Buildings and property types

Terraced house (řadový dům)

In Czech: Řadový dům

A terraced house (řadový dům) is a family house forming part of a continuous row of similar houses and sharing one or two side walls with its neighbours. It usually has its own entrance, its own plot and a smaller garden.

Also called: townhouse, row house, řadový dům, řadovka

What it means

A terraced house (řadový dům) stands in a row with other similar houses and is joined to its neighbours by shared side walls. End-of-terrace houses have one free wall and a neighbour on one side only; mid-terrace houses are attached on both sides. Each house usually has its own entrance, a small front garden and a garden at the back.

Terraced housing sits between a flat and a detached house. You have the house and land to yourself, though on a smaller footprint, and the shared walls mean less external wall area through which the house loses heat.

How it works in the Czech Republic

In Czechia a terraced house is typically a separate building with its own descriptive number (číslo popisné), and under the Civil Code a building is part of the land it stands on. You therefore buy the house together with the parcel beneath it and often a separate garden parcel. The title deed (list vlastnictví) shows which parcels belong to the house.

Newer terraced developments often have a shared access road, parking area or playground. These may be co-owned by the house owners or belong to the developer or the municipality. Find out who owns the road and who maintains it, since access to your house and future costs depend on it.

Shared walls also mean shared concerns: noise from neighbours, connected roofs and gutters, and building works that may affect the house next door. Before a larger renovation, talk to the neighbours and check the conditions with the building office (stavební úřad).

Practical example

For example, a young family is choosing between an end-of-terrace and a mid-terrace house in the same development. The end house has garden on three sides and one shared wall; the middle one shares walls on both sides and has a garden only at the back. The title deed shows that the access road is co-owned by all the owners in the row, so the purchase includes a co-ownership share (spoluvlastnický podíl) in the road.

What to watch out for

  • Check the title deed for the parcel under the house, the garden and any share in a common road.
  • Ask who owns and maintains the access road and parking spaces.
  • Test the sound insulation of shared walls, ideally with an evening viewing.
  • Find out whether the houses share a roof, gutters or utility connections.

Frequently asked questions

Do I buy the land with a terraced house?

Usually yes, because the building is part of the land it stands on. Still check all parcels on the title deed, as the garden or the road may be separate plots.

What is the difference between a terraced house and a dvojdům?

A dvojdům is just two houses joined by one shared wall. A terraced house is part of a longer row, and mid-terrace houses share walls on both sides.

Is an end-of-terrace house better than a mid-terrace one?

It depends on your priorities. An end house often has a larger garden and more windows; a mid-terrace house has less external wall through which heat escapes.

On Lovec-Realit.cz

  • Family house (rodinný dům)A family house (rodinný dům) is a building intended mainly for one or a few households, either detached or attached to neighbouring houses. It is usually sold together with the land, of which the building is legally a part.
  • Semi-detached house (dvojdům)A semi-detached house (dvojdům) is a pair of family houses joined by one shared wall, often mirror images of each other. Each half can be a separate building on its own plot or a unit in one divided building.
  • Access road (přístupová cesta)An access road (přístupová cesta) is the route from a public road or street to a plot or house. What matters is who owns it and on what basis you may use it, for example ownership, a co-ownership share or an easement.
  • Co-ownership share (spoluvlastnický podíl)A co-ownership share (spoluvlastnický podíl) expresses the extent to which a co-owner shares in the whole property, such as 1/2 or 1/4 of a house or plot. It is not a specific room or piece of land.
  • Title deed (list vlastnictví)A title deed (list vlastnictví, LV) is the land register sheet that shows, for one cadastral area, who owns which properties and what burdens them, such as mortgages, easements or a pending change of ownership.
  • Building plot (stavební pozemek)A building plot (stavební pozemek) is, under the Czech Building Act, a plot, part of a plot or a group of plots defined and designated for building. Whether you may really build on it depends mainly on the municipal zoning plan.

Sources

Laws and official pages this text is based on (in Czech).

This text is for information only and has not yet been checked by a legal or financial expert. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Verify important details in the listed sources or with a professional.

Updated 25 October 2026

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