Apartments are quickly becoming a popular accommodation choice among many in Ghana. In our Real Estate Glossary this week, we present you with a few terms that cover the scope of apartments.

Apartment

This can be explained as a room or several rooms forming a suite in a building complex occupied by more than one household, primarily designated as accommodation or sometimes offices. This is sometimes referred to as flats by the British.

Condominium

Commonly known as condos, these are housing units such as apartment complexes and sometimes office buildings where each unit is individually owned with the right to sell or mortgage the unit.

Duplex Apartment

This is an apartment that has rooms on two connecting floors usually linked by an inner staircase. These can go up to a triplex or quadplex apartments, spread over three or four floors, hence are more exclusive and can be quite expensive.

High-rise/Low-rise Apartments

High-rise apartments are those multistory apartment complexes, which usually come with elevators and multiple apartments unit that are usually located in city centers and relatively less expensive than low-rise or mid-rise apartments that are buildings with one or very few stories hence less apartment units.

Loft

These are usually large, unpartitioned floors over a commercial or industrial space converted into apartment residents. It is usually just below the roof of a building with very few or no walls.

Serviced Apartment

These are apartments that are lightly furnished with typical daily amenities like cooking utensils for short or long term stays and available cleaning services usually included in the rent costs.  These are sometimes referred to as apartment hotels.

Suite

This is simply a group of things that can be used together.  In an apartment complex however, a suite is described as a string of connected rooms used as a living unit.  This is typically more spacious than other rooms in the complex.

Penthouse

This is an apartment/flat, or house located on the top floor or the roof of a building complex.   These are typically the luxury units of the apartment complex and come with a terrace and other extras typically not found in the other apartment units.

References:

thefreedictionary.com

oxforddictionaries.com

telegraph.co.uk