Villa Vs Apartment – Which One To Choose?

If you are an aspiring home buyer, you may be weighing the different home options that are available in your preferred location. Buying a home is no simple task and added to it the many options available might leave one spoilt for choice. While there may be many properties that are built to suit your budget, architectural preferences or to cater to different spatial requirements, there are predominantly two types of homes that you can buy from a builder - villas and apartments. Both may come with the same set of shared amenities, but various features set them apart. Here is a brief comparison of villas and apartments, which will help you pick the right home that suits your needs.

•Location

Many often, villas are located slightly away from the heart of the city. Since villa projects need larger space, they are often placed in the suburbs. Villas are individual homes surrounded by large open spaces. These homes let you lead a peaceful life away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Apartments, on the other hand, are more compact and can be found both within the city limits and in the suburbs. Depending on the kind of ambience you wish to enjoy, you can pick a villa or an apartment based on the location.

• Architecture

The style of architecture can also be a determining factor for many home buyers. While most apartments are contemporary in their design, you may find villas that are both traditional and modern in style. Villas can be built by adopting local indigenous styles that are reminiscent of traditional homes that we grew up in, while apartments come with modern and suave designs to fit the urban cityscapes. You can choose between villas and apartments as per your choice of design.

• Spatial planning

Quite naturally, villas and apartments come with completely different spatial planning. While apartments offer more compact spaces, villas offer large and more open spaces. Most of the modern home buyers seek compact homes for the ease of maintenance, but if you wish to enjoy a more relaxed and peaceful life, villas may be a better option for you. One can enjoy the luxury of having a garden space, ample parking area and large utility spaces while living in a villa. On the other hand, apartments greet you with swanky balconies and smaller utility spaces. Many villas are either single-storeyed or double-storeyed, giving one the feeling of living in an independent home. Apartments units are mostly restricted to a single floor, barring a few exceptions where you may see apartments which are designed in a duplex style.

• Privacy

No shared walls and sufficient set-back between homes allow residents of villas to enjoy complete privacy in their homes, as compared to apartments. Apartments do not assure a lot of privacy due to shared walls and close proximity between the homes. So, if you are looking for more privacy and personal space, you can consider buying a villa home.

• Community living

Due to the compact and cluster design of apartments, the residents can enjoy living in a more close-knit community as compared to independent villas. When you stay in an apartment, you can interact and bond with your neighbours easily. Hence, in an apartment, you will have more opportunities to socialize as compared to a villa community primarily due to the distance between the homes. Many often, the residents of villas will be busy in their own personal space and may not favour socialising with their neighbours. However, in both, the presence of common lifestyle amenities and house owners associations can help to encourage interaction between the residents.

• Safety and security

While both villas and apartments are gated developments and feature round-the-clock security services, apartments can be considered to be more secure than villas. Due to the close spatial arrangements, an apartment complex will have more people and activity around. A villa home will need CCTV cameras and additional security to have close-monitoring of each home.

•Parking

You may enjoy larger parking spaces while residing in a villa as compared to an apartment. Most villas come with multiple parking spaces while apartments may come with a single or limited parking space in the basement. Of course, one can always request for an additional parking slot in an apartment at an additional cost while this may not be necessary in a villa as there is already sufficient space provided.

• Ease of alterations and expansion

Most villa projects and apartments come with a standard design in terms of spatial planning. Villa projects mostly adopt standard facade designs for the sake of uniformity; however, there is a larger scope for personalisation in a villa as compared to an apartment. Since a structural grid is in place in an apartment, there is very little or no room for customisation of spaces while no such restrictions are present in a villa. If you are choosing a plotted development, the restrictions are further relaxed as you can build a home completely based on your preferences, free of any fixed prototype.

• Lifestyle and symbolism

Apartments come at different prices and are built for different purposes. You may find both budget flats and high-end projects that promise a luxurious life while looking for a home. However, villas have always been recognized as a symbol of status and fine living. One can completely enjoy a private life in a villa which is not the case in an apartment. Thus villas are considered as a choice for the elite few. While many apartments may claim to offer a luxurious life, villas have always been considered as the ultimate choice for those who are looking for uncompromised luxury and comfort.

These are some of the major determining factors that you can consider while looking for your home. Each person's needs and aspirations vary, but the factors mentioned above must be considered irrespective of your personal preferences. We hope that this comparison between villas and apartments will help you make a more informed decision while buying your dream home.