Opponents and supporters of living in a private house have long been engaged in fierce debate about what is better: a three-room paradise with all the amenities or six acres with a house in the fresh air? The arguments of both sides are very weighty, but often purely individual.

In the last decade, the number of fans of country life has noticeably increased in our country, cottage villages around large cities are growing like mushrooms, and there are more and more people who want to build their own home and leave the noisy city. But even in multi-storey buildings of new buildings, apartments are being bought up at a tremendous speed, the cost of a square meter of housing is becoming more expensive every year, and young families are happy to take it.

It is difficult to unequivocally answer the question of what is more suitable for permanent residence: a house or an apartment. Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages. And before making a final decision, it is worth carefully studying all the pros and cons. Then you won’t have to regret the step you took later.

Pros of living in an apartment

Living conditions in large and small cities, of course, differ greatly from each other. Huge megacities with developed infrastructure are not at all like quiet and cozy provincial towns where everyone knows each other. Therefore, it is always worth taking into account the fact where the apartment is located, in what area, in what building and in what city. A lot may depend on this, but the apartments also have something in common.

1. Firstly, this is the presence of transport infrastructure near the house. This important fact allows those who have to go to work every morning to feel quite confident. Living outside the city, you will need to somehow resolve this issue. Lack of a car or huge traffic jams at the entrance to the city can be a serious obstacle to moving to the private sector.
2. Secondly, this is the location of important social facilities near the house. Kindergartens, schools, technical schools, institutes, hospitals, pharmacies, sports centers, children's art centers make the life of a family with children of any age much easier. The need to take a child to school or kindergarten every morning and evening often calls into question the possibility of a family living outside the city in which both parents work from morning to evening.
3. Thirdly, the apartments are provided with centralized communications services. All questions regarding the supply of water, electricity, gas, as well as concerns about waste disposal and wastewater disposal fall on the shoulders of specialized services. Apartment owners just need to pay their bills on time and not worry about anything else. Issues of replacing pipes in risers, repairing the roof, removing snow in the yard or ensuring cleanliness in the entrance must be resolved by the appropriate persons in the prescribed manner.
4. Fourthly, in cities there are shops, entertainment and shopping centers, theaters, exhibitions, cinemas, concert halls, clubs and other cultural facilities that are almost completely absent in the private sector or rural areas.
5. Fifthly, the ability to connect to high-speed Internet, digital television and other information achievements of civilization becomes a serious argument for many.

All these factors very often become decisive when a family is faced with the serious question of what to choose, a house or an apartment. But living in a city apartment also has its significant disadvantages.

Disadvantages of living in an apartment

Not all the disadvantages are noticed by everyone who lives in an apartment. But in most cases, those who consciously chose to live in a private home give the following reasons.

1. High cost of utilities. The receipts take into account not only meter data, but also allocate expenses for general house needs, and also charge for major home repairs. Very often, the rent for a small two-room apartment turns out to be much higher than all the costs of maintaining a house with an area of ​​100 m2.
2. Dependence on those who live in neighboring apartments. Problems such as: noisy neighbors, spoiled renovations caused by those who live on the floor above, those who like to drink or smoke in the entrance - are very common companions of those who live in an apartment building.
3. Severe air pollution, constant noise from passing cars, lack of parking spaces in the yard and much more also do not add joy.

When choosing between a house or an apartment, the pros and cons of which are different for each person, you should consider all possible difficulties.

Advantages and disadvantages of living in a private house

Among the fans of living in their own home there are people of different ages and marital status. Some people consciously sought throughout their lives to move away from the noisy city, while others were simply forced to take such a step due to various circumstances. But according to experienced realtors, people more often exchange their apartment for a house than vice versa.

The advantages of living in a private house are too obvious for many:

• fresh air, closeness to nature, peace and quiet of country life;
• a feeling of freedom, lack of dependence on neighbors, the ability to go out into the yard at any time and do what you love;
• having your own parking space for a car, motorcycle, bicycle or any other equipment;
• a wonderful opportunity to put a small child in a stroller to sleep every day in the courtyard of the house, without the need to walk with him through the dusty streets of the city for several hours in a row;
• you can have any pets, keeping them in an apartment would be very problematic;
• the presence of a garden and vegetable garden allows you to grow organic fruits, vegetables and berries, which in the summer can be eaten directly from the branches or beds;
• relative independence from public utilities, the ability to independently set heating and hot water supply modes, the absence of summer “pressure tests” and frequent shutdowns of hot water supply;
• with properly organized heat supply, maintaining a house is many times cheaper than utility bills for a smaller apartment.

The issue of the cost of utilities is very relevant for many. Therefore, when deciding what is cheaper, a house or an apartment, you should definitely take into account the difference in their area, as well as the fact that in the house you will have to pay only for what was actually used.

If the house is built with high quality, well insulated and heated using modern equipment, then no problems will arise with it. Therefore, when buying or building a house, special attention should be paid to the quality of communications.

But living outside the city also has its small disadvantages, which often stop many city residents from moving.

Private house. Are there any disadvantages?

Many consider the first and most important disadvantage of living in the private sector to be the distance from all the benefits of civilization. The lack of transport, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, shops, pharmacies and other attributes of city life makes those who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city seriously think about whether it’s worth it.

In addition, your home requires more attention than an apartment. In winter, you need to remove snow from the yard, sweep up fallen leaves in the fall, mow the grass in the summer, repair the roof if necessary, change the plumbing, and monitor the condition of all communications. If you do not do all this regularly, then very soon even the strongest and well-built house will begin to fall into disrepair.

Taking care of a personal plot can also take up quite a lot of time, so if the parents in the family work, then it may not be easy for them to maintain the vegetable garden in good condition.

But for many, such work is only a joy. Everyone must decide for themselves how suitable they are for living in a private home. However, there are certain categories of citizens who will find it difficult to adapt to living in such conditions, these are:

• single unmarried women or young mothers with children;
• elderly or frail people with serious illnesses;
• young families with small children, in which adults work in the city, and children attend kindergarten or school;
• men or women who do not like physical labor and prefer watching TV in the evenings to snow removal.

There is no single and correct decision for everyone about what is better - a house or an apartment. There are quite a lot of fans of both options, and each makes very convincing arguments. Each person must make his own choice and determine his own destiny.

We subconsciously choose houses that can teach us something.
Modest income awakens creativity, and you learn to create things and decorations for your home with your own hands. A small space teaches you not to accumulate junk and keep what you really need in your home. Difficult neighbors develop the ability to negotiate, the ability to hear and respect other people's points of view.
Everything is arranged very wisely. And when you have learned, the Universe will definitely send you the option you dream of!(author unknown)

Private house or apartment? Almost everyone today dreams of having their own home away from the bustle of the city. This is especially true for married couples who are planning or have already had children. The issue of moving to a private house becomes more pressing for them. Who doesn’t want their children to breathe fresh air, eat and drink organic products? And life in cramped urban conditions begins to become boring over time. Everything that used to attract so much - busy streets, cheerful noisy companies, night vigils in clubs, daily gatherings with friends in cafes - begins to tire and become boring. Many people want silence and home comfort. And then somehow life outside the city begins to appear in itself - oh, how good it is there! And these thoughts cannot be driven away from you until a decision is made. What's the solution? For some, this is not a question at all, while others are tormented by doubts all their lives, unable to decide to take any step. I really want to help such people!

First, let's figure out what country life means to you? I assure you that the pictures that each of you drew in your head will be very different from the pictures of another person and, moreover, from reality? Why? Yes, because everyone’s experience of living in a private house is different. Everyone’s home, living conditions, proximity to the city, neighbors, and finally their perception and character are different! And my experience cannot 100% coincide with the experience of my neighbor. And, moreover, it cannot coincide with the experience of all your friends, acquaintances and relatives. That is why I decided to make something like general recommendations that may help you understand the main question - a private house or an apartment?

1. Most often, people in country life are afraid of the distances they will have to travel to work - school, kindergarten, store, hospital (underline what is appropriate). All houses and plots for the construction of residential buildings can be divided into 3 categories:

1) Houses in the city. Living in them usually does not cause any inconvenience in terms of transportation.

2) Suburb (5-30 km) from the city. Here, the time you will spend on the road is directly proportional to the kilometers away from your home from the city. Therefore, when choosing a house, you should immediately carefully consider whether a kindergarten-school in the chosen area is suitable for you. If not, what are the alternatives? Do all family members need to go to the city every day or not? Do you have a car or are you planning to buy one in the near future? Usually, if you have your own transport, there are no special difficulties after moving. Most people (and rightly so) mainly purchase food for several days in advance, choosing large supermarkets for this. And for all kinds of little things, today even in the most remote and crowded village there is some kind of two-by-two store with the necessary set of products. If you don’t have transport and don’t expect it, then the task becomes more complicated. Before moving out of town, I advise you to carefully study the most likely daily routes of all family members, find out the minibus schedule and the condition of the roads in winter - this will help you avoid disappointments later.

3) Far range (from 45-50 km and up...) Typically, such options are purchased not as permanent housing, but as a dacha, summer residence. Or for permanent living, if your job does not require you to be at your workplace every day. Very, very few people can overcome such distances every day.

2. The second most popular myth associated with country life is the lack of any amenities, hard labor in the garden, caring for chickens and cows. Remember, there is probably a person in your circle who once lived in a village and speaks with disgust about life in a private house. Here I would like to explain in more detail. What are these guys talking about?

Is it worth explaining that in the modern concept of a “private home” all of the above delights are absent. Communications are the first thing you should pay attention to when buying a home. Any modern home should have hot and cold water, heating, and light. I would also add unlimited internet to this list. And I think most will add satellite TV, although personally we don’t watch TV at all. Of course, modern houses also have vegetable gardens, sometimes like mine. But here everyone makes a decision for himself whether he needs it or not. Under no circumstances should you succumb to stereotypes - for me, like everyone else. Maybe this is not your path. But only following your own path will make you truly happy!

Oh yes! “What can you replace an angry dog ​​with?” you ask. Has anyone ever heard of such a miracle of human thought as a security alarm? Yes, yes, of course, everyone heard! What makes me laugh the most is that people always try to seem smarter than they are. After all, they watch smart programs on TV, communicate with smart grandmothers at bazaars, and know how to draw conclusions and conclusions. And they know for sure that a dog is a guard, and an alarm system is expensive. How expensive is it, did any of these smart people find out? Usually the answer is something like this: “Well, I won’t say for sure, of course, but Vasya said it was expensive.” And I will say a little more than Vasya. We found out. And installing the simplest alarm system on our house costs about the same as a good purebred dog. And maintenance costs about the same as money spent on food to feed a watchdog. And for me personally the choice is obvious. And I advise you to first read my article about dogs, which will soon be published on the blog, and only then decide whether to be or not to be. Subscribe so you don't miss her articles by e-mail.

3. Condition of the house. You can't remove the words from the song. If in an apartment (theoretically) the housing office should take care of you, here the care of the house falls entirely on your shoulders. Therefore, the better the materials from which it is made, the more reliable the insulation, the more metal-plastic the windows, the newer the roof, the less hassle and more joy it will bring you. And yes, you will need to shovel the snow off the porch in winter. Therefore, if you have winter 8 months a year, then you need to think carefully. And if this natural disaster lasts no longer than a month, like ours, then, I assure you, you won’t even notice it)

4. State of mind. Finally, we have come to the most important factor influencing the choice - a private house or an apartment? Question: “Aren’t you bored at home in winter?” Probably occupies a leading position in the ranking. Therefore, I will answer here on my own behalf. No, we're not bored. We generally don’t know how to be bored) Yes, we don’t go to the movies or bowling so often anymore. But not because it’s difficult for us to spend an extra 20 minutes on the road. No. It's just not that interesting anymore. It’s much more interesting to invite friends to your place - it’s more comfortable here than in any cafe, cinema or club. After all, in a house at a decent distance from neighbors, you can arrange a holiday of any format - from cinema and barbecue to a swimming pool with karaoke. It all depends on your imagination! And from the state of the soul!

You either want to live outdoors, have breakfast on the veranda and walk around the yard in a swimsuit in the summer, or you need the “rhythms of the metropolis,” 24-hour free access to bars, restaurants, clubs and crowds of people. Nothing else should influence your choice more than the feeling - yes, this is mine! Or vice versa - no, I can’t do that. Because when you go your own way and do what you and only you like, all the inconveniences seem small and insignificant and pale against the background of a state of absolute harmony with yourself and with the world around you.

I hope my article will help you decide on your choice - a private house or an apartment? Don't forget to subscribe to our articles by e-mail - and then you won't miss anything interesting! In the comments I would really like to hear your opinion about life in a private house and how it differs from life in an apartment. Perhaps I forgot something? I'll definitely add it.

Where is it better, more convenient and more profitable to live - in a city apartment or in a private house? Everyone has their own opinion on this matter. Some believe that having an apartment has fewer worries, while others argue that you can sacrifice anything to live without neighbors. Who is right?

Apartment life

There are many advantages to city life. One of the main ones is transport accessibility. No matter where the apartment is located in our city, there is always a public transport stop with several routes not far from this place (in extreme cases, at least one Gazelle definitely runs there). It is for this reason that many do not want to move outside the city; they cannot do without a car. And if there are children in the family, then they will also have to be taken and picked up by car to school or kindergarten. Another plus is centralized communications. There is no need to worry about heating, hot water, etc. - housing and communal services have already taken care of all this. And if anything happens, they will all do the repairs. When living in an apartment, you don't have to think about how your home looks from the outside and how to improve its appearance. Here practically nothing depends on the residents. There is no need to tint anything, correct anything, repair the roof, etc. All this is the responsibility of the management organization (whether it fulfills its duties or not is another question).

Of course, there are also plenty of disadvantages. Many people complain about their neighbors - either they are too noisy and unpleasant, or, on the contrary, they complain that you are making noise after 23.00 and call the police. Another option is that they constantly drown you, or you drown them. In general, there are enough misunderstandings. An important irritating factor is constant noise outside the window, but this only applies to those who live near highways. The ecology of urban housing also leaves much to be desired due to its proximity to roads. Car owners are also inconvenienced by the insufficient number of parking spaces in the yard.

Life in the house

The disadvantages of “apartment life” in private home ownership turn into advantages, and vice versa. There are no neighbors behind the wall, you can calmly go about your business without fear that a neighbor’s party will interfere with concentration or falling asleep on time. An important point is a piece of land on which you can realize all your fantasies: grow a vegetable garden, plant flowers, and if you are too lazy to do all this, then just sow everything with lawn grass and plant a couple of Christmas trees, and also use it for parking your car.

On the other hand, a private house is for hardworking owners; lazy people have nothing to do here. You will always have to do something around the house: either on the site, or in the house itself, since responsibility for the condition of the home falls entirely on the shoulders of the owner. Communications play a big role here; if, for example, they are completely failed, then there is nothing to worry about. The absence, for example, of central or gas heating adds quite a lot of worries and takes up time.

Making calculations

Many people are concerned about such issues as paying housing and utility bills. Where is it more profitable to live in this regard - in an apartment or in a private house?

As an example, let’s make a calculation for a two-room apartment with an area of ​​50 square meters. m, in which two people are registered, and for a house of the same area. To simplify things, let’s take the maximum city tariffs.

For apartment

For an apartment, the calculations are as follows.

1. Cold water supply, maximum city tariff 14.44 rubles/cubic meter. m multiplied by the standard (if there is no meter) 5.357 and by two more (since there are two registered). We get 154.7 rubles.
2. Water disposal, maximum city tariff 11.39 rubles/cubic meter. m multiplied by the standard 9.576 and by two more. We get 218.1 rubles.
3. Hot water supply, maximum city tariff 84.30 rubles/cubic meter. m multiplied by the standard 4.219 and by two more. We get 711.3 rubles.
4. Heating, maximum city tariff 1044.79 rubles/Gcal multiplied by the standard 0.02 Gcal/sq. m and an apartment area of ​​50 sq. m. We get 1044.79 rubles.
5. Electricity supply, tariff for consumers who live in houses with electric stoves - 2,086 kopecks. /kW Since each apartment has an electric meter, this indicator will be individual. For example and simplicity, let’s take 100 kW per month, it turns out 208.6 rubles.
6. Repair and ongoing maintenance of housing, citywide tariff 7.85 kopecks per sq. m multiplied by 50, we get 392.5 rubles.

Total 2729.99 rub. But this amount is not final; one additional benefit will be added to it - general house needs. It is not easy to calculate them; the amount depends on the availability of meters, the area of ​​the house, the area of ​​the apartment, etc. On average, for a “kopeck piece” in a five-story building equipped with common house meters for water and heat, but which does not have individual meters, the amount of one was one 400 rubles. As a result, the total amount of payments is 3129 rubles.

For a cottage

For a cottage, the calculations will be simpler, since the central communications in such houses are usually only water and gas.

1. Cold water supply. The amount is the same, since the calculation principle and the number of residents remain the same. The maximum city tariff is 14.44 rubles per cubic meter. m multiplied by the standard (if there is no meter) 5.357 and by two more (since there are two registered). We get 154.7 rubles.
2. Gas supply will be the most important point, since houses are often equipped with gas boilers for heating and water heating. If gas meters are not installed, the gas consumption standard for heating residential premises in the absence of a centralized heating system from January 1 is 8 cubic meters. m/sq. m, multiply by 50, we get 400. Multiply by the tariff - 4.3674, we get 1746.96 rubles. If you install a meter, gas costs can be controlled and reduced.
3. Electricity supply, the tariff for consumers who live in houses with gas stoves is 2.98 rubles/kW, multiplied by 100 kW, we get 298 rubles.

This is where the costs end. Sewage in private houses is usually local, water is heated from a gas boiler, and there is no need to pay for routine maintenance and repairs. Total - 2199 rubles.

Many of us (and almost everyone, for that matter) changed or bought real estate. For yourself or relatives, it doesn’t matter. And the important thing is that when reading local newspapers with advertisements, a serious question invariably arose. So what is better to buy for yourself as a home, an apartment or a private house. Provided that both options are located in the same locality. Just below you can consider the pros and cons of an apartment and a house from different points of view.

Well, with the location of the apartment, I think everything is very clear. In the vast majority of cases, these are several rooms in a brick (or concrete, panel) high-rise building. And since multi-storey buildings, as a rule, occupy an area of ​​the city close to the center. And if so, then in the immediate vicinity of the apartment there may be infrastructure facilities (from shopping terminals to healthcare institutions, that is, clinics) and a place of work. Five to ten minutes and there you have it: a school, kindergarten, pharmacy, store, etc. Minimum body movements. The other side of the coin is that the city center, where high-rise buildings with apartments are usually located, is a very noisy and hectic place. With rare exceptions.

Private houses can be located either in close proximity to the city center (old buildings) or on quiet peripheral streets and alleys. Or even on the outskirts. On the one hand, it doesn't seem to be very good. It is necessary to somehow get to the place of work, study, etc. (and then back home). And this means public transport, an increase in travel time, and longer distances. And if you look at the location from the other side, then living some distance from the city center and public places means relative peace and quiet on the street, less traffic (when every second car doesn’t try to run you over). Speaking of cars. An undeniable advantage of owning your own home is the opportunity to build your own garage for your car next to your house. Always close at hand, safer. But for those living in an apartment, they need to place their car either in a common open-air courtyard, or in a parking lot, or look for a remote garage. Definitely uncomfortable.

Living space.

Apartments vary in size. Just like at home too. But for the most part, we are not looking for a multi-level studio apartment to live in, but rather an ordinary two- or three-room apartment. And this is a total living area of ​​65-75 square meters on average (plus or minus a couple of meters). But houses can often be more spacious. A house of 85-100 square meters is considered average. What if the house also has a second or attic residential floor? Then the apartment has virtually no competition in terms of housing area. To be fair, it should be said that old great-grandmother’s houses that survived the Second World War are often sold. And they are really small, low and generally difficult.

Care and maintenance.

Anyone who wants to buy an apartment in a multi-storey building will practically not have to worry about the condition of their home. The maximum that will be needed (and this is not a fact) is for the whole world to chip in for a sweetie in the entrance and at the front door with an intercom. All. The rest is the concern of management companies and utility services. Even those who have the dubious fortune of living on the top floor (who are sometimes flooded with water from a leaky roof), or residents of the first floors (where there is a possibility of problems with the common sewage riser), in case of problems, only need to call the utility services as persistently as possible. They will come and fix everything. May be. Some day. So an apartment is definitely an option for lazy people.

But the owners of their home already have to technically maintain their place of residence. Here you can no longer rely on anyone but yourself. Everything, from the condition of the roof to the gates and gates, is the concern of the owner of the house. Communal problems also occur. Household waste removal, water supply and sewerage, gas, electricity and even snow removal - all this is on the shoulders of the homeowner. Every day, we walk around the property to see what’s broken where, what’s leaking, how to repair, what needs to be replaced, and so on. So the option of owning your own home is for real, not lazy owners.

Repairs and modifications.

Many people also know about this, but I think it wouldn’t hurt to mention it. In his own house, the owner is a gentleman. By and large, I do what I want. This is in terms of major repairs or alterations. That is, I wanted to make one out of two rooms - please, I wanted to install a new wall-mounted gas boiler - for my health, I wanted a hood - the same thing. But when living in an apartment, such a number will not always work. Making changes to the apartment plan, cutting off from the general heating system, installing your own equipment and making structural changes - this is very problematic for an apartment. Since the overall structure of the house and communication systems are not the property of the apartment owner, but are under the jurisdiction of public utilities. That's it.

Cheerful neighbors.

Both the apartment and the house are surrounded by neighbors on almost all sides. In a high-rise building these are neighboring apartments, houses are neighboring plots. Good relationships with neighbors are important in both the first and second cases. But in the case of an apartment, the percentage of conflict relationships is still higher than for a private house. And all because in an apartment negative reviews from neighbors can be caused by your lifestyle and everyday actions. Either you can’t drill into the wall (little children don’t sleep behind the wall), or don’t turn on the home theater loudly (the pensioner’s grandmother has health problems). You can’t sing in the shower, relax loudly in the toilet 🙂 and so on. And then there’s the banal flooding of neighbors from below with water (which has already become an anecdotal situation, etc. In short, any of the four neighbors bordering the apartment definitely doesn’t like something. And you, too, may not at all like the fact that one neighbor plays the piano for six hours straight, another listens to football at a hundred decibels, a third brought twenty-eight guests to the house and threw a party at three in the morning.

For a private home, these lovely everyday excesses do not happen, since there is no reason for this. Everyone is free to do whatever they please at home. Even walk on your ears, even fill the whole house with water and arrange short distance swims in the corridor. Nobody will say a word to you. But at the same time, there is a bone of contention - this is the border between plots, joint fences, neighbor's dogs, cats and other living creatures (which can sometimes penetrate into someone else's territory and cause mischief). But disputes with land surveying are settled by drawing up clear cadastral plans with a division of boundaries that does not allow for double interpretation. And other conflict situations arise somewhat less frequently than for an apartment.

Maintenance costs.

Everything here is not entirely clear. The apartment has a very large and constant list of monthly utility bills. In addition to the banal electricity, gas, water, utility companies are not really trying to cram in more expense items. This includes keeping the entrance clean, removing solid waste, quarterly house repairs, reconstructing the entrance, maintaining the courtyard, and so on and so forth. Payments for heat supply are also extended throughout the year. To some extent it is offensive. In the summer there is no heat - but you have to pay for heat. Therefore, many savvy apartment owners try to install their own gas boiler, but this is fraught with great difficulties (see above).

The house is a little cheaper in terms of maintenance (with the same living area). Judge for yourself. Installed and operating in economical mode, it will help to significantly save banknotes during the heating season without losing them in heat. In the summer, of course, the heating is turned off and there are no expenses. There are no payments for the maintenance of entrances (purchase of light bulbs, repairs of the roof, sewerage, wipers, etc.). If you have your own, then there is no need to pay for water (only for the electricity consumed by the pump). No sewer? No problem. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to order a car and pump out a drain hole. And this doesn’t happen quite often (although, depending on how you remind it). There have been real cases when a new drainage pit was not pumped out for 3 (three!) years because it was not filled. Three years without paying for sewerage. How do you like it?

These are the main points to consider when choosing housing. But it’s still worth remembering that everything in our life is relative. Someone can put up with individual disadvantages if the big advantage is (for example) the proximity to the place of work. Some are the opposite. Ultimately, the choice is yours. Compare, consider the pros and cons and choose. Apartment or house.