What apartment would you get?

I've picked the apartment complex to live in up in Minneapolis. It's pet friendly, which is great and also is where many attorneys and law school students live which is also great (makes it nice and quiet).

Unfortunately, I can't afford some of the larger apartments that get into the 1500-2000 square footage range, and am mainly looking at about 815-925 square footage options.

I have a choice right now though.

An 815 square foot penthouse apartment with wood floors and a fireplace.

or

A 925 square foot first floor apartment with carpet and an open den area but no fireplace.

With the penthouse apartment with the wood floors and fireplace, I like the idea of the fireplace (it's a closed-grill fireplace) as it would be a place for the cats to curl up and go to sleep near during the cold winters in Minneapolis. Also, the wood floors would be easier to clean with a Swiffer Wet-Jet.

The larger apartment with the carpet has an open den area which I could use as an area to put cat condos and such. Also, the carpet would be softer for cat paws. Unfortunately, carpet is harder to keep clean, but manageable.

Both apartments have everything I would need, so I'm mainly at this point thinking about the cats happiness so that everybody is happy. They cost almost the same (a difference of $10 a month).

Go for the wood! We have hardwood through our whole house. So much easier and sanitary. The cats actually seem to enjoy the "slide effect" of the floors.

Cally

when they play chase, do they go sliding and slam into the walls? I hope not. That's another thing I was thinking about.

They'll slam a time or two, but quickly learn to regulate their speed. For what it's worth, they also slammed when we had carpet (just pulled it up last Oct).

C

The advantage of the Den is that you would have a study/office area outside of your bedroom - that would help you quite a bit, IMO...
If you didn't need a study area, I would say go with the wood, and fireplace...

I'd go for the smaller one with the wood and the fireplace. Wood is much easier to keep clean and personally I'm not fond of 1st floor apartments. Penthouse would probablt be much brighter.

I'm not sure how much stuff you have, though. If you have alot of things that will need a home (bookcases, edsks, etc.) then it might be worthwhile to go for a bigger place, but the difference in size isn't really substantial enough to win out over wood floors and a fireplace, IMO.

As for cats running into stuff, they get really good at steering. We have wood or tile in most of our house and they rarely ever hit anything (unless it's intentional )

my main question is: is there an elevator or will your have to hike up to the penthouse? might be tough carrying jogs of litter up there

Aside from that, I would totally choose the penthouse Like Ms Freya said, I don't like 1st floor apartments, too much chance of getting a stomper above and the wood floors would be much easier to clean

The building is fairly new and has elevators.

I didn't think about the idea of hearing people walk above me. I had a top floor apt in Miami and it never dawned on me what I was avoiding having that.

As for the den, unfortunately, it's not closed off and therefore wouldn't be a good study area. It's an open den, so it's more of an extension of the living room.

What I'd really like is a 1 bedroom 1.5 bathroom with closed den, wood floors, and a fireplace. Unfortunately, they're all taken. I do have the option however of moving to one of them with no penalty should one become available while living in the complex. It would just change my rent rate, but there'd be no early move-out penalty.

With that I'd have the closed den to be a study area, the living room to have the cat condos and toys, wood floors would be easy to clean, and the fireplace would serve the cats well by being a nice warm area to curl up near as well as would save me a ton on electricity costs.

I would always choose a penthouse over a first floor apartment. You can stick suction cup bird feeders out the window and you've got Cat TV!

We did have a problem with wood floors - they got a little scratched from the cats claws. I know it's because we didn't clip them often enough, so if you go for the wood floor, just make sure you clip your kitty's claws like every week, at the most two.

Laurie

Originally Posted by LDG

We did have a problem with wood floors - they got a little scratched from the cats claws. I know it's because we didn't clip them often enough, so if you go for the wood floor, just make sure you clip your kitty's claws like every week, at the most two.

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I was going to make that same point. Our cats have no problem handling our wood floor. Forest, my handicapped cat, is even fine on it (well, as fine as he is anywhere ). They both love to slide, but the floor does get somewhat scratched up from the claws.

Welcome to Minneapolis (maybe we can meet you at one of the cat shows in the area coming up).

After thinking about it, I would go with the wood floors for a few reasons (even if its a bit smaller).

1. You don't have to worry about the cat running out the door.
2. You can always get a large area rug to put on the wood floors for kitty feet (and yours too in the winter).

I think you will be happier with the wood floor apartment as far as cleaning goes.

Let me know if you are interesting in meeting me, hubby and our Oci's at a show soon. When will you be moving?

I like the idea of the penthouse and wood floors. Kitties are likely to have a better view out the windows (oh, and you too). Wood is so much easier to keep clean. I had all my carpet pulled out a year ago and it's been great. Of course, I had no idea how much cat hair had been getting caught in the carpet until I had to start sweeping it up.

Can you ask to be put on a waiting list for the other apartment at the time you sign up? You might even get lucky and there would be one available by the time you're ready to move in.

I'd pick the penthouse. I live in about 825 sqft and it's plenty big enough. However, I do have to put up with my upstairs neighbor stomping around at all hours of the day/night.

Honestly, you aren't going to notice a difference in 100sq ft, so I would go with the penthouse.

I would go with the smaller apartment with the fireplace.

We have wood floors in my family house, and it's nice in the long run because it's easier to clean, but if I was renting I would definitely want carpet. Just because it's much easier to maintain on an every day basis and I like the feel of soft floors...In the few years you live there it isn't going get dirty...
I guess if I were you I would pick the place that appeals to me more despite the floors though...
I've never lived in a first floor apartment before so I dunno what that's like..

Ground floor apartment is going to be slightly colder in the winter months.
The penthouse has not only a fireplace, but other heated apartments below it, plus it probably has a better view (if the building itself has a view at all).

I'd go for the penthouse.

Your kitties will be happy with either decision as long as they are with you! They'll love the carpeting OR wood floors so I'm thinking that's not really an issue.
Choosing which apartment will be what YOU want. I've had experience with both top and bottom apartment floors. Although it's great being able to come and go more easily and quickly on the 1st floor, you have the neighbor noise above you. With the penthouse, especially with it being wood floors, you will be the above neighbor and have to be quiet. It's amazing how much noise there is wearing shoes on a wood floor! But, the fireplace and wood floors are more appealing not to mention a better view out the windows - I'd be picking the penthouse

I think fireplaces are a far, far overvalued aspect of a house.

Many people I know bought a house or rented a particular apartment because of the fireplace and have used it once or twice, though they SWORE they'd use it ALL the time because it would be SOOOO nice. Fireplaces are a lot of work! Yeah, in an apartment I suppose you might not have to clean the darn thing... but then you also have to worry about the cats messing about in it or trying to get into it, etc, etc.

Personally, I'd be weighing hardwoods versus the den.

I HATE carpet, but I might go for the extra space instead. Depends on my situation.

Originally Posted by ut0pia

We have wood floors in my family house, and it's nice in the long run because it's easier to clean, but if I was renting I would definitely want carpet. Just because it's much easier to maintain on an every day basis and I like the feel of soft floors...In the few years you live there it isn't going get dirty...
I guess if I were you I would pick the place that appeals to me more despite the floors though...
I've never lived in a first floor apartment before so I dunno what that's like..

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I have to disagree with you. I've found that a carpet is much more difficult to maintain on a daily basis. Carpets get dirty very quickly with cats in the house. You have cat hair and dander that get ground in every time you walk across the carpet. Then you have kitty litter, kitty litter dust on little kitty feet, etc. I don't care how often you vacuum, you can't get it all out, and I hate hauling the vacuum cleaner out every day. A broom and dustpan on the tile or wood is so much easier. Every time a kitty barfs or pees or poops (hey, accidents happen ) on the carpet you get a new stain. Once again, you can't vacuum that out.

Before I had cats I would have my carpets cleaned about every two years. After getting two cats they needed to be cleaned at least every six months. No, I didn't get it done that often, but they needed it.

I had all my carpets taken out a year ago. I now have five cats and the house is so much easier to keep clean than it was when I only had two.