Top 3 Reasons for Renting a Loft Apartment
Posted on May 9, 2009
Filed Under Apartment Living | 9 Comments
Besides having the most amazing living space of any apartment layout, loft apartments offer much more than just a roof over your head. Loft living is a lifestyle craved by those who dream of living in the big city, just as Hollywood painted this picture of existence in our minds. After all, who can forget about Tom Hank’s colossal loft apartment in “Big” that had ceilings high enough for him and co-star Elizabeth Perkins to jump on the trampoline next to his bunk bed!
Loft apartments began to make their mark back in the 1950’s Soho District of New York. Once-prosperous industrial buildings weren’t able to change and modernize with the world around it. Frantic landlords began renting the high-ceilinged, large windowed spaces to the growing art community of the area, as studios were tough to come by at a reasonable rate. The artists began living in these “lofts”, even though zoning laws of the day prohibited such uses. A series of pulleys and false walls could trick even the cleverest inspector from catching a glimpse into the living area of the artist’s “studio”.
Since then, Loft apartments have popped up all over the globe, and taken on a whole new genre of occupants in the process. If you’re contemplating the possibility of this carefree living style, below are the Top 3 Reasons for Living in a Loft Apartment-
1.Open Space and Delineate Your Own Areas- The simple design of a loft apartment is straightforward- literally. A wide-open space replaces walls, doors and rooms of traditional apartment floor plans, allowing you to move around and place your belongings and furniture wherever you’d like, not where you “have to”. The open floor plan allows you to make your bed in one area one week, and in a completely different spot the next.
2.Eclectic Style- Bringing the old and new worlds together is part of the ambiance of loft living. Where else can you reside and have 100 year old plank-wood floors, 6-foot tall windows, an off-white sheet for a curtain (with duct-tape pull-backs), all pulled together by the latest contemporary sofa, straight off the line from your favorite New York designer?
3.Big City Living without Sacrificing Breathing Space- Living in a city has traditionally meant a tiny apartment without room to breathe. The other option was to live in suburbia, which meant a daily commute into work in a car, bus, or commuter train. Loft apartments grant their residents the best of both worlds, as this type of residence is much cheaper to construct and/or maintain from a landlord point of view, and the savings are typically passed onto their tenants.
Watch the video related to loft apartment living
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Help answer the question about loft apartment living
What is the difference between an apartment. a loft, a studio, a flat? etc.?i feel dumb, but i have no idea.
what other type of apartment living is there?
can anyone give me pictures?
thnx so much (:
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Maria Hayden recommends that you visit http://www.lofts.com for more information on lofts.
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9 Responses to “Top 3 Reasons for Renting a Loft Apartment”
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An apartment is generally a single-story rental unit in a building full of similar rental units. A flat is a British term for an apartment on one level (it's a flat unit).
A condo is similar to an apartment, but it is owned by an individual (in California anyway – individual apartments can be owned in places like New York City).
A townhouse is generally a rental unit that is about 2 to 4 units per building, where each unit is a two-story unit. There is generally a number of bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, and a living room, kitchen, and possibly a bathroom downstairs.
A studio is a rental unit that has no separate bedroom. There may be a sleeping area that is off to the side or around a corner. But, there is no door to a separate room for sleeping in.
A loft is a unit that has a sleeping area upstairs that is open to the rest of the unit. That is, you would take stairs to the bedroom. But, it has a landing at the top of the stairs that's part of the bedroom and that overlooks the bottom floor of the unit.
Your monthly bill will depend on the rates that your power company charges and how much electricity you use. It would be hard to determine either of these things for you without knowing more about the apartment, and about your habits. Wiring and appliances can play a roll in your power usage as well.
Here are some things you can do:
1) Call the power company you will be using and ask them about the usage of the previous tenant(s), or even over the last few years. Then you can average it yourself to see what makes the most sense for you.
2) Electric water heaters can cost a lot, see how efficient the one for your unit is, if you will be paying for electric hot water. Then plan your water usage accordingly, sometimes making small lifestyle changes (like limiting your showers to less time or only taking one a day; for example) can make huge differences in your utility bills.
3) A/C and other equipment that uses a lot of power should be used with limitations or within reason, to lower your bills. In a small apartment, if you don't live in an excessively hot area, window fans or large floor fans may be more energy efficient and cost effective. They may also work just as well, for the space you have. You'll have to decide this for yourself though. Another thing you can do to keep your apartment cool is to keep all of the windows closed during the day when it is hot, and open them at night when its cool out, and keep your curtains closed during the day to keep out extra heat.
4) Mini fluorescent bulbs may cost more at the store, but if you can use them in your unit, they really do make a difference on your bill. Most are warrantied for around 5 years, and they limit wattage usage. For example, a normal 60 wt output (which is all most people need in an area) can be recieved with 13 wts from a GE Energy Smart bulb (almost 1/5 the wattage of a standard bulb). I used to rent a 3-story, 5 bedroom house with very old (horsehair) wiring, and the first thing I did was change all of the light bulbs in the house to the GE mini fluorescent bulbs, knowing that between me and my roommate and all of our kids we'd have a lot of lights on all of the time and the bill would be really high. We never had a summer bill over $45, and that included running a washer and dryer for 10 people.
5) You can also talk with the power company and see if they offer budget plans/payment plans. Where your bill is the same every month, and then at the end of the year, if you've used more … you pay the difference and if you've used less they credit you and adjust the cycle. However, again this is based off previous tenant usage, as you haven't been living there so is they used a lot and you don't, your bill can be too high, and if they saved energy more then you do, then you could owe a lot at the end of the year. 2 ways around this, is to keep track of the bills when they come in, and pay a little extra, if you see that it isn't balancing out. (Keep in mind though that rates change and are higher in the winter, so if you have a credit, leave it alone … but if what you are paying isn't covering the bills every month, tip in more.) and keep track of your usage.
Rent in most big cities can be really expensive. If you're single, then a studio is the cheapest way to live.
Yes, it's uncomfortable, but that's the price to pay for the luxury of living in the city.
I live in Toronto, and rents are sky-high in the downtown area. I live in a small one-bedroom. It's really small (not a studio though), but I wouldn't give up the size if it meant giving up my location. I love my neighborhood, and if I had to choose a studio to be able to live here I would.
http://everythingaustinapartments.com/
Its a map of apartments all over town. You won't have any problem finding what you are looking for.
YOU had the right by law to test the AC prior to accepting the unit.
however, you are still in luck!
visit associatedcontent.com and read this article:
Landlord Tenancy Law for Kids Seeking Their First Apartment [or House or Bedroom in a House]
get back to me for any further help.
It depends on your situation. If you have a family with kids, a private house is usually better. If you are single or just married with no kids, and you don't mind having close neighbors, a loft could be better. Its all personal preference.
An individual house is usually more expensive both in the purchase price and in the maintenance, but it is more valuable when you sell it also.
Both lofts and apartments can come furnished, semi furnished (utilities like stove and fridge) and unfurnished.
Lofts are living spaces over other living spaces, maybe a separate bathroom. An apartment is a living space, usually subdivided rooms. A loft can be loosely be referred to as an apartment, but not the other way around. An efficiency is a single room, like a loft, but not always over other living spaces. An efficiency is also a type of apartment.
Too much info:
A townhouse is a condo, in town. A condo can be in the country or in town and is usually owned by the person(s) living there, unless it's subleted. Sublet condos and apartments have to be approved by the apartment owners or condominium organization. A duplex is a subdivided structure with two apartments or condos in the building.
A high-rise is above six floors. Brownstones are reddish brown sandstone buildings.
A landlord owns the building and has rights to enter living spaces, depending on the local laws and the renters contract, at reasonable times. Every reasonable effort must be made by the landlord to notify said tenant of a visit for inspection or repair, again, depending on local laws. Rent stabilization contracts may be passed from one family member to another, only once.
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your mean this?