Own house or apartment, pros and cons. Private house or apartment - which is better to choose?
Let's look at two areas for solving the housing problem: house or apartment what to choose, what to buy? In this article, I want to compare both of these real estate options according to different criteria, so that you yourself can decide which one is more suitable for you. Buying a property is a very responsible step, for many people and families it is the only time in a lifetime. Needless to say, how important it is not to make a mistake with the choice? So, a house or an apartment: consider what you need to consider when choosing.
Criterion 1 . Price. An important (and for many, the most important) criterion when choosing a property is its price. If we compare a house and an apartment of the same area with the same renovation in the same area, then the house will cost significantly more, mainly due to the cost of the land on which it is located. At the same time, in a residential area or suburb (where private houses are most often located), a house can have the same cost as an apartment in the center, but at the same time be larger and have a good plot of land.
Criterion 2 . Location. If you want to buy property in a particular area, then focusing on an apartment in this regard is easier. In some areas (especially the central ones) there are no private houses at all. And, on the contrary, if you dream of living in the suburbs, in the countryside, closer to picturesque natural places - your option is definitely a house.
Criterion 3 . Land plot. One of the most significant advantages of a house in comparison with an apartment is the presence of a land plot on which you can set up a garden, vegetable garden, or even build something else. In the vast majority of apartments, this is not provided, except when it comes to the so-called. “apartments on the ground” or apartments on the 1st floor with a small adjacent garden, but even this is significantly different from own land.
Criterion 4 . Availability. For many, when choosing a house or apartment, it is important how quickly they can move in and live there. There are different options here. For example, you can buy a house ready, or you can buy a land plot and build it - it will take some time, which for various reasons can be delayed. In the same way, an apartment is possible: in the first case, you will need to wait until the house is completed and put into operation, and this can also be delayed.
Criterion 5 . area and layout. The layout of apartments has a tighter framework than the layout of private houses. It is very rare to find huge kitchen-dining rooms or spacious halls for receiving guests there. Spacious apartments of a large area, if any, will cost a lot big money. While in the house this issue is simpler: people build in the way that is more convenient for them. Even a ready-made private house can be bought with a much more convenient layout than an apartment, but if you are engaged in independent construction, then all the more you can provide for all the desired nuances in it.
Criterion 6 . Communications. In the vast majority of apartments, all modern communications are available: water, electricity, gas, telephone, heating, sewerage, internet. And in many private houses, some communications may be absent (for example, there are many villages without gas, many houses with “amenities on the street” and a cesspool instead of a sewer). This important criterion must also be kept in mind.
Criterion 7 . Risks. An important point that should be taken into account when choosing a house or apartment. When you buy real estate on the secondary market, in both cases the risks are low. But when buying a home on the primary market, there is always a risk of bankruptcy of the developer or some other force majeure circumstances, due to which the construction will not be completed or will be very delayed. This is especially true for the purchase of housing “at the stage of excavation”, that is, when construction has almost not begun. When buying a land plot for building a house, there is also a risk that it will not be built, but at the same time, you will still have a plot and an unfinished property that you can at least sell, which cannot be said about an apartment in a “frozen” construction site.
Criterion 8 . Re-registration of property. It is easier to re-register the ownership of an apartment (or register it when buying on the primary market) than in the case of a private house. It's all about the land: all actions with the land usually involve lengthy bureaucratic procedures associated, moreover, with additional costs.
Criterion 9 . Content cost. What is cheaper to maintain: a house or an apartment is an ambiguous question. On the one hand, in the house, as a rule, utilities are cheaper: no rent, no expensive and often low-quality central heating, everything is autonomous, residents are highly interested in the reasonable consumption of all utilities. On the other hand, the cost of current repairs in the house and the maintenance of the adjoining plot is higher than in the apartment: here you need to take care not only of the internal, but also of the external side of the property. If this is a new-built house, such expenses may be small for many years, but if it is an old one, very serious expenses can often arise.
Criterion 10 . Possibility of mortgage. you can both an apartment and a house, but in the case of apartments, banks usually lend more actively. Registration of a private house and a land plot as a pledge causes more difficulties and additional costs. In addition, it is easier to buy an apartment in the primary market with a mortgage than to take out a loan for the construction of a house if a person does not have the opportunity to pledge another property as collateral.
Criterion 11 . Investments, passive income. It is no secret that many people view the purchase of real estate as an investment with the aim of receiving further or for resale. In this regard, as a rule, an apartment is a more profitable option. The demand for renting apartments is in most cases higher than for renting houses (exceptions can be real estate, for example, in resort areas), in addition, if you buy an apartment at the construction stage and resell after putting the house into operation, you can get a good speculative profit.
Criterion 12 . Personal preferences. And, finally, the choice of a house or apartment cannot be made without taking into account the personal preferences of the person or family who are going to live there. Someone wants to have their own yard, run their own household there, devote more time to their housing, garden. And for someone, all this, on the contrary, is unacceptable - there is not enough time anyway, and the less housing will take it away, the better.
These are the main criteria, in my opinion, to be taken into account when thinking about what to choose: a house or an apartment. Of course, each person is individual, and you may have other selection criteria that are important specifically for you, for your situation - I will be glad if you add them in the comments to the article.
In the meantime, I say goodbye to you, see you in other publications on! Join the ranks of our regular readers and stay tuned - then your financial literacy will always be on top!
A couple of decades ago, life in the city was distinguished by a higher level of comfort than in a private house. Everything changed with the spread of autonomous engineering equipment, the improvement of telecommunication technologies, the growth of motorization, the emergence of new building materials and, in general, the well-being of the population. Today, comfort in a house is often higher than in an apartment and is complemented by an eco-friendly environment, a private plot, and independence from utilities. It would seem that the advantages are indisputable individual home in front of the apartment, especially since there are no significant differences in cost between them. However, many adherents of the urban lifestyle remain: the growth of cities does not stop, apartments are in demand.
Disputes about where it is better to live, and harsh assessments are inappropriate here. Each of the options has its own characteristics, the assessment of which (both advantages and disadvantages) depends on the composition and priorities of the family, specific conditions, requirements and opportunities, as well as psychological attitude.
Aspects of choice
The question of choosing between an apartment and a house arises for various reasons. A young couple from the countryside may aspire to the city, closer to the place of work and study. On the other hand, an urban family crammed into a small apartment sees salvation in a more spacious and free life in their own home. Middle-aged people can change the city to the suburbs due to the growth of financial opportunities by building good house and leaving the apartment to the children. Someone has a plot and decides whether to sell it or build a house. It is common for pensioners to move outside the city, striving in this way to maintain their health and occupy themselves with pleasant chores on the site. But the opposite situation, when pensioners from the countryside move to a city apartment, is extremely rare: probably, having got used to a large living space, including a house and a plot, it is difficult to come to terms with the limitations of urban housing. But on the other hand, living in the city and having a dacha, you can be completely satisfied with a small but comfortable apartment.
Many citizens vaguely imagine the specifics of life in a private house, especially tens of kilometers from the city. Meanwhile, the house and apartment provide the family with various opportunities to meet the needs of life. When considering a choice, one has to weigh which benefits are obligatory and which can be sacrificed. The most significant of them:
- in a sufficient area for living (it is desirable that each family member has a separate room, and ideally - the availability of land, an area where children can relax, play, etc.);
- environmentally friendly environment(fresh air, silence, proximity to a forest, a reservoir, etc.);
- the availability of the benefits of civilization (shops, pharmacies, clinics, entertainment and sports facilities, kindergartens, schools, children's clubs, etc.);
- into conditions for social life(the opportunity to relax in accordance with their interests, communicate with friends and relatives);
- convenient communication with workplaces (various, in order to have a choice if necessary to change jobs);
- security (in an apartment, house, on a plot, on the way home, protection of housing in the absence of owners).
In addition, each family, as a rule, has its own additional requirements for living conditions, depending on the composition, as well as professions, age, habits, etc. n. of its members. The question of the costs (money and time) for the maintenance of housing and transport can also make adjustments to the plans.
Trends
In developed countries, the growth of cities is insignificant, in capitals and other large centers the number of inhabitants is even decreasing. People are fleeing the transport and environmental problems of megacities and settling in the suburbs in accordance with their requirements for comfort level. The urban lifestyle is increasingly spreading in the rural areas of many countries: living outside the city, people do not engage in traditional rural labor, but work and consume services mainly in the city.
The global increase in urbanization is taking place at the expense of poor, developing countries, in which the urban population and the area of cities, especially large ones, are increasing rapidly. People come to the city from disadvantaged villages in search of work and better conditions life. They do not always get what they want, they settle on the outskirts, but still do not leave the cities, where there are more opportunities for survival, and the level of comfort is often higher.
Benefits with conditions
A number of attractive features of country living are undeniable, giving it an advantage over living in the city. But the achievement of these benefits requires certain conditions.
- The house has ample interior space. Each of the family members is provided with their own room, it is possible to arrange a dining room, an office, a winter garden, etc. If the family has many children and / or it consists of several generations, then in this case high living comfort is possible only in the house. In a city apartment, the same conditions are achievable only for a family of 3-4 people, subject to the availability of 4-5 comfortable rooms. However, it should be noted that the larger the house, the more expensive its maintenance will cost.
- The house has the opportunity to spend a lot of time outdoors. The site becomes “green for nature on weekends, vacations, sending children to the village, etc. But the environmental advantage of the house is only true when the building is located in a clean natural environment, and not in a dusty village next to the railway.
- The house stands on a plot that can be used for housekeeping and hobbies: keep a car without parking fees,
- have a barbecue for friends, swim in the pool, grow flowers and grow fruits and vegetables. For an apartment, all these benefits are not available. But we must remember that the site requires care - the more, the larger and more comfortable it is. Site maintenance work will have to devote a significant part of your free time, and it can only become a pleasure for those who really love this activity.
- In the house behind the wall, the neighbors do not make noise, there is silence and peace at night. In an apartment, often due to poor sound insulation, you can hear everything that happens in the neighborhood. In addition, there is a constant noise background in the city, which does not always subside even at night. Therefore, in terms of acoustic comfort, the house outperforms the apartment, but it is important to make sure that the owners of the site behind the fence are decent people who do not make brawls and do not cause problems for others.
- The house can receive any number of guests, there is enough space for them both in the premises and on the site. Relatives or friends do not restrict the freedom of the owners, even if they stay for a long time, because, as a rule, they live in a separate room or guest house. In an apartment, these options are limited. However, usually guests come in the summer. In winter and autumn, when darkness falls in the villages, life stops and an unpleasant feeling of isolation can arise, which is uncharacteristic of living in the city. For those who need community, it is better to live near the center of the village.
- If necessary, the cottage can be enlarged by adding rooms, a veranda, an additional floor to it. In addition, on the site it is easy to find a place for additional buildings (for example, a garage, a workshop, another house for parents
- or children). To expand living space in the city, you will have to move to another apartment (or buy and attach to your neighbor, which is very difficult to implement). The possibility of increasing a private building is an absolute boon. But it is important to involve qualified specialists in the implementation of such an idea, otherwise the result may not meet expectations, and the amount of costs will exceed reasonable limits.
Safety regulations
The risk of robbery in a country house is much higher than in an apartment, especially for buildings remote from busy places. The safest cottage towns with a fenced protected area, but living in them is expensive. There are individual methods of protection. You can get a large dog that will be a faithful guardian of the house. A reliable remedy for robberies is the installation of a video surveillance system / connection to the village security control panel, which will control the situation in the absence of the owners of the house. The complex automatic engineering control in the cottage is also effective, which, for example, at a programmed time, turns on the light in an empty house, raises and lowers the shutters, that is, creates the effect of the presence of the owners, scaring off thieves. But the greatest danger arises during a long absence of tenants. Therefore, when leaving for a long time with the whole family, it is better to invite one of the relatives or friends to temporarily live in the house.
Acquisition Features
In solving the first practical problem - choosing and acquiring an apartment or house - will show the difference between these options. Buying or building an apartment is much easier than a cottage. Their choice is greater than houses, the quality of construction, although not always perfect, meets the standards and is produced in accordance with the technologies.
A finished apartment can be purchased quickly, but if it is just being built, it is enough to wait for the completion of work, without delving into their process and problems associated with engineering. If necessary, before moving in, you can re-plan the apartment for your own needs. The cost of its acquisition is easy to determine in advance in order to invest in the planned amount.
In contrast, the acquisition country house involves a significant investment of time and effort. When buying a finished cottage, it is difficult to determine the quality of construction, despite the fact that violations of technology are found everywhere. To achieve a guaranteed result when building own house, it is necessary to delve into the intricacies of the construction business, organize and control specific processes. Construction can drag on for several years, during which you will have to worry stressful situations. In most cases, the initially determined budget for the construction of a private house is exceeded, and additional funds have to be urgently sought.
SUMMARY. The house is more suitable for those who are ready to find out the nuances of building technologies when buying, to delve into the construction process. In the absence of the desire or ability to understand technology and spend time at a construction site, it is better to settle in an apartment.
Service Questions
One of the differences between suburban and urban dwellings is the degree of responsibility of the owner for the safety of his home and its engineering support. City life is carefree compared to country life.
You can live in apartments without thinking about the safety of the structures and engineering systems of a multi-storey building, only paying for utilities and monitoring the condition of the equipment in your apartment. True, and the opportunity to reduce utility bills is limited. In addition, the installation of any equipment - from water meters to energy-efficient boilers - is associated with a long legal red tape for registration and within an apartment is not always cost-effective and can be varied over a wide range. You will not have to pay for services not rendered, but you must be prepared for unforeseen expenses. There is always a danger of emergencies, dependence on natural Disasters(for example, the boiler may fail in winter, the roof may be damaged during a hurricane, the electrical equipment may fail during a severe thunderstorm, etc.)
Attention is required:
- to ensure the safety of structures (roofs, facades, foundations, etc.), it is necessary to monitor their condition and take measures (for example, remove snow, eliminate cracks in the walls, repair the roof). Found defects should be quickly corrected;
- and ensuring the safety and uninterrupted operation of engineering equipment in the house and on the site. Hardware problems are more common the more complex they are, and usually require prompt decision- by calling emergency services or self-repair. It is also necessary to regularly and timely conduct preventive examinations. If systems are installed in the house that require adjustment (for example, metering the supply of heat to individual rooms), then you need to monitor their work. If there is a sewage storage tank, it is necessary to monitor the level of its filling and call the sewer service in time.
SUMMARY. If the owner of the apartment in a force majeure situation just needs to dial the phone of the housing office dispatcher, then the residents of a private house need to be ready to solve any problem either on their own or with the involvement of specialists who are far from always located in close proximity and are able to arrive promptly at the first call
in place. A person must live in the house who is able to quickly solve technical issues if they arise.Site care
Compared to an apartment, the maintenance of which comes down to cleaning, the house and the yard require more care. Taking care of the cottage takes a lot of time due to the large area of used premises. But the main focus is on the site, and throughout the year: in the summer it is necessary to take care of the plants, in the winter - to remove the snow. It is desirable that the area
(or at least its “front” part) was completely cultivated, since weeds grow quickly on beds free from plantations. The complexity of maintaining the site depends on:
- the level of automation of processes and the use of mechanization tools. Any useful improvement leads to additional investment, but significantly increases the level of comfort. For example, if an automatic irrigation system is installed on the site, the owners will not have to periodically (and daily in hot weather) irrigate the area with a hose, and using a lawn mower will save time on weekly lawn mowing;
- plant assortment. Use (especially delicate exotic plants will require regular fertilization, pruning, watering. Unpretentious but healthy plants are quite capable of giving the site a presentable look;
- tool quality used for plant care. Engineering works on the site will become more complicated if there is a pond, a pool, an irrigation system, a summer kitchen. Periodic repairs are also needed for benches, awnings, paths, etc.
"Field" work in the open air is healthy and will bring pleasure to those who love it and have enough free time.
SUMMARY. The site is a living organism that requires constant attention and maintenance, otherwise it will begin to create problems. You can make your life easier by foreseeing a number of measures: in order not to remove snow, install snow melting systems; instead of capricious plants and garden crops, plant unpretentious ones, etc. But if family members are not at all inclined to devote time and effort to maintaining order around the house, it is better to choose an apartment.
Distance dependency
One of the most important differences between urban and suburban life is due to the location of housing. From a city apartment, you can walk to shops, pharmacies, cafes, and there is a large selection of these establishments. Easily accessible by public transport medical institutions, leisure venues, offices and businesses. Such accessibility, built into the planning of cities, saves citizens money and time. In addition, living among people gives a sense of security, largely justified.
This weight is not always provided by suburban life. The attractiveness of living far from the city depends not only on the quality of the natural environment, but no less on the availability of the benefits of civilization. The following features are important:
- distance to work. If every day, to get to the service, you need to overcome 20 km, and then drive around the city in traffic jams, this will result in time and money costs, regardless of which one is used public transport or own car;
- availability of public transport for communication with the city, school, work. As a rule, regular bus transportation is provided in large villages and along highways. The farther the house is from a transport interchange and a large settlement center, the more time and money will have to be spent on any planned or emergency transfer;
- and the presence of a school or preschool(and their quality). If a child lives outside the city and studies in the city, it is not easy to create a comfortable and healthy regime for him when he has to leave home early in the morning and return late in the evening. With multiple children, the task becomes more difficult. Therefore, it is better when there is a school near the house, Kindergarten and sports and art sections;
- availability of social infrastructure. It exists in large settlements, absent in the territory of garden associations and in small villages. Moreover, service outside the city does not always correspond to the usual yurodsky standards - from the assortment of products in the store to the level of medical services. And if the necessary establishments are outside walking distance, you will have to use the car for any reason;
- quality of engineering infrastructure. The most important advantage is the presence of a centralized sewage system and a gas main. Water supply and electrification issues are easier to solve.
SUMMARY. Living in a remote area makes it difficult to travel to work every day, provide children with a good education, and sometimes even daily needs. Problems become less acute if someone in the family does not work, there are two cars available, and the village itself has a good connection with the city. For those living in a city apartment, these problems do not exist.
Who appreciates country life
Living outside the city can be the dream of any family, but not everyone will be able to fully experience the convenience of this option. Those who appreciate the advantages of a country house include:
- A young energetic family with high incomes, allowing women not to work or work remotely and support several children of different ages. It is convenient for them to live in a cottage village with a developed social infrastructure (sports complex, entertainment center, fitness), as well as a good school.
- A large family of three generations, where grandparents will take care of the children and the plot, allowing parents
- work daily. It is important for such a family to live in a village with a good school, as well as shops and a clinic.
- A family with children of senior school age, students who do not require constant supervision by their parents. It will be convenient for them to live in a settlement near the city with good transport links, so that everyone can independently get to their place of residence.
- A family of pensioners who are unemployed or working flexible hours, adherents of work on the site, who want to take their grandchildren for the summer and have adult children. The elderly will find it convenient to live in a village at any distance from the city, but with shops, medical care and good bus connections.
Compromise options
Perhaps it is best to live in your own house in the city. But this luxury is available to few. But today, in the real estate market, you can easily find examples of development that combines the advantages of urban and suburban housing without the accompanying disadvantages.
Low-rise housing on the outskirts. These are residential complexes located on the border of the city and natural environment, near the forest, with a protected area, car parks and playgrounds. They contain apartments on two levels, similar in layout to a small Vacation home and suitable for large families. Residents do not have to independently take care of the serviceability of engineering systems, the maintenance of the site, they do not have to worry about children playing in a closed yard. Convenient transport services and social infrastructure are provided.
Townhouses (detached houses). These are residential complexes consisting of a number of interlocked 2-3-storey individual houses. Each block has a separate entrance (sometimes there is a garage on the first or basement floor) and a small plot of land (0.5-2 acres). Engineering communications are combined into a common system and are serviced centrally (or partially autonomous). Usually townhouses are built on the outskirts of the city or not far from its borders (up to 10 km) - The tenant of such a house is provided with an environmentally friendly environment, sufficient floor space on several floors, a garage, a plot that does not require much care, and socially close neighbors.
Cottage towns. These are new settlements of houses of various sizes and often made in the same architectural style, built around all major cities. They are different in distance from the metropolis and the degree of improvement, provided with convenient roads and utilities. Living in separate cottages with plots, their owners use the common system of public services, security, landscaped area, social infrastructure. A house in a cottage town is a real suburban housing, but with the ability to take off some of the worries about its maintenance and have neighbors close in social status.
Many of us (yes, almost everyone, which is already there) changed or bought real estate. For myself or relatives, it does not matter. And the important thing is that always when reading local newspapers with ads, a serious question invariably arose. So what is better to buy yourself as housing, an apartment or a private house. Provided that both options will be located in the same locality. Here is a little lower and it will be possible to consider the pros and cons of an apartment and a house from different points of view.
Well, with the location of the apartment, I think everything is very clear. In the overwhelming case, these are several rooms in a brick (or concrete, panel) high-rise building. And since multi-storey buildings, as a rule, occupy an area of the city close to the center. And if so, then in the immediate vicinity of the apartment there may be infrastructure facilities (starting from shopping terminals to healthcare facilities, that is, clinics) and a place of work. Five to ten minutes and here it is a school, a kindergarten, a pharmacy, a store, etc. Minimum body movements. The reverse side of the coin is that the city center, where high-rise buildings with apartments are usually located, is a very noisy and restless place. With rare exceptions.
Private houses can be located both in close proximity to the city center (old buildings), and on quiet peripheral streets and lanes. And even out of the way. On the one hand, it doesn't seem to be very good. It is necessary to somehow get to the place of work, study, etc. (and then back home). And this is public transport, an increase in travel time, a distance. And if you look at the location from the other side, then living at some distance from the city center and public places, this is relative silence and calmness on the street, fewer vehicles (when every second car does not try to run you over). Speaking of cars. An indisputable advantage of owning a house is the ability to arrange your own garage for a car next to the house. Always at hand, safer. But for those living in an apartment, you need to place a car either in a common open-air courtyard, or in a parking lot, or look for a remote garage. Definitely uncomfortable.
Living space.
Apartments vary in size. Like at home too. But for the most part, we are not looking for a multi-level studio apartment for living, but quite an ordinary kopeck piece or a three-room apartment. And this is the total living area on average 65-75 squares (plus or minus a couple of meters). But houses can often be more spacious. A house of 85-100 square meters is considered average. And if the house still has a second or attic residential floor? Then the apartment in terms of housing area has practically no competition. In fairness, it should be said that old great-grandmother's houses that survived the Second World War are often sold. And here they are really small, low and generally uneasy.
Care and maintenance.
Anyone who wants to buy an apartment in a multi-storey building will practically not have to take care of the condition of their housing. The maximum that will be needed (and even that is not a fact) is to throw off the whole world on a sweetheart in the entrance and on the front door with an intercom. Everything. The rest is the concern of management companies and utilities. Even those who have the dubious happiness of living on the top floor (who are sometimes flooded with water from a leaky roof), or residents of the first floors (where there is a possibility of problems with the common waste riser), in case of problems, you only need to call the utilities as persistently as possible. They will come and fix everything. May be. Someday. So an apartment is definitely an option for lazy people.
But the owners of their home already have to technically maintain their place of residence. There is no one to rely on but himself. Everything, from the condition of the roof to the gates and gates, is the concern of the owner of the house. There are also utility issues. Export household waste, water supply and sanitation, gas, electricity and even snow removal - all this is on the shoulders of the homeowner. Every day, a walk around the property, what is lopsided where, what is leaking where, how to repair, what needs to be replaced, and so on. So the option with your own home is for real, not lazy owners.
Repair and modification.
Many people know about this too, but I think it would not be superfluous to mention it. In his own house master-master. By and large, I turn what I want. This is in terms of major repairs or alterations. That is, I wanted to make one out of two rooms - please, I wanted to install a new wall-mounted gas boiler - for health, I wanted a hood - the same thing. But living in an apartment, such a number will not always work. Make changes to the plan of the apartment, cut yourself off from common system heating, installing your own equipment and making structural changes - this is very problematic for an apartment. Because general design houses and communication systems are not the property of the owner of the apartment, but are run by public utilities. That's all.
Cheerful neighbors.
Both the apartment and the house are surrounded by neighbors from almost all sides. In a high-rise building, these are neighboring apartments, houses - neighboring plots. Good relations with neighbors are important both in the first and in the second case. But in the case of an apartment, the percentage of conflict relations is still greater than for a private house. And all because in the apartment, negative reviews from neighbors can cause your lifestyle and daily activities. Either you can’t drill a wall (little children don’t sleep behind the wall), or don’t turn on the home theater loudly (a pensioner’s grandmother has health problems). You can’t sing in the shower, weaken loudly in the toilet 🙂 and so on. And then there’s the banal flooding of neighbors from below with water (which has already become an anecdotal situation and so on. In short, any of the four neighbors bordering the apartment definitely doesn’t like something. And you, too, may not like it at all that one neighbor plays the piano for six hours in a row, another listens to football at a hundred decibels, the third brought twenty-eight guests into the house and threw a party at three in the morning.
For a private house, these lovely worldly excesses do not happen, since there are no reasons for this. Everyone is free to do whatever they please at home. At least walk on your ears, at least fill the whole house with water and arrange swims in the corridor for short distances. Nobody will say a word to you. But at the same time, there is a bone of contention - this is the border between the plots, joint fences, neighbor's dogs, cats and other animals (which can sometimes penetrate into someone else's territory and misbehave). But disputes with land surveying are settled by drawing up clear cadastral plans with a division of boundaries that does not allow for double interpretation. Yes, and other conflict situations arise somewhat less frequently than for an apartment.
Maintenance costs.
Here everything is not entirely clear. The apartment has a very large and constant list of monthly utility bills. In addition to the banal light-gas-water utilities, the truth is that they are not really trying to cram in more expense items. Here is the maintenance of the entrance clean, and the removal of solid waste, and the quarterly repair of the house, and the reconstruction of the entrance, and the maintenance of the courtyard, and so on and so forth. For heat supply, too, payments are stretched for the whole year. It's embarrassing to some extent. There is no heat in summer - but pay for heat. Therefore, many cunning apartment owners try to install their own gas boiler, but this is fraught with great difficulties (see above).
The house in terms of maintenance comes out a little cheaper (with the same living area). Judge for yourself. Installed, operating in economy mode, will help to significantly save banknotes in heating season without losing heat. In the summer, of course, the heating is turned off and there are no expenses. There are no payments for the maintenance of entrances (purchase of light bulbs, repair of the roof, sewerage, janitors, etc.). If you have your own, then there is no need to pay for water (only for the electricity consumed by the pump). No sewer? No problem. Ordering a car and pumping out a drain hole does not cost a lot of money. Yes, and this happens quite infrequently (although, depending on how you remind). There were real cases when a new drain pit was not pumped out for 3 (three!) Years, because it was not filled. Three years without paying for sewerage. How are you?
These are the main points to consider when choosing a home. But still it is worth remembering that everything in our life is relative. Someone can put up with individual minuses, if the big plus is (for example) the proximity of the place of work. Someone is the opposite. Ultimately, the choice is yours. Compare, consider the pros and cons and choose. Apartment or house.
Purchasing your own home is a responsible step, making which you need to weigh the pros and cons. In order not to miscalculate with the purchase, a thorough theoretical preparation is required on all issues - from legal to technical. Let's try to briefly consider the main ones, which in practice will help you decide what is more profitable for you - a house or an apartment.
Alternatives in the urban real estate market
If you are looking for housing within the city, most likely you will be offered a choice of three options - this is an apartment in a new building, secondary housing or a city cottage. Each of them is seductive in its own way.
A new building is good with a modern layout, freshness of housing, this is the most common option for a mortgage, which they begin to pay already at the construction stage.
The resale attracts with the price and the ability to instantly arrange a housewarming. In general, the good thing about an apartment is that you don't have to take care of the maintenance of the building and the site, and its location is often much more convenient in terms of transport and infrastructure around.
On the other hand, living in a house is calmer and more pleasant, and not only because you are its sole owner. If you successfully choose a house (cottage) in the city, then you can enjoy all the benefits of the metropolis, but at the same time not have problems with the accessibility of entrances, neighbors and poor sound insulation.
Even a part of the house acquired as a property gives a feeling of calmness and solidity, which cannot be said about some "isolated" apartments in panel houses, where it is very difficult to feel alone because of the noise from all sides - from the street, behind the wall ...
To quickly decide what to choose - an apartment or a house, think about the disadvantages, namely:
- new buildings shrink within 10-15 years, which entails potential problems - cracks and distortions of the walls;
- the commissioning of a new building sometimes has to wait 3-4 years due to the completion of communications and paperwork, even if the building itself is already ready;
- secondary buildings, especially cheap ones, require repairs, sometimes major ones, with the replacement of pipes, batteries, wiring, plumbing, redevelopment ... the contribution to the repair can amount to a third, or even half, of the cost of housing;
- when you move into an old house, you also get an environment that may be far from your ideas about ideal neighbors;
- becoming a homeowner, you will inevitably encounter specific problems that only you will have to solve - keeping the basement, roof, yard, fence, bathroom, column, heating system in order;
- utility bills for a house are many times higher, from the point of view of monthly payment, it is still more profitable to live in apartment building.
So there are pitfalls everywhere, and it would be wise to choose where to settle, according to the shortcomings that you can put up with or that you can fix.
Apartment or country house - which will cost less?
There is an opinion that you can save on housing by moving to the suburbs. Some families consciously go to the villages in the belief that it is possible to live well and raise healthy children only outside the polluted city. But still, most are sure that moving to the countryside means a decrease in the standard of living. And this stereotype has developed for two reasons: the price of a house in the village is low, and you can eat normally from your farm on the site.
And again pitfalls. As mentioned above, maintaining even the simplest house is expensive, and an attractive starting price does not mean that you can save on real estate.
For many years, the American businessman and realtor R. Kiyosaki has been trying to convey to the understanding of people a simple truth, that home ownership is an expensive pleasure (and in the conditions of our villages it is also doubtful).
Remember that a cottage, no matter how luxurious or modest it is, is a liability in your budget, an item of constant and considerable expenses for heating, repairs, completion, gas and land tax, if any. For some, these nuances will be a good reason to refuse to move out of town.
If your goal is to pay as little as possible for the purchase, and the future costs of maintaining the farm do not scare you, then you can safely look for options. The financial issue - an apartment or part of a house - will always be in favor of the latter.
But remember that the following factors also affect the value of a house:
- the presence of a nearby train station, bus;
- convenient travel along the street and to the house (ground or asphalt);
- Do I need to drill a well to have my own source of water;
- whether the site is gasified;
- Are there utility rooms?
- whether sewerage or amenities in the yard.
These are all details that can make your life either comfortable or unbearable, so it's worth paying attention to them along with the area and building materials.
Townhouse - is it an apartment or a house?
AT last years suburban conditions in some areas are noticeably improving, and all thanks to a new type of home ownership for us. A townhouse is several cottages combined into one block. The townhouse is intended for the development of suburban areas or separate landscaped areas in the countryside.
When you look at this building, it resembles a row of two-story houses that are cobbled together and look neat and modern. Inside, it is more reminiscent of urban housing with its obligatory attributes - a bathroom, the absence of large service premises and an adjacent wall with neighbors.
The facade of the townhouse faces an asphalt street, there is a small courtyard at the back, however, the land may not belong to the owner of the property.
As an option for buying a townhouse has its advantages:
- urban comfort in rural conditions;
- affordable price;
- communications - electricity, gas, water supply, sewerage;
- equipped entrance to the building.
The disadvantages clearly include the following details:
- the quality of construction is often low, panel-based construction generally nullifies the idea of warmth and silence;
- possible problems with plumbing and heating, again due to poor-quality construction;
- responsibility for the content is collective, so you have to negotiate or argue with your neighbors;
- the adjacent area is negligible, only in rare cases you can arrange something of your own on it (and there is nowhere, and often it is impossible by law).
A townhouse is an intermediate option between a shabby house and a cottage, a long-awaited choice for an economy class in a suburban setting. It is certainly worth considering such an alternative.
Is it better to buy an apartment or build a house?
This question is probably the most difficult, because a lot depends on the details: where to build, what to build from, how many floors and rooms, and so on. We will immediately reveal the truth - today it is more profitable to build it yourself than to buy in a new building.
Building from scratch an average cottage with optimal amenities, a landscaped plot and communications will cost you about the same as an isolated apartment of the same usable area. At the same time, notice the difference - you will have a landscaped area with services.
In terms of time, its construction is also more profitable. A small cottage is built in 6-8 months, while it can take several years to wait for a new building to be settled.
The answer to the question, what is cheaper - a house or an apartment, turns around the other side if you are in the mood for secondary housing. It will come out cheaper, and a housewarming party can be arranged much faster. As for the documentation for real estate, the registration of a secondary property is not more difficult, but much easier than land, which, moreover, is not always possible to redeem. So here saving time, nerves and money speaks in favor of the apartment.
If you have thought of everything with finances, it remains to honestly ask yourself what is dearer to you - a house or an apartment, and move towards your goal.
Opponents and supporters of living in a private house have long been fiercely arguing about what is still better: a three-room paradise with all amenities or six acres with a house in the fresh air? The arguments of both sides are very weighty, but often purely individual.
In the last decade in our country, the number of fans of country life has increased markedly, cottage settlements around large cities are growing like mushrooms, and there are more and more people who want to build their own house and leave the noisy city. But also in high-rise buildings new-build apartments are snapping up at a tremendous speed, the cost square meter housing becomes more expensive every year, and young families are happy to take.
It is difficult to unequivocally answer the question of what is more suitable for permanent residence: a house or an apartment. Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages. And before making a final decision, it is worth carefully studying all the pros and cons. Then later you will not have to regret the step taken.
Pros of living in an apartment
Living conditions in large and small cities, of course, are very different from each other. Huge metropolises with developed infrastructure are not at all like quiet and cozy provincial towns where everyone knows each other. Therefore, it is always worth considering the fact where the apartment is located, in which area, in which house and in which city. A lot can depend on this, but apartments have something in common.
- Firstly, it is the presence near the house transport infrastructure. This important fact allows you to feel confident enough for those who have to go to work every morning. Living outside the city, it will be necessary to somehow resolve this issue. Lack of a car or huge traffic jams at the entrance to the city can be a serious obstacle to moving to the private sector.
- Secondly, it is the location near the house of important social facilities. Kindergartens, schools, technical schools, institutes, hospitals, pharmacies, sports centers, houses of children's creativity greatly simplify the life of a family in which there are children of any age. The need to take the child to school or kindergarten every day in the morning and evening often calls into question the possibility of living outside the city of a family in which both parents work from morning to evening.
- Thirdly, the apartments are provided with centralized communications services. All issues related to the supply of water, electricity, gas, as well as concerns about waste disposal and wastewater disposal fall on the shoulders of specialized services. It is enough for the owners of apartments to simply pay the receipts on time and not worry about anything else. The issues of replacing pipes in risers, repairing the roof, clearing snow in the yard or ensuring cleanliness in the entrance should be addressed by the relevant persons in the prescribed manner.
- Fourth, cities have shops, entertainment and shopping centers, theaters, exhibitions, cinemas, concert halls, clubs and other objects of cultural life, which are almost completely absent in the private sector or rural areas.
- Fifth, a serious argument for many is the ability to connect to high-speed Internet, digital television and other information achievements of civilization.
All these factors very often become decisive when a family faces a serious question about what to choose, a house or an apartment. But living in a city apartment has its significant drawbacks.
Cons of living in an apartment
Not all the minuses are noticed by everyone who lives in the apartment. But in most cases, those who consciously chose to live in a private home give the following reasons.
- High cost of utilities. The receipts take into account not only the data of the meters, but also the costs for general house needs are distributed, and a fee is charged for overhaul at home. Very often rent for a small two-room apartment turns out to be much higher than all the costs of maintaining a 100m 2 house.
- Dependence on those who live in neighboring apartments. Problems such as: noisy neighbors, damaged repairs, which were arranged by those who live on the floor above, those who like to drink or smoke in the stairwell are very frequent companions of those who live in an apartment building.
- Strong air pollution, constant noise from passing cars, lack of parking spaces in the yard and many other things also do not add joy.
When making a choice between a house or an apartment, the pros and cons of which are different for each person, all possible difficulties should be foreseen.
Advantages of living in a private house and disadvantages
Among the fans of living in their own home there are people of different ages and marital status. Someone consciously tried all his life to get away from the noisy city, and some were simply forced to take such a step due to various circumstances. But according to experienced realtors, people are more likely to change their apartment for a house, rather than vice versa.
The advantages of living in a private house for many are too obvious:
- fresh air, proximity to nature, peace and quiet of country life;
- a sense of freedom, lack of dependence on neighbors, the ability to go out into the yard at any time and do what you love;
- the presence of its own parking space for a car, motorcycle, bicycle or any other equipment;
- a great opportunity to put a small child to sleep every day in a stroller in the courtyard of the house, without the need to walk with him through the dusty streets of the city for several hours in a row;
- you can have any pets, the maintenance of which in the apartment would be very problematic;
- the presence of a garden and a vegetable garden allows you to grow organic fruits, vegetables and berries, which in the summer can be eaten directly from branches or beds;
- relative independence from utilities, the ability to independently set heating and supply modes hot water, lack of summer "pressure tests" and frequent shutdowns of hot water supply;
- with properly organized heat supply, maintaining a house is many times cheaper than utility bill for a smaller apartment.
The issue of the cost of utilities for many is very relevant. Therefore, when deciding what is cheaper, a house or an apartment, one should definitely take into account the difference in their area, as well as the fact that the house will have to pay only for what was really used.
If the house is built with high quality, well insulated and heated with modern equipment, then there will be no problems with it. Therefore, when buying or building a house, special attention should be paid to the quality of communications.
But living outside the city has its own small drawbacks, which often stop many city dwellers from moving.
A private house. Are there any disadvantages?
The first and most important drawback of living in the private sector is considered by many to be remoteness from all the benefits of civilization. The lack of transport, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, shops, pharmacies and other attributes of urban life makes those who want to escape from the hustle and bustle of the big city seriously think about whether it is worth it.
In addition, your house requires more attention than an apartment. In winter, you need to remove snow in the yard, sweep fallen leaves in autumn, mow grass in summer, repair the roof if necessary, change plumbing, and monitor the condition of all communications. If you do not do all this regularly, then very soon even the strongest and most well-built house will begin to fall into disrepair.
Caring for a personal plot can also take quite a lot of time, so if the parents work in the family, then it may not be easy for them to maintain the garden in good condition.
But for many, such work is only a joy. Everyone must decide for himself how it corresponds to life in a private house. However, there are certain categories of citizens who will find it difficult to adapt to living in such conditions, these are:
- single unmarried women or young mothers with children;
- elderly or infirm people suffering from serious illnesses;
- young families with small children, in which adults work in the city, and children attend kindergarten or school;
- men or women who do not like physical labor and prefer watching TV in the evenings to snow removal.
There is no single and correct decision for everyone about what is better - a house or an apartment. There are a lot of fans of both options, and each gives very convincing arguments. Each person must make his own choice and determine his own destiny.