[General] Which brings you more happiness? Buy or rent an apartment

[Silverobama]

Tonight in our English club we had a topic discussion. The topic is "Which brings you more happiness? Buy or rent an apartment".

I wonder if the topic is natural.

 

[Rover_KE]

No.

... Buying or renting an apartment?

 

[emsr2d2]

Tonight [STRIKE]in[/STRIKE] at our English club we had a topic discussion. The topic [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] was "Which brings you more happiness? Buying or renting an apartment?"

I wonder if the topic title is natural.

Note my changes above.

 

[GoesStation]

"Which brings you more happiness, buying or renting an apartment?"

I'd write the question like that.

 

[emsr2d2]

I was just reading my response back and realised I would write "Which brings you more happiness - buying or renting an apartment?"

 

[Tarheel]

I would rephrase that thus:

Is it better to buy a house or rent an apartment?

 

[teechar]

You can also say:
Which do/would you prefer - to buy or rent an apartment?

[cross-posted]

 

[emsr2d2]

I would rephrase that thus:

Is it better to buy a house or rent an apartment?

That's a different question. That asks for an opinion as to which one is "better". The original asks which one makes (would make) the answerer happier.

 

[Tarheel]

Yes, it is a different question. On the other hand, you can't have an opinion on which makes you happier unless you have done both. Furthermore, your original question suggests that buying an apartment is one option and renting an apartment is another option.

 

[emsr2d2]

Buying an apartment and renting an apartment are two options.

 

[Tarheel]

Silver, is buying apartments a thing in China? Is it something that is done there?

 

[Silverobama]

Silver, is buying apartments a thing in China? Is it something that is done there?

It is. Without an apartment, I can't find a wife.

 

[emsr2d2]

Silver, is buying apartments a thing in China? Is it something that is done there?

I think I understand where Tarheel's confusion is coming from. I was told by a friend from Boston that, in the States, an apartment is always a rented property. However, in the UK, it's just a type of property (and we call it a "flat"). Here, you can rent a flat or buy a flat. You can rent a house or buy a house.

 

[Glizdka]

Not a teacher
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I think I understand where Tarheel's confusion is coming from. I was told by a friend from Boston that, in the States, an apartment is always a rented property. However, in the UK, it's just a type of property (and we call it a "flat"). Here, you can rent a flat or buy a flat. You can rent a house or buy a house.

You could always buy an apartment and become a landlord.

Speaking of which, what's the verb opposite to rent in this context? Is it lend? Do landlords lend their apartments to tenants?

 

[emsr2d2]

Not a teacher
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You could always buy an apartment and become a landlord.

Speaking of which, what's the verb opposite to rent in this context? Is it lend? Do landlords lend their apartments to tenants?

No, they rent them to their tenants! It's a great verb. It's used for both sides of the transaction. We also say that landlords "rent out" or "let" their properties.

"Lend" is used when someone temporarily allows someone to use something but no payment is involved.

 

[Skrej]

It's uncommon, but not unheard of to buy an apartment in the US. I've only heard of it in major metropolitan areas like New York City or such. In such locations, an apartment might cost you what you'd pay for an entire house in another location.

Here's an article that talks about the average price of an apartment in NYC being close to a million dollars (and that was five years ago)....