If you are heading to FAMU, either was a returning or new student, you may be thinking about renting a house instead of an apartment. Maybe you don't want to live in a community environment like the ones that FAMU apartments provide, and feel that you can be more independent in a rented home. Let's be honest though, most likely the reason you are looking into living in a house is for partying. I'm not saying that partying is a bad thing, but there are some things that you may want to consider.
When you aren't partying in your rented home, you will have to be living there, which is going to make up most of your time. The one thing I know about living in homes around college campuses, is that they tend to have lots of problems. College students generally aren't too familiar with the renting process and don't know the right things to look for, and landlords love to take advantage of that.
So what kind of problems could you be avoiding by choosing to live in one of the apartments near FAMU? Well for one thing your living area won't be bug infested. Lots of college homes are generally more open to the environment, meaning that there are lots of places for bugs to crawl in to. Cockroaches, spiders, ants, and termites end up being pretty common, especially in the summer. If you are expected to be throwing a lot of parties as well, the garbage will only make it worse.
Speaking of open holes, let's talk about utilities. Holes leading to the outside means that air conditioning will escape, which means that you will be hot and paying a lot of money. You may be lucky to even get central air like in FAMU apartments, as plenty of homes use air conditioning units, which are ridiculously expensive. Don't forget about winter either, which can be brutally cold in Tallahassee when all you have to heat your home is a space heater.
Air conditioning units and space heaters really increase the prices of living in a home, making that low rent seem almost like a scam. Living in a house will most likely cost the same as living in any of the luxury FAMU apartments available. Rent and utilities aren't the end of you losing money however, as you can expect your landlords to nickel and dime you all throughout your stay for any issue the house probably had before you even moved in. Expect to get about half of your security deposit back.
All in all, living in a college house is expensive and rather uncomfortable. I'm not saying it's all bad, it's really all about what your priorities are. If you are going to college for the sole purpose of partying, then you will probably enjoy a house. If you are someone who takes school seriously though, it's probably not the best environment for you. Make sure to check out some FAMU apartments while you are looking at houses, and make the right choice for you.