Which is better: an apartment or independent house?

Owning a home is a financial goal that transcends religion and nationality. Once the requisite financial planning is done and necessary savings accumulated, the next question is whether to buy an apartment or an independent house. Usually, space crunch and high rates in metros compel most homebuyers to look at apartments as their preferred choice. These come slightly cheaper than independent property which could be in the form of a villa or an assortment of floors built on a plot. However, there are many factors to consider like location, accessibility, rent, appreciation, security, purpose of purchase, stage of life etc., before one makes this once in a lifetime investment. A bunch of independent houses clubbed together known as colonies are a common sight in the country but economic factors and urban lifestyle have dealt a death knell for the culture of independent houses especially in metropolitan cities. Rise in nuclear families, upgrade in compact & chic lifestyle, increase in land cost and inter-state migration of the population for jobs led to the practical flourishing of apartment culture in the big cities. Vertical growth has now extended to shopping malls and multi-storeyed office space and technology parks as well.