Apartments, One Man's Dream Is Another's Nightmare
Apartments. Usually somebody's first home after getting married.
Can't really say they're relatively cheap anymore. Depending on
where you live, apartments can run you anywhere from several
hundred to several thousand dollars a month.
So what does one do when looking for an apartment? Believe it or
not, there are many different types, styles, and pay plans
involved. We'll try to cover the basic types in this article and
what you can expect to find with each.
Starting off small there is your basic studio apartment. A
studio apartment is usually 1 room with a kitchen and bath.
Let's first off define what a room is when getting an apartment.
A room is any room other than your kitchen and bath. Bathrooms
do not count as rooms at all because they are required by law.
Kitchens are a little different. Most walk in kitchens are
considered a half a room. If the kitchen is simply an area in
the apartment that is not cut off from the other rooms then it
is not counted as a room. So a studio 1 room would have a
kitchen area that's part of the 1 room, meaning it probably
comes with just a refrigerator and a stove and sink. A studio 1
1/2 room would have a kitchen that is actually separated from
the rest of the apartment by a wall and has a doorway. Most
studio apartments are 1 room.
Studio apartments, contrary to what most people think, are not
cheap. A studio in New York City can cost you $1000 a month. In
some areas you can get a studio for about $500.
Then there are your basic apartments that are normally 3 or 4
rooms.
A three room apartment has a living room, dining area and 1
bedroom. Again, the difference between a 3 and a 3 1/2 room is
the kitchen being either part of one of the rooms or cut off.
A four room apartment usually has a living room, dining area and
2 bedrooms. If a family needs a third bedroom the dining area is
usually converted. The problem with dining areas is that they
don't normally have doors to separate them from the other rooms.
So to ensure privacy some kind of sliding door is usually
installed. Actually most 4 room apartments, because of the extra
room are really 4 1/2 rooms because in almost all cases the
kitchen is cut off from the other rooms.
In apartments there is seldom a basement. Most apartments are
assigned a basement area in a main basement used for the entire
complex. In some cases each apartment section or group of
apartments has a basement nearby.
Aside from the number of rooms there is also the issue of
layout. Most apartments are single level, meaning all the rooms
are on one floor. But in some cases there are apartment
complexes that are what they call duplexes. These are two
apartments side by side in each complex and each apartment is
two floors as opposed to the 4 apartment complexes where each
apartment is on a single level. In two level apartments the
living room and dining area are usually downstairs with the
bedrooms upstairs. Most two level apartments are 4 1/2 rooms.
Then there is the issue of what services come with the apartment
and what services have to be paid for separately.
In some apartments your gas and electricity and water utilities
are included in the cost of the rent. In other apartments only
the water is paid for and your gas and electric are paid to your
local public service company. Some apartments don't cover any of
your costs. So when you get an apartment make sure you find out
just what your rent covers. The reason for this is that an
apartment for $900 a month with all utilities paid may actually
be a better deal than an apartment for $750 a month if the
latter apartment doesn't include any utilities at all.
Finally, in securing an apartment many require a security
deposit equal to the rent of the apartment. Some require one
month security and some require two months. This is paid back to
you when your lease expires if you decide to leave. Breaking a
lease will usually mean forfeiture of your deposit.
Which brings us to apartment rules. This is why there is nothing
like owning your own home. Most apartments allow no pets.
Playing music after a certain hour will bring complaints from
your neighbors. The list goes on and on but I'm sure you get the
point. Your freedom to do what you want in an apartment is
limited.
Some people love the idea of not having to worry about repairs,
as the super usually takes care of that, and live in apartments
their whole life. Others can't wait until they can get into
their own home. That's the wonderful thing about this world. One
man's dream is another man's nightmare.