The Benefits of Choosing an Apartment Rental Over House Ownership

The American Dream is to buy a home, and live happily ever after, but in reality, life doesn't always turn out the way we plan it to due to finances or other circumstances. For my job as a freelance illustrator, traveling has been part of my life. Had I decided to put all my money into a home, moving around and trips in general would be quickly eliminated due to lack of money. Apartment living is a personal choice. As an artist, I prefer a more creative approach to living, but am far from the starving Bohemian type that artists can be stereotyped as. With careful planning and choices, being a renter can be a wonderful way to live.

Living in Florida, or any other place that can be potentially ravaged by natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes, is a risk. People who have homes in Florida have to worry about high taxes, their roofs ripping off in high winds, flooding and a host of other house related issues. As a renter, my first order of business when thinking about moving here from the north was to find a place that was on high ground and in a safe neighborhood. The first place I rented was beautiful but not as safe as I'd hoped. The second was safe but had thin walls, so I up and moved again. Learning from my past experiences, my last apartment hunt was more extensive. I looked at developments near and far, finding a beautiful one close to the ocean but still on high ground. It is in a good neighborhood and is close to everything. No house down here could offer me the beauty, peace and convenience that this place does. Having been here a few years now, living on a lake and rarely seeing my fellow neighbors (many of which spend half the year up north and the other down here in Florida). I am home.

When apartment hunting, consider your needs and be very specific with yourself as to what you are looking for. Make a list of things you must have, and other amenities that would be nice but not mandatory. For example, you want a place that is quiet (must have) and it would be great if it had a garbage disposal but life wouldn't end if it didn't. Go apartment shopping, list in hand, and don't get overly dazzled by looks. Some places are just gorgeous, but the neighbors may be professional drummers with loud band practices, have wild parties late into the night or other annoying stuff that would drive you nuts. Go back later in the evening, see what the atmosphere is in the neighborhood. Do you feel safe? Is it quiet or loud? Is this the kind of atmosphere you would like to live around? Be honest with yourself. If you meet any neighbors, talk to them, as they are the experts on living there.

Having a good landlord is also part of the apartment experience. If the rental agent is rude, unfriendly or unable to compromise on little things, think twice about renting with them. It's good to have rental agents who screen out riffraff and potentially problematic renters, but those who pick fights or are overly critical may have issues. A bad landlord can ruin a great rental experience. Having had one in my past, who was an angry, jilted wife with a chip on her shoulder who resented having to fix anything on her units when asked, it was horrible. Beware of slumlords like this. One of the perks of renting is that the owner, not you, takes care of the property if something breaks and needs fixing. Only deal with highly professional people, why my preference is living in developments over private rental properties any day.

Once you find the apartment for you, settle in and enjoy the convenience of renting. . Having lived in some great homes in my past, as a kid, it was fun because my parents took care of all the important things like paying bills and taxes. The bigger our houses got the more upkeep and money they took. Owning a home is full of sacrifice, which is wonderful for those who want to be locked into mortgages and major responsibility. A year's lease is a lot easier to commit to than a 35-year house mortgage. And, the beauty of renting is, if you change your mind and want to buy a home in the future, you still can. Apartment life is what you make it to be. Make it a good experience for yourself and your family.