Living in an apartment is par for the course for many of us, especially if you’re a city dweller. And there are many things nobody tells you about apartment living, so let me give you fair warning.
If you’re considering moving from a house to an apartment sometime soon, this is what you’re in for.
1. Things that go bump in the night
When I say ‘things’ I mean ‘people’. Specifically, your neighbours.
If you’re in an apartment complex, the walls can be paper-thin. And if your neighbours are the noisy type, if you know what I mean… well, let’s just say you’re in for restless sleep.
Not only is noise an issue, but air pollution, too. In my old apartment, I could smell the fumes every time my neighbour lit up his special cigarettes.
2. What’s a dining room?
City apartments come with this cute space that agents like to call an ‘open plan living and dining room’. But truth be told, there is no space for a dining table.
It’s wise you purchase a stable table for your lap prior to moving because all meals will be consumed on your sofa in front of the TV.
Don’t feel like you’re missing out, though, most of us in homes have dining tables and still eat in front of the TV.
3. Good luck finding your car
Parking around your apartment building is likely to be non-existent. Or if there are spaces, there are some cunning residents whose cars never seem to move from them.
It’s likely you’ll spend up to 20 minutes finding a parking spot every evening when you get home from work.
And in the morning, locating your car will be a job for Detective Benson and the rest of the crew from SVU. Congratulations, you’re a victim of apartment living.
4. Emptying the bin: It’s a journey
Living in an apartment complex has so many perks, but the journey to the bin room is not one of them.
In the harsh cold of winter, possibly when it’s raining, you’ll be left with no option other than to trek the ’14km journey’ to the bin room.
Only because the chicken you threw out days ago is now reeking out the apartment. And only because you ran out of air freshener to mask the smell.
READ: A beginner’s guide to composting at home
5. You might see a naked neighbour, but it’s never the one you want
If you live in an apartment that faces others in the complex, a time will come when you may catch a glimpse of life inside your neighbour’s place.
The unfortunate part of this story is that the ones who leave their blinds open and strut around naked are never the ones that should leave their blinds open and strut around.
Things will get even more awkward when they lock eyes with you, you lock eyes with them, and you’re trapped in the world’s most intense moment of apartment-living doom.
This article was originally published as What nobody tells you about apartment living by www.realestate.com.au and is written by Chris Caroll.