Curiousity killed the landord?

[junesrose.livejournal.com]

Hello all,

I have a question, an informal poll of sorts.

I'm at the beginning stages of remodeling my mother's house (she's not living there anymore). It's a two family home. The downstairs apt right now is a one bedroom.

Here's where your sage wisdom/expertise comes in:

I have the ability of making this space a nice, big, one bedroom apartment with a huge eat-in kitchen, large living room and bedroom; or I can take that "extra" room (the kitchen, believe it or not) and turn it into a second bedroom, and make a smaller galley-like kitchen, open to a common room/living room area, which, overall, would not be that big.

I know that it's difficult to visualize, and ultimately, it's my decision, but I"m just looking for what YOU ALL would be looking for in an apartment as a single renter, or with one other roommate.

As a single renter, is the kitchen important to you? The bigger the better? I know that kitchens in homes are massive these days, but do you all look for that in apartments too? Do you young'uns spend time in the kitchen like us old folk?

And, if you were to move in with someone else (have a roomate), how important is a larger kitchen for you? Do you consider the size of the living room/common space or are the bedrooms more important when sharing an apartment (these two bedrooms would be a good size).

Ok, I'm being redundant on both questions, just humor me.....


Also, in general, how important are laundry facilities on-site (ok, I think I know the answer to this one, but I'm throwing it out there as well...)??

Thanks in advance!

:D

~@~@~@~

ADDENDUM-DUM

Er... I know I should be asking a realtor this question, and I have fair idea, but what's the going rate these days for a large one bedroom apt close (VERY CLOSE) to Davis sq?????

Comments

[lonelyholiday.livejournal.com]

I don't think there's a "right" answer on the kitchen question. I have friends who recently chose their apartment based almost completely on the kitchen - not so much its size (though it's relatively large), but more on the fact that it had new marble countertops and stainless appliances. On the other hand, this is the kitchen in my one-bedroom (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3531/3728351414_29e9173474.jpg), which is basically just the far corner of the living room. That's the picture from the original listing, but the only thing I've changed is putting a small table over on the left for the microwave so I could regain that little sliver of countertop. It's obviously not great, but has never bothered me. And as perspective, I never cook anything elaborate, but I do cook; I'm not someone who can deal with a galley kitchen just because I subsist on takeout. ha.

And I guess I'm the token differing opinion on laundry - I haven't had in-home laundry since I moved out of my parents' house and it's never been a huge problem for me. That said, I've always lived within a block or two of a laundromat, so I guess if your place is not that convenient, it may be more of a deal-breaker.

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

Ah! Someone else for whom in-home laundry isn't important, as long as there's a nearby laundromat.

[junesrose.livejournal.com]

That kitchen looks a lot like the one in my son's apt/dorm room, and I mean ONE ROOM, that he shares with another person. Thanksgiving dinner, he won't be making (not that he cooks...).

Thanks for your pic!