Should We Move?

[2Birds1Stone]

Current situation
Living in a 1 bedroom basement apartment about 12 miles from work.
Paying $1100/month all inclusive.
Street Parking
No A/C, no Washer/Dryer

Proposed Situation
Same House, 2 bedroom upstairs unit.
New rent would be $1400/month all inclusive
Private patio
1/2 of U shaped driveway
Light, lots and lots of light
washer/dryer
air conditioning

The Situation
We have  great landlord and pay below market rent for our area. His parents are snowbirds and until now have spent the summers in the unit above ours. They are purchasing a condo in a 55+ community nearby for their summer trips to NY. This means the unit upstairs is available and we are getting first dibs.

We don't necessarily dislike our current place. The biggest drawback is no light. The windows are tiny and it's a bit depressing. Having light and fresh air is the biggest draw to moving upstairs. The washer/dryer and AC are definitely perks but not 100% needed. Driveway parking can be really helpful when we get a few feet of snow in the winter, and the private patio is also nice but not needed.

We could definitely afford the new rent. SO and I are both in sales with $30k/$57k base salaries and $0 in debt. With commission our annual gross is ~$150k/yr so even the higher rent represents only ~11% of our gross income and includes all maintenance/utilities/cable/internet/etc.

What say you mustachians?

[ender]

... do you want to move? Kind of feels like that's the most important question.

The W/D seems like it must have some financial value, too. Doesn't seem like utilities will cost anymore if it's all inclusive.

[onlykelsey]

Seems like a pretty good deal.  I would think about how expensive it would be to live in a two- versus one-bedroom.  I think there's a tendency to buy more furniture, etc.  It sounds like heating/cooling the additional room would be at no additional cost to you, but you do still have to clean/furnish/etc that room.

It sounds like you're not interested in/allowed to use airbnb, etc to make use of that space, right?

[2Birds1Stone]

... do you want to move? Kind of feels like that's the most important question.

The W/D seems like it must have some financial value, too. Doesn't seem like utilities will cost anymore if it's all inclusive.

We kind of do, I know that having a well lit ground level dwelling would improve our quality of life a bit. The basement is a bit depressing with artificial light.

SO's mother lives 1/2 mile away and she goes over there quite often and does laundry. We only do ~3 loads of laundry every other week so it's not a big issue.

The other consideration is that we have no influence over who can move in upstairs. Right now his parents are in FL 9 months out of the year, and when they are home, it's the noise level of 2 80+ year old people who are not home half the time.

If younger people move in who are home more and there 365 days a year, it will increase the noise level dramatically. I'm a light sleeper =D

Seems like a pretty good deal.  I would think about how expensive it would be to live in a two- versus one-bedroom.  I think there's a tendency to buy more furniture, etc.  It sounds like heating/cooling the additional room would be at no additional cost to you, but you do still have to clean/furnish/etc that room.

It sounds like you're not interested in/allowed to use airbnb, etc to make use of that space, right?

The spare room would likely be used as an office/storage. I don't think we are interested in Air B&B and I don't even think our rental agreement allows subletting . Would have to look into it.

Appreciate the feedback!

[redbird]

I'd go for it. But in-unit washing machine has become a make or break thing for me. The first place I lived in when I moved out of my parents' house had a community washing machine area for the apartment building that you had to stick coins in. It was not only annoying to deal with having to keep a supply of quarters on hand all the time, but it was also annoying to not be able to use the washing machine when you wanted/needed to sometimes because they were all in use by others.

But it's also only $300 more per month, and it seems like you're getting a lot of value for that cost.

[onlykelsey]

The other consideration is that we have no influence over who can move in upstairs. Right now his parents are in FL 9 months out of the year, and when they are home, it's the noise level of 2 80+ year old people who are not home half the time.

If younger people move in who are home more and there 365 days a year, it will increase the noise level dramatically. I'm a light sleeper =D

I guess the flip side is that when you're on the top you have to worry more about the noise YOU'RE making.  I imagine that's not too limiting unless you're night owls or expecting a newborn or something.

[Thinkum]

Quality of life is of the upmost importance I would think. I too love natural light and it is a must in anyplace I live. Were I you, I would move upstairs and not even think twice. Having your own W&D is also super convenient, especially when it's cold and/or wet outside. There seem to be a lot more pros than cons in this situation. Good luck!

[HPstache]

If it were me, I'd do it for sure.

[charis]

It sounds like a good move, if the higher rent is competitive for your COL area.  We pay a 1K (including taxes) mortgage for a 3 bedroom house with a driveway in a decent neighborhood in my city, not including utilities (maybe avg 200/month).  If it's a good deal and you aren't planning to move soon, you can certainly afford it. 

[marielle]

It doesn't sound like a bad decision to move, but how much are similar places in your area? There is a third option, to move somewhere else entirely. It can't hurt to check. And I'd definitely see if you can do Airbnb or get a roommate for the 2nd bedroom. That's what I'm doing in my 2 bedroom apartment, which was only $150 more than the 1 bedroom so it made sense.

[2Birds1Stone]

I love the feedback folks.

I think we are going to do it, and try to negotiate on the rent a bit. We have been model tenants who pay on time, cash, for over 3 years now.

I am going to offer 1300 per month and see if he bites. I think even if he doesn't budge we will take it.

Marielle, while I agree that is a decent option this location, landlord, and the property are pretty amazing at either price point. We have a huge 20x60 foot fenced yard, with fire pit, bbq, and outdoor furniture, my GF has a box garden. We know all the neighbors, the location is central between work and where all of our friends/family live. The biggest thing is predictability, we know the landlord, his entire family, and he hasn't once in 3 years tried to raise our rent.

We will not under any circumstance live with another roommate again, been there and done that too many times, and the end result is never good. Maybe if we were in dire straights and absolutely couldn't afford our place we would consider it as a short term solution. Even then I would be looking to kick the roommate out or to move into a 1 BR asap.

The privacy and peace of mind of having no roommates is almost priceless to me.

I called my landlord and set up a meeting at 2 PM tomorrow to take a look at the place. We want to see the layout, the appliances, etc vs. what we have downstairs.

[MrsTuxedocat]

As a basement dweller, I would definitely pay an extra $300 for the upstairs suite. Its sounds that living upstairs will make your life easier by having laundry and more room. I also like the private patio.

[Dicey]

I clicked on this topic because I noticed you posted it, 2B1S. I was also going to suggest negotiating on the rent a bit. As a landlord, I believe good tenants have intrinsic value. You might try telling them that you were really getting tired of the darkness this winter and had considered looking for something with more light, but that your budget doesn't comfortably allow for much of a stretch. Then gush effusively about how wonderful light is upstairs and see if they bite. You might also consider offering to sign a multi-year lease in exchange for the lower rent, if you're sure you will be staying there long enough.

Even if they don't flex, I'd still vote for taking it. If you need to save face, you could just tell them you're just going to have to cut something else out of the budget and make the deal. 

Wait a minute - you're in sales, you don't need any coaching from me!

So here's a story instead: I lived in an apartment and then a condo with coin-op laundries for about fifteen years a long. long time ago. To this day, I get all happy when I have a lot of quarters in my wallet. I am so grateful to have my own washer and dryer. Yes, indeed.