Apartment vs. house: Tips for finding the right home for your family

Posted on Wednesday, February 13th, 2019

As your family continues to grow, you might feel the need to provide it with its own space rather than continue to keep it with other relatives or friends. However, this opens the question of what type of property you ought to source. Would an apartment or house be better for your needs?

Of course, what exact “needs” your family has remained a question for you to answer – but here are a few factors that are especially worth considering as you think through those needs.

Watch this space: how much of it do you need?

One major drawback of an apartment is that it could be relatively small compared to a house. Naturally, the larger your current – or planned – family, the larger the residential property towards which you may be primarily drawn. However, “the bigger, the better” does not always hold true.

This is because, as this article will elaborate, many other factors still come into play – and Homedit suggests some tactics for making even an apartment feel more spacious.

You can change a property, but not its location

One reason why you might not want to rule out an apartment too soon is that you may struggle to find the right house in the right location. This factor outranks that of space, as a home’s location is much further beyond the residents’ control.

This is a strong reason to assess a property’s location before settling on a purchase. MoneySavingExpert.com advocates checking the neighbourhood for signs of a local disorder.

Will your family savour peace and quiet?

Another reason to go through the neighbourhood with a fine comb, so to say, is that the state of this neighbourhood could affect the tranquillity of your family’s experience living there.

This peacefulness could be especially compromised in an apartment, where you will be physically much closer to neighbours. They might not always be friendly, though you could increase the chances in your favour by establishing a healthy relationship with them at an early stage.

Security is another crucial factor

One notable respect in which apartments tend to have edge security. Many apartments are secured by front doors which require a special code or card for unlocking. Meanwhile, some apartment buildings are staffed by security guards.

Another point worth making is that potential thieves can face more difficulty in eluding detection when neighbours are both plentiful and in close proximity.

How difficult will the property be to maintain?

If you have been drawn back to the factor of space, you might continue to deem a house a better option than an apartment. There is no doubt that the added space typical with a house can pay dividends when you want to invite around friends for entertaining.

However, that added space would also leave you with more to maintain. That could include more windows to clean and more floors to vacuum, while this fails to even touch upon the subject of looking after outdoor spaces attached to the main building, like gardens and porches.