Settling the debate between living in a house or apartment

Buying a house is a huge decision for most of us. While some view a home as an asset, others think of it as a liability. The reality is, any property is an asset or a liability depending on your purpose for purchasing it.

Nonetheless, buying a residential property is an enormous investment, especially if you talk about major cities like Sydney and Melbourne. Whether you are buying it as an investment, or plan to live in the property, there are a couple of considerations to be made:

• Location: This does not only refer to the immediate location of the property. Properties in certain areas are more expensive than others. Upcoming areas have cheaper properties. However, while buying property in such an area, one should consider the future development prospects of the area.
• Budget: Drawn from the first point, your budget will help you categorise the locations that you can afford.

Once the above considerations are out of the way, comes the big question, should you get an apartment or a house? While this might seem like an impossible decision to make, this blog post is going to help you understand the pros and cons of both types of properties, so you can make an informed decision.

Apartments

Apartments offer a cost-effective investment option in a rapidly advancing property market. For instance, they offer an entry-point to property buyers in areas where buying a house would definitely be out of their budget. Here are some pros that an apartment may offer:

• From a security standpoint, apartments are at an advantage.
• Most apartment complexes have power and water backups.
• Most of the maintenance of your property is take care of by the complex authorities.
• Access to amenities like gymnasium, swimming pool, and a club.

However, there are a few downsides of living in an apartment complex:

• Very limited freedom to make changes or modifications to the property.
• Residents are required to pay a monthly maintenance fee.
• Absolutely no scope of extending the property.

Houses

When you purchase an independent house, you are solely responsible for every aspect of the property. The insurance, maintenance, and everything in between, is your responsibility as a homeowner. On the other hand, independent properties offer a lot of freedom in terms of space. However, there are a few reasons houses are usually priced higher than apartments:

• Independent houses offer the freedom of modifying the property according to your tastes. This doesn’t just apply to situations when you are purchasing a new property. Even if you have been living in the same house for a while, and are looking for some change, you will have complete freedom to modify the aesthetics of your home according to your tastes and the latest architectural trends.
• Even if your independent property doesn’t have any scope for an extension, you can always build a new floor.
• Independent houses offer unmatched privacy.

Like with everything else, even independent properties have some disadvantages:

• If security is a concern in your area, it will come at a substantial cost.
• Independent properties are more expensive.
• While there is no monthly maintenance to be paid, significant repairs that are required seldom may be expensive.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are several other considerations apart from the price, when choosing between living in a house or apartment. If you have a small family, or you move around a lot, an apartment might be the right investment for you. On the other hand, if you have a large or growing family, an independent property might be the fitting choice for you. As an investment, both kind of properties have their pros and cons. For instance, apartments may attract a higher number of tenants. On the other hand, the cost of an independent property usually appreciates at a better rate than an apartment.

As mentioned earlier, the kind of property that is perfect for you is dependent on several factors. However, with the information above, you will be able to analyse your situation properly, and make an informed decision.

By now, you must have a fair idea about the type of property you want to purchase. If you have any more questions or suggestions, feel free to share them in the comment section below.