Those who participate in cohousing have their own home and share some common areas. This can range from a garden to a shared kitchen, a coworking space, a laundry room or even a sauna or swimming pond. Cohousing is therefore not a synonym of coliving, where you rent a room in a larger house.
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Eef Tanghe, manager of Cohousing Projects, has also noticed that interest in cohousing initiatives is increasing. ‘Cohousers buy a residential unit in a larger communal area and the purchase price of the home also includes a share in the communal part. Just like when purchasing an apartment,’ she says.
An association of co-owners is therefore also established to manage and maintain the common parts.
For the budget of a terraced house, a cohousing project adds several large communal areas.
That communal part often consists of a garden and a collective building or – in the case of apartments – a collective floor. “Collective functions are housed there that every co-owner can use, such as a kitchen, laundry room, co-working space, guest room, bicycle shed, studio, etc.,” says Tanghe. ‘These communal areas make the residential units more compact.’
What are the advantages?
‘Purchasing a home in a cohousing is not very different from purchasing a residential home. The benefits are more likely to be found in the collective process, which means that the total price tag of cohousing can be cheaper in the long term,” says Kristophe Thijs of the real estate agents’ federation CIB Flanders. “Buyers get more value for their money because of the common areas,” said Tanghe. ‘While they could buy a terraced house with their budget, with a cohousing project they gain some large communal areas.’
In addition to the common areas, the co-owners also share other things, which allows them to save costs. ‘In many of our projects, fire insurance, internet subscriptions, barbecues, washing machines, garden furniture and a whole host of other things are shared. Cohousers are also part of a community, so they can quickly contact each other if they need something one-off, such as camping gear. Many residents also pass on their children’s second-hand clothes or bicycles to each other,’ says Tanghe.
‘Arranging collective childcare and carpooling is also possible,’ says Thijs. ‘Many cohousing communities regularly eat together – the costs for the dishes are then shared. All these factors make life cheaper and easier. Communal living always produces an economic benefit in the long term, provided of course that the community gets along well with each other. Because the biggest advantage of cohousing can also become its biggest disadvantage when tensions arise.’
The biggest advantage of a cohousing project can also become its biggest disadvantage: when tensions arise.
In addition to the economic benefits of the common areas and sharing certain things, cohousing is also good for the environment – after all, more space is freed up for green zones. Moreover, there is a large social aspect to it and cohousers have more surface area. “Instead of a terrace of a few square meters with a garbage can and a laundry rack, cohousers can enjoy themselves in a large garden and communal living areas,” says Thijs.
How much is it?
The cost price for homes in a cohousing project also depends greatly on the location. “Our cheapest project is in Lokeren,” says Tanghe. ‘There you pay around 320,000 euros for a family home with three bedrooms, including the share in the communal parts. In one of our more expensive projects, in Merelbeke, a similar home costs between 550,000 and 600,000 euros.’
In addition, there are common costs, which are usually between 50 and 100 euros per month. ‘These costs usually remain limited because the residents roll up their sleeves themselves. For example, some cohousing organizations organize job days on which everyone carries out a task that suits him or her. In addition, the residents themselves choose which costs – such as those for a cleaner or gardener – are incurred,” says Tanghe. ‘Everyone is responsible for their share of the common areas. If something breaks and needs to be repaired, there is usually a limited additional cost.’
Is a home in a cohousing project easy to sell afterwards?
“Every home is salable, but interest in cohousing is generally limited in our country, especially if you compare it with the traditional real estate market,” says Thijs. ‘Limited interest also means a limited number of prospective buyers, which makes the home more difficult to sell than a traditional home. With consequences for pricing.’
Cohousing remains a marginal phenomenon on the housing market for the time being. ‘As a result, there sometimes seems to be less interest in these types of homes. But that’s not right,” Tanghe qualifies. ‘A large group of people consciously look for a home in a cohousing project, which means that we often find a potential buyer even before the property comes up for sale. Homes are therefore often resold at a surplus value.’