Studio Apartment

[Balldog]

Well I have decided to put the house up for sale and move to one of two nearby cities. Which one I don't know yet, I have been looking at the apartments for rent in both cities.

I noticed you can generally get a studio apartment for fairly cheap. Has anyone ever lived in a studio apartment? What are the advantages/disadvantages? It seems like it would be pretty cool, then again I don't know.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by Balldog

Well I have decided to put the house up for sale and move to one of two nearby cities. Which one I don't know yet, I have been looking at the apartments for rent in both cities.

I noticed you can generally get a studio apartment for fairly cheap. Has anyone ever lived in a studio apartment? What are the advantages/disadvantages? It seems like it would be pretty cool, then again I don't know.

studio = tiny

I had a friend living in one in NYC that was 300 sq. ft. I cannot imagine going from a house to a studio apartment. Can you fit your entire life (including cooking, bathroom and sleeping space) into your current living room? If not, perhaps a studio is not for you.

[JeeberD]

Samdari, are you thinking of a studio or an efficiency? Efficiencies are usually pretty tiny, just one room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. The studios that I've alwasy seen are usually fairly large, two level apartments...

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Samdari, are you thinking of a studio or an efficiency? Efficiencies are usually pretty tiny, just one room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. The studios that I've alwasy seen are usually fairly large, two level apartments...

Different places use different names to refer to different types of homes/apartments.

In the northeast (and certainly NYC) studio refers to what I was talking about. I have also heard the term efficiency, although it is far less common. Chances are though, if they were the cheapest apartments listed, they are more likely what I am thinking of than large two level apartments

[sovereignstar]

Jeeber has a point. When I think of studios, I think around 400-600 square feet. Efficiencies, to me, are smaller studios (250 sq. ft.-450).

A studio could also be one of those cool-looking places where freelance artists live in deep within the city (like in the movie A Perfect Murder) which are fairly large.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar

Jeeber has a point. When I think of studios, I think around 400-600 square feet. Efficiencies, to me, are smaller studios (250 sq. ft.-450).

A studio could also be one of those cool-looking places where freelance artists live in deep within the city (like in the movie A Perfect Murder) which are fairly large.

Well, Jeeber's "fairly large, two-level" description did not convey to me something in the 400-600 sq ft range. That certainly would fit my concept of a studio apartment, as the 300 footer my friend was in was an extreme example. Even with the 400-600 sq ft. figure, that still fits my description of "tiny"

In the NE lexicon, those cool looking deep within the city, fairly large places would be called "lofts".

Again, you are ignoring economics. If they are the cheapest listed, they are almost certainly that one-room concept.

[Balldog]

My house is only 1250 sq ft, hopefully I can find a studio around 600-800 sq ft. I'm giving myself 30 days to find a place, so we will see.

[Hammer755]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar

Jeeber has a point. When I think of studios, I think around 400-600 square feet. Efficiencies, to me, are smaller studios (250 sq. ft.-450).

A studio could also be one of those cool-looking places where freelance artists live in deep within the city (like in the movie A Perfect Murder) which are fairly large.

I think that the kind of studio apartment you're referring to only exists in the movies.

[sovereignstar]

Originally Posted by Hammer755

I think that the kind of studio apartment you're referring to only exists in the movies.

Well, there goes my dream. Shucks...

[Lucky Jim]

I think it all depends on your living situation as well. If you're living alone, even a relatively modest studio isn't that bad, but I've heard bad stories about living with someone else. I live in a studio right now with my girlfriend and to be honest it has worked out great. With some creativity the space really isn't an issue, I've converted a walk-in closet into "my room" with TV, comp, mini fridge, but there really is no place to go if you get pissed at each other, except the bathroom. So if you're alone I'd say go for it. It's really not bad at all.

[gottimd]

Studio apartments aren't bad if:

1. You don't mind living in your kitchen.
2. You like to give short grand tours of your apartment to friends and family. Just a simple "here it is" is the tour.
3. Have done some time in a jail cell because the size is pretty much equivalent.
4. You often imagine all of your belongings and furniture gathered into one room.
5. Have very limited furniture, just the basics (bed, TV, dresser) because your aren't going to be able to squeeze much more in there without it looking cluttered.
6. Can't stand having to walk to another room to get something.

I don't see many pro's in living in a studio in your situation. It would be different if you werent coming from a 1250sq ft place. If you were single, just starting out, and maybe even a minimalist, then it could work. As someone else noted before, look at where you live now and take your living room for example, and imagine everything you own in it. Have you checked out:

www.apartments.com
www.apartmentguide.com
www.rent.com
www.craigslist.com

Any homepage of the city you are looking in (Chamber of Commerce sites) might have links. The Classifieds of the paper. Or you can try and google "Apartment" "xxxxx" (xxxx= city you are looking in). Take some time to make a list of all apartments that fit your needs, then take a few weekends to visit and make appointments with those on your list. Once you narrow it down, start filling out applications. I'd give yourself a few months in advance so you aren't stuck taking an apartment that is horrendous just because your lease was up and you needed to move.

You may also want to check out sites that have apartment ratings (try www.apartmentratings.com). Tenants usually provide some feedback on how it is living there, which may make or break your decision to move to that specific building.

Hope this helps.....

[Daimyo]

To me a studio generally implies one "livable" room with a seperate kitchen and maybe even a small dining room or office, while an efficiency studio is usually smaller and implies that the kitchen is not seperate. My first apartment out of college was an efficiency studio probably about 300-400 sqft. It wasn't too bad for that stage of my life (especially after just leaving a single dorm room), but after living in a 900 sqft, one bedroom apartment the last few years there is no way in hell i'd ever go back.

[Daimyo]

DOLA, also I wouldn't reccomend it if you have pets... maybe you can get by with a single cat in a studio, but beyond that its just not fair to them.

[sabotai]

I've been looking on some websites for studio apartments around where I live and most of them are in the 450-650 sqft. range. But that's in the suburbs and such, I don't know what they are like for city buildings (but I'd imagine they'd be smaller in the city).

[Karlifornia]

My girlfriend are moving into a new 1 bdrm soon, but we aren't quite sure where it is yet. We looked at a tiny cottage in a great part of Los Gatos but it's only 500 sq ft($750/mo.) I can't get over the fact that the kitchen and living room are one in the same. Two people in a 500 square foot cottage nearly sounds torturous. Oh well..to be 20 years old.