form):
It consists of shops on the ground floor which open up to a
public in a covered passage, and which has residential
accommodation upstairs.
The shop houses would adjoin each other to form rows with
regular faade.
This mixed use building form characterizes the historical
centre of most towns and cities.
It is vernacular style building type that is commonly seen in
areas such as urban Southeast Asia.
Shop houses were initially occupied by single families, with
their private living areas in an upper space and the public
family business downstairs.
Residential spaces are meant to accommodate one or more
families, or serve as a dormitory for single workers.
The covered walkway along the road is for public use,
providing pedestrians shade from sun and rain.
Units can be arranged over the shops or to the back, with
separate back or side entrances.

14.a

Apartment building

A building with multiple floors containing multiple apartments

on each floor.
Apartment building can range in many sizes, some with only a
few apartments, other with hundreds of apartments on many
floors, or any size in between.
There are often inside hallways and inside entrances to
each apartment

Apartment building (high Rise):

14.bA Tower block, Apartment tower, or Apartment block
Apartment blocks have technical and economic advantages in
areas with high population density.
They have become a well-known form of housing
accommodation in almost all densely populated urban areas
around the world.
In contrast with low-rise and single-family houses, apartment
blocks accommodate more inhabitants per unit of area of
land, and also decrease the cost of public infrastructure.
In recent years, they have become popular with their
excellent views, desirable locations and architectural styles,
and now command high prices.

In Roman Egypt seven-storey buildings existed as early as the 3rd

century AD in local towns such as Hermopolis.
The medieval Egyptian city of Fustat housed many high-rise
residential buildings, some seven stories tall that could
accommodate hundreds of people.

These high-rise apartment buildings and tower blocks were built in

Yemen in the 16th century. They remain the tallest mud brick
buildings in the world.

15. Single Housing types:

1 15.a A penthouse apartment is an apartment which is a
single
2 dwelling that is on the highest floor of an apartment building.
If more than one apartment is on the floor then it is
not a penthouse, it would just be called a top floor flat
or apartment.
These structures do not occupy the entire roof deck.
A Penthouses apartments are typically differentiated
from other apartments by luxury features.
penthouse apartment may have additional exclusive
features not found in the majority of apartments in the
building, such as: a private entrance or elevator, or
higher/vaulted ceilings, having two or more levels, a
swimming pool.

16. Mixed use building:

A building with space for both commercial, business, or office
use, and space for residential use.

 Possible arrangements include the commercial/business use

on the first or first couple floors and one or more apartments
or residential spaces on the upper floors.
Another possibility is to have the commercial/business area up
front and the residential area in the back.
An active pedestrian environment.

PERTINENT HOUSING LAWS BEING USED IN THE

PHILIPPINES

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7279

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND CONTINUING URBAN
DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING PROGRAM, ESTABLISH THE MECHANISM
FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE 957

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