Welcome to week three in the Living In Kennesaw series. As a recap over the past couple of weeks, week one we discussed the ins and outs of living on campus and week two we discussed student housing off-campus. Each one had its perks, but the outrageous prices that these places cost kind of outweighed those. Finally, we have reached the second half of the series and this week is about apartment living.
Apartment Life: Around campus, there are plenty of apartment complexes to choose from. One good thing about these complexes is that they all offer something a little different than the one right next to it. Along with the competitive amenities they all have competitive pricing. Another nice thing about these complexes is that you get to choose your floor plan and how many roommates you really want to have, because let’s be honest, do you really want to live with three other people for the rest of your college career with the good chance of one of them moving out meaning either you have to find somebody you like equally as well, or you end up getting a random.
Each of the complexes offer different floor plans for different prices which is nice because when you live in student housing you don’t get much of a choice in that. The complexes also give you the choice of having all of the upgrades or just a few of them, which also effect the prices. A standard two-bedroom apartment in Kennesaw runs from $700-$1,200 which if split comes out to be anywhere from $350-$600. So the lower end of that price is nice because it is almost half- if not more than half- or what student housing costs.
Now some may say that the down side to renting an apartment that isn’t totally for students is the fact that you have to take care of all of the other bills, well, my friends not really. It does take a little more discipline with your money so you don’t spend all of it after the first of the month, but in most cases it comes out to be cheaper. Also, most apartment complexes will include one of your bills in your rent getting you a discounted rate rather than just paying it on your own.
From personal experience, it has been nice not having to see all of my paycheck go out in one day. I get a couple of days to about a week in-between some of my bills meaning I get more money to pay the other outstanding bills for the month. So, you may be asking yourself what the down side to apartment living is?
All you have seen are the good things about it and they all seem pretty nice, and the truth is, there are not too many things wrong with it and it just comes down to personal preference between renting a house and an apartment. A few things I have noticed about apartment living that I am not a total fan are you ALWAYS have neighbors, I’m talking above you, below you, to the left and to the right and it just gets annoying. Also, if you are looking to get the most bang for your buck, like any college student is, when you break down the prices you realize that for the same amount of money that you are paying to live in a 1,000 square foot box, you could live in a house with double, if not more of the space and get so much more. You also don’t have a space to really call “yours." Maintenance can come in and out as they please and if you haven’t cleaned, you could end up not wanting to show your face to the leasing office again.
Next week, make sure you are on the lookout for the last installment in the Living In Kennesaw series where we look into renting a house. In the upcoming segment you will learn the ins and the outs of what it takes to find, rent, and leave a house in the Kennesaw area just like with all of the other articles. As always, until next time, “May the odds be ever in your favor.”
