When choosing the right apartment size for your needs, there are four main types. Studio apartments offer the basic essentials. One-bedroom apartments keep the bedroom and living space separate. Two-bedroom apartments work well for growing families. Meanwhile, three-bedroom apartments offer more room for older kids and younger siblings.
Each one of these apartment types has various features that could help you have a better living experience. Read our guide to choosing the perfect floor plan for your needs when picking an apartment in Joplin, MO.
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What Lifestyle Do You Have?
Your daily routines and habits play a major role in choosing the right apartment size or floor plan for your needs. You want to have enough space for your requirements, depending on what you like to do.
Daily Routines & Habits
Do you spend most of your time away from the apartment? Does your active lifestyle take you away from home on a regular basis? If you’re rarely home or just use the apartment to sleep, eat, and shower, a studio or one-bedroom apartment could work well for you.
On the other hand, if you have children and love spending time at home, something larger with more space comes in handy. You want your children to have a place to play when the weather turns chilly or it’s raining outside.
Think about how much storage you need as well. Do you have hobbies that require extra space, like painting or cycling? If so, a bigger layout or even a place with extra storage could be key. If you’re a minimalist or always on the go, a compact and efficiently designed space might be all you need.
Social Preferences
If you’re someone who loves cooking or hosting dinner parties, an open floor plan with a spacious kitchen and living area might be ideal. You can keep an eye on things while socializing with your guests as you prepare a sumptuous meal.
Family gatherings or having visitors for the weekend also offer a great opportunity to have a larger apartment space. You can set up extra chairs in the living room or dining nook for people to sit and relax. If the weather is nice, the balcony or patio comes in handy for entertaining!
Work-From-Home Needs
If you work from home, you might need a separate room or nook for your office setup, which could mean opting for a larger one- or two-bedroom space. You could utilize one bedroom for sleeping while the other doubles as a home office for two people. Or, if just one of you works from home, consider a nook in the living room with a small desk for a laptop.
Space Requirements
How much space do you need for your living area? Sometimes, it depends on your social preferences for having people over, the size of your family, or your lifestyle.
Number of Bedrooms & Bathrooms You Need
Deciding on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you need is more than just how many people you have in your family. Consider the age and gender of your children. Teenagers may like having separate bedrooms. Consider bunk beds if you need to save space in the room.
Many modern apartments have a master bathroom and then one bathroom for the other bedrooms. So, if you have a two-bedroom or three-bedroom apartment, you’ll have a maximum of two bathrooms. So, make sure the other people living with you understand the bathroom layout situation when looking for your next apartment in Joplin, MO.
Storage Requirements
How many belongings are you bringing with you? Consider whether or not you’ll have a storage unit for seasonal items or if you want to keep some decorative items handy. Think about extra kitchen items, like a coffeemaker and other tools. Kids’ toys, pet supplies, and medical equipment or items are other things to think about.
How many rooms do you currently have of items you regularly use? Those can be a guide to determine your space requirements. If you need to downsize based on your budget, a storage unit or yard sale can help. You might determine you could upsize your apartment when you have enough space for two bedrooms but want a three-bedroom place.
Special Considerations
A few things to ponder include other circumstances like growing your family, any pets, and working from home. One bedroom might work for a newborn. But if you plan on staying in the apartment for a couple of years, your future toddler might need their own room.
Having a home office is the norm now, with people working from their residences more often. If you love a better work-life balance and want to spend more time at home with young kids, you might need extra space for a home office or nook. Regular online meetings could require an extra bedroom that serves as an office.
Many places, including our apartments for rent in Joplin, allow pets for a pet fee or for pet rent. Make sure to leave enough room for your pets, like a pet bed, cat climbers, and other necessities, when taking into account the space you need for your apartment.
Studio Apartments
A studio apartment condenses everything into one room. The bedroom, living room, and kitchen are all in a single space. Meanwhile, the bathroom is off to the side. They are relatively inexpensive, and if you don’t need a lot of room, the average studio apartment is 400 to 600 square feet. A master bedroom is about 225 square feet, so you’ll get a studio apartment for about the size of two bedrooms.
Pros & Cons of a Studio Apartment
You won’t have far to go from the bedroom to the kitchen. A studio, even a modern one, is affordable if you’re on a tight budget. When looking for an apartment in Joplin, a studio is great for one person, two roommates on bunkbeds, or a host of other situations where small spaces are an option. You will have fewer surfaces to clean with a studio apartment.
Saving rent on a studio apartment lets you prioritize other things. You can build a savings account, spend more money going to college, or save up for a newer vehicle. You have options when you find a quality studio apartment for rent!
If affordability is the main pro of a studio apartment, what you get for it is the downside. It’s just one room. You might have one or two windows without a lot of natural light. But there are still some upscale studio apartments for rent in Joplin that could give you premium, modern features.
If you have a lot of things, a studio apartment can quickly get crowded and feel cramped. Consider getting rid of items if you feel a studio apartment feels cluttered.
Another disadvantage is that you might not have a lot of room for socialization if you love hosting gatherings with many friends or family members. Consider having a small pet rather than a larger one.
One-Bedroom Apartments
Ready for an upgrade from a studio? A one-bedroom apartment has a living room, kitchen, perhaps an area for a dining room, and then a bedroom with a bathroom. Your one-bedroom apartment might be between 600 to 1,000 square feet, depending on where you live. The one-bedroom options at 20th Place Apartments are 614 or 751 square feet.
Pros & Cons of a One-Bedroom Apartment
You’ll get more space with a one-bedroom apartment versus a studio, which means more effort to keep everything clean and tidy. You will have more space to relax and unwind after a shift at work, and you’ll have more room for gatherings. If you have a larger pet, a one-bedroom apartment is great! Just remember to walk your dog at regular times every day.
A one-bedroom apartment is perfect for a size that’s not too big and not too small. You’ll have more natural light coming in from windows. You can stretch out with more furniture and even fit a small home office into a nook of the living room.
A few disadvantages of a one-bedroom apartment are also due to the size. You will have more space to clean. They are also more expensive than a studio. But, again, you get what you pay for.
If you have a lot of things, you’ll need to keep them organized with shelves and closets. Even temporary shelves in the living room or bedroom can help keep things in place where they need to be.
One-bedroom apartments are popular because they are affordable. So, you might not find one that meets your needs where you want to live.
Two-Bedroom Apartments
If you want an upgrade due to a growing or active family, or you love inviting friends over, a two-bedroom apartment is right for you. It’s perfect for when your kids have friends over, too, and when you want to celebrate with family and friends.
A two-bedroom apartment averages around 1,200 square feet. The ones at 20th Place are 1,145 square feet. As you might expect, they are more expensive than one-bedroom apartments. But you get some extra space to play with. Do you want one bedroom as a home office? Both you and your significant other can split the second bedroom with one office on one side and another office on the other.
Prepare for two bathrooms, a master bath, and a second bathroom near the second bedroom. So, you’ll have two toilets and two bathtubs to clean every week.
Want more storage space? Convert the second bedroom into a storage area. Plan on growing your family? A second bedroom can become a nursery and eventually a toddler bedroom if you really love the atmosphere where you live.
Pros & Cons of a Two-Bedroom Apartment
You’ll have a versatile space with a two-bedroom apartment! If you don’t need the second bedroom right away, you can plan for the future when it comes to your job, family, or hosting relatives.
Do you have a hobby or love working out at home? The second bedroom can be turned into a workout room, yoga room, art room, jewelry studio, or whatever hobby you love to engage in.
The disadvantages are similar to a one-bedroom apartment. Around 40% of apartment spaces offer two bedrooms. So, they are very popular with residents. You’ll have more space to clean than a one-bedroom space, particularly with two bathrooms. You will also pay more for utilities due to the extra room to keep warm or cool with the HVAC system, along with extra water usage from the second bathroom.
Three-Bedroom Apartments
Many apartments for rent in Joplin top out at three bedrooms. While not as popular as our other selections, you’ll get plenty of value for the rent with a three-bedroom space.
If you have older kids or two teenagers, a three-bedroom apartment is a must for children to have their own private space. Or, perhaps you have smaller children or one child, and you need a spare bedroom for a home office.
The average three-bedroom apartment has more than 1,200 square feet of living space. They might not be much more expensive than a two-bedroom area because of the square footage.
Pros & Cons of a Three-Bedroom Apartment
In many three-bedroom setups, the secondary bedrooms are on the other side of the living area from the master bedroom, clustered around a hallway with the second bathroom. Spaces might be arranged differently for privacy rather than having more wide-open areas. For example, the living room and master bedroom might be a few feet smaller to accommodate the third bedroom on the other side.
Another disadvantage comes from the additional utilities you may have to spend money for due to having to heat and cool another room. Or there may be more water usage due to the larger number of people living there.
A key advantage to a three-bedroom apartment is its privacy. Two kids will have their own private bedrooms. The walls will provide extra soundproofing for when they need quiet time for homework.
Open-Concept vs. Traditional Floor Plans
Traditional floor plans are common in older buildings. This started with new homes in the 1950s, but the concept truly took off in the 1990s with homes and apartments. Better construction techniques allowed for stronger beams between load-bearing walls. Traditional floor plans include walls or entryways between rooms. For example, there will be a formal entryway or even a door heading to an actual dining room that is typically in between a living room and a kitchen.
Open floor plans allow for easier communication and movement between rooms. You might see the living room connected to the dining room and kitchen. Families love open floor plans because adults can work in the kitchen while children play in the living room. These allow for more family togetherness while maintaining a busy lifestyle. Our apartments in Joplin, MO, feature open floor plans to make your life easier and more fulfilling.
Natural Light & Windows
Do you love natural light? Our apartments in Joplin, MO, have plenty of windows. Many open floor plans feature a wide window by the living room that opens to the balcony or patio. You’ll let in plenty of sunlight for the dining room and kitchen. Each bedroom has its own window, too.
Depending on the location of the apartment, you can let in or keep out light with the right window treatments like blinds, shades, or curtains. You can customize them as you see fit.
The advantages of natural light are numerous. In the winter, you can keep your apartment warmer without having to run the heat as much, lowering your utility bills. Sunlight also kills dust mites because it heats up carpeting and creates a hostile environment for these microscopic insects. Letting in more sunlight can improve your mood because direct sunlight helps produce vitamin D in the body, which is a natural way to boost your mood. It also helps regulate your sleep cycle since humans are predisposed to be active during the day. When it’s dark outside, it sends a signal to your brain that it’s bedtime.
Kitchen Layouts
The kitchen is the heart of the home. Its layout can make a huge difference to your family, as it can make mealtimes more efficient. Having a well-run kitchen at home leads to better meals for you and your family, which can assist with better academics in school, higher activity levels, and the development of your kids’ growing bodies.
Having modern cooking appliances near the refrigerator and food prep counters is essential. You can have multiple burners going on the stove, something in the oven, and even ingredients warming up in the microwave to make delicious meals throughout the day. Some of our apartments for rent in Joplin, MO, have two counters for the kitchen, with the food prep area on one side and the sink with another countertop on the other. It’s a convenient setup for making sumptuous meals when you want extra space to move around!
In an open floor plan, it’s easy for kids to get into and out of the kitchen. Make sure to teach them about safety around these larger appliances!
Bathroom Location & Accessibility
The bathroom in your apartment should be easy to use. Make sure you can get in and out of the shower or bathtub without any problems. Newer apartments shouldn’t have any large rises or drops between the floor and the tub/shower. Typically, there is one bathroom near the master bedroom and a second bathroom near the other bedroom or in between the other two bedrooms.
Sinks should be free of mold. The faucet handles should be easy to use, and water should flow as you expect. Cabinets should open effortlessly and remain open. If you have younger children, teach them how to get on step stools and use the sink if they are too short to reach. Make sure to keep medications out of reach!
Rent an Apartment in Joplin or Webb City
Interested in renting a quality apartment in Joplin? How about an apartment in Webb City, MO? Your new home will have modern appliances, an open floor plan, and plenty of space for your needs. Find a property here, look over available rentals, and contact us to take a tour.
