Upper or Lower flat?

cluelessoncanvey

Whilst looking at the property market people are asking me whether I prefer an upper or lower flat. Now I cannot afford to be that fussy looking at the low end of the property market. But I'd prefer whatever is quieter and I assumed that would be the ground as I've been told sound rises. But have a friend who had a ground flat and said the noise was dreadful, that may just be bad luck of neighbours, when I lived below someone he was quiet but I could still hear him walking about. SO what is the best noise wise?

As a neighbour I have a surroundsound system and I know if I want to use that ground floor would be the best (because of the base).

Someone else advised me that upper flat is better because you get the loft space. Whereas someone else said ground is better because you get easy access to the garden (and hopefully a cupboard under the stairs for storage).

Thought it would be interesting to hear from the experts on here, is it just swings & roundabouts or is one considered better? (I remember lugging stuff upstairs when I had an upper flat before being a pain in the !!! when moving in! Never heard the people downstairs). MOre importantly which one is better sound insulated, upper or lower?

TBagpuss

I would expect upper to be quieter. People walking/running around, washing machine etc - much more likely that you will hear those from a flat above you than one below.

Of course, in a well insulated place it may be less of an issue.
My sister has had 2 top floor flats with no sound issues (important and BIL works shifts)

If you go for a lower flat then try to visit at different times to see how much noise there is.

emmatthews

I've lived in both and would always choose upper. You hear much more noise in ground floor flats than you do top floor.

PurplePow

I live on an upper floor and glad I do. I have the loft space which I could not live without in a flat! Also we hear some sound from downstairs but not much, they probably hear more from us but we've never had any complaints.

In our flats residents aren't allowed to use the cupboards under the stairs as the electric meters are in there so they are locked.

System

I have lived in both ground and upper floor flats. Upper floor flats are quieter. The only times I hear my downstairs neighbours is when they had the odd argument in the middle of the night (my flat living friends have neighbours do this too) plus any DIY involving walls.

Upper floors are more safe. Unsure if contents insurance is cheaper.

Fluffi

I live in the flat and would prefer upper floors over ground for a couple of reasons. Firstly heat rises, heating bills will be less in the middle or top floor. And contents insurance tends to be more expensive on the ground floor because its an easier target for thieves (sadly). I hear the footsteps from people above but rarely much from floor below but depends on how the flats are sound proofed really.

Pixie5740

I have just bought a top floor flat after renting 4 ground floor flats. There's no way I would buy a ground floor flat after the noisy experiences of 2 out of 4 of those rented properties. If anyone's making noise, it going to be me (although I won't because I'm not a !!!!!!!!).

ManuelG

Always upper, as much because I never got used to people walking above my head!

When they moved their chairs and tables around it was the screeching noise of a thousand nails on washboards, too.

J_i_m

I had a ground floor flat, which was remarkably well sound insulated, however it was prone to nosey teenage chavs rapping on the windows as they walked past.

For that reason alone I'll be hoping to avoid ground floor in the future.

cluelessoncanvey

Thanks for all your replies, so given a choice upper it is. EA Today showed me an adcfor an upper 20k above my maximum saying the seller might come down. Sounds a bit optimistic to me. Above a travel agents, a broker did tell me lenders don't like properties above shops. Other than that it looked great!

Running_On_Empty

Definitely upper. I lived in an upper for five years and only a few times did I hear downstairs. Once when the girl below me had a party, Big Style. She moved her furniture onto the balcony to get the sound system into the lounge. The bass made the plates in my kitchen cupboard rattle!
Also, I could sometimes hear the bloke below peeing in middle of night but these were not major issues.
I would be worried about people above me having laminated floors and clip clopping around in heels above me head.