Making the decision to buy your own home is a humongous one and it doesn’t come easy. Because once you have made a decision, you need to follow it up with a plethora of homework on a variety of issues. The first thing you need to decide is whether to opt for an apartment or a villa. Then comes the location. This is followed by budget and loans. Then comes a myriad of other things to look out for. But the single most important factor through all this is choosing an experienced and reliable builder, with a reputation to match.

Let’s look at the issue of choosing between a villa and an apartment first. A villa is basically an independent building set in its own grounds while an apartment is a part of a building that is going vertical. Before making any comparisons between the two though, you need to keep a few basic points in your mind which are pertinent to reaching a decision. Are you single or married and are your kids still young or into their teens where they need more privacy and personal space? Also, are you resettling in another city where you do not have a battalion of relatives or friends? And finally, do you or your spouse have a job that requires frequent traveling or getting regularly transferred from one city to another?

Apartments are best for those who travel a lot as there is greater multi-tier security for the family and property left behind. This is one disadvantage that villa owners do not enjoy. You also get to have fewer hassles for basic things like water, electricity and reticulated gas as they are shared amenities for the apartment complex and you don’t need to drive out to pay for them! You also don’t have to bother with gardening and landscaping, which you can enjoy, yet not have to bother about its maintenance. Modern apartments come with numerous amenities including clubhouses, swimming pools, gyms, tennis/badminton courts, kids play area, etc, to help you lead a healthy active life. The community-living atmosphere is great for making new friendships and children get more company to play around with.

But then there are some important downsides to community-living too and these include having limited privacy along with noise disturbances from neighbors on all sides, including above and below! And having to go on living this way for always doesn’t really bear thinking about… Aside from this, there is the monthly share of payments for all the amenities in your complex, whether you use them or not, so it’s an additional expense.

Villas, on the other hand, afford you privacy, freedom to modify and expand the home according to your needs (which you don’t get in apartments) and be free from irritating sounds. You can also do your own gardening if you are interested, without any prying eyes. On the other hand, villas are a little heavier on the pocket as compared to apartments and you get to be responsible for any problems that arise with the utilities in the house as well as face the hassles of bill payments. Security is another important issue here. An alternative would be living in a villa in a gated community.