I can live almost any style, I believe. Maybe it’s from traveling in the third world? Camper, traier, hovel, penthouse, whatever I’ll make it work if I have to. And I definitely get behind whatever makes sense for y’all, if it works it’s good I say!
That said I don’t believe I could live long term in a high rise. I have done so, in my life, but it was awful for my attitude. I felt like a drone bee, shiver. Ditto the suburbs. Been there. Found it a kind of death, would never go back.
I live in a small century home, in the urban core of a smaller city, known for it’s trees. I have a small yard, but still manage grapes, blackberries, even a couple of cherry trees! The wisteria is in bloom, and I’m enjoying my small garden? I think as I live just now is kind of ideal actually. But there’s a chance I’d have said the same, at almost any point of my life.
I strongly prefer to own a non-attached dwelling. Three years renting an apartment and two years renting a house taught me that landlords are pests and shared walls are unbearable. I want to do whatever I want to do in my own home, and now know what the neighbors are doing in theirs.
In my adult life, not counting dorms, I’ve lived in 3 houses (with my mom,) and 6 condos and/or apartments, and I’ve encountered no noise or maintenance problems with the houses, whereas all but 2 of the nonattached places have had one or both of the issues. And one of the ones I had no problem with I only lived in for 6 months so who knows how that may have turned out. And in the other one, I got the side of my car smashed in by a hit and run in the parking lot so that would have been avoided with non-curbside parking.
If I can possibly afford it, my next place will be a house.
I’ve mentioned before, and posted this picture link before:
This was my ideal home! (Note, I rented, didn’t own.) This was on a 120-acre property.
Long before that, I swore I would go live in a culvert or a hollow tree, before I ever lived in an apartment again! Sorrily, I have actually, in fact, lived in apartments most of my adult life, both before and since.
But the home-sweet-home shown in the linked photo was my Garden of Eden, and my last remaining ambition in life is to get myself into a place like that again, where I can live until the day I die, and maybe for some time thereafter.
(I’m going to guess, though, that this isn’t the ideal digs for Skald the Rhymer though. I see this as something that probably best for a reclusive hermit.)
ETA: And OMG! You should have seen the wildflowers in the springtime, especially if it was a good rainy winter!
My very favorite living situation was a very small, extremely simple house with a small patio and yard that I shared with two families in a dense,neighborly neighborhood. I loved having a nice little outdoor space and lots of neighbors stopping by. I think my ideal living situation would be similar- maybe a row house with a small yard in the city.
There are a few things that seem appealing about owning a house. It seems like it’d be fun to remodel, and in theory I like the idea of having a family home that can be passed down, etc. I’ve fantasized about getting a house in an up-and-coming neighborhood and making it shine. But in reality, I’m probably better suited for apartment living. I really like density, it keeps me feeling safe and connected, and I doubt I’d have the finances and gumption for all of this theoretical fixing-up.
I’ll probably buy eventually, but honestly I like renting, I like that I write a check for the exact same amount every month, and everything I could need is magically taken care of. Something breaks? My building has on-site handymen who will fix it. It snows? It’s not me who has to shovel the walk. They’ll even change the light bulbs in our ceiling fixtures if we ask. There are no surprise expenses or unexpected obligations. The only thinking I have to do about my house is to remember to pay rent each month.
The only thing I miss is having a bit of outdoor space. It’d be nice to have a small bit of yard space for an outdoor table. We’ve got a nice roof deck and parks just outside, but it’s not the same as having a private space for your morning coffee in the summer.
We’ve got a house on 3 acres, and I love it. But when the day comes that caring for it becomes too much, I can see us moving into an apartment in a Seniors apartment complex. Maybe in 20-25 years??
I’m not claiming to be a special snowflake. But there’s an assumption among many people that the American Dream includes single-family-home ownership–that apartment living is a step along the way, not an end in itself. That belief was what I wanted to talk about.
We live in a single family house now, and I like it just fine. It’s in the city, so I don’t have a huge yard and the neighborhood is pretty dense- the lots are 20 feet wide. But I’m looking for a winter place for my retirement- and I’m leaning towards something with no land for me to take care of. It doesn’t much matter to me if it’s a townhouse style condo, an apartment in a building with three or four apartments or a triple-wide. The only thing I don’t want is an apartment in a larger building, and certainly not a high-rise.
I grew up in a suburban house with an unusually large backyard - probably three quarters of an acre or so. I’ve lived in apartments or much smaller houses/yards my entire adult life and never owned a home.
Given my druthers, once the lottery win is secure, I’d go for a bungalow or similar house on a decent sized patch of land, but that assumes that I can keep my finances in order long enough to score a mortgage, and then not run into any major financial upsets. For the time being, I am better off in an apartment.
My ideal would be a not-huge house in the middle of 50 or so acres, with no neighbors within sight or hearing. The idea of living in an apartment, or even in a free standing house in a city or neighborhood, makes me twitch.
(Trying to imagine sitting around a fire on a Houston summer evening. A hot, muggy Houston summer evening. Well, the smoke might drive away the mosquitoes.)
I’m enjoying renting a modest house in a near-Downtown neighborhood. But I wouldn’t mind an apartment in the right place…
Luckily, where I am right now. Rural mountains. I only have two acres, but the rear property line abuts National Forest. There is one other couple that lives on the road about a quarter mile away. It’s a dead end road so ‘traffic’ is pretty much zilch.
There is a small town of 300 or so 5 miles away. You can by a jug of milk there or eat at one of the two bars. A ski resort town with a real grocery store and 3 gas stations is only 15 miles away.
I much prefer apartment living in a city over owning a house.
First, it’s just me, so anything more than a two-bedroom place is a waste. I currently have a two-bedroom, with the second being a small office/studio.
Second, I hate yard work. Really, hate yard work.
Third, the economics don’t pan out. I currently pay under $1000 for my place in a great part of town and in a very quiet building. That price allows me to save a lot, as well as vacation nicely. I’d be looking at a minimum of 1.5 times that to purchase, and then I’d also have to pay for water, sewer and heat. Sure, some day, I would in theory have the place paid off, but who says I really want to spend my life in this area?
Having said that, if I found a two-bedroom house with a really nice garage and close to my office, then I’d consider it. But finding smaller houses in areas I like is not too easy, unless you’re willing to spend a lot on renovations and modernization.
Thought I should add, that while I don’t really hate yard work (lived in suburbs for quite a while), there really is no yard work in the mountains. I will get the weed wacker out maybe once a year to do the fire pit. But that’s it.
On the other hand, I do have to plow snow. But I don’t really mind.
Homeowner here. Single-family home on a modest plot in suburbia, and I’m glad for it.
Inside my house, I can make whatever noises I want - whether it’s woodworking, home theatre with a monstrous subwoofer, kinky sex, or all three at the same time - and not worry about pissing off someone on the other side of the wall.
Inside my house, I don’t have to put up with my neighbor making those same noises.
I can modify the house to meet my needs without seeking a landlord’s approval, or having someone other than me reap the benefits when I move out. I’ve installed 220-volt outlets in my garage for my welder and compressor, and installed extra lighting in the basement and garage for my work areas. I’ve run compressed-air lines from the garage into the basement. I’ve upgraded our dishwasher, rangetop, and toilet. We’ve installed new carpet, chosen only by us and not by a landlord.
I can repair damage (or call in a pro) without waiting for a landlord to get off his ass and make a phone call.
Taking care of the yard in the summer (and shoveling the driveway in the winter) is an excuse for exercise; without those chores, I would be even more sedentary than I currently am.
My ideal home would be a single-family home. I’m sick of renting; for me it was making too many compromises. Before I married, I lived in six different places- apartments, renting a room, etc. They all sucked. Either the place was sold (everyone evicted after their leases were up) or it ended up being so awful I moved after my lease was up. I felt like I didnt have much stability and DREAMED of being able to afford to live in a place that was all mine.
Getting a fixed-rate mortgage on a home just feels like a no-brainer, particularly if you are starting a family. i’d much rather pay the same amount over 15 years than constantly get my rent jacked up and deal with landlords, being forced to move or carry groceries up multiple flights of stairs.
I’m Surprised yard maintenance is such a dealbreaker for so many people. Its not hard to design a maintenance-friendly yard (rock garden vs lawn) or hire landscapers for 60 bucks a month.
