Want to Change Your House for the First Time?
Are you a first-time homebuyer or someone seeking to change their place of residence? Well, weather it is the first time or the umpteenth time, it is always a relief to know that there is more than one option to base a living around. Two popular choices for many are apartments and independent houses.
Both have many aspects and the option selected can alter your way of life and your finances. The decision of choosing between an apartment vs. an independent house can be a daunting task. But fret not, we’re here to break down the process for the customer’s viewpoint in a very supported and easy to understand blog.
Table of Contents
- Independent House Meaning: What Sets it Apart?
- Advantages of an Independent House
- What Is an Apartment?
- Amenities: Independent House vs. Apartment
. – Amenities
. – Maintenance
. – Financing
. – Security and Safety
. – Saleability
. – Insurance
. – Social Life - Tips for Selecting Your Ideal Home
- Dream Location: A Fresh Perspective on Apartment Living
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions . – What is an independent house? . – Is an independent house good or flat? . – What is the difference between a villa and an independent house? . – What is an independent type of house?
Independent House Meaning: What Sets it Apart?
An “independent house” generally describes a house which is not physically attached to any other housing units. It is a standalone single family home which is built on its own plot of land without adjoining walls, floors or ceiling with any other units. Independent houses are mostly not associated with any major complex or community enhancing the privacy, space and freedom they can provide when is compared to apartments or townhouses. They usually are built with their own yard and a driveway, and sometimes may include a backyard or garden for additional outdoor space.
Independent House
Sure! The free-standing house is referred to as a single family house or detached house. It is a one-family type of house that is not connected to any other residential units. This can be further elaborated as follows: Dream Developers
Free-standing residence
Independent Houses are created for occupancy by an individual family or household. Unlike apartments or condominiums, these are not subdivided into separate housing units. This implies that the land and all of the building forming a house that is regular building which includes a all normal this land and building is normally owned and occupied by a family.
Non – Attached structure
There is no party wall, floor, or ceiling separating independent houses from one another as in the case of apartments or townhouses. Each in dependent house is in itself a distinct building, thus granting residents with adequate level of privacy and control.
Land use and ownership
An independent house usually has a designated area of land around themselves with which they are built on. This land is also part of the ownership and this land can be developed for any of these usages gardening, outdoor activities, parking lots. These people are in contrast of apartments or condo owners who in most situations are only owners of their unit interior and not any part of the external unit.
Personal Touch and Alterations
Independent houses give a high level of customization which is one of the major perks of these kinds of residential structures. There are no common walls or shared areas with the neighbors, meaning that the owners will not have to seek approval from a homeowners association or property management company enabling them to make changes or additions to the structure more easily.
Gardens and Yards
Often they come with their own courtyard or yard therefore such homes are suitable for those who prefer spending time outdoors. Such spaces are particularly attractive for parents who have kids or pets since they can keep their children or pets in a safe and enclosed space while allowing them to play freely.
For Garages and Driveways
Such homes are on their own, therefore some of their parking driveways and garages tend to be included. This resolves the situation whereby people residing in vertical units struggle to find parking spaces, a situation that is common in city centers or populated areas.
On the one hand, independent houses promote ownership amongst residents, privacy and freedom. On the other hand, an independent house is also accompanied by duties such as: being responsible for the maintenance of the whole property, as well as requiring the ability to invest more money than is necessary when renting a room in a collective housing unit.
What is an Apartment?
An apartment is also referred to as a flat in some countries, it is a self-contained housing unit that is located on an upper floor of an apartment building. Let’s elaborate more:
Housing Unit
An apartment is a single unit within a multi-unit residential building it is typically comprised of one or more bedrooms and other amenities such as a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Some apartments have an additional laundry room or a private outdoor space like a balcony.
Shared Facilities
Apartments are mainly self-sufficient, but they frequently include common features that are found in other units of the building. Such features include: hallways, stairwells, elevators, parking space and in some cases, a gym, an outdoor swimming pool, or a roof terrace.
Renting or Owning
An apartment can either be rented out or owned. In a rental arrangement, the individual or tenants make periodic rent payment to the landlord or property management company for the right to occupy an apartment. In the case of ownership, individuals or families buy out an apartment and normally, apart from the mortgage loan, pay on a monthly basis for the maintenance of the mortgage along with the common facilities.
Types and Configurations
Apartments are located in the high rise and low rise buildings or in the townhouse complexes. Additionally, apartments come in more configurations including studio apartments, which are essentially one room that is used for both living and sleeping, as well as family sized apartments with multiple bedrooms.
City Dwelling
Apartments are naturally found in greater concentration in cities, given that city population density is greater. As such, they represent an efficient use of space as they allow a greater number of people to be arranged in close quarters with the work and services such as public transport.
Neighbours Flatmates and Sound Barely Exceptional
An Apartment is highly synonymous with neighbours as residing in an apartment house often means being in close contact with several other people. This can be great for people who want to experience a community but for some people it might require changes because apartments are places that are amenable to noise pollution and require a higher level of attention with respect to common areas of the building.
Maintenance and Management
In the case of rental apartments, landlords or property management companies are responsible for regulations and repair works of the premises as well as the shared facilities. When the apartments are owned, sometimes there exists a homeowners’ association (HOA) or a condo association that takes care of the administration and maintenance of the facilities owned collectively.
Overall, the major attraction of the apartments for individuals and families, especially in overcrowded cities where space is a constraint, is the potential of being economically viable and less expensive, as there is potential of cost sharing in the purchases of building requirements. They offer the privacy of one’s own home in a stand-alone unit and yet the benefits of communal facilities and living.
Facilities: Separate House or Independent Apartment
Now that we know what as an “independent house or a stand-alone dwelling unit” or as an “apartment” means, let us step into the apartment vs independent house angle. As they are often viewed as alternatives, let us outline their key differences.
Facilities
Independent House: Independent houses do have the benefit of being tailored within the parameters of building rules, but in terms of facilities, they have to be given a lot of capital expenditure. You can create your desired facilities, but it may involve high expenses.
Apartment: Clubhouses, gyms, swimming pools, and children’s play areas are some of the standard facilities offered with apartments. All of these facilities are made available for the residents, so apartment lifestyle comes off as rather more comfortable and cheaper.
Maintenance
Independent House: Independent houses need a higher amount of caretaker engagement. Owners have to look at the maintenance of their structures themselves, which includes hiring the technocrats, repairing etc., and also performing day to day maintenance.
Apartment: Maintenance and repair work is performed by the maintenance department of the apartment. This saves the residents from the stress of managing maintenance and allows them to live peacefully.
Financing
Independent House: Independent houses tend to deal with a more unique situation in that their financing is a little more complicated to work through. Banks on their part have to check and verify all the property documents and the credit history of the borrower. They may finance up to 70% of the value of the plot and the borrower will shell out the remaining cost along with stamp duty and registration fees.
Apartment: A good number of construction companies have partnered with ABA Bank in order to facilitate the apartment loan and as a result, banks are willing to offer loans for an apartment. Furthermore, many of the major banks deal with this type of loan and they will lend about 90 percent of the cost of the bolt, which makes it easy for the home buyers.
Security and Safety
Independent House: The owner of the independent house has to handle security. Spending extra money for installing security gadgets. e.g. CCTV cameras or alarms etc. could be one solution. Being equipped with a burglar alarm may also need to be arranged independently.
Apartment: Living in apartments is distinctive since there are guards available as well as CCTV coverage enabling security at all times. Apartments are more fire resistant than other structures improving safety.
Saleability
Independent House: Markets of a particular area possess demand for independent houses hence they are indubitably difficult to sell and take a greater duration of time to do so. The saleabilty of an independent house depends on the availability as well as the stability of the current market.
Apartment: Whereas most apartments are rather hard to find, as typically there are many families who want one, hence they have high demand, and the cost is not that much, due to this selling an apartment is rather easy. However, trying to sell an apartment located in tier II cities will be a tough obstacle as most families would prefer an independent house instead.
Insurance
Independent House: All homeowners should consider purchasing insurance for their house, for in case such an unfortunate incident does take place at least they would be covered. Claims are always made by the homeowner.
Apartment: It is quite common for entire buildings in apartments to be insured by the owners’ associations or societies where the complex is built but the individuals can choose to insure their items or belongings too.
Social Life
Independent House: Providing solitary confinement with no noise insulations independent houses are as the name suggest independent. There is a community feeling as well in these houses but that greatly depends on how the residents interact with each other and what measures they take.
Apartment: Apartments are means to foster very strong loving and living communalism as in most instances, the residents interact within common rooms such as clubhouses and gardens during community functions, cultural festivals, and even social events.
Factors That Should Determine Your Next Decision
Choosing your next home is bound to be an easy task especially when you have criteria that narrows down your options whilst being able to ensure that what you’re looking for fits your lifestyle as well as your personal preferences. Here are some of the items that you may find fit the criteria you have in mind:
Listing out the Must-Haves
Let us start by having a look at all the crucial elements that influence your decision. An ideal home must consider location, size, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, its overall floor plan, etc.
For Further details, Read it Out on Dream Location