A house or an apartment? I prefer a house
Given my status as a scholar of urban sustainability and environmental policy, it almost seems like heresy for me to say that, given the choice between having a house or an apartment, I would, without much doubt, choose a house. I was raised in a house most of my childhood. I was used to having a huge backyard, to play in my parents’ garage as well. Having a house was a standard in my early years.
Then I went to university, and I moved from having a house to having a room in a house (shared accommodation) and then to an apartment with a roommate. For a few months, I lived alone. And I liked it. But I noticed (when I was in undergrad) how much I needed additional space. I didn’t have a proper dining room, I didn’t have a backyard, I didn’t have much of a kitchen.
Right now, I live in a very small one-bedroom ground-level basement apartment. It does what I need it to do (and I do have a backyard, and a front yard, and I’m close to Main Street).
But having just house-sat for a few days, and having had the luxury of sleeping in one floor, working in the basement, and having guests for dinner in the main floor, made me really yearn for the space that a large, spacious house would give me. Also, bear in mind I’m single and without kids, so the space is reduced once you factor in other people. Still, despite the trend for urban density, and my interest in lowering the ecological footprint of people in Vancouver, this past weekend reminded me why people seem to be reluctant to increasing density. Because they may feel that they need all these amenities in their own home.
Do you prefer a house or an apartment? The prices of real estate in Vancouver are insane, though! The houses I saw in Parksville (some photos in this entry) were HUGE and the price? $ 238,000 for a two bedroom with an alcove and two bathrooms, plus space for garage. I’m not kidding.
Related posts:
- Hastings House Country House Hotel (Salt Spring Island)
- On the value of hiring a house cleaner
- Making my apartment nicer, one step at a time
- Building a house…
- Cleaning up the house – literally!
Vancouver is a very expensive city. Even a relatively modest single detached house in East Vancouver will easily run you $700,000. Move to the West Side or, *gasp*, West Vancouver and you’re well into the seven figure range.
Although housing *can* be cheaper in some of the suburbs, the savings are minimal at best in places like Burnaby and Richmond. You don’t really get into the mildly more affordable houses until you get into Coquitlam and Surrey. Even then, a modest single detached house will fetch $500,000 or more.
We opted for a house here in Victoria which is another tough market to crack. I personally value the private space and not sharing walls with strangers/neighbours and I’m a much more grounded person when I’ve got the option to tend to our garden (in peace) whenever I please.