House vs. Apartment Living: Which One is For You?

When it comes to college housing, where do you even begin? That is the question that looms in our heads all summer before freshman year and even throughout our years in college. The key concept is, pre-planning. It truly is never too early to start planning where and how you want to live out the "best time in our lives"-- a time where we have just enough financial freedom to be independent, yet still have our parents to fall back on. A pivotal aspect of a successful college career is your environment. So as small as housing might seem, it can really impact your experience!

The first step? Get to know yourself. Are you a person who loves the historic hardwood floors of a house or does a luxury pool and downtown access sound more like your style? Let us help you find you're dream pad.

Location, Location, Location

Location is so important when deciding on housing in a college town. The advantage to apartment living is that many of the apartment high rises are located in the downtown area of your city. This is great for many reasons; walking is now a transportation option, many great restaurants, boutiques and bars are located downtown, it makes getting home from the bars ideal and possibly close to class, depending on your campus. Overall being in an apartment puts you in the center of where a lot of action takes place, which is perfect for the young adult lifestyle.

New, Modern Design vs. Traditional Houses

As more and more apartment complexes are built, you can bank on your appliances and amenities being new or newer. This means new dish washer, new washer & dryer, new microwave, new cabinetry, new ac system, new security system, all things that can really add or take away from your quality of living and rent. Houses, for the most part, don't go up in a day nor are open lots readily available, so the college houses in your area have probably seen more than one round of tenants. While this adds to the charm and ambiance so many people enjoy, it also means squeaky floors, old appliances and possibly mold. The saving grace of a house in terms of style is the tradition furnishings that can be decorated or redecorated in a style of your choosing. In a house, you are the decorator and supply the furniture akin to your personal style. In an apartment, many of the furnishings are provided for you and are lower-end due to the quantity ordered for each uniform room in the complex.

Accessibility

This is one of the biggest complaints when it comes to housing, the dreaded grocery shopping trip. In an apartment, "the grocery store transaction" is much more of a hassle than living in a house. One travels from parking decks, through security doors, up the elevators and down long halls ways until finally reaching the front door. For some it is a huge problem. For others, perhaps ones the prefer take-out, it is a minor inconvenience. Parking is also a huge topic of conversation and the plight of apartments. Parking at a house usually consists of a drive way, allotted to just the people that live in that house. Apartments on the other hand use parking decks to fit all their tenants and this dynamic can become tense when someone takes a spot not assigned to them.

Size Matters

All jokes aside, if you came from a larger household growing up, apartment living might not be for you. Due to the large amount of people an apartment complex accommodates, the rooms are on the smaller side. If you aren't use to that, it can be a big adjustment in terms of storage and in general, sanity. There are also advantages though, smaller rooms are a lot more cozy, intimate and do away with unused space instilling a more simplistic lifestyle. This space ratio applies to outdoor space as well. In an apartment you don't have a lawn, where in as in a house you could have both a front and back yard.

Pools, Workout Rooms, Community, Oh My!

The great thing about living in an apartment is that most complexes offer pools and work out rooms included in your rent. This promotes a healthy lifestyle and will leave your friends in houses very jealous because gym and pool memberships can get very pricey. The connivence to go down a couple floors and work out makes exercising so much more accessible, but, the downside of this is the gym can fill up quickly at certain times of the day. The pool is a huge attribute to apartment living and your friends will definitely take notice. Pools are great for a range of activities from lounging on a Tuesday to Darty-ing on a Saturday. Low and be hold, all this access to similar areas also creates a sense of community within apartment complexes that is often excluded when living in a house. You see the same people, so this adds to your social circle and safety in many ways.

Landlords are a toss up

You can either end up with the coolest, most organized landlord ever or you could have someone who doesn't know what they are doing. Because college houses are individually owned then operated by a real-estate company, you don't specifically know what cards you are being dealt. The same goes for apartment complexes, but the different lies in the number of people involved. With a high-rise, if something unfair happens within the process, it will likely affect many people and something will be done to change it, whereas with a house, there is a lesser amount of people affected to impact a change. Just be care when signing a lease and make sure, apartment or house, that you are with a company you can trust.

Whichever type of housing you decide on, there is sure to be pros and cons to your living space, The most important thing is to remember it is not your forever home. Still for the time you are in residence take advantage of the pool, charm or ideal location your college house has to offer!