Before buying real estate, people have a choice: either an apartment in a high-rise building, or a house in the country. Today we will try to figure out what is better – an apartment or a house: consider the pros and cons of both options, give a summary table with a comparison of the main parameters – a link.
Advantages and disadvantages of apartments
Apartment buildings are usually built in residential areas and the city center, less often on the outskirts. Apartments in them come in different sizes, but on average it is 50-100 m².
Advantages of apartments
Cheap maintenance. If you look at what is more profitable in terms of maintenance costs, the apartment wins. 3a repair of communal communications is the responsibility of the management company.
Developed infrastructure. Apartments are popular in large cities. Near c apartment buildings build kindergartens, clinics, schools, hospitals and other important social facilities. For example, you can go to kindergarten and school in one area, and then go to college in the same city, but in another area. Also, there are more stores, ATMs, entertainment venues, malls – there is always somewhere to go in the evening or on weekends.
Lack of cleaning duties. The yard is usually cleaned by a janitor, the floors and walls in the entrances are also cleaned by janitors. You don’t have to do it yourself: just pay the management company, and they will pay the workers. If a bench, children’s swings or something else breaks in the yard – it is also enough to go to the manager, and not to repair everything yourself.
The high level of security. You can argue for a long time what is safer – your house or apartment. But in apartment buildings are much more neighbors, in addition, some complexes provide video surveillance and security, secure yards with a system of passes or a place for a concierge. You can leave the apartment for a long time – for example, go away for 2-3 months and ask your neighbors to look after it.
Transportation accessibility. In cities, there is objectively more public transport. There are subways in large cities, but in smaller towns there are streetcars, buses, and cabs. In any case, stops or subway stations are within 1-15 minutes walking distance from home: if you want you can easily get to any place in the city by public transport.
Fast Internet. In cities there are more users of high-speed Internet, digital TV and other IT achievements. Therefore, it is easier to connect to them. In addition, in large cities there are more towers to receive signals from subscribers: the speed of Internet and television quality is higher, and the cost of connecting to them is lower compared with small towns. This is because the providers already have lines in your area, and you don’t have to set up a separate one for you.
Centralized communications. They are fully taken care of by special services such as the water company. You will not have to eliminate or report accidents by yourself – in case of breakdown they will be restored as soon as possible. There is a small nuance – the residents of apartments depend on utilities, because they have practically no influence on the speed of their work.
Disadvantages of apartments
Small square footage. Where is it better to live – in an apartment or a house, if you have a large family? Most often families choose private houses because they are larger than apartments. The latter are suitable for couples, families with children or single people. The problem of small space is exacerbated by the need to place furniture or some items for seasonal storage.
Parking problems. The higher the house – the more people live in it. The more people, the more cars. That is why for big cities the problem of parking is actual: you have either to squeeze between the cars in your yard or use paid parking lots.
High utility bills. In apartment buildings residents pay not only for consumed resources, but also for major repairs, general needs and many other services. Therefore, the payment is higher compared to private houses.
Noise in the house and in the street. In apartment buildings, neighbors are upstairs, downstairs and on the sides. For example, in one apartment a baby cries at night, in another it is renovated, in a third the TV is on loudly or they have violent arguments. In addition, there is noise from the street – car horns, children’s cries and others. This problem can be easily solved with noise insulation, but it will not save you from harmful staircase neighbors – you will face them anyway.
Bad ecology. The ecology in the cities is worse – it is spoiled by cars, working factories, and a lot of boilers. With little green space, the air becomes “heavy”, harmful. Megacities can be covered by smog – a thick veil of dark smoke.
The dependence on public utilities. This applies not only to the elimination of accidents. Heating in apartment buildings is turned on on schedule. Even if there is frost outside or it is too cold in the houses, it will not start before the appointed time. And there are seasonal shutdowns of hot water for preventive maintenance of communications. You have to use electric heaters, heat water in different tanks or visit bathhouses, saunas to bathe.
Advantages and disadvantages of a private home
Private homes are usually located outside of large cities. There are houses in the city, but they are very expensive. Each owner of such property has his or her own lot – tells Yurovskiy.
Pros of houses
Good ecology. In smaller communities there are fewer cars, factories and other facilities that have a negative impact on the environment. And trees are usually more: they grow on lots, right on the streets, in parks. In addition, there are usually fields, forests, rivers, lakes or other natural objects nearby. Therefore, the air is cleaner and the scenery is more beautiful.
Large area. While the average size of an apartment is 50-100 square meters, the average size of a house is 70-200 square meters. In private houses there are many more rooms: for example, there are bedrooms for each family member, a large kitchen, living room, bathroom facilities. Therefore, large families with several generations or many children prefer to live in houses. Everyone has his or her own space.
Their own area. Choosing what is better – an apartment or a private house, pay attention to the plot. If you choose a house, there will be no problem with parking – the car can leave at the gate or drive into the yard. In addition, the site can build a bath, gazebo, make a pool or erect any other object.
It is possible to have pets. If you live out of town in your house, you can have several dogs, cats, hamsters, wavy parrots or other animals. Of course, you can do it in the apartment, but in the cramped space pets can disturb you with loud sounds and smells. In a private home, you can allocate one room to the animals or keep them on the property, for example, arrange an aviary or a dog house.
Independence from utilities. You turn on the heating when you need it, and no one turns off the hot and cold water for preventive maintenance. Of course, accidents happen, but the same special services fix them. In addition, the load on the network is less compared to the city, so accidents happen less often.
Minuses of houses
Poor infrastructure. The infrastructure of small communities is worse than in the city. There are also stores, ATMs, clinics, kindergartens and schools, but there are fewer of them. In addition, less entertainment – for example, shopping and entertainment centers, cinemas, water parks.
Self-service. People who live in private homes do everything themselves. You will have to shovel snow, uproot weeds, paint the fence, patch the roof, deal with flowerbeds or the vegetable garden, repair the house itself and outbuildings on the plot. A private home is much more time-consuming and expensive than an apartment.
Few transport interchanges. In small communities, there are only buses, no subway, streetcars or trolleybuses. You have to walk longer to public transport stops. If you have a car, you don’t need buses and shuttles, but it will take longer to get to work if you can’t get a job in the same locality.
Expensive major repairs. If the home requires repairs, you pay for them. The cost depends on the size of the property, the necessary materials. Usually the larger the house, the more expensive the repairs. And apartment owners pay much less for major repairs, because the entire amount is divided among all tenants, and it is paid in equal shares each month.