Years ago, a New York City family was looking to change how they lived. For years, they’d enjoyed living in a full-service high-rise building in Manhattan with doormen, a live-in superintendent and many of the other conveniences and amenities that come with apartment living.
After years of living closely among neighbors, making small talk in the elevator, and attending co-op shareholder meetings, they found themselves toying with the idea of moving to a brownstone. The wife, a psychologist, had just begrudgingly agreed to let her neighbor redecorate their shared elevator landing, and the husband, a successful attorney, had always fantasized about more space and a backyard.
When it came time to make a change, they’d decided that the next chapter of their lives would be in a classic New York City townhouse. But earlier this year, after less than a decade of shoveling snow, running up and down staircases to get from the kitchen to their bedroom, pulling weeds and a flooded basement, they started considering a move back into a full-service condominium.
[Read: Which Home Is the Best Layout for You?]
In many American cities like New York, Chicago, Miami, Washington, D.C., or Los Angeles, financially mobile residents might have the choice of living in an apartment (sometimes referred to as a flat or condominium, depending on the city) or a single-family house. High-rise buildings vary in size and quality, and some houses, like row houses in Philadelphia or San Francisco, may share walls with neighbors.
But in any city or town, there are advantages and disadvantages to living in a private house versus living among neighbors in a larger building.
Here are three questions to ask if you find yourself with the choice between a single-family house and apartment:
— Are you handy or resourceful?
— How much space do you need?
— How much privacy do you need?
Are You Handy or Resourceful?
Before buying a fixer-upper or starting a renovation, any prospective homeowner should determine whether they are even capable of taking on a project. If someone doesn’t already have the know-how, do they have the ability to learn or hire the right people?
Mechanical and structural issues arise in any property over time, and these need to be handled. If you own a freestanding, single-family house, these problems are yours and yours alone. Most people don’t know how to replace a roof or repave a driveway themselves and will, therefore, hire contractors or engineers. This can get pricey, of course, but these decisions can be made swiftly, without the bureaucracy of a condo association.
In condo or co-op buildings, if an expensive problem arises that affects the entire building, like a roof repair, these costs are generally shared among the residents. There is often staff on hand to manage and repair structural or mechanical problems, and thus the residents often never even know these issues arise.
Be honest about your ability to address mechanical and structural issues yourself, and whether you have the confidence to hire the right contractor to do the work. If not, you might be more comfortable in an apartment building that has a resident manager with expertise in handling these kinds of problems.
[Read: Are Your HOA, Condo or Co-Op Fees Too High?]
How Much Space Do You Need?
Another family looking to move had been living in a 3,000-square-foot apartment in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City, with large rooms and tons of closet space. Even so, they had collected enough belongings to overflow in the space and make it feel cramped.
This family had obviously outgrown the space and was planning to move to a 6,000-square-foot house in the suburbs. Maybe they could have made this apartment work if they downsized their belongings a bit, but taking living costs into consideration, this family would never get that kind of space in a New York City apartment, so moving to a house made sense.
When ample space becomes the priority, even the luxury amenities and high value of a specific apartment building won’t make up for a lack of square footage. When this happens, a house makes more sense. Especially with a significant share of the workforce operating at least part time from home, the extra space needed for a designated home office is more valuable than ever.
How Much Privacy Do You Need?
When you’re in an apartment building with neighbors above, below and on either side of you, you might hear them now and then. They may hear you too — moving furniture, practicing for the catwalk or yelling at Fido to stop barking. Raised voices carry.
For highly social people, making friends in a larger building might be a real bonus, but others can’t help but stare at the floor and turn up the volume on their earphones when sharing the elevator.
In a building with staff, while convenience and security come with having doormen, porters, valets and maintenance workers on the premises, there is surely some privacy that is lost with this as well. A single-family house affords residents valuable privacy.
At the same time, owning a single-family house means you’re in charge of hiring a professional on your own when the basement floods, you discover a mouse problem or the boiler needs to be replaced.
[See: The Best Free Interior Design Apps.]
Suburban markets saw an influx of demand when the COVID-19 pandemic started, and demand for single-family houses outside major cities is still there even after urban centers have regained interest from buyers and renters. After years of staying at home, many people view their home differently than before, whether that means they enjoy a home gym versus one that’s part of their apartment amenities, or prefer a maintenance staff to avoid attempting a DIY home repair.
For the family who moved from a high-rise to a townhouse and back to a condominium, privacy was not necessarily a concern, and the allure of a house wore off. They loved having a small backyard but remarked that the upkeep was nonstop. Instead of having building staff to shovel the sidewalk in the winter, the responsibility became theirs. Suddenly saying hello to neighbors in the elevator didn’t seem so unpleasant, especially after their basement flooded during a particularly violent storm. And with all those Amazon and Fresh Direct deliveries securely received, life in a full-service high rise building looked greener than the grass had initially looked in that private house.
More from U.S. News
The Tough Talk Sellers Need About Their Home’s Value
How to Write a House Offer Letter (With Examples)
The Guide for Building a New Construction House
Should You Live in a Single-Family Home? originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/03/23: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
