House vs apartment rental advice when you're living somewhat rurally?
May 24, 2013 8:42 AM Subscribe
I plan to move to Leavenworth, KS, and have been browsing rental listings online. I have only lived in apartments before now, but there appear to be 1-2BR houses available in a not-too-much-higher price range; I'm envisioning the ability to have a small garden and a dog. It seems to me that as long as I don't get substantially more house than I can handle, a house would be nicer than an apartment. Am I wrong? (And any Leavenworth-specific advice?)
Any advice on when I should plan to fly up to check out either/both would also be really helpful. I'd like to only go once, and apparently normal calculations go out the window with Leavenworth due to the military schedule affecting available housing. If I want to move there in late July/very beginning of August (but would be willing to rent all of July or wait until beginning of August for the right place) when should I plan to visit? I've asked rental agents on the phone, and they vary between second week of June, late June, and early July.
More factors on the house or apartment question:
1) I want a pet, and I really want a (smallish) dog. But I fostered a couple dogs where I currently live, and I found out I don't really want a dog without also having a fenced-in yard. I could probably resign myself to an apartment and a cat if the apartment was in all other ways awesome though.
2) One of my biggest hobbies is houseplants/container plants, and I'd really like a bit of land outside to keep the more sunlight-desiring specimens as well as possibly set up a small vegetable garden.
3) I am single and would not anticipate getting a roommate/etc. I am not sure how much upkeep house renters are supposed to do, but I don't really fancy mowing lawns and similar maintenance stuff. Apartments also sometimes offer amenities like a pool and stuff. I like amenities, but I don't know that in a smaller town the apartments will actually have amenities anyway. They are cheaper, though, which is obviously always nice.
4) I know Kansas City is only about 30-40 minutes away from where I'll be working, but I really dislike commuting and would prefer to drive to spend time there less frequently rather than drive every day back and forth to work. Though I have family in KC and I plan to date so I don't know if I'm wrong that living in/around Leavenworth or Lansing is better.
Any advice on when I should plan to fly up to check out either/both would also be really helpful. I'd like to only go once, and apparently normal calculations go out the window with Leavenworth due to the military schedule affecting available housing. If I want to move there in late July/very beginning of August (but would be willing to rent all of July or wait until beginning of August for the right place) when should I plan to visit? I've asked rental agents on the phone, and they vary between second week of June, late June, and early July.
More factors on the house or apartment question:
1) I want a pet, and I really want a (smallish) dog. But I fostered a couple dogs where I currently live, and I found out I don't really want a dog without also having a fenced-in yard. I could probably resign myself to an apartment and a cat if the apartment was in all other ways awesome though.
2) One of my biggest hobbies is houseplants/container plants, and I'd really like a bit of land outside to keep the more sunlight-desiring specimens as well as possibly set up a small vegetable garden.
3) I am single and would not anticipate getting a roommate/etc. I am not sure how much upkeep house renters are supposed to do, but I don't really fancy mowing lawns and similar maintenance stuff. Apartments also sometimes offer amenities like a pool and stuff. I like amenities, but I don't know that in a smaller town the apartments will actually have amenities anyway. They are cheaper, though, which is obviously always nice.
4) I know Kansas City is only about 30-40 minutes away from where I'll be working, but I really dislike commuting and would prefer to drive to spend time there less frequently rather than drive every day back and forth to work. Though I have family in KC and I plan to date so I don't know if I'm wrong that living in/around Leavenworth or Lansing is better.
I've rented both houses and apartments. Houses are better.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:51 AM on May 24, 2013
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:51 AM on May 24, 2013
IME, renters are quite often responsible for yard maintenance. I imagine this depends on the price point and local rental culture, so it's definitely something to ask about. If you'd be responsible but don't want to do it yourself, research local lawn service rates.
posted by jon1270 at 8:55 AM on May 24, 2013
posted by jon1270 at 8:55 AM on May 24, 2013
Usually landlords are responsible for general yard maintenance
Read your lease! This is highly area-dependent.
Personally, I hated renting a house and much preferred living in an apartment, because in my area, house rentals are an owner's market, and they can demand stuff like: Renter pays for yard care; renter pays for any repairs below $50 dollars; no provisions for "non-critical repairs" that take way too long (so I spent a whole week with shitty AC in the middle of a Texas summer); if they decide they want to sell the house, the renter is responsible for keeping it in showing condition, and letting a realtor in with little to no warning; etc. But again, this is location-dependent (although I will note that I also live in a heavily-military area, so I wouldn't be surprised if a tight 1-year rental market caused similar issues in Leavenworth as they do here).
posted by muddgirl at 8:56 AM on May 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
Read your lease! This is highly area-dependent.
Personally, I hated renting a house and much preferred living in an apartment, because in my area, house rentals are an owner's market, and they can demand stuff like: Renter pays for yard care; renter pays for any repairs below $50 dollars; no provisions for "non-critical repairs" that take way too long (so I spent a whole week with shitty AC in the middle of a Texas summer); if they decide they want to sell the house, the renter is responsible for keeping it in showing condition, and letting a realtor in with little to no warning; etc. But again, this is location-dependent (although I will note that I also live in a heavily-military area, so I wouldn't be surprised if a tight 1-year rental market caused similar issues in Leavenworth as they do here).
posted by muddgirl at 8:56 AM on May 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
I don't know KS at all but I can help with the rental info.
Renters are expected to keep up with the garden, lawn, snow removal, pool maintenance etc. But it's negotiable. So have that discussion, but if you plan on hiring someone to do those things, factor that into your costs.
Houses require maintenance, you have to change the furnace filter, you may have to fiddle with roof vents. Cover all of that with the landlord.
If something happens, you'll call the landlord, but you'll also be dealing with it. It helps if you know some basic things, how to cut off water and gas at the source, how to stop a toilet from running, etc.
Some landlords are fix it right the first time folks, and some are 'spit and bailing wire' folks. You don't know until the roof leaks.
Just some things to keep in mind.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:56 AM on May 24, 2013
Renters are expected to keep up with the garden, lawn, snow removal, pool maintenance etc. But it's negotiable. So have that discussion, but if you plan on hiring someone to do those things, factor that into your costs.
Houses require maintenance, you have to change the furnace filter, you may have to fiddle with roof vents. Cover all of that with the landlord.
If something happens, you'll call the landlord, but you'll also be dealing with it. It helps if you know some basic things, how to cut off water and gas at the source, how to stop a toilet from running, etc.
Some landlords are fix it right the first time folks, and some are 'spit and bailing wire' folks. You don't know until the roof leaks.
Just some things to keep in mind.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:56 AM on May 24, 2013
I have lived in rent houses, and in a house I owned and later rented out, for nearly 20 years. I have dogs, I garden.
Usually landlords are responsible for general yard maintenance, and usually this just means they have a lawn service come out and trim things every few weeks.
I keep seeing this assertion on AskMe and I think this is highly, highly regional. In Texas, my landlords were absolutely not responsible for the yard or general outward appearance of the house (not even the landlord who ran a landscaping company) barring major tree maintenance. In California, I did see a couple of rent houses that came with gardeners (not high-end rent houses), but our shitty yard and (undisclosed) busted sprinkler system are our problem 100%. Our tenants were responsible for lawn care as well.
The one thing about renting a house that may come as a shock if you have always lived in corporate-owned apartments: it's all your problem, basically, unless specified otherwise. The landlord owes you a roof, functioning delivery services for electricity and water, and basic appliances (which may or may not include a refrigerator or microwave). They do not have large operating budgets, they aren't going to perform improvements, they aren't going to come plunge your toilet for you. If something they have to replace breaks, you may have to wait until they can get to Home Depot.
But houses come with far more privacy and freedom. There may come a day, when I don't have dogs, that I might try apartment living again, but I'm not so sure I could stand it.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:59 AM on May 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
Usually landlords are responsible for general yard maintenance, and usually this just means they have a lawn service come out and trim things every few weeks.
I keep seeing this assertion on AskMe and I think this is highly, highly regional. In Texas, my landlords were absolutely not responsible for the yard or general outward appearance of the house (not even the landlord who ran a landscaping company) barring major tree maintenance. In California, I did see a couple of rent houses that came with gardeners (not high-end rent houses), but our shitty yard and (undisclosed) busted sprinkler system are our problem 100%. Our tenants were responsible for lawn care as well.
The one thing about renting a house that may come as a shock if you have always lived in corporate-owned apartments: it's all your problem, basically, unless specified otherwise. The landlord owes you a roof, functioning delivery services for electricity and water, and basic appliances (which may or may not include a refrigerator or microwave). They do not have large operating budgets, they aren't going to perform improvements, they aren't going to come plunge your toilet for you. If something they have to replace breaks, you may have to wait until they can get to Home Depot.
But houses come with far more privacy and freedom. There may come a day, when I don't have dogs, that I might try apartment living again, but I'm not so sure I could stand it.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:59 AM on May 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
Ooh I can actually help with this! I used to live in Atchison and commute (20 minutes) to Leavenworth on weekends.
Do not rent anything in Leavenworth without scoping out the neighborhood, most of Leavenworth proper is super sketch. Lansing has nicer homes and is where anyone with options generally chooses to live. I chose to live in Atchison because its so much cheaper. I rented a two story two bedroom with a formal dining room on 1/3 acre for $400/month and had pets and a garden. I'm trying to get my baby to sleep now but if you have any questions feel free to memail me.
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 9:32 AM on May 24, 2013 [2 favorites]
Do not rent anything in Leavenworth without scoping out the neighborhood, most of Leavenworth proper is super sketch. Lansing has nicer homes and is where anyone with options generally chooses to live. I chose to live in Atchison because its so much cheaper. I rented a two story two bedroom with a formal dining room on 1/3 acre for $400/month and had pets and a garden. I'm trying to get my baby to sleep now but if you have any questions feel free to memail me.
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 9:32 AM on May 24, 2013 [2 favorites]
I've rented apartments, townhouses/attached row houses, suites in a house, half of a duplex and now, a detached house. Probably over 15 separate places in cities and small towns, in Canada and the US.
Lawn maintenance and snow removal has generally been in the same category as cleaning the inside of the house, up to me. It turns out I like puttering around in a garden, like pushing a push mower, and really like moving snow. My current landlord enjoys these things as well, however, and he wakes up damn early which means I have to compete in order to get to them first.
I've generally had great, responsible landlords, and anything that needed fixing above replacing a light bulb was gone as promptly (or better) in the house or house like arrangements than in the apartment arrangements. Therefore, I find some of the above assertions ("its all your problem, basically") about how much more work you'll have to do in a house silly. I've had better and easier times with maintenance in houses than apartments. Obviously, that could go the other way, too. I don't think you can generalize either way.
One thing that has happened to me is having a forced move because the owner sold the place. But the same thing can happen if you're renting a condo apartment but is far less likely if you're renting from a large rental company whose business model is collecting rents, not speculating.
Unless I moved to a very much larger and denser city (like, say, Montreal or London or Paris), I have no intention of living in an apartment again. A creepy and soul-less hallway or a shaded front porch on the street waving at neighbours walking by? A clump of dusty dying houseplants in a cramped window, or a small vegetable plot and large perennial garden? Space for a canoe, bikes, skis, camping gear or, uh, no space for this? Having windows on multiple aspects, thereby getting light all day... having a dusty front porch and a patch of grass for the dog ... eating outside in the summer in the back yard ...
I will say that my dog was equally happy in an apartment/suite as a house. A yard doesn't mitigate the 2 - 3 hours of walking / running that she needs. I'd say proximity to nice walking routes and things like off-leash parks is a bigger deal than yard or no yard.
I'll also say that having much more space has made me lose all discipline wrt. the accummulation of stuff. I used to fit in the back of a station wagon, sigh...
I'll finally opine that my preference for a house wouldn't trump by horror of commuting by car. I am presently in walking distance to work. If I were to live in a city where the choice was living in a house but having to drive everywhere and everyday, or live in an apartment and not, then I'd downsize in a heartbeat.
posted by bumpkin at 9:37 AM on May 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
Lawn maintenance and snow removal has generally been in the same category as cleaning the inside of the house, up to me. It turns out I like puttering around in a garden, like pushing a push mower, and really like moving snow. My current landlord enjoys these things as well, however, and he wakes up damn early which means I have to compete in order to get to them first.
I've generally had great, responsible landlords, and anything that needed fixing above replacing a light bulb was gone as promptly (or better) in the house or house like arrangements than in the apartment arrangements. Therefore, I find some of the above assertions ("its all your problem, basically") about how much more work you'll have to do in a house silly. I've had better and easier times with maintenance in houses than apartments. Obviously, that could go the other way, too. I don't think you can generalize either way.
One thing that has happened to me is having a forced move because the owner sold the place. But the same thing can happen if you're renting a condo apartment but is far less likely if you're renting from a large rental company whose business model is collecting rents, not speculating.
Unless I moved to a very much larger and denser city (like, say, Montreal or London or Paris), I have no intention of living in an apartment again. A creepy and soul-less hallway or a shaded front porch on the street waving at neighbours walking by? A clump of dusty dying houseplants in a cramped window, or a small vegetable plot and large perennial garden? Space for a canoe, bikes, skis, camping gear or, uh, no space for this? Having windows on multiple aspects, thereby getting light all day... having a dusty front porch and a patch of grass for the dog ... eating outside in the summer in the back yard ...
I will say that my dog was equally happy in an apartment/suite as a house. A yard doesn't mitigate the 2 - 3 hours of walking / running that she needs. I'd say proximity to nice walking routes and things like off-leash parks is a bigger deal than yard or no yard.
I'll also say that having much more space has made me lose all discipline wrt. the accummulation of stuff. I used to fit in the back of a station wagon, sigh...
I'll finally opine that my preference for a house wouldn't trump by horror of commuting by car. I am presently in walking distance to work. If I were to live in a city where the choice was living in a house but having to drive everywhere and everyday, or live in an apartment and not, then I'd downsize in a heartbeat.
posted by bumpkin at 9:37 AM on May 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
Not sure where you're moving from, but keep in mind that distances here in Kansas can be covered a lot more quickly than one might expect if they are moving a more densely populated area such as the northeast US. Fox example, tonight I drove from Prairie Village (a KC suburb) to Clinton Lake (in Lawrence), 50 miles, in 50 minutes during rush hour.
Not advocating for a soul-sucking long commute, but I would consider pushing the search out a bit further than just Leavenworth. Sounds like the rental market there is quirky. How far can I travel? may be helpful. Looks like a 20 minute commute would get Platte City, Mo and western KCK into the mix, for example.
Generally in Kansas City and Lawrence, home renters take care of lawn mowing and snow shoveling (we get maybe 5 shoveling-necessary snowfalls per year), but one of my friends once had a arrangement where her landlord took care of mowing. Keep in mind in an apartment complex you are often at the mercy of your landlord for plowing the lot and stuff like that.
This is completely anecdotal, but a situation that worked out really well for me in Lawrence was renting half a duplex where the owner lived next door. IMO everyone's incentives aligned fairly well in that situation, and the house felt enough like my own without being too much.
All else being equal, renting a house will cost more than an apartment even if the rents are the same, due to small maintenance things and mowing. Sounds like a dog and gardening could add to the cost too. But hey, welcome to a lower-cost part of the country. If you want to try living in a house, renting here is probably a good opportunity.
posted by eelgrassman at 1:01 AM on May 25, 2013
Not advocating for a soul-sucking long commute, but I would consider pushing the search out a bit further than just Leavenworth. Sounds like the rental market there is quirky. How far can I travel? may be helpful. Looks like a 20 minute commute would get Platte City, Mo and western KCK into the mix, for example.
Generally in Kansas City and Lawrence, home renters take care of lawn mowing and snow shoveling (we get maybe 5 shoveling-necessary snowfalls per year), but one of my friends once had a arrangement where her landlord took care of mowing. Keep in mind in an apartment complex you are often at the mercy of your landlord for plowing the lot and stuff like that.
This is completely anecdotal, but a situation that worked out really well for me in Lawrence was renting half a duplex where the owner lived next door. IMO everyone's incentives aligned fairly well in that situation, and the house felt enough like my own without being too much.
All else being equal, renting a house will cost more than an apartment even if the rents are the same, due to small maintenance things and mowing. Sounds like a dog and gardening could add to the cost too. But hey, welcome to a lower-cost part of the country. If you want to try living in a house, renting here is probably a good opportunity.
posted by eelgrassman at 1:01 AM on May 25, 2013
I've rented all my life, always in apartments or house shares until the last two years, when the Universe decided to let me have houses. I'm now planning to buy a house, because I can't go back to an apartment. It's the light, the quiet, the space, the windows on all 4 sides, the yard -- it's all good.
One thing others haven't mentioned:utilities are MUCH higher. Hydro (electric), water, gas and heat are twice to three times what the costs were in an apartment.
And even though your landlords may be wonderful about paying for repairs and things, you're the one who has to deal with it: there is no super to call. The blackout, the bat that's up the chimney, the leaking roof, the wasps' nest, or the furnace that won't light all need to be dealt with by you at the moment, even if it's 4 AM. Your landlord will probably have a list of repair people and services to call, but you'll need to call them and you'll need to wait for the repairman.
Oddly, I like this part. It felt like ownership.
posted by jrochest at 1:46 AM on May 25, 2013
One thing others haven't mentioned:utilities are MUCH higher. Hydro (electric), water, gas and heat are twice to three times what the costs were in an apartment.
And even though your landlords may be wonderful about paying for repairs and things, you're the one who has to deal with it: there is no super to call. The blackout, the bat that's up the chimney, the leaking roof, the wasps' nest, or the furnace that won't light all need to be dealt with by you at the moment, even if it's 4 AM. Your landlord will probably have a list of repair people and services to call, but you'll need to call them and you'll need to wait for the repairman.
Oddly, I like this part. It felt like ownership.
posted by jrochest at 1:46 AM on May 25, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
In my experience, most landlords for single-family homes will let you do a bit of gardening, perhaps designating a portion of the backyard as a garden area (maybe some raised beds or something).
Usually landlords are responsible for general yard maintenance, and usually this just means they have a lawn service come out and trim things every few weeks.
I don't have any Kansas City-specifc info though, sorry.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 8:47 AM on May 24, 2013 [1 favorite]