Apartment or house, which is better? A couple of decades ago, life in the city was characterized by a higher level of comfort than in a private house. Everything has changed with the spread of autonomous engineering equipment, the improvement of telecommunications technologies, the growth of motorization, the appearance of new construction materials, and, in general, the improvement of the welfare of the population. Today, comfort in a house is often higher than in an apartment and is complemented by an eco-friendly environment, its plot, independence from public utilities – well in some locations.
We spent about 15 years, give or take, living in an apartment setting. We had a brief time of living in a house when my eldest two were still young, then we moved back to an apartment, and are now, once again, in a home with land and a garage for the husband to putter around in.
There are significant cost differences, but it also depends on what you and your family value most and find important to manage your day-to-day life. For example, you can look at Mason City homes for sale and compare prices for an apartment. Which is better: a house or an apartment? Let’s think about it.
Each of these options has its pros and cons. Firstly, all people are different, everyone has their habits and preferences. And what one person considers a virtue for another can turn out to be a serious disadvantage. Many citizens are vaguely aware of the specifics of living in a private house, especially if you happen to be miles from the city. Meanwhile, an apartment can provide your family with various opportunities to meet the needs of life in an urban setting.
The Pros and Cons
When considering a choice, we have to weigh which benefits are mandatory, and which ones can be sacrificed. The most significant of them are:
- Do you have sufficient living space for the family? Is it important for each family member to have their own separate room? Is it important to have a yard where you can relax and your children can play?
- Is an environmentally-friendly environment a priority? Do you want to live without the hustle and bustle of traffic, fresh air, perhaps near a forest or a reservoir?
- Walking accessibility to the benefits of civilization? Do you need to be close to local shops, pharmacies, clinics, entertainment, schools, after-school clubs, nightlife, etc.?
- Conditions for a social life. Do you need to be close to restaurants, coffee shops, theaters, in order to have a social life with friends and relatives?
- Ability to get to and from your workplace. Can you easily get to work from your home in the suburbs or would it be beneficial for you to have an apartment in town where you could walk to work each day?
- Home security. Is your apartment complex safe? Do you live in a gated community? Have a doorman who screens guests entering an apartment building? Will your home be protected in your absence?
- The cost of maintenance. Will you be able to manage the cost of home repairs, plumbing issues, upkeep of the property, and utilities that go along with owning a home – or would you rather an all-inclusive apartment building where all your repairs are done by a maintenance team, and utilities are (usually) included in your rental amount?
In addition, each family, as a rule, has its additional requirements for living conditions, depending on the composition, as well as the professions, age, habits, etc. of its members. The question of the costs (money and time) for the maintenance of housing and transportation also needs to be factored into the plans.
Personal Space
If we talk about satisfaction in personal space, then there is sufficient internal space in the house. Each of the family members is provided with his room, you can arrange a dining room, an office, a winter garden, etc. If there are many children in the family and/or it consists of several generations, then in this case high comfort of living is possible only in the house. In a city apartment, the same conditions are achievable only for a family of 3-4 people, provided there are 4-5 comfortable rooms. However, it should be taken into account — the larger the house, the more expensive it will cost to maintain it.
Comfort
When thinking about comfort, it is usually taken into account that your neighbors will be quiet with the occasional lawnmower at 8 a.m., but it will be peaceful sleeping at night without the busy sounds of the city. In an apartment, usually due to poor sound insulation, you can hear everything that happens with your neighbors. However, if you opt for a house you need to ensure that your neighbors are not causing problems with others or – as one of our neighbors does – shoots off illegal fireworks at random hours of the night. The first year we were in our home, we loved it, there were no issues. The past two years; however, our neighbor thinks it’s perfectly fine to shoot fireworks off for no apparent reason. This violates county laws as well as scares the living daylights out of my granddaughter and our dog, and causes severe PTSD episodes to the gentleman who lives directly across the street from him.
Conclusion
The conclusion is, it depends on your needs and those of your family, and what is important to you. You need to prioritize and decide what is important for you. Do you need to be able to get around easily without a vehicle? Then an apartment in the city might be best. Do you want comfort or the freedom to pick up and leave whenever you want? Do you want a garage with a plot of land to putter around on? The choice is totally up to you.
