Previously, about 20 years ago, living outside the city in your home was not considered prestigious. Now everything has changed - a suburban mansion with all modern communications has become a symbol of prosperity. Instead of modest "amenities" on the site are a sauna, a swimming pool, elegant arbors. However, there are still many supporters of urban life. It makes no sense to argue that it is better - a house or an apartment. To each his own. But if in doubt, why not consider the pros and cons of these types of housing and make the final choice.
Content:
Key Aspects of Choice
The reasons why you have to choose between an apartment and a private house are different. Newlyweds want to leave the village in the city where they work or study. Or a family with kids dreams, on the contrary, to leave a small apartment in a spacious country house. An elderly couple moves closer to the ground, leaving the apartment with the bustle of the children.
The main criteria that should be followed when choosing a home are:
- There should be enough space for everyone - each member of the family has his own personal space.
- Clean air, greenery, a pond are indisputable advantages.
- Excellent if there are shops, a school, a kindergarten, entertainment and medical facilities nearby.
- It should be possible to get to the place of work without any problems.
- The absence of a criminal situation in the area and the provision of proper security are the most important conditions.
What are the advantages and features of a private house
The question is acute: which is better - a private house or apartment? Let's look at the features of living in a country house.
1. The house is more spacious and free than in a city dwelling. You can not only allocate a room for everyone, but also equip a library with a dining room and a winter garden.
2. Young children will only live freely in the house. It is easier to accommodate a family of several generations. In the city, such conditions can be achieved if there are 4 or 5 rooms, and no more than four people live in an apartment. But an apartment is cheaper to maintain than a house.
3. The plot in front of the house will allow more time to be in the air. In the summer you can receive guests there, and the kids will find a place for games. You don’t have to spend a lot of time deciding to go to nature - it’s so close by. But all the delights of suburban life will appear only if the place for the house is environmentally friendly. It’s not very pleasant to live near a dusty road or railway.
4. The site can be useful even when the owners of the house have a hobby. For example, flowers or vegetables are grown. In addition, on the site, you can put a car, and equip a swimming pool, and a sauna. However, the vast area will require considerable expenses. Yes, and it will take time pretty much.
5. In your own house, unlike an apartment, you will not hear the neighbors swearing violently behind the wall or someone turning on the drill early in the morning. And in the city, cars, trams and other sources of sounds constantly make noise, so outside the city you can enjoy the silence in full. True, only if the neighbor behind the fence is not a rowdy - check this in advance, by the way.
6. You can receive guests in a country cottage in any quantity - the area allows. For them there are separate rooms, and even a guest house. There is one “but” - guests prefer to come when it is warm. And in winter, when the day is short, the house may seem lonely. Therefore, those who love society, it is better to settle in the center of the village.
7. The country house can be expanded by attaching a veranda or another floor. And on the site you can not only build a garage or workshop, but also build another house. True, this can cost a pretty penny, and unskilled builders can ruin everything.
What about security?
What is safer - a house or an apartment? Of course, in a country cottage you are much more at risk of being robbed. Especially if it stands apart from other buildings. In a cottage village with security, living is safer, but also more expensive. You can take precautions yourself. Get a guard dog, for example.
A good way is to install a video surveillance system. You can mount special automation, which in your absence and the light will turn on periodically, and lifts the curtains. And it’s better to invite someone to stay in your absence - then the thieves will definitely not turn up. Due to the fact that it is more difficult to get into the apartment, she will still win in terms of security.
Housing maintenance and costs
In a serviced apartment is easier. No need to worry that the roof will leak or the heating system will fail. This is what the experts are doing. And you only need to pay the "communal" on time. True, prices for it are constantly creeping up. And to establish anything for yourself, starting with the boiler and ending with water meters, will be long and expensive. Also, a bunch of documents will have to be coordinated.
Living in the house, you have to worry yourself about any little thing, insulating, equipping and repairing your home. Yes, it does not need to pay for those services that were not provided, but in the event of an accident or natural disaster, you only have to rely on yourself. For example, repair a roof torn by a hurricane, a wiring burnt during a thunderstorm, or a boiler burst from frost. Complex engineering systems that need to be regulated and can fail more often, requiring a specialist call. You can not allow overflow of sewage, inviting the sewage service on time.
Conclusion: in case of an accident, residents of an apartment only need to get to the phone and call the housing office. The cottage is becoming more and more difficult - the necessary specialists may not arrive very soon, or even not at all. Therefore, it is necessary that a technically savvy person lives in the house. Comparing what is cheaper - a house or an apartment, you understand that a country cottage will cost more.
How much attention the site requires
Even to clean a spacious country house for a long time, especially in comparison with the apartment. But work on the site takes even more time. In summer it is necessary to water and weed, in winter - to clean the snow. You can’t leave the land unowned, otherwise it will quickly overgrow with weeds. But you can greatly facilitate the maintenance of the site, if:
- Some processes on the site are automated (for example, irrigation). No need to mess around with a heavy hose. A lawn mower will allow you to quickly cut grass once a week without waving a scythe.
- Plants growing on the site, unpretentious. They do not require as much attention as immigrants from exotic countries, but look no worse.
- The tool for work has excellent quality.
And if you have a pond dug at the site, built a summer kitchen or equipped with a pool, then work will increase on it. Do not forget about the repair of paths, benches and awnings, necessary from time to time.
Conclusion: the site will not tolerate neglect - he needs care. You can ease it by acquiring mechanisms and unpretentious plants. Therefore, if you do not like to work on the earth and do not know what to choose - a house or an apartment, choose the latter.
Far or near?
In the city, everything is nearby, from shops with pharmacies to cinemas and a clinic. But in the cottage with this may be a problem. Therefore, when buying a house in the country, you should think about the following things:
- How much time will be spent on the way to work? If you need to drive 20 kilometers, and then stand in traffic jams, then this is not the best option.
- Is there public transport nearby to the city? Even if you have your own car, you may need it.
- Is there a good kindergarten, school, and sports sections nearby? It will be difficult for children to get up early to travel to the city every day.
- What shops, hospital and clinic in the village? It is better if they can be reached on foot.
- What communications are brought to the house? Especially important is the presence of gas, as well as centralized sewage.
Conclusion: Living in the wilderness, you can get a bunch of problems with trips to work, educating children and even buying groceries. It will be easier if someone from the family has free time, and the connection with the city is good. Residents of apartments do not have such problems.
Who should live well in their home?
Assess all the delights of such housing are capable of several categories.
A young family with incomes above the average, whose wife can take care of children without working. Such a family is suitable for a cottage village, in which there is a good school, and there is enough entertainment.
A large family of three generations. Old people will look after a site, and children - to earn. It is important to have a clinic, school, shops nearby.
High school children or students will not require as much attention as toddlers. Parents will be able to work calmly. Such a family fits a house near the city.
A family of older people who love to mess around on the ground. It is important for them that there is a clinic, a store near by and a bus to the city.
How to combine both options?
Thinking painfully whether to build a house or buy an apartment, many dream of a house within the city. But it costs a lot of money. However, there are several more solutions.
Low-rise houses built on the border of the city will allow you to get closer to nature, living in comfort. The territory has security, parking, playgrounds. For large families, there are apartments with two levels. It’s close to the city, you don’t need to monitor the site, there are also utility services for the house.
Townhouses are houses on 2 or 3 floors, interconnected. They have small plots of land up to two hundred square meters, common utilities, a garage and a separate entrance.
Cottage towns have a common style and a different area of houses, and they are built at various distances from the city. Good roads, well-established infrastructure, public services and security make living in them very convenient.
