Single female buyers - is a house or apartment safer?

greensheep777

Hi all,

I'm hopefully going to be a first time buyer sometime next year. I would prefer to buy a house for many reasons, but one thing that I'm concerned about is safety.

I have lived alone for years, but always in flats, on the upstairs levels, and have always felt very safe. An intruder would first have to get through the front or back door before they're anywhere near mine. In addition, there is almost always somebody else at home, in their own flat, so I never feel like I'm totally alone.

What's putting me off a house is that I'm afraid I would be a sitting duck for burglars, who would only have to kick in one door or window and they're in my home. Some of the houses I've seen online are small cottages with no front garden, anyone walking by can see in. Of course I would have an alarm installed etc but the worry is still there. I've also considered getting a dog, I'm a huge animal lover, but as I travel a lot, I'm not sure I want the commitment.

Ladies of Boards who were solo buyers, did you have any of the same concerns? Any advice to share?

Dial Hard

greensheep777 wrote:

Ladies of Boards who were solo buyers, did you have any of the same concerns? Any advice to share?

This is one of the oddest posts I've ever read on here. My single status honestly wouldn't even cross my mind when considering a home. Do you honestly think single women are disproportionately targetted by burglars??? Burglars are generally looking for one thing: ease of access. They wouldn't be put off an easy mark by the presence of a man and they won't target a well-secured house just because there's a single woman living there.

Buy a house. It's a no-brainer, imo.

greensheep777

Dial Hard wrote: »

This is one of the oddest posts I've ever read on here. My single status honestly wouldn't even cross my mind when considering a home. Do you honestly think single women are disproportionately targetted by burglars??? Burglars are generally looking for one thing: ease of access. They wouldn't be put off an easy mark by the presence of a man and they won't target a well-secured house just because there's a single woman living there.

Buy a house. It's a no-brainer, imo.

Ha, I suppose I do sound a bit paranoid!

To give more context, I have two friends/family members who were burgled. Both were single women living alone and both were violently assaulted. It could just be coincidence but it's still crossed my mind.

bmwguy

I know loads of ladies won't stay in a house on their own so it's a common worry.
Can't let fear dictate your life though buy the property you want, alarm it, insure it. Get decent locks.

Foweva Awone

As a single female, I've lived in numerous apartments and houses over the years (renting.)

Personally I just feel an awful lot more secure and safe when living in an apartment well off the ground floor. I don't know where you'd get the statistics about whether you actually are safer - I guess if you narrow it down to a particular area, you could ask the Gardaí in that area what their experience is. But I imagine both houses and apartments have their pros and cons in terms of safety, it's probably much of a muchness, and at the end of the day you should go with whatever feels best for you.

Things to consider (or at least, things that I'd consider if I were in your position) ...

Pro-apartment:
- In any apartments I've lived in, I felt perfectly safe leaving most/all windows and balcony doors wide open all day/night if I felt like it. It's so so handy only having to worry about securing ONE door when you're going to bed or going out for the day. Make sure you have a peep-hole, chain-lock etc on that one door and it really simplifies life
- As an introverted person, there's something I find very comforting about being always surrounded by people and yet alone
- If you're living alone, why would you be arsed cleaning a house with too much space and many rooms, when an apartment can be fully scrubbed and scoured in a couple of hours

Pro-house:
- In an apartment building, you are reliant on your neighbours not to be reckless with fire safety
- You have garden space to do with as you wish (con - you have a bloody garden to maintain! Why do that to yourself!)
- Space ... I'm like the opposite of a hoarder, so this isn't even really a pro for me, but if you're someone who tends to gather "stuff", I guess a house might be the only real option

I myself would 100% go for the apartment, it's absolutely a personal decision though.

LirW

I'm not kidding, buy a house and get a dog (implying you're a dog person). Houses with dogs (especially bigger ones) are less likely to be broken into.

newo

Dial Hard wrote:

This is one of the oddest posts I've ever read on here. My single status honestly wouldn't even cross my mind when considering a home. Do you honestly think single women are disproportionately targetted by burglars??? Burglars are generally looking for one thing: ease of access. They wouldn't be put off an easy mark by the presence of a man and they won't target a well-secured house just because there's a single woman living there.

I can totally understand the feeling of feeling safer in an an apartment. Burglars are definitely going to target a house before an apartment. An apartment with a nice big balcony if you could get it. Good luck with your decision!

HeidiHeidi

I would agree with the poster above who said it's totally up to how you feel about house or apartment living.

I'm in my second house, first one was broken into while I was asleep upstairs (thankfully they never came upstairs, I only discovered the break-in when I came down in the morning). I got an alarm fitted fairly sharpish after that!

I lived in an apartment abroad, and while I was doing renovations to the second house here - and I HATED every minute of it. In the four months I was living in the apartment here in Dublin, I literally never saw anyone until the day I was moving out when the next door neighbour came over to introduce himself to me! In the houses I've lived in I know all the neighbours, and it's a far more sociable set-up.

So for me it's a total no-brainer. I couldn't live long-term in an apartment. It's a house, well-alarmed and secured, for me. But thousands live quite happily in aparments, YMMV.

4068ac1elhodqr

Estate agents will generally consider (well located) mid level apartments as safer if vacant for long duration.

But until the plug-in man-robots arrive, imagine a couple of radically posed manikins (such as below) around the windows would suffice. Maybe the odd trap door too, here and there.

Unshelved

Having my own front door was non-negotiable for me. I always felt safe on my own in my own home even though my door opened directly on to the street. The thought of randomers roaming the corridors of an apartment building did not appeal. Plus you had to take into account neighbours above and below as well as next door.

I loved my little house in D7. I had great neighbours and there was a real sense of community. I'm no longer single so I've moved on but if I still was, I'd definitely buy a house before an apartment.

the_syco

greensheep777 wrote: »

To give more context, I have two friends/family members who were burgled. Both were single women living alone and both were violently assaulted. It could just be coincidence but it's still crossed my mind.

Did either of them have alarms monitored by an alarm company, as opposed to one of those boxes that make noise, and do nothing else?

Also, apartment; most you can't change.
House; you can change inside walls, add stuff outside the walls, etc.

caviardreams

As many have said it's really a personal decision with pros and cons. However, I got burgled in a house and it made me feel very insecure about them - always feeling that somebody can hop over the back door and just smash a window/back door in (which is how it happened).

I now live in an apartment alone and feel 100% safe, even leaving windows etc. open during the night, or if I am away on holidays for a week or two I never think "god I hope I haven't been broken into". Maybe my perspective is a bit different as I had been broken into before in a house, but personally I was willing to make the compromises with an apartment over a house (really did not want a garden anyway) for the peace of mind, whether it is just psychological or reality, it doesn't really matter if it makes you "Feel" safer imo.

liquoriceall

I am a single female and happily live in a house, but couldn't do it in the countryside! I'm lucky that my neighbours include a few gardaì and families with stay at home mothers so the place feels very safe. I recommend checking out these sort of things

lcwill

Man here, living in a European city. No single woman I know would consider living in a house, all feel safer in an apartment, preferably second floor or higher. Totally understand the OPs concerns and I'm still amazed how deep the anti-apartment prejudice runs.

Wesser

Never crossed my mind and i think the likelyhood of an attack depends in tbe neighbourhood, not who occupies the house.

DoozerT6

lcwill wrote: »

Man here, living in a European city. No single woman I know would consider living in a house, all feel safer in an apartment, preferably second floor or higher. Totally understand the OPs concerns and I'm still amazed how deep the anti-apartment prejudice runs.

Me too. At least one friend that I can recall mentioning it, prefers living in apartments to houses for security reasons. Male or female, single or not, there are many access points for people to get into a house. It's simply a fact. There is an element of feeling more secure if the only access to your home is a couple of storeys off the ground.

greensheep777

Safety aside, for a lot of reasons I'd actually prefer an apartment, but I just feel like apartment owners in Ireland get a raw deal.

- Most apartments I've seen are small and boring on the inside, with no character
- Lots were built cheap in the boom and have poor noise insulation with paper thin walls
- Apartment blocks in Ireland are pretty low-rise compared to other cities (I love being up really high)
- You have to follow rules set by a management company e.g. no pets. Throughout the time I've been renting I was never allowed to have pets and it frustrated me to no end. In the US and Canada, dogs and cats are very common in apartments and condos, but over here it's totally different. And even if you're allowed to have pets, who is to say the management company won't change their mind? A house owner doesn't have this problem.

Lots to think about...

hamburgham

It's mean to keep a dog or a cat in an apartment, they need outdoor space and I don't mean sticking them on a balcony.

greensheep777

hamburgham wrote: »

It's mean to keep a dog or a cat in an apartment, they need outdoor space and I don't mean sticking them on a balcony.

No it isn't. Millions of cats and dogs live in apartments across Europe and North America and lead happy healthy lives.
"Animals need to be outside" is a backwards Irish attitude from decades ago. They're not cattle.
Anyway, this is off topic.

LirW

For me a big No-no during the house hunt was everything involving management fees. That was kind of a knock out criteria for me and I stayed away from apartments, even though I lived in some back home while I rented as a single parent. One was second floor, the other one was elevated ground floor.
You'll certainly pay a premium if you want more than the standard 2bed shoebox apartment. But generally I enjoyed apartment living a lot.
The other thing was the pet clause most management companies have. I have a dog, I lived with it in my apartments but certainly couldn't here.
Last thing that put me off is the building quality of a lot of affordable apartment blocks. No need for paper thin walls where you can hear the water pump of your neighbor all night long.

I personally would buy an apartment over a house everyday if it's not in Ireland. So many have poor layouts and poor quality and odd management rules involved. A lot of duplexes are laid out so well but again the building quality. In the end we settled for an ex council house with small garden because I don't wanna maintain anything that's too big.

Victor

Consider a house that is mid-terrace, especially if there is limited no rear access. Having a porch is also useful - ensure the inner door is the more secure one (harder to get through after the alarm is triggered).

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2831696,-6.4040783,135m/data=!3m1!1e3
https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3307059,-6.26804,135m/data=!3m1!1e3

Also consider upper floor own-door apartments, where there is good passive supervision, but poor access for would be burglars. They tend to have fewer direct neighbours than conventional apartments, but have no lifts.

https://b.dmlimg.com/NDg0ZDZkODk0OTUxN2IyNDU5Njc2M2YyYzlkY2I4ZmFNmg15Gez1cFrEyHZbN1_3aHR0cDovL3MzLWV1LXdlc3QtMS5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL21lZGlhbWFzdGVyLXMzZXUvYi9lL2JlMTVlZTc5MzExOWFiZmI3NmJjYzc1YmJhNWEyMTlkLmpwZ3x8fHx8fDYwOXg0NTd8aHR0cDovL3d3dy5kYWZ0LmllL2kvd2F0ZXJtYXJrX2RhZnQucG5nfHx8.jpg

http://www.sherryfitz.ie/files/Reapit/DNH160766_S_27.jpg

http://remax.azureedge.net/userimages/9/Large/L_287094d0aca04ee1aa5fdb09f3920b71_iList.jpg

the_syco

lcwill wrote: »

Totally understand the OPs concerns and I'm still amazed how deep the anti-apartment prejudice runs.

Mainly as apartments in Ireland are often built at the very minimum size and standards. And those minimum sizes are quite small, compared to the european countries.

Ursus Horribilis

Goodness, this is a new one on me! I bought a house and have never felt unsafe in it. I compromised in that I bought a house in a town. I'd much rather have bought something out in the countryside but for my own safety I didn't. In the summertime I wish I had, in the winter time not so much. I was never going to buy an apartment for many reasons I won't go into here.

DoozerT6

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

Goodness, this is a new one on me! I bought a house and have never felt unsafe in it. I compromised in that I bought a house in a town. I'd much rather have bought something out in the countryside but for my own safety I didn't. In the summertime I wish I had, in the winter time not so much. I was never going to buy an apartment for many reasons I won't go into here.

As well as safety reasons, there's always that fear that if you're single and live alone and suddenly became ill or injured, then in the countryside the chances of someone seeing or hearing you calling out for help are much lower. I know there's a very small chance of anything like that happening in the first place, but at least in a town (be it in a house or an apartment) the chances of someone hearing you calling for help, or seeing you if you happen to fall over or collapse outside are that bit better.

And yes, I know people in apartment blocks and built up areas die in their homes every day and may not be discovered for a long time, but in the countryside, if you hurt yourself and can't get to a phone, you're in serious trouble from the get go. Certainly if I, for instance, had a medical condition that meant I might become unwell and need help immediately, I would think twice about living in the countryside.

For context, I grew up in a rural area. And quite honestly, I would not choose to live rurally alone. Both for personal safety and social isolation reasons. I still, as an adult, have trouble motivating myself to do things socially because in my formative years that option simply wasn't really open to me due to distance, and I became accustomed be just being at home.

Ursus Horribilis

I agree but it was a pragmatic compromise. I'm not a townie and will never be.

Dial Hard

I lived in a rural area for years and my ex was overseas for six months at a time on three occasions. I hated it, not because I felt unsafe (I never did) but because it was very, very isolating.

greensheep777

Yeah, I love the idea of living in a rural area, but in practice it wouldn't be for me.
I work from home which is isolating enough as it is, I have a coworking space in town that I can walk to in 45 minutes, it gets me out of the house and gives me a better social life. Also, living so close to town, if I'm invited to a spontaneous night out, I can go, and be there in a taxi in 15 minutes for less than a tenner. But if I was living out rural and didn't have those options it would be very lonely.

Ursus Horribilis

You can be lonely in a town too... Anyway I've dragged this off-topic. All I can say is that I am a house buyer and that I feel safe in it. It would want to be like Beirut outside for me to even think about living in an apartment.

mille100piedi

I bought a duplex, I have my own front door which is upstairs The enemy can come only from the main entrance and from the windows only Spider-Man can enter. I was a single woman when I bought it and I understand the fact that you are not comfortable in a house. Also a house is bigger and you have to do a lot of cleaning.... And gardening...I have a balcony with a few plants and flowers, nobody can see me I can even sunbath naked.
I think a house is good if you have children or a dog or if you like growing fruit and vegetables in the garden

amtc

I have a ground floor duplex. Never felt unsafe. When I bought it there were eight single girls in the terrace. The wits in my work christened it Spinster Row.

Couldn't handle apartment as is much easier to unload shopping etc. directly outside. I also don't like the idea of apartments with different people being let in. My friend rents in the city centre and even though it is supposed to be key fob the door is often left on the latch or you just buzz a random apartment for entry.

Lux23

I would prefer to live in an apartment alone as well. It is much harder to break into an apartment if there are two to three doors to get through.