More often than not, the decision to live in an apartment or a house is out of our hands; apartments are usually cheaper to rent than houses, so our budget makes the decision for us. When you get to the point where you might be able to afford a down payment on your first home, a house seems more appealing because it’s spacious, there’s room for a family, and it’s something you probably haven’t experienced since you lived with your parents. Still, you shouldn’t look down on apartments just because you can now afford a house. Each has the potential to be a great home for you, and a family.

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Costs

Apartments cost less than houses because the floorplan is much smaller than a house, which also means that the cost of heating and cooling the space will be significantly less.

However, while a house might cost more to buy and maintain, the value of the property can increase with certain home improvements, so you stand to make a profit if you eventually decide to sell. When weighing your options, it’s always best to think ahead regarding maintenance costs.

Location

Whenever someone thinks about buying a house, they typically picture a building in a nice neighborhood, with plenty of garden space and a driveway. Apartments tend to conjure up an image of crowded cities, which most people are trying to leave when they can buy a property. But apartments come in a wide range of locations; in Florida, Crystal Lake apartments is a complex that includes a communal swimming pool, nature trails, a stocked lake, and all the modern amenities you could want. If you buy an apartment in Colorado, you’ll wake up to views of snow-capped mountains.

Houses with swimming pools and nature trails aren’t easy to come by, but there’s nothing stopping you from finding a house near a popular hiking trail, and putting in your own pool later. Both houses and apartments have a lot of options in terms of location, so you’ll always have something you need.

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Neighborhood

You can’t choose your neighbors, but maybe you have a say in your proximity to your neighbors. If you like your peace and quiet in the evenings, and you don’t want to risk living next to noisy neighbors, then an apartment might not be the best choice for you. Your neighbors might not think they’re being loud, but sometimes the walls can be thin in apartment buildings.

With a house, however, you might have a little more space between you and your neighbors, or at the very least you’ll only have next-door neighbors to deal with instead of upstairs, downstairs, and across the hall.

Lifestyle

If you’re the kind of person who likes to host guests and throw parties regularly, then a house would be ideal for you. Entertaining your friends is a lot more pleasant when you have a yard, several bedrooms and plenty of space in general.

All things considered, you can make a home anywhere.