5 Tips for Getting Excellent Value from Renting a 2-Bedroom Condo
29 Jun 2021
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Home seekers who look for a 2-bedroom condo unit to rent will most likely discover, once the time to settle on a decision approaches, that it is no easy task to find the one with optimal price and usability.
Making assessments based on the scopes of unit plan and real-life usage by the occupants entail some key considerations that will enable the renter to secure the 2-bedroom condo that has good value for money and matches what is fancied by the renter to the best extent. PLUS offers the following 5 tips relevant to these considerations:
1. When a “second bedroom” of modest size is the goal, a ‘1-bedroom plus’ unit plan could be the right solution.
Upon mention of a 2-bedroom condo, many people will imagine a unit plan consisting of two bedrooms (as in image 1) where either both are sizeable bedrooms (master bedrooms) or one is a sizeable bedroom and the other is a small bedroom.
Be that as it may, condo plans with two bedrooms are no longer limited to the 2-bedroom type. A certain unit plan called ‘1-bedroom plus’ comes into the picture; this type of plan has a main bedroom + a multipurpose room (hence the ‘plus’ in the plan designation).
As for this ‘plus’ segment that has been added, most developers provide residents with the opportunity to arrange the usage of this space as they see fit. It could be converted into a work room, a dressing room, a photography room/vlog room, or a supplement bedroom.
Lately, the trend in living has tilted towards people choosing to make the space into a small bedroom to accommodate friends and family who visit or for the child to sleep in. Compared to an ordinary 2-bedroom unit, which usually has at least 50 square metres of area and priced in the low eight figures, a 1-bedroom plus unit has between 35-40 sq m. of space.
The lower price means it may be suited for those who do not need two genuine bedrooms or a great deal of space. But for those who worry about feeling confined, who have plans for a family, or who want to utilise more space, attention is perhaps best shifted towards an ordinary 2-bedroom type of unit.
2. The 2-bedroom unit and the many optional items to consider.
When talking about a bedroom in a condo, an important topic of discussion that is ill-omitted concerns the gimmicks and optional items like the picture window and the balcony. The renter needs to determine which type of option they want. Should the bedroom have a view of the outside? Should the bedroom also have a balcony?
A 2-bedroom unit of the ‘two master bedrooms’ type may come with a full set of windows and a balcony for each bedroom. But a unit of the ‘one master + one small’ type may offer the outside view and a balcony for just the master bedroom. Those who are planning to rent a unit with a roommate would do well to take this into consideration.
Image 2: Sample of 2-bedroom (2B) unit plan at XT Ekkamai, which provides outside views for both bedrooms but a balcony for only the master bedroom. XT Ekkamai BUY | RENT
Additionally, those looking to rent a 1-bedroom plus unit may want to take notice of the material chosen by the developer or room owner to apportion the ‘plus’ segment. Most developers install the glass type, which means the inside of this segment can be seen from either the main bedroom or the living room.
If you need privacy, you should look for other kinds of partitioning material or ask whether the landlord will allow installation of additional curtains. You might also want to take note of whether this multipurpose room has movable windows or a balcony; some developers design this space to be situated adjacent to the balcony or at least to have a view of the outside.
3. A 2-bedroom plan does not mean both rooms have to be used for sleep.
As demonstrated by the 1-bedroom plus, you may be able to see that a 2-bedroom plan does not mean both bedrooms need to be used for sleep. A renter who does not want an extra bedroom, but rather an additional room, might go for a 2-bedroom unit where one of the rooms have not been fitted.
This room can then be refitted to produce the desired room type, such as a home cinema room, work room, photography/videography room, etc.
Keep in mind that as a tenant, there may be limitations to what one is allowed to do in respect to refitting or renovating. The landlord may have to be consulted with the details, to determine whether refitting could be done and how it might commence.
4. The bathroom – price increases, and the number of doors.
Leaving aside factors to do with the position of the bedroom, the quantity and positioning of the bathrooms have significant relevance. The renter should prudently consider, based on own needs, the number of bathrooms required and whether a bathroom should have a single entrance (from within the bedroom) or two entry points (either from the living room or from the other bedroom).
Each of these choices will influence the rent and the functionality of the room. If you are looking to live with a roommate, a 1-bathroom unit with just a single door for the bathroom will probably not be appropriate. If the aim is to save on the budget, you might opt for a 1-bathroom unit with two doors for the bathroom, although the tradeoff would be a reduction in privacy.
5. The troublesome kitchen, and a method for selecting one.
On top of the aforementioned factors, another complication in selecting the right condo unit – as you may have expected – is the positioning of the kitchen. This is especially true for a condo unit shared between renters. By way of illustration, consider one of the occupants wanting to cook while another occupant worries that clothes or items will become tainted with food odour.
Choosing an open kitchen is likely to be less appropriate for a shared unit, whereas an open kitchen (which might be reflected in a lower rent) could be better suited to someone living alone and unconcerned with food odour.
Generally, kitchen placement within condominium unit plans may be roughly sorted as follows:
1. Placed next to the balcony (kitchen may be either open type or closed type)
On this kind of plan, the kitchen is placed next to the balcony so food odour can easily be released to the outside. The kitchen may be a closed type (with a door) that keeps odour from invading the living area or an open type (without a door) that permits the spread of odour into the living area.
2. Placed away from the balcony (kitchen may be either open type or closed type)
On this plan, the kitchen is very often found right after entering the unit from the front entrance. Again, the kitchen may be a closed type (with a door) that keeps odour from permeating the living area or an open type (without a door) that allows the spread of odour into the living area.
Image 4: Sample of 2-bedroom (2A) unit plan at THE LINE Sukhumvit 101, where the kitchen is placed away from the balcony but its closed characteristic helps keep fumes from permeating the other spaces.
It could be that you now appreciate in more detail, the subtleties involved with choosing a 2-bedroom condo to rent. The plan of the unit and each occupant’s preferred functionalities are the two important factors that should be examined together thoroughly. Each function that is added or dismissed will affect the rent and the budget at hand.
For those who are unsure about where to start looking for a 2-bedroom condo, assistance can be enlisted from PLUS’s search tool: Find 2-bedroom condos
Recommended units forTHE LINE Sukhumvit 101:
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