The perfect apartment: what suits me?

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Do you know the feeling?

Once again you’re desperately clicking through property portals, biting your nails and gasping for breath because you’re running out of time.

Something will turn up, you thought at the beginning of your search for a small apartment or a room in a shared flat.

You were motivated, after all, your application for a place at university was successful.

But now you realize the harsh reality of the housing market.

You’ve long since forgotten that anyone will reply to your application for an apartment or shared flat.

If you do get invited to a viewing, you’ll have to endure flat share castings in which you’ll be asked far too private questions by far too many strangers.

Cringe!

No more of that. We’ll introduce you to different types of housing and show you how smart student living works and what you get out of it. Small spoiler: lots of advantages!

Shared flat or own apartment: difficult and expensive

Generations before you, it was quite normal to move into a shared flat or your own apartment.

Both have become really difficult today. The best example of this is Berlin: in the early 2000s, apartments were literally thrown at you and you could move in anywhere quickly and easily for a pittance.

Over the years, however, Berlin has become a boomtown, with more and more people wanting to live in this cool, exciting city.

This is one of several reasons for the housing shortage; similar developments can also be observed in Leipzig, for example, which has been called “Hypezig” since 2010 for good reason. The influx is simply huge.

In short: in many German cities, demand on the housing market is significantly higher than supply. This is creating a housing shortage and a veritable battle for living space is raging.

For landlords of such apartments, this is of course a dream, because there will always be someone who will move in despite the horrendous rents. And that person usually gets the apartment.

But it’s not just the housing shortage that has led to an explosion in costs. Rising energy prices are also making one-room apartments and even shared apartments unaffordable for students. In some parts of Berlin, for example, a room in a shared flat costs over 1,000 euros a month.

Who is supposed to be able to afford that as a student?

Student accommodation as a solution?

Local student unions offer halls of residence. They are furnished, which saves you the cost of buying furniture. In addition, kitchens are standard in most halls of residence, but with a big but. More on this in a moment.

Oh yes: a DSL Internet flat rate, electricity and utilities are also included in the rent of a hall of residence these days.

Perfect, isn’t it?

Well, almost.

The disadvantage of living in a student hall of residence is that you have to apply for a place. Places in halls of residence are in high demand, which is why you may be rejected. And then? What do you do when the semester is coming up and your application for a place in a hall of residence hasn’t worked out?

That’s pure stress, which nobody needs.

And if you’ve managed to get a place? Then the next surprise awaits you: your flatmate.

Many halls of residence rent out rooms in shared flats where students are thrown together. This means, for example, that you and your new flatmate each have a lockable room, but you have to share common areas such as the bathroom and kitchen.

In other words, you live with a complete stranger from one day to the next. This can go well, but there are regular conflicts. The most frequent point of contention is cleanliness, but different ideas about sleeping and resting times, visitors, etc. are also not uncommon.

Another negative aspect of student residences is that you may not feel comfortable with the furnishings. The often cheap furniture is only replaced every few years, and the mattresses on the beds … well.

All in all, living in a student residence will be a big adjustment if you’re coming from a cozy, individualized home.

Luckily, there is a smart alternative for student living, the perfect mix of all living arrangements: the student apartment.

Student living the smart way

When students or prospective students look for an apartment, very few people think of apartments. After all, it sounds kind of outlandish and expensive.

Hey, to be honest: a student apartment is not the cheapest way to live as a student. But it is the best!

And for the following reasons:

You have peace and quiet when you need it, for example when studying or when you want to stream your favorite series while lying on your bed in your pajamas.
You can meet and chat with other residents at any time, for example in the common rooms – so you’ll never be lonely. Oh, and did we mention the regular parties in the community rooms? 😉

They look like this, for example:

The student apartments are clean and tastefully, modern and furnished to a high standard so that you feel at home from the first day you move in. Of course, this also means that you have your own kitchen and bathroom.
Everything is included in the rent – electricity, water, heating and internet. So like a hall of residence? Nope, there are a few really cool goodies, e.g. all Staytoo apartments have their own gym or a good connection to a gym nearby. So after university, you come home, do your sports session and can slip straight into your apartment to shower and relax.
Our student apartments are not far away, so you have short distances and save a lot of time. They are also located in trendy city centers, e.g. in Berlin (Kreuzberg) or in Leipzig on the Karl-Liebknecht-Straße nightlife mile.
You can get help and support from an on-site Residential Manager at any time. Is your heating broken? Let the Residential Manager know and they will get it fixed as quickly as possible. Want to know where you can go partying and which bars and clubs are particularly popular? The Residential Manager will be able to tell you that too, as they are your local contact. Of course, this also gives you safety.

To summarize: student apartments are an ingenious concept that combines the advantages of other forms of living without having to live with the disadvantages.

Want to see for yourself whether apartment living is for you? Then book a convenient and free viewing appointment in one of our Staytoo homes. We look forward to seeing you!

The perfect apartment: what suits me?

Shared flat or own apartment: difficult and expensive

Student accommodation as a solution?

Student living the smart way

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