Apartment hunting can be such a struggle. Even with a quick search online, you’ll find a multitude of options. Now, one of the often overlooked options out there is garden-style apartments. These are characterized by a large open space (typically designed as a garden) shared among low-rise apartment buildings within the same complex. Interesting enough? Continue reading to know more about what a garden style apartment has to offer.
Key Takeaways
- A garden style apartment complex is a low-rise residential surrounded by landscaped gardens and open outdoor spaces.
- These are generally more affordable due to lower construction and maintenance costs, as well as property location.
- In comparison, a garden style apartment offers a quieter, more private, and family-friendly living setup than those in high-rise and mid-rise buildings.
What Is a Garden-Style Apartment
Drawing from our experience in San Antonio TX property management, we know that garden-style apartment complexes are comprised of low-rise buildings (typically 4-stories high or less) surrounded by gardens or landscaped green spaces.
Generally, garden-style apartments also come with exterior entrances. This means that units have their own ground-level entrances, eliminating the need for shared hallways. Unlike high-rise apartments and condominiums, garden-style apartments are most commonly found in rural to suburban communities, where there are lots of open spaces available for wide apartment complexes.
Garden-Style vs Other Apartment Types
In order to gain a better understanding of garden-style apartments, let’s try to look at them in comparison to other apartment types.
Let’s start with the highly touted high-rise apartment buildings. These are the ones you commonly find in city centers and downtown areas, towering more than 12 floors high, and are home to (potentially) hundreds of people. In comparison to a garden-style apartment, high-rises are much more densely populated, which could be a factor when it comes to tenant privacy.
In here, you’re likely to find high-end features and amenities, like on-site fitness centers and rooftop lounges. You’ll also benefit from the fact that most high-rise apartments are conveniently located in busy city centers. However, the trade-off is that high-rise apartments tend to come at higher rent prices, typically exceeding the national average of $2,045. On top of that, you usually get minimal (if there’s any) outdoor space or community garden.
Then there are mid-rise apartments. Although not as grand as the high-rise residential buildings you’ll find in the middle of the city, mid-risers are still very popular. Commonly located in urban or semi-urban communities, mid-rise apartment buildings are typically around 4 to 12 stories tall and offer the essentials of modern city living. Generally, these have the basic amenities, like an on-site gym, swimming pool, and clubhouse. A benefit of living in this type of apartment is that it offers a good balance between the convenience of city living and relatively better privacy, given the smaller building size.
To help you visualize this better, here’s a brief summary of garden-style apartments vs others:
| High-Rise Apartment | Mid-Rise Apartment | Garden-Style Apartment |
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Pros of Living in a Garden-Style Apartment
We’ve covered the key differences between garden-style complexes compared to high-rise and mid-rise apartments. But what exactly makes garden-style apartments a good fit for you? With this in mind, let’s talk about the perks of living in a garden-style apartment.
One of the primary allure of garden-style apartments is the open space, which is generally something you couldn’t find in high-rise apartment buildings in the middle of the city. For some, easy access to nature is a huge benefit – allowing them to enjoy a relaxing environment and unwind in a more peaceful setting, and incorporate outdoor living into their day-to-day activities. Not to mention that garden style apartments are often pet-friendly rentals and family-oriented, highlighting the importance of green spaces for a well-rounded living condition.
In relation to this, garden-style apartments are known to offer better privacy in the sense that they have far less units than high-rise or even mid-rise rentals. Being a lower-density residential, tenants in a garden style apartment usually don’t have to deal with as much foot traffic and noise problems in apartments.
Lastly, garden-style apartments are generally more affordable than their high-rise and mid-rise counterparts. Why? While a key factor in play here is location, lower maintenance costs allow landlords to charge far less than other residential apartments. Another financial benefit of a garden-style apartment is that tenants get more value for their money in terms of larger living spaces and access to outdoor areas.
Cons of Garden-Style Apartments
Now, let’s talk cons. Living in a garden-style apartment has its trade-offs, some of which can make or break your decision to live in one. Let’s start with the more glaring issue, which is the often relatively limited security features, especially compared to high-rise apartment buildings that have doormen, gated entrances, controlled access systems, and even metal detectors. In addition to this, garden-style apartments also tend to lack high-end amenities, such as on-site gyms, rooftops, reception and concierge services, and even elevators.
On top of these, there is also the matter of privacy. We’ve mentioned that garden-style apartments offer better privacy since they generally have fewer units and residents. However, there are some concerns when it comes to the privacy of ground-level apartment units, particularly those with doors, patios, or windows close to footpaths.
Lastly, a possible challenge in living in a garden style apartment is the presence of pests. With the vast open space and green areas, this type of apartment is at more risk of bugs and other pests in homes, like ticks, roaches, rodents, and even termites.
Find Your Next Home with Bay Property Management
Choosing the ideal place to live in is not an easy feat. Knowing the different options you have can make a difference on what specific type or layout of an apartment you want, including garden-style apartments. Known for their open green spaces and low-rise buildings, a garden style apartment works specifically for people looking for a quieter and more serene environment. Aside from this, tenants can enjoy relatively lower rent prices, pet-friendly policies, and better privacy, among others.
If you’re apartment hunting in San Antonio and other nearby areas, we at Bay Property Management might just be what you need. As one of the leading San Antonio Texas property management companies, we have a long list of available rental properties in the area – from high-rise apartment rentals to low-rise garden apartments. Eager to find the perfect apartment for you? Come visit our website and check out our rental property portfolio today!