How To Decide Between Buying A House Vs An Apartment

Once you’ve settled into adulthood, the next natural step is for you to invest in a stable future. This entails having your own home or buying a house vs an apartment.

Now that we know what the next biggest step for you is, how do you choose between a house and an apartment? The answer is pretty simple and its explained here with these laid out cases for how an apartment compares to a house and their advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages Of An Apartment Over A House

• Maintenance

Apartments come with contractual costs that are covered by the building corporate. Ticking off a big worry of leaking pipes, especially if you’ve rented out your apartment or are out of town.

With houses, you’ve to worry about maintenance costs, finding handymen, and arranging for parts and pieces.

• Amenities

Choosing a house comes with finding a common point from where you can get to the local library, pool, community club etc. While choosing an apartment, building corporates sell you on the common room, swimming pool, communal barbeques, a gym, covered parking, and a security system. Choosing an apartment means access to a variety of local and joint amenities that don’t come with buying a house.

• Perfect For Living Alone

Apartments are an ideal choice for financially stable and independent people who prefer to live alone. Other than being your own little space, apartments give a feeling of independence while being compact. A house, on the other hand, is detached, big, and hard to manage for single people.

• Dealing With Bills

Coming with amenities and contractual maintenance costs, apartment living also costs less in terms of utilities. These utilities can be heating, cooling, and others such as water and electricity. This can help with budgeting or dealing with renter complaints when you plan on renting out your space. While a house has a separate setup for amenities, utilities, and bills- which can get exhausting for single people.

Disadvantages Of An Apartment Over A House

While there are advantages to buying an apartment over a house, there are also disadvantages related to living space, parking space, and some other things.

• Smaller Living Space

The first and foremost disadvantage of apartments is that they’re generally smaller than the average house. The smaller space means less space to clean, more privacy, but apartments are still compact and not as spacious as a   house. A house comes with outdoor space other than a balcony, space for a clothing rack, lawn chairs, rose buds and even a porch or lawn swing, features you don’t get with an apartment.

• Noise

Apartment living is compact and comes with packed living spaces. This means there’s no noise barrier from your neighbors. While a house is a separate living area,   has open space and offers an escape into a noise-free living unlike in apartments.

• Personalisation

Because most apartments are owned or overseen by a landlord or body corporate, the extent to which you can decorate and personalize your apartment is potentially limited. Some common restrictions include being able to repaint, replace or change fittings and the installation of air conditioning if the apartment doesn’t already have it. On the other hand, if you own a home you can redecorate to your heart’s content!

• Parking

Parking spaces in your house can be adjusted, normally with enough space for at least two cars, but apartments lack this facility. Incorporate buildings, each apartment is allotted one parking space and that too in the basement or in an outside parking. Settling in your guests or even getting something out of the car is a hassle when you live in an apartment instead of a house.

Ultimately, the choice between buying an apartment or a house comes down to your personal preferences. With both, you own your own space and you choose according to factors that attract you. Before making a choice, think about which dwelling sings to your preferences. Think about your lifestyle, and then be sure to make a decision.