One of the things you need to ask yourself when looking to rent an apartment is “How big of an apartment do I need?” Naturally, it would be great if we could all rent huge apartments, but of course, the more square footage you want, the more you will have to pay. Therefore, to be kind to your budget, you usually want to try to pay only for how much square footage is needed for you to live comfortably.
What Is the Average Size of a One-Bedroom Apartment?
The average size of a one-bedroom apartment can vary depending upon location but figure on anything from 400 to 850 square feet. Will this be enough for you? It depends on what your needs are and what you expect them to be in the future.
Assessing Your Space Needs
The first issue when assessing your space needs is if you will be living alone or with others. If you are planning to live by yourself for the foreseeable future, a one-bedroom apartment should be plenty. In fact, you may want to opt for a studio of 500 square feet or less to really save money. However, not living alone doesn’t just refer to having a spouse and children. Even a pet takes up space, especially large dogs. Also, if you are planning to have a roommate or have people stay over frequently, you may want to consider looking for a little more space.
Will you be working from home? If so, you may require a home office, a place you can get away from the distractions of the rest of the apartment. If this is the case, you will need additional space.
Do you anticipate having frequent guests or parties? If so, trying to cram them into 600 square feet may become tiresome fast.
How much stuff do you have? If you have lots of books, electronics, large items like a bicycle or a drum kit, etc., it may get very cramped in your one-bedroom apartment. You will either need to get a bigger place, sell some of your items or find an alternative solution like a storage facility — although this can also get expensive.
Studio vs. One-Bedroom, Two-Bedroom or Three-Bedroom
If you are fresh out of school and are just looking for a home base, a studio will often be just fine for you. If you are looking for a place you plan to live in for a while and have a pet, a fair amount of property or people who visit frequently, you will probably want at least a one-bedroom. If you are married and have a child, or have a lot of bulky items, a two-bedroom may be a necessity. If you have a larger family or greater-than-usual space needs, you may want to start looking at three-bedroom apartments.
For help finding studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom or three-bedroom apartments in the San Francisco Bay Area, take a look at our properties today.
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