Advice for renting an apartment vs independent house

Hi Savitha,

Both are good options depending upon the area you stay in. you must be having some priorities or preferences whilst looking for a house. While keeping them in mind keep browsing through these rental sites Apartments for Rent & Homes for Rent - Rent.com Apartment Finder, apartmentratings.com, apartmentreview.com and there are many others. also you can keep looking in craigslist where there are a lot of house owners looking to rent their place. if you manage to find one of those it is also very good as you dont have to deal with the leasing office guys and they give you a very good deal too. keep in mind your budget. even we were searching for places and i noticed i could get a house for the same rent as a two bed two bath apartment sometimes from direct owners. so keep looking regularly at these sites and then you can shortlist and visit those places. all the best in your house search :thumbsup

 

Savitha, One advice wud be to look into townhouses too. Sometimes a house can work out too expensive even tho the rent may seem similar to apartment . That being the case becoz of additional things as trash,electric and water bills along with heater. I have a few people I know say that.

Townhouses are a good option to look at. It is much better compared to an apartment and slightly cheaper than an independent house.Think about this. Good Luck.

 

Hi savitha,

I agree with chocolate for the townhome option. This is in between an apartment and a single family home. TO be very frank I dont have much idea on the issues which you pointed out. Definitely we need to conisder all these things before renting an apartment from a direct owner..

Good luck

 

Savitha;
After a few couple of years in apartment living; we are planning to rent a house from direct owner from next month.
I had/have all the doubts you have. But after thinking and sleeping over it and speaking to the owner; we decided to take this "big step".
All I would say is it all depends on the owner. Maybe next month end I can help you with my personal exp
All the best
-Nitha

 

Savitha,

Renting an Apartment:
Pros:
1. Maintenance is managed by Leasing Office (Quick response)
2. Facilities (Pool, Gymn, Play Area, Club House)
3. Good community esp if you have LO
4. Utilities may be included in the rent in some places
5. Yearly Carpet cleaning offered in some places

Cons:
1. Neighbors up or down your unit..
2. Space
3. If Washer/Dryer is not in the unit, it may be inconvenient

Renting a House:
Pros:
1. Space
2. Privacy
3. Sometimes you can sign more than a year lease too (apartments usually go for a yr or less lease)
4. Rent may not increase more with subsequent renewal (depends..)
5. Washer/Dryer included

Cons:
1. No Community (may feel lonely)
2. Maintenance - at the mercy of the owner
3. Owner may decide to sell unit.. based on lease contract you will be given notice..
4. Utilities may cost more.. as you are not sharing with neighboring units as in apartments
5. May not have facilities like pool, gymn etc
6. Usually carpet cleaning is your responsibility

Like Chocolate said, Townhomes are the best of both worlds. But if you have problem climbing up the stairs it may not be ideal. Pregnant ladies, families with little kids, elders with knee problem generally do not prefer Townhomes.

That said, if you are looking into Craigslist, BEWARE of Nigerian Rental Scams. If any offer is too good to be true then it probably is. Stay away from sending money through MoneyGram, Cashiers Check etc..

(I used to pretend to bite the bait and simply enjoy the scammer's emails.. wow the stories they come up with.. hilarious. :rotfl)

HAPPY MOVING! :thumbsup

 

Savitha, You are :welcome.