Apartments. Usually someone’s first home after getting married. I can’t really say that they are relatively cheap anymore. Depending on where you live, apartments can cost you between several hundred and several thousand dollars a month.

So what does one do when looking for an apartment? Believe it or not, there are many different types, styles, and payment plans involved. We’ll try to cover the basic types in this article and what you can expect to find with each.

Starting small is your basic studio apartment. A studio apartment is usually 1 bedroom with a kitchen and bathroom. Let’s first define what a room is when it comes to getting an apartment. A room is any room other than the kitchen and bathroom. Bathrooms do not count as bedrooms because they are required by law. The kitchens are a little different. Most walk-in kitchens are considered half room. If the kitchen is simply an area of ​​the apartment that is not separated from the other rooms, then it is not counted as a room. So a study room 1 would have a kitchen area that is part of room 1, which means it probably only has a refrigerator, a stove, and a sink. A 1 1/2 bedroom studio would have a kitchen that is actually separated from the rest of the apartment by a wall and has an entrance. Most studio apartments are 1 bedroom.

Studio apartments, contrary to what most people think, are not cheap. A study in New York City can cost you $ 1000 a month. In some areas you can get a studio for about $ 500.

Then there are your basic apartments which are typically 3 or 4 bedrooms.

A three bedroom apartment has a living room, dining room and 1 bedroom. Again, the difference between a 3 bedroom and a 3 1/2 bedroom is that the kitchen is either part of one of the bedrooms or insulated.

A four-room apartment usually has a living room, a dining room, and two bedrooms. If a family needs a third bedroom, the dining room area is usually converted. The problem with dining areas is that they usually do not have doors that separate them from the other rooms. So to ensure privacy, some kind of sliding door is usually installed. Actually most 4 bedroom apartments, due to the extra space, are actually 4 1/2 bedrooms because in almost all cases the kitchen is isolated from the other rooms.

In apartments there is rarely a basement. Most apartments are allocated a basement area in a main basement that is used for the entire complex. In some cases, each apartment section or apartment group has a nearby basement.

Apart from the number of rooms, there is also the question of design. Most of the apartments are on one level, which means that all rooms are on one floor. But in some cases there are apartment complexes that are what they call duplexes. These are two apartments next to each other in each complex and each apartment is two stories unlike the 4 apartment complexes where each apartment is on one level. In split-level apartments, the living room and dining room are usually on the ground floor and the bedrooms on the upper floor. Most split-level apartments are 4 1/2 bedrooms.

Then there is the question of what services come with the apartment, and what services need to be paid for separately.

In some apartments, gas, electric and water utilities are included in the cost of the rent. In other apartments, you only pay for water and gas and electricity are paid to your local utility company. Some apartments do not cover any of your costs. So when you get an apartment, be sure to find out exactly what your rent covers. The reason for this is that a $ 900 / month apartment with all utilities paid may be a better deal than a $ 750 / month apartment if the latter apartment does not include any utilities.

Finally, to secure an apartment, many require a security deposit equal to the rental of the apartment. Some require a month of security and others require two months. This will be refunded to you when your lease expires if you decide to leave. Breaking a lease will generally mean the loss of your deposit.

Which brings us to the apartment rules. That is why there is nothing like owning your own home. Most apartments do not allow pets. Playing music after a certain time will bring complaints from your neighbors. The list goes on and on, but I’m sure you get the point. Your freedom to do whatever you want in an apartment is limited.

Some people love the idea of ​​not having to worry about repairs, as the superintendent usually takes care of that and lives in apartments their entire lives. Others cannot wait until they can enter their own home. That is the wonderful thing about this world. One man’s dream is another’s nightmare.