Deciding that renting is the better option for you when compared to buying is not the only thing that you need to carefully consider. The next step is to figure out the best type of structure for you and your family and belongings. Choosing between renting a house and renting an apartment is not the easiest task, but shouldn’t be the hardest one either. There are a few consistent pros and cons that will make the selection easy.
Space
In most cases, renting a house translates in a larger living space than renting an apartment; more bedrooms, more bathrooms, and possibly more living rooms means a greater square footage than corresponding rooms in an apartment. Depending on the number of people you move in with, your family or more roommates, the house can afford greater living space. Thus if you are living alone or with just one other person, the extra rent you’d have to pay may not be worth it.
Furthermore, utility expenses in apartment rentals will be lower than in home rentals.
Expenses
Most of the time, price is the decisive factor. Depending on where you’re looking to move as well as on the current housing market, most likely you’ll discover that apartments are a more affordable option, especially if you’re renting on your own or with one other roommate. There are also cases when the housing market is flooded with excess houses to sell and the owners would rather rent them until they manage to sell them rather than keeping them empty; this is the case when the market would work in your advantage.
One thing is certain: if you’re looking at homes near metropolitan areas, an apartment will cost you less than a house. In the rural areas the possibility to find affordable deals on houses is enhanced.
Amenities
Those included in apartment and home rentals are distinctly different as each serve different lifestyles. If you have a dog and/or own multiple vehicles a house is a more enticing option as it is more likely to have a larger yard and garage. On the other side, apartment complexes have complimentary gyms, community pools and other recreational areas.
Privacy is an amenity apartments cannot completely offer. Although they’re usually pretty good sound-proofed, if privacy is important to you, a secluded home property is where you’d fit better.
Centralization is another amenity most likely to find renting an apartment as these are built in central areas of the city with easy access to public transportation, local attractions, business areas; houses exist in centralized city limits as well, but not as many as apartments, most of them are found in the outlying areas of cities or in suburban neighborhoods.
Whichever you choose to make your home, a house or an apartment, remember to keep your belongings safe; renter’s insurance protects your peace of mind for only 43 cents per day with Resident Shield.
