There is no better place in the world than one’s home. Hotels, lodges, tourists homes, etc., have their perks while people are traveling. However, no abode can be as peaceful as our homes. Today, people are opting for many residential options such as mansions, apartments, flats, condominiums, etc. Flats and apartments are very similar words but have certain differences.
Flat vs Apartment
The main difference between a flat and an apartment is that a flat is a name given to a self-contained housing unit attached to a building in British English. Apartment, on the other hand, is the American equivalent of a flat and can be used interchangeably. Sometimes, it is more luxurious than a flat.
A flat can be defined as a residential abode that has more than one room and other facilities such as a kitchen, washroom(s), hall, etc. A flat is a part of a multi-story building and generally has other residential flats around it. Mostly, a flat has basic amenities and is categorized in terms of bedrooms, hall, and kitchen (BHK).
An apartment is the name given to residential abodes in America and is very similar to a flat. However, most of the time, apartments are better furnished and have more facilities than a flat. It can have more than one floor and can be customized according to the resident’s choice.
Comparison Table Between Flat and Apartment
| Parameters of Comparison | Flat | Apartment |
| Origin | Flats originated in medieval Europe. | Apartments originated in ancient Rome. |
| Usage of Terms | The term flat is used in British English. | The term apartment is used in American English. |
| Floors | It mostly has a single floor. | It mostly has more than one floor. |
| Standard of Living | It allows a normal standard of living as its features are most basic in nature. | It allows a high standard of living as apart from the basic layout of a house, it also has options of customization and adding luxuries. |
| Preferred By | Flats are very economical and are mostly preferred by people of low-income and middle-class families. | Apartments have scope for luxuries and are mostly preferred by people of high salaries and upper-middle-class families. |
What is Flat?
Flats are the most basic type of residences that are not only affordable but also have all the basic facilities required for a comfortable life. These are a part of larger complexes that have many similar flats. Mostly these flats are preferred by individuals and low-income families.
As the name suggests, flats do not have stairs, and they do not tend to have more than one floor. The most prominent features of flats are one or more bedrooms, washrooms, hall, kitchen, etc., and can be categorized in terms of 1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK, etc.
These types of residences originated from Europe of the medieval period, where rapid industrialization attracted a lot of workers from different regions. During that time, flats became very famous and a go-to choice for most of the low earning workers.
Today, a lot of people are opting for flats in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, India, etc., where population density is relatively higher than the rest of the world, and opting for bigger houses would be very expensive. Flats do not come with the option of extensive customization. Apart from residences, flats are also used for setting up offices, shops, small-scale businesses, etc.
What is Apartment?
The term “Apartment” is mostly used in the American continent. Apartments can be defined as a set or cluster of rooms that form a single residence. Apartments are generally a part of bigger buildings where there is more than one apartment. Every person has certain priorities when it comes to choosing a residence.
The essence of living in an apartment is the luxuries and facilities it comes with, which makes it different from a flat. Apartments allow their residents to customize their house, and it does not have to be in a similar structure to BHKs.
Apart from multiple bedrooms, kitchen, washrooms, and hall, apartments have other features such as balconies, social security, drawing rooms, parking spaces in the building, etc. Most of the apartments have more than one floor and are facilitated with stairs.
All these additional features make the apartments a bit more expensive than other forms of residences and are preferred by high-salaried and upper-middle-class families. These types of houses were originally found in ancient Rome. Apartments come with the options of both renting and owning the house.
Other features include good security systems, friendly locality, parks, shops, connectivity with airport and railway station, etc.
Main Differences Between Flat and Apartment
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can say that both flats and apartments are more or less the same terms irrespective of the mentioned differences and are used interchangeably. Apartments do provide a better living experience and luxurious lifestyle than flats.
However, with the growing innovation and customer demand, there are examples of modified flats and cheap apartments. Today’s youth is not interested in spending a lot of money in buying a full-fledged mansion or a house.
References
ncG1vNJzZmiZo6Cur8XDop2fnaKau6SxjZympmeUnrOnsdGepZydXZeytcPEnqVmnpyWwW6tzZ1kmqiRp8Gusc2tZg%3D%3D