Condo or Townhome Near Rochester? What We'd Ask Before Picking a Shade

Start with two questions. How many sides of your home get daylight? And what can the neighbors see? In a condo or townhome, every window counts. Light-filtering shades are the usual starting point. They keep daylight and block the view in. A side window facing a neighbor may need more privacy. Your HOA may set the look from outside. And one big window wall often needs a plan of its own.

Why are condos and townhomes different at the windows?

Fewer windows and closer neighbors, for starters. Then add rules about how the outside looks.

A detached house might have windows on four sides. A townhome often has two. A condo sometimes has just one. So each window has a bigger job. It has to light the whole space and still keep the home private.

Attached homes are a growing part of life around Rochester:

• Rochester built 639 townhome units and 8,547 multi-family units between 2015 and 2026, KTTC reported in September 2026. City housing staff said the city needs about 14,000 more homes over the next ten years.
• In northwest Rochester, the Pebble Creek development plans 900 to 960 new homes, the Post Bulletin reports. That includes 82 townhomes in the northeast corner of the site.
• In Byron, the Post Bulletin reported in 2025 that the Stone Haven Townhomes subdivision was still growing. Byron went from 6,312 people in the 2020 Census to an estimated 6,740 in 2025, per the U.S. Census Bureau.
• Pine Island added 14 lots zoned for townhomes in 2024. Kasson built a 47-unit apartment building in 2023. A 50-unit complex is planned next door.

That's a lot of new shared-wall living. So what would we want to know about yours?

How many sides of your home get daylight?

This comes first because it shapes everything else.

One side (many condos). All your daylight comes through one wall. Don't block it. Light-filtering shades are almost always the answer. Even in the bedroom, think twice before going fully dark on your only light source.

Two sides (many townhomes). Usually front and back. Now you can split the jobs. The front might handle privacy while the back handles light.

Three sides (end units). The side wall is a bonus. It's also often the window closest to a neighbor. More on that below.

Then add which way each side faces:

• South: the most winter sun. Glare on sunny snow days.
• North: steady, soft light. Cold glass in January.
• East: a bright morning and early light in bedrooms.
• West: afternoon glare, then an early dark in winter.

Write it down. Two lines per wall: which way it faces and what it looks at.

Is there a window that looks straight at a neighbor?

In attached homes, this is a very common privacy problem. Maybe it's a side window on an end unit. Maybe it's a back window facing the next building across a narrow courtyard. Or a bathroom window that lines up with the neighbor's kitchen.

What we'd ask:

• Is the view in from the same height? From above? From below?
• Do you use this room during the day, at night or both?
• Do you need the light from this window, or just the privacy?

Where the answers lead:

• Neighbor at the same height, light needed: a light-filtering shade. Or a style that lowers from the top so you keep sky light and cover the lower half.
• Neighbor above you: you may need full coverage. A sheer or top-lowered shade won't help when they're looking down.
• Privacy only, light not important: a room-darkening shade or a heavier fabric.

Bathrooms need their own plan. In many townhomes the bathroom window is small and high. It's often close to the next unit. Privacy has to work at all hours, including at night with the light on. A light-filtering fabric that hides shapes can do the job. So can a top-lowered shade that keeps the bottom half closed. Pick a fabric that handles steam well.

Stairway and hallway windows are easy to forget. They often face the neighbor's entry or the street. And they glow at night when the hall light is on.

What does your association say about the look from outside?

Many townhome and condo associations have rules on what you can see from outside. Some ask for a certain color on the street side, often white or a neutral. Some have rules on drapery liners or blinds.

The Minnesota Attorney General's Office has a short guide called Condominium and Townhome Associations. It was last revised in August 2025. It points to the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act, found in Chapter 515B of state law. Association boards can make rules on things like the community's appearance. The guide also urges buyers to review the governing documents carefully before buying.

What we'd ask:

• Does your HOA have a rule on window covering color from outside?
• Is there a rule on materials or styles?
• Do you need approval before you change anything?

There's an upside. Many shades have a neutral backing that faces the street. So you can pick almost any color for the room side and still meet a rule on the outside look. Ask to see the back of every sample.

Do you have one big window wall, or a few small windows?

Newer townhomes and condos often have one dramatic wall of glass in the main living space. Older units tend to have several standard windows.

One big window wall:

• It's the main light source, so light-filtering is usually the base.
• It's also where January cold and afternoon glare come in.
• Wide spans may work better as a few matching shades side by side. That's easier to use every day than one huge shade.
• If the wall includes a sliding door, plan for a covering that clears the door path.

A few small windows:

• Keep them light. Small windows plus heavy coverings make a dark room.
• Match them. One look across small windows makes the room feel bigger.
• Inside mounts keep the trim visible and the wall uncluttered.

How do you keep a small space bright and private at the same time?

This is the big trade-off in shared-wall living. Three common choices, side by side:

A few points to keep in mind:

• Day and night privacy are different. By day, a light-filtering fabric hides most of what's inside. At night with the lamps on, shapes can show. If a room faces a close neighbor and you use it at night, plan a second layer or a heavier fabric.
• Layering helps in small homes. A light-filtering shade plus a drapery panel gives you two settings without clutter.
• Keep the palette tight. In a small home, three or four different window treatments can look busy. One family of fabrics feels calmer.

For a side-by-side look at styles and fabrics, browse the Budget Blinds shades overview.

What about bedrooms on a shared-wall floor plan?

Townhome bedrooms often sit at the front or back of the unit. Some face a parking area or a walkway. A few things to think through:

• Parking lot and walkway lights. These stay on all night. A bedroom facing them often needs room-darkening or blackout.
• Early sun. Rochester's June sunrise comes around 5:27 a.m., per U.S. Naval Observatory tables. East bedrooms get it first.
• Daytime sleepers. If anyone works nights or early shifts, a truly dark bedroom matters. Aim for blackout fabric plus a fit that limits light at the edges.
• Winter cold. Bedroom windows on an exposed end wall can feel cold. A cellular shade adds a layer at the glass.

If warmth is your main concern, our comparison of single, double and blackout cellular shades for Rochester winters goes deeper.

What changes for attached homes in a Rochester winter?

Shared walls help in winter. The neighbor's heated unit on the other side acts like a buffer. That leaves your windows as the main cold surfaces in the home.

Rochester winters test them. The National Weather Service puts the city's normal January low at 7 degrees. On those nights, a big window wall or an end-unit side window is where you feel the chill.

What we'd ask:

• End unit or inside unit? End units have an extra outside wall and often an extra window. That window tends to be the coldest one.
• Which rooms feel drafty near the glass? Those windows are first in line for a cellular shade.
• Does a parking lot or open lawn face your windows? Fresh snow on a flat lot can throw a lot of glare into a first-floor unit on a sunny morning.
• When do the lights go on? In early December, Rochester's sun sets at 4:32 p.m. Every lit window that faces a neighbor is on view from dinner on.

The winter routine is simple. Lower the shades at dusk to hold warmth in and keep the view out. Raise the sunny-side shades in the morning so the low sun can help. In a small home, two minutes of that each day makes a real difference.

Where do the answers usually point?

After those questions, many attached homes end up with a plan like this:

1. Main living space: light-filtering shades with a neutral back. Match them across all windows.
2. Side window facing a neighbor: a top-lowered style or a heavier fabric. It depends on the angle of the view.
3. Bedrooms: room-darkening or blackout. That goes double if they face parking or walkways.
4. Bathroom: privacy first, with a fabric that handles moisture.
5. Big window wall or slider: its own plan. Often that's a few matched shades or a covering that clears the door.

Not every home fits the pattern. That's why we ask first. Your floor plan, your neighbors and your HOA all shape the answer.

Scale matters, too. In a small home, one wrong choice is easy to feel. A shade that's too dark on the only living room window makes the whole place gloomy. A sheer on a bathroom that faces a neighbor is a daily annoyance. Ten minutes with these questions is time well spent.

What should you ask your HOA before you order?

Save yourself a do-over. Get answers to these before you choose anything:

• Is there a required color for the outside-facing side of window coverings?
• Are any styles or materials not allowed?
• Do you need written approval before installing?
• Are there rules on what installers can do in shared hallways or common areas?
• Who do you contact with questions?

If the rules aren't clear, the Attorney General's guide points to a CIC Ombudsperson at the Minnesota Department of Commerce. That office can explain commonly used provisions in plain language.

One more thing for the coldest months. In a tight newer unit, moisture can build up at the glass on below-zero nights. See frost or water at the bottom of your windows? Our myths and facts guide to frost inside Rochester windows explains what to do with your shades on those nights.

Ready to sort out your space? We come to homes in Rochester and Byron. We also serve Kasson, Stewartville and other nearby towns. We'll bring samples for each window and work within your HOA's rules. We're a local, independent team, and we're glad to answer questions first. Book your free consultation when it suits you.

Kevin Sill is CFO and co-owner of the family-owned Budget Blinds franchises serving Rochester and southeast Minnesota.