When you are shopping for where to live, first time renter or not, what are some considerations you should be thinking about when you are deciding between an apartment or a house? In this article, we will give a break down the positives and negatives of each to help you decide what’s right for you. Some of the points made might be surprising.
What makes a house a good fit?
In our opinion, house are great for people who can’t stand sharing walls with other people. Traditionally, apartments are stacked. You’ll have neighbors above, below and besides you. Being a considerate neighbor starts from within in an apartment. Avoiding heavy steps, watching media volume, and being limited on exercise equipment (niche but applicable) are things you need to consider in an apartment. In a house, there isn’t as high of a demand to watch what you do within your home. Another thing to consider is being able to do yard work. There are people who love to plant gardens, mow lawn, and, if there’s space, have people over for hanging out on a lawn. A final point about houses is you are less limited on garage space for storage or your car. If this sounds up your alley, we recommend checking out a house that fits your needs.
When houses aren’t the best fit.
First time renters should stick to apartments. This is especially true as they learn about budgeting and paying for utilities. Many houses do not include utilities, which can require deposits or cosigners to set up. In the summer, a house is affordable to keep habitable, but during the winter houses tend to be larger than apartments and less energy efficient due to lack of shared walls. The risk of running a low bank account are very real to consider. A final point about renting a house is general upkeep. If the landlord doesn’t do lawn care or snow removal, you will need to pick up the slack.
What makes apartments a good fit?
Have multiple cups of sugar for neighbors to borrow? Love leaving happy post it notes on people’s doors to brighten a stranger’s day? We recommend apartments. Apartment complexes are a community with it’s own unique culture. We also want to point out that, Holly Park specifically, includes all but one utility in your rent. Being able to budget around just rent and electric is much easier than three. A final huge benefit is having on site staff you can talk about your issues with.
When apartments aren’t the best fit.
Since apartments tend to lean on the smaller side, large group gatherings are often not compatible with community standards. Guest parking can also be a tough sale for extroverted apartment dwellers and frequent guests. Sound sensitive individuals may need make invests in ear plugs for studying if footsteps are a major distraction. A final sticking point about apartment living is limited outdoor space for our naturalists out there.
Holly Park isn’t your typical apartment complex in Kent.
Holly Park, built in 1991-92, has some of the largest apartments in the area, which makes them great for responsible gatherings of friends and family. We do our very best to work on sound and party control, however, there are limitations and expectations of living in an apartment we want to make sure our tenants are aware of. We do adhere to Kent City’s noise ordinance and ask our tenants to do the same. We also have very ample parking and don’t tow Friday nights through Monday mornings. If you are someone who likes the outdoors, Kent has many gorgeous parks that you can explore. One of our favorite parks within a 5-minute drive is Towners Woods. We hope this article was helpful as you search for a home that fits your needs, even if it’s not with us!