LIving in a House versus living in an apt - Essay Example

Living in a house versus living in an apartment Apartments and houses are two basic areas of residence. By definition, apartment is a kind of flat and many such flats are constructed on top of each other in a condominium. On the other hand, a house is a place for living generally more capacious than an apartment and stands on ground as an independent structure. While house is one of the ancient and most traditional residential concepts, apartments are also increasing in popularity. Living in an apartment is very different from living in a house.

The kind of autonomy and comfort a house provides cannot be matched by an apartment. There are many similarities between living in an apartment and living in a house. Both are places for living where one can live with family. Both can be similar in structure and space at least for one floor. Both apartment and house have electrical, mechanical, and sanitary supplies and services that make them livable for the occupants. Living in any of them requires an individual to either pay rent or pay the cost of the whole structure whether in installments or as a one-time payment.

There are neighbors for the occupants of apartments as well as houses. There are quite a lot of differences between living in an apartment and living in a house. People living in an apartment generally have access to just one floor because other floors are occupied by other families whereas people living in a house dwell on all of its floors and levels. Many families live in a condominium whereas generally only one family resides in a house. People in a house have more autonomy of extending the house horizontally or vertically and of making any sort of changes to the structure whereas occupants of an apartment generally cannot make any structural changes in the apartment.

People living in a house also own the land on which the house is constructed and can thus demolish, reconstruct, and change their structure in any way they want. On the other hand, occupants of an apartment generally own just their apartment and not the ground on which the condominium is constructed. People living in a house find it easier to move in and out whereas occupants of an apartment find it difficult and inconvenient to frequently move in and out of the apartment particularly if the apartment is located at an elevation from the ground; they have to use lift or stairs which limits horizontal movement.

However, houses generally take longer to be constructed than an apartment because most condominiums are constructed with precast structural members these days whereas most houses are constructed in brick and mortar. While apartments and houses are both places of residence, both are substantially different in terms of the living experience they provide to their occupants. A comparison and contrast of living experience between an apartment and a house leads to the conclusion that living in a house is generally more autonomous, comfortable, and convenient than living in a condominium.

However, the individualistic needs and preferences of a family is the ultimate factor that determines which of the two would be more suitable for it.