So you’re looking for a new place to call your home, and after looking at the general market, you see that the two main type of residential properties available to you are either houses, or apartments. Both have great choices to choose from, but what it comes down to is which one is best suited to you? Everyone has different needs, expectations and budgets to guide their choice in property, but which one is the best for you and is the best value? We will compare houses and apartments to help you narrow down your search for your perfect home.
Cost
Houses are usually much larger in size than apartments and can have spaces not found in the latter, such as gardens and garages. However, due to their size, houses are usually more expensive and costly to maintain. Smaller spaces would logically have smaller utilities bills and lower maintenance costs. In the same area, houses would likely be more expensive to purchase or rent, but this is obviously dependent on the condition of the properties. Whilst apartments may have lower utility bills on the whole, they are usually subject to dues that a house wouldn’t be – think monthly fees to maintain the building lifts, common areas, visitor management system and pay for the guard’s and cleaners salaries.
Lifestyle
Your lifestyle has a big say in the property you would need. Smaller apartments would be more reasonable for those living alone or couples, especially if they are located in more accessible locations such as downtown where there would likely be less houses available. However, if you have children, an apartment may not be an idea place for them due to its restricted spaces, and proximity to neighbours. Having babies crying or loud kids running around in enclosed spaces could be enough to draw the ire of even the most tolerant of neighbours.
Security
As mentioned before, many apartments have some sort of security, be it a guard or at the very least security cameras. This is usually already more than your average house, so if you value security highly, apartments could be for you. Usually, apartments located on higher floors make it more difficult to break in, giving it an added bit of security. Houses, however can have a lot of entry points, and are usually not et up with alarms or camera, making them easier targets.
Amenities
In a city, for example, unless you are relatively wealthy, you likely wouldn’t have a swimming pool or gym in your house. Apartments however, often have communal amenities free for the residents use, which can save a lot not only on membership, but also time and travel costs.
As you can see there are many things to consider when choosing between a house or an apartment. None are clearly better than the other, it just ultimately depends on your needs.
