What floor? Top or ground?

[teal]

Hi, just looking for some opinions and experiences on what is the better floor in a flat to live in?

I was thinking either top or ground so there was only neighbours above or below rather than both?

Thank you

 

[CourtneyLane]

Top floor could have leaks from the roof, smells rise (eg cigarette/weed smoke), complaints from people below about footsteps.

Ground floor could have leaks from bathroom of the flat above, might be a break in risk, footsteps from flat above.

I was in the same position as you and couldn't decide at all! A cheap house can up in the end so I didn't have to decide phew. I suppose it depends what noises or smells or other inconveniences would bother you most.

 

[dgirllamius]

We live in a top floor flat and barely hear anything from the people below. Sometimes we hear the woman below us talking on the phone but she's old and probably got bad hearing so she probably shouts down the phone rather than talk.

It seems though that we are more likely to get mold problems because the guttering is up by our flat and probably more prone to leaks from the roof but we've had none yet (touch wood it stays that way).

 

[teal]

I'd thought the same about leaks. I was thinking the break in risk wouldn't be any more than a house though? Since houses have windows at ground level too. I really have no idea. I'm not totally committed to a flat but just considering the option.

 

[teal]

We live in a top floor flat and barely hear anything from the people below. Sometimes we hear the woman below us talking on the phone but she's old and probably got bad hearing so she probably shouts down the phone rather than talk.

It seems though that we are more likely to get mold problems because the guttering is up by our flat and probably more prone to leaks from the roof but we've had none yet (touch wood it stays that way).

Thank you, seems to be a mix of good and bad with both x

 

[lilyd]

I had a top floor flat & I loved it. No noise from below and felt very safe. I was the only flat on the floor though!

Only downside is lugging shopping up and down.

 

[LynseyPynsey]

I used to stay in a top floor flat and was such a hassle with LO! We're in a ground floor now (have our own entrance though) we always had leaks in the roof too.

 

[LoveCakes]

As you have kids ground floor to save you carrying buggy, shopping etc... Up loads of flights of stairs. Plus I always feel safer in case of fire that you could get out.

 

[seoj]

I lived in apartments for years- hated the ground floor cause of dealing with noisy neighbors above--- so whenever I could afford it, I chose the TOP!!! I always felt safer on the top too- never liked having my bedroom window at ground level-- even now, we made sure our bedrooms were on the 2nd floor of the house we bought! lol

But I was also single and no kids- so nothing to tote around except groceries Which, could be a bit of a pain- but never really bothered me.

Just do what makes sense for you.

 

[sunshine114]

We used to have a top floor flat which was in a block where there were three storeys. I would choose top again. We had a lift which was helpful, plus the heat from the flats below rose so we didn't have to have our heating on as much which was good. The problem our neighbours had on the ground floor was that you couldn't leave windows open at night/in the summer - on the top floor we could leave them open with very little worries. Even had them open a bit during the day when we were out which you couldn't do on the ground floor!

 

[Bittersweet]

For me it depends on the area. I'm away to move to a ground floor flat with it's own little enclosed garden. Looking around there are alot of older people who live there so in terms of noise and safety it's quite a safe area.

Generally though id prefer too floor, lots of heat from other floor makes it cheaper for heating etc and can leave windows open at night

 

[x__amour]

Whenever I live in apartments, I always choose the top floor. I lived on the bottom in my first one and that was enough to scar me for life. Noisy neighbors, pests, mold, etc. I don't mind the stairs in exchange for the quiet!

 

[Tasha]

We live on a top floor flat, the being upstairs with kids was only a pain when we had a buggy, I think your LO is three or four, so that probably isnt a problem. It is quiet and safe up here, no leaks, no mould etc. The bottom floor had the toilet problem. Yuck.

 

[kmumtobe]

I had a top floor flat & I loved it. No noise from below and felt very safe. I was the only flat on the floor though!

Only downside is lugging shopping up and down.

This exactly but with one more positive.. All the heat rose so it was always toasty we never had to put heating on! But lugging shopping up was a nightmare!

 

[Lauraxamy]

I've lived in a ground floor and a first floor. The only time the first floor one became a problem was when my first LO was born, was a bit of a nightmare lugging all her stuff, pram, carseat, bags etc up the stairs

 

[teal]

Thank you everyone. I don't mind the idea of stairs. I've just seen a few ground floor flats and they've looked so lovely inside but I wasn't sure about the ground floor.

I'd heard the ground could having plumbing issues if something happened further up.

 

[modified]

I currently live on the ground floor and like it because I don't have to worry about banging for downstairs and I have a private, enclosed front garden. I don't like it because my upstairs neighbour is a noisy bitch 24/7. It rattles my windows.

I've lived on the top floor and liked it because I had no noise but sometimes really worried I was being too loud for the neighbours. I didn't like it because I had to go down several flights of stairs to use a shared garden and lug everything back up them again and, also, worrying I was noisy.

 

[mara16jade]

Top.

No one to make noise above you and its safer.

 

[MiniKiwi]

By top floor, do you just mean one above the ground? We live on the 5th/6th floor, up 70 steps and it's a real bitch carrying our two year old and the groceries up. I hadn't thought about it before but now I'm so scared of a fire on one of the floors below...how would we get out?!

It's quiet, we have asked the neighbours below if they ever hear us and they've said no. It feels much safer than our old apartment on the ground floor, I hated sleeping next to the window which was right next to the pavement. We barely ever heard any noise on the ground floor either. I guess it depends on how solid the building is. Not sure which I'd recommend, but probably the ground since you'll hate the stairs after a while.

So paranoid about my neighbours making fires now!

 

[Abz1982]

We lived on 3 of 4....was ok as only had 2 other flats come past our door, and the flat was only exposed on 2 sides - so heating was cheaper!
The ground floor got the door banging all the time. the folk outside smoking, talking, fighting........