Cluster house the same as a semi detached?

DiseasedBunny

So it’s a flat, then....

JGB1955

DiseasedBunny said:

So it’s a flat, then....

except it's on two floors, so more like a duplex.

davidmcn

fira said:

Known in Glasgow as a four-in-a-block. I've lived in one for many years (upper quarter, right). My contents insurance is always easy i.e. under property details I choose 'apartment' then 'first floor'. The four homes are factored and buildings insurance for our block is arranged by the factoring agents.

No, that's a flat (which like I said on the other thread is the more normal four in a block set-up found in Scotland). Think "back-to-back semi" for what the OP is talking about. 

Exile28

Okay I've spoken with two separate insures and they have both said it would be classed as terraced. Thanks everyone for your help.

Edit: just spoke with a third and they class it as semi detached. So the short answer seems to be different insurance companies class it differently; but it's most likely to be classed as terraced...

fira

davidmcn said:

fira said:

Known in Glasgow as a four-in-a-block. I've lived in one for many years (upper quarter, right). My contents insurance is always easy i.e. under property details I choose 'apartment' then 'first floor'. The four homes are factored and buildings insurance for our block is arranged by the factoring agents.

No, that's a flat (which like I said on the other thread is the more normal four in a block set-up found in Scotland). Think "back-to-back semi" for what the OP is talking about. 

Apologies davidmcn I meant to quote Exile28's comment in my reply i.e. 'A quarter house is not a bad description. Imagine a large house split into four quarter homes (each with their own stairs, bathroom, kitchen, entrance). The house was built like this and hasn't been converted'.

I do indeed live in a flat and very happy to do so. Perhaps the insurance companies are trying to be a bit posh always describing them as apartments. This building was constructed in 1928 and is a lot stronger and spacious than those put up in recent years. If ever move to the ground floor here or in a neighbouring building I'd enjoy having a front and back door.

Sandtree

fira said:

davidmcn said:

fira said:

Known in Glasgow as a four-in-a-block. I've lived in one for many years (upper quarter, right). My contents insurance is always easy i.e. under property details I choose 'apartment' then 'first floor'. The four homes are factored and buildings insurance for our block is arranged by the factoring agents.

No, that's a flat (which like I said on the other thread is the more normal four in a block set-up found in Scotland). Think "back-to-back semi" for what the OP is talking about. 

Apologies davidmcn I meant to quote Exile28's comment in my reply i.e. 'A quarter house is not a bad description. Imagine a large house split into four quarter homes (each with their own stairs, bathroom, kitchen, entrance). The house was built like this and hasn't been converted'.

I do indeed live in a flat and very happy to do so. Perhaps the insurance companies are trying to be a bit posh always describing them as apartments. This building was constructed in 1928 and is a lot stronger and spacious than those put up in recent years. If ever move to the ground floor here or in a neighbouring building I'd enjoy having a front and back door.

The being split into 4 quarters depends on how its done... if you split the floor plan into 4 so each person has their own front door, own the building from foundations to roof then that most likely would fall under the definition of a terrace just that rather than left and right being the party walls you instead have left and back being the party walls.

What your description suggests is that rather the floor plan being quartered you have divided the front into quarters so you have two properties occupying the lower half of the building and two properties occupying the upper half of the building. In this case most will describe these as flats, duplexes or maisonettes not houses because you dont have full vertical ownership of the property. There are no strict definitions but duplexes tend to be flats over more than one level whereas maisonettes are duplexes that have their own door to the street rather than access via shared corridors etc. 

Our building is rather odd but after discussion with our insurer we finally agreed the bottom units are all maisonettes, the middle layer are flats and the top layer are duplexes