The UK property market offers a varied range of options when it comes to choosing a home. City or town, suburbs or a rural setting, there are some wonderful places to live, but what sort of property are you looking for? For the younger generations there is plenty of appeal in living in apartment.

Following are five advantages of an apartment over a house, so let’s get started.

1: Lower Cost and Better Location

In relative terms it is more than likely that an apartment will be cheaper to purchase than a house in a similar location. Of course the price will depend upon where you are buying. Apartments tend to be city or town-based, hence the attraction of living in a city-centre location can be achieved at a lower cost than buying a town house. An apartment in a city or town will give you better access to public transport hubs. Rail, bus and – in many UK cities – trams are all close to hand. If city living is your ideal, then for convenience an apartment is difficult to beat.

You may also find that an apartment has a lower council tax rating thanks to it being in a building of many dwellings. Heating may also be cheaper due to the enclosed and shared location. The overall cost of buying and maintaining an apartment will undoubtedly be lower than that of a similarly sized house.

2: Greater Security

Security is, sadly, a greater concern than ever these days. Unscrupulous persons will do what they can to break into properties and take goods for sale. With an apartment, there are many reasons why security is greater than in a house.

The first is that apartment blocks tend to have a security entrance system. He main doors to the block may require a code to be input or a card to be swiped. Many of the managed and up-market apartment blocks even have a doorman on site 24 hours a day. Getting into the block and then into an apartment means a thief has double the job, so will prefer a house every time.

Apartments on the first floor and above are naturally more secure than those on the ground floor. Getting to these can be practically impossible from the outside, and we’ve already covered the security added by the main entrance.

Furthermore, a house stood empty is a sitting target. With an apartment block there are likely to be people in their homes close to yours when you are not, hence there is more chance of a burglar being seen.

3: Lower Maintenance Costs

We covered the costs of buying, heating and council tax on an apartment above, but why would maintenance costs be less than for a traditional house? Quite simply, there is less to maintain! A standard house has four outside walls, plenty of windows, and a roof. An apartment is a contained unit inside an external building. The owner will be responsible only for the maintenance of the internal apartment itself. In most apartment blocks the owners of the apartments will pay a yearly fee that covers the maintenance of the building.

With no roof to consider there is plenty of money saved, and with the externals of the building being the responsibility of the owners you save there, too. Less to maintain and less responsibility on the part of the apartment owner means an easier and less stressful life, and you should expect the block to be maintained to an acceptable standard.

Insurance on your apartment will also be cheaper than with a house, as there is less likelihood of problems such as broken windows and roof repairs. We recommend that you check with the apartment block owners as to the benefits that are included.

4: Additional Facilities

One reason people choose an apartment over a house is the additional facilities that are often found in managed blocks, especially those in a city centre setting. Many of these facilities come as a benefit of living in the apartment and are usually free of charge or included in the rates.

What sort of facilities may be included in an apartment block? Many feature a swimming pool and a very common facility is the inclusion of a gym. Often these are open to the public at a cost, and to the residents for free. Newer apartment blocks feature an open reception area where residents can hold meetings or meet friends. Some have a bar, others a café and some even have shops.

There may be an outdoor area – a communal garden that is for residents only – that is maintained by an external service provider, so you get a garden without the need to do any gardening. A secure garage area is also a positive with city and town apartment blocks.

5: Social Advantages

Apartments are, by their very nature, far more social places to live than houses. You will get to know your neighbours more readily – especially if you use the facilities on site and you will also find that everyone looks after each other’s interests. The social aspect of an apartment block is simple in that it brings people closer and you all have the same desire to live somewhere that is clean, tidy and presentable. It’s easier to make friends from neighbours in an apartment.

Conclusion

Apartment living is not for everyone and does tend to attract professionals from the younger generations. If it is your ideal way of living, then the advantages listed above are just some of the benefits you will find when choosing a city or town centre apartment.

With many UK towns and cities undergoing regeneration there are new and refurbished apartment blocks available in prime locations at surprisingly affordable prices and with attractive facilities provided as part of the deal. Now is the time to be looking at apartments as the need to save money is higher than ever, so we recommend you check out the new developments in the location you wish to live.