Good Quality Town Houses and Duplexes are above average in quality of both materials and workmanship. Considerable attention is given to the front elevation to distinguish one unit from another. The floor plan is usually from stock plans but includes some custom interior features.
Good Quality is our term for a town house, which is above average. Such a house could have easily been Rank 4, on a scale of 1 to 6, with Low Quality equal to Rank 1, Fair Quality equal to Rank 2, etc. It is just the next level in cost for residential housing. Good-quality town homes are typical of the upper middle class or move-up type development. From the exterior, they frequently resemble the Very-Good Town Houses, but usually with less detail and workmanship in the interior.
This quality cost level could easily be Average Quality or Very-Good Quality in your area. The most important matter is where the cost lies for the home that is being appraised.
Older town homes may require a plus adjustment for plaster interiors and at the same time a minus adjustment for the lack of current energy (insulation) standards. While some may have added trim and built-in features, other items such as kitchen cabinetry and mechanical items will be deficient by today's standards.
Many town homes or duplexes may require more than a casual view to determine the construction class, and an inspection must be made of the interior for reliable determination of quality. However, the experienced appraiser will notice the details of workmanship, design and exterior finish materials, which often indicate the quality to be found inside.
Some items which affect the cost and which may be observed from the exterior are roof pitch and type. Costs of shed, gable, and hip roofs generally ascend in that order. Typically, a cut-up roof requires more labor and materials than a simply designed roof.
Eave soffits and gutters, or their absence, and the trim and ornamentation should be observed, as well as the quantity and quality of fenestration.
In most cases, the interior improvements will be commensurate with the exterior, but even when they are not, the exterior design and finish have a great effect on the cost.
Summary: Fenestration, roof pitch, design, materials, and workmanship are the major indicators of cost from an exterior view. Fireplaces, porches and appliances are separate items not considered in the quality of the house, although they may be indicative of the quality of other structural items. Interiors may not conform to the exterior quality. The costs included in this program are derived from construction costs of many buildings and are medians of cost ranges.
The following will further describe building components at this quality of construction.
Foundation: Concrete perimeter foundation with continuous foundation or piers under interior bearing walls.
Floor Structure: Wood structure and subfloor or concrete slab on grade for ground level, all upper floors are wood structure and subfloor.
Floor Cover: Floor cover is not included in the base residence cost. Floor covering includes carpet, hardwood, and vinyl composition tile or sheet. The floor cover allowance is a weighting of those typically found at this quality, and can be used if floor cover is not itemized.
Exterior Wall: Well-designed fenestration using a good-grade sash. Framing can be either wood or steel studs.
Roof: Wood or steel structure and sheathing.
Interior Finish: Walls and ceilings are well-finished drywall. Some ceilings can be sprayed and some walls can be wallpapered. Common partition wall with adjacent units will have some sound-deadening attributes. Cabinets in kitchen are hardwood or hardwood veneer. Cabinet tops are ceramic tile or laminated plastic. Bedroom closets are walk-in or full-size wardrobe with sliding doors. Interior doors are good quality, hollow-core slab or panel. Base and casing are well-finished softwood.
Note: Base interior wall height is 8'. For each foot of variation, the program will add to or deduct from the base cost only, 4% for all masonry exterior walls including masonry veneers and 3% for frame exterior walls.
Electrical: Adequate number of convenience outlets and some luminous fixtures in kitchen and bath.
Plumbing: The default at this quality is eight white or colored, good-quality plumbing fixtures and one plumbing rough-in are included in the base cost. The fixtures can include any of the following: water heater, toilet, lavatory, tub, tub with shower over, tiled stall shower, laundry tray, kitchen sink. Adjustments should be used for any deviation from eight fixtures and a rough-in.
Built-in Appliances: None are included in the base residence cost. The built-in appliance allowance is a weighting of those typically found at this quality level, and can be used when appliances are not itemized.
Fireplaces: None are included in the basic residence cost.
Porches and Balconies: Similar to the basic residence in both quality of materials and workmanship, porches and balconies are priced per square foot of floor area.
Unfinished Basement: Costs are inclusive of poured concrete or concrete block walls, concrete slab, floor drains, the necessary columns and beams to support the living area above, and a minimum number of electrical outlets.
Basement Finish: As an additive cost to an unfinished basement, costs are provided for two degrees of finish: minimal and partitioned. The minimal finish is typical of game rooms and the partitioned finish is somewhat similar in both quality of materials and workmanship to that of the base residence.
Garage: Garage costs include a reinforced concrete slab floor, an overhead door and electrical lighting, all of which conform to the residence in both quality and construction.