Apartment Living

An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit. Convenient, especially for city dwellers, apartments have in recent years been the home of choice for the young adults starting out.

When choosing an apartment there are several key things to look out for:
a) Size – this depends on your particular family situation. If single with no dependants you can opt for a bedsit or studio apartment. Though compact, these are still very functional. If a couple, or with children or pets, then you definitely need to choose an apartment with enough bedrooms and ablution facilities to cater for your family’s needs. Play area is also important for those with very small and growing children.
b) Location – Pick an apartment close to your work office if possible, to save on your commute. A good area will also have a shopping centre, medical facilities, accessible transport and available social amenities for entertainment. The more religiously inclined may also wish to be near the neighbourhood place of worship.
c) Security – This is a very key aspect of apartment living. Compromises may be made in other areas if need be, but nobody wants to come home to an empty apartment or worse, be broken into whilst enjoying a night’s slumber. Ask around the locality to gauge for yourself what the security situation is like, then pick the most secure location you can afford.
d) Affordability – Pick a dwelling within your means. The general rule of thumb is that rent should not exceed one-third of your monthly income. Any higher than this and you will be straining at the end of each month to comfortable meet your standards of living.