Chattel house

The term goes back to the plantation days when the home owners would buy houses designed to move from one property to another.

This system was necessary historically because home "owners" typically did not own the land that their house was set on.

As such, the house may look as though different sections are at slightly different heights or in a different pattern due to each part being constructed at different stages.

[3] The front façades tend to be symmetrical, with the door in centre flanked by a window (equally spaced), on each side.

[1] Although the term is strongly associated with Barbados, it is also used as a legal term in other countries including Trinidad (e.g. CHAPTER 59:54 LAND TENANTS ACT[4] and Maharaj v. Constance 1981[5]), the British Virgin Islands (see section 6(3) of the Small Tenements Act (Cap 73)), and other islands.