The Pros and Cons of Apartment Hunting Part 4

Ok so part 4 is a little complicated. I spent Saturday morning and afternoon viewing apartments. I think I viewed 6 or 7 different apartment complexes. I think the only ones really worth pro-ing and con-ing about are the ones that I'd actually consider moving into. Since I already have an ideal candidate from part 3, everything I viewed on Saturday, I compared to the ARK. Out of all the ones I viewed, there were really only two that I could see myself actually going with.

The first was Village Square by Korman. I wasn't suprised that I actually liked it considering it was under the same umbrella company as the ARK. I viewed their 1 with a den and their 2 bedroom and definitely liked the 2 bedroom better. They had an attic similar to the ARK on the second floor but had it bolted so there wasn't much closet or storage space but the two bedroom had a walk in closet in the master bedroom which was awesome and the first floor had the extra pantry space.

Pros:
Two bedroom had a walk in closet in master bedroom
Pantry space on 1st floor
Fitness center
Dog park
Full size washer and dryer
Spacious
Central AC
Some utilities included

Cons:
Semi-private entrance instead of private
$40/month for pet but less expensive initial pet deposit
1 bedroom with den doesn't have much closet space so would want 2 bedroom
Would have to have first floor since second floor doesn't include attic space - not really a con as long as they have one available

So I really liked this place and it has a lot of similarities to the ARK. I think the next logical step would be to compare and contrast the two. Basically we are looking at a 1 bedroom with a den vs. a 2 bedroom. They both have washer and dryer, are both located in Bensalem and are both equipped with a nice fitness center and pool. They also both include some utilities and have central ac. The price difference would be about $100 a month including the pet fee for Village Square. Advantages to Village Square would be the extra bedroom, the pantry space, the dog park and the walk in closet in the master bedroom. The advantages to ARK would be the free week day breakfast, cable included, slightly more affordable and the attic. I look forward to viewing them both again on the same day to compare and contrast some more.

The other apartment complex I would consider was called Shaminy Brook. It doesn't really have any of the extra ammenities that the Korman Community properties have such as fitness center, pool or dog park but it is more affordable than they are. The 1 and 2 bedroom are both in my price range and they include a huge eat-in kitchen which is the big thing I loved about it. The kitchen looked more like one you'd find in a house than in an apartment. I really didn't get to view any of the apartments other than the one the office was in but I'd like to go back and view a 2 bedroom or at least an empty 1 bedroom to get a better idea since the one I viewed was set up like an office and not an apartment. I am not even going to do pros and cons on this one until I see it again because it was a quick visit and I didn't really get all the details I'd need.