homes vs Apartments ... what should I rent?
Written by Stacy Burnett
Another necessary evil of modern life is utility bills. Water and sewer charges are often included in an apartment’s rent – not so for house rentals. Apartment complexes often provide dumpsters for their tenants to dispose of their trash while homeowners have to pay for trash removal.
Aside from location, you are paying for amenities. Houses tend to offer more privacy than apartments and have yards, garages and extra storage spaces. They also tend to be bigger than apartments. The downside to all these goodies is they come with a price tag. The yard for the dogs and kids needs to be mowed in the summer. It can mean buying a lawn mower and gassing it up every time the grass needs trimming or paying the entrepreneurial kid in the neighborhood to do it. All those private driveways in snowy climates need to be plowed or shoveled. Again, if you don’t want to invest in snow removal equipment, you will need to pay someone to keep the driveway and walkways clear in inclement weather. Apartment dwellers know that landscaping and snow removal are included in the monthly rent they hand over to the landlord every month.
Another necessary evil of modern life is utility bills. Water and sewer charges are often included in an apartment’s rent – not so for house rentals. Apartment complexes often provide dumpsters for their tenants to dispose of their trash while homeowners have to pay for trash removal. Electricity is sometimes factored into the rent at an apartment complex, but rarely ever is it included in a house’s quoted rent price. Ditto for the costs associated with heating and cooling. The energy efficiency of the house is going to be a significant issue when paying utility bills. In addition, most houses are larger than apartments, leaving you with more space to heat or to cool. Apartment complexes are increasingly providing a few select premium cable channels and wireless internet capabilities at no additional cost to lure tenants. Renters of houses have no such luck finding such accoutrements without buying them independently.
If you like to work out, the cost of visiting a gym or buying home fitness equipment may be a significant monthly expense. Large apartment complexes often have clubhouses that include the use of a fitness room outfitted with basic workout equipment. Some even have a pool for residents. While a house rental may have a pool, the cost of maintaining it can be cost-prohibitive. In addition, your rental insurance rate could more than double because of the liability associated with an “attractive nuisance.” Renter’s insurance tends to cost more for house rentals than for apartment rentals whether there is a pool onsite or not.
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