IN THIS POST:
– What is a Studio Apartment?
– The Pros of Living in a Studio Apartment
– The Cons of Living in a Studio Apartment
– Who Should Consider Living in a Studio Apartment
If you want to embrace the ‘less is more’ concept and believe that ‘good things come in small packages’, you’ll end up loving living in a studio apartment. We’ll primarily be covering the benefits of living in a studio apartment, but we will also touch upon the subject of what is a studio apartment, some of the drawbacks of living in a studio, and also discuss who would be best suited for investing and living in this kind of property.
Let’s begin.
What is a Studio Apartment?
Usually smaller than a one-bedroom flat, a studio apartment generally has an open plan living space comprising a bedroom, an open kitchen, as well as a living and dining area. Studio apartments usually share some traits with a hotel room boasting a kitchenette, and they may or may not have a fully equipped kitchen.
A studio apartment has no walls in the central living space except for providing you an enclosed space for a bathroom. Such apartments may or may not have a balcony or terrace, and living in a studio is usually an acquired taste. Not everybody would be comfortable living in such close quarters with absolutely no privacy when guests come over to visit.
The Pros of Living in a Studio Apartment
With the question of what is a studio apartment answered, let’s move on to the benefits of living in one. Here are some of the major pros to consider:
- Easier to furnish
- Quicker to clean
- Prevents hoarding
- Cheaper investment
- Better energy efficiency
- Expands your horizons
- Realigns your focus
- Enables multitasking
- Relocation becomes easier
Now, let’s discuss each of these advantages of living in a studio apartment in detail below.
Easier To Furnish
For those who are looking to embrace the minimalist lifestyle, investing in a studio apartment can be the perfect solution. This is because studio apartments are much easier to furnish. You need less furniture and even fewer decorative pieces because you only have space for essentials.
When you’re furnishing a studio apartment, the core focus is on quality over quantity. This means that you get more value for your money with fewer items. There are also some smart hacks that you can use to decorate your studio apartment and make it look more spacious.
Quicker To Clean
Since studio apartments have smaller interiors, it’s easier to keep them clean and neat. All you need is to give your open plan living space a quick sweep every day, and you’re done. Additionally, you will get into the habit of cleaning up the counter space and kitchen as you cook, ensuring a lesser mess to clean later on.
Prevents Hoarding
The smaller square footage of a studio apartment automatically compels you to choose what is essential to have in your home and make smarter decisions. You’ll be less likely to accumulate junk if you have limited storage space in your flat. Moving into a studio apartment is, therefore, a good opportunity to declutter your belongings and choose what to keep, discard, or donate. You can easily declutter your home over a weekend before the move.
Cheaper Investment
Investing in a studio apartment is fairly cheaper when you compare it with a 1-bed or larger flat in the same building or residential project. However, overall, the cost of a studio apartment can vary, based on where it is located, the number of amenities it offers to residents of the complex, which floor it is on, what kind of views it offers, and so on. But if a studio apartment fulfils all your accommodation needs, why spend more on a larger dwelling? Save the money for decorating the apartment luxuriously instead.
Better Energy Efficiency
With a smaller living space, you will obviously be using fewer units of energy to cool down the flat, making a studio apartment much more energy-efficient than other property options. Since there is only one room, you will also be turning on just a few lights to brighten up the entire space, ensuring that you consume less energy, which equals lower utility bills and better savings.
Expands Your Horizons
The smaller your living space is, the more eager you will be to explore your surroundings because, after all, interacting with screens alone will prove insufficient, and you’ll want something more to keep you busy. If you’ve moved to a new city alone, living in a studio apartment will motivate you to spend your time exploring the local haunts instead.
Realigns Your Focus
When you don’t have to spend hours every day cleaning the place and keeping it neat, you’re left with a lot of time on your hands. If you’d rather stay at home, why not focus your extra time on what matters to you the most. This could be a hobby, quality time with a loved one, or staying fit by exercising daily.
Enables Multitasking
Having the freedom to multitask is one of the biggest benefits of living in a studio apartment. When your kitchen, your living room, and your bedroom are all one and the same space, you could watch TV while cleaning up around the house, or even keep an eye on the stove while you make the bed. With no walls, there’s nowhere to hide, but that’s ideal for those who love to complete multiple tasks simultaneously.
Relocation Becomes Easier
You might have had a hard time when you moved into a studio apartment, especially if you had to discard a lot of your belongings. But moving from a small apartment is fairly convenient. With lesser storage space, you now own fewer possessions that will need to be transported to the new residence, making the move easier and quicker.
The Cons of Living in a Studio Apartment
There are both pros and cons of living in a studio apartment, so let’s discuss some of the drawbacks now:
- Limited storage space
- Lack of personal space
- Difficult to host parties
Each of these disadvantages of living in a studio apartment is covered in detail below.
Limited Storage Space
Living in a studio apartment is not recommended for those who love to collect possessions based on sentimental value, as there is limited storage space available. While some creative owners might come up with unique storage solutions, you will still need to declutter frequently and discard items that are of no use to you to keep the living space organised and neat.
Lack of Personal Space
One of the biggest challenges while living in a studio apartment is that there is little to no personal space since there are no walls to hide behind. Thus, while living in such a property might be ideal if you’re living alone, it can be difficult to find personal space for some alone time, if you are living in a studio with your partner. Of course, living in a studio apartment with kids has its own problems. Aside from a crowded interior, you and your kids will have no way to escape one another’s company as long as you’re all home. This is primarily why studio apartments are generally not preferred by families.
Difficult to Host Parties
If you love to host social gatherings and parties, you might want to reconsider living in a studio apartment because, with a smaller square footage, it is not the ideal venue for crowded parties. In fact, even having a few guests over for dinner might be challenging, considering the limited interior space. You’ll also find no privacy from your guests in a studio apartment, and no walls or corners to hide the mess.
Who Should Consider Living in a Studio Apartment?
Studio apartments are generally ideal for one to two residents. This makes them the perfect investment for single individuals. However, there are quite a few categories of investors who might consider a studio apartment as a residence or as a way of generating a secondary income. These include:
- Students
- Career-oriented individuals
- Minimalists
- Newlywed couples
- Retirees
- Rental property investors
Let’s elaborate on each category of investor/renter below.
Students
We’ve already discussed how studios are popular among single individuals. Still, your studio rental will find a lot of potential tenants if it’s located close to a university, as most students prefer to live close to campus and are often living alone, far away from home, for better educational prospects.
Career-Oriented Individuals
People who move to a new city for work will also eagerly search for a studio apartment for sale. This is primarily because they’re alone in town, have very little need in terms of accommodation, and would prefer a cheaper residence so that they have more money to save and send back home. The same is also true for employees who are temporarily posted in town due to work. In such cases, professionals usually choose to rent a studio apartment for the duration of their stay.
Minimalists
Embracing a minimalistic lifestyle can be challenging, but for those who have made the move, a studio apartment offers a chance to cut down on clutter, and live simply in a smaller flat. Most minimalists are millennials who want a place of their own to call home. Such individuals are not interested in hoarding items of sentimental value, and therefore, they are least bothered by the lack of storage space as well.
Newlywed Couples
Starting a new life together with minimal resources is never easy, which is why newlywed couples choose studio apartments as their first home. With time, as the family grows, they will obviously need more space, but for now, it’s a way to own a home on a smaller budget where they can begin their life peacefully.
Retirees
Elderly citizens nearing retirement also consider investing in a studio apartment because it’s not only a means of securing their savings but can also serve as their primary residence if they choose to move to a smaller apartment.
Rental Property Investors
Lastly, studio apartments make a great investment for those looking for a rental property. As mentioned above, students will often rent a studio as their temporary accommodation. In this case, their landlords are often real estate investors with a large portfolio of rental properties, including studio apartments. However, while studios have great rental potential based on their location, consider the market you are investing in and the expected resale value before you opt for this type of property.
Now you know the major benefits of living in a studio apartment as well as a few of the biggest challenges you may face with this type of investment. If living in a studio apartment is well suited for your needs, consider your options smartly and browse through a studio apartment’s design and floor plan before you finalise your decision. You should also take adequate measures to secure your home if you plan on living alone in Pakistan.
If you want to invest in a studio apartment in Islamabad, consider Bahria Town, Islamabad, Gulberg Greens, or Sector F-8. Meanwhile, you can buy a studio apartment in Lahore in Bahria Orchard, DHA, Lahore, and Gulberg. You can also check out areas like Clifton and Nazimabad to make an investment in a studio apartment in Karachi.
Stay tuned to Zameen Blog for more investment advice. You can also reach us with your feedback on blog@zameen.com.
