Wednesday, 12 October 2011

A Dandy List Of Descriptive Real Estate Terms, Part 2

By Edward French


When buying or selling a home, you have to be conversant with different descriptive real estate terms, though if you aren't, that's why we have another article for you. Here are even more terms you may want to be familiar with and their definitions.

Differentiating Living Room and Family Room

It is easy to determine which is which if you have both a living room and a family room. It used to be that when an ad mentioned a family room, we could assume it also had a living room. Now some builders are building houses with something akin to the first use of "Great Room" above and calling it the "Family Room" on the floor plan. Heaven help me, I'm getting behind in the times! I suppose in the new builder speak we should just think of the room as an informal family living room.

Patio and Terrace

These are both outdoor areas that have some sort of pavement, usually made of slate or brick. One thing to remember here is that the patio is parallel to the ground. A terrace would have the ground adjacent to it, and this could be higher, lower or both.

Meaning of Solarium, Sun Room or Florida Room

Really, there isn't much - these are all used to describe any room that has three sides with a lot of windows to let in the sun. Many times these areas also have skylights. Apparently the choice of what to call this particular room is based on personal choice. Gardening aficionados like myself appreciate rooms like this, as this where I would place my winter plants if the weather gets freezing, so as to allow exposure to sunlight.

What is a Jack and Jill Bath?

Simply a bathroom with two doors. Make that a bathroom that is usually right between two bedrooms, having a door to each of them. Sometimes the doors are into a bedroom and into a hallway.

What's the Difference Between Waterfront and Water View?

Waterfront property, sometimes called lakefront or ocean front, is property with frontage on the water. Would you believe the property line can sometimes go into the water? Conversely, water view would allow you to see the water from your property. Don't get us wrong, the view can often be breathtaking. Sometimes it means the water can be seen from one upstairs window when the leaves are off the trees! You may want to avoid the possibility of having your view blocked by new structures by having some protection - keep this in mind if you want to enjoy the water view on a consistent basis.

Knowing the gobbledygook that makes real estate so interesting can keep you well in the thick of things. This article is just one of the many you can find on our site if you're looking for some quick and painless definitions!




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