Any disadvantage to top floor flats?

J_i_m

Depends on personal preference really, I'd be reluctant to be on the ground floor from experience of people gawping in and chavvy teenagers rapping on my windows.

So in that respect I would welcome the relative privacy of top floor.

caronoel

Top floor flats can be cold in winter and hot in summer

marmitepotato

Took my daughter almost two years to sell her top floor flat, because of all the reasons stated above. She was also in a very affluent area and had a sea view. She could never have her balcony doors open because the neighbours underneath her were smokers and only smoked on their balcony, the smoke rose up and made her flat smell. There was also a ground floor flat up for sale at the same time, no sea view tho and 5k more expensive despite needing complete renovation. It sold in weeks......

anna42hmr

marmitepotato wrote: »

Took my daughter almost two years to sell her top floor flat, because of all the reasons stated above. She was also in a very affluent area and had a sea view. She could never have her balcony doors open because the neighbours underneath her were smokers and only smoked on their balcony, the smoke rose up and made her flat smell. There was also a ground floor flat up for sale at the same time, no sea view tho and 5k more expensive despite needing complete renovation. It sold in weeks......

same in the block i have a flat in, one of the top floor ones has been for sale for a long while, yet the ground and first floor flats have sold quicker.

GF flats can be more appealing to older people, families etc who do not wish to go up and down the stairs, also some have direct access to outside rather than just through a communal entrance and some may have own garden space etc.

I think all flats have the positives and negatives wherever they are.

Top floor - for the reasons above

ground floor - for perceived security issues (though both met and west mids police suggest that statistically higher floors are more at risk than ground floor) and comings and goings from communal entrance.

mid level floors - as have people above/below/to the sides to make noise so more risk of hearing other neighbours, and security lights being at window level - for example my neighbour above - (on the first floor) has a security light on a pole at the level of her bedroom window, as you can imagine this can come on at any time after dusk when people come home so has to have black out blinds/curtains etc).

robatwork

A lot of negativity regarding top floor flats but I will make one observation. Penthouses aren't on the ground floor.

deejaybee

Bought a 2 bed top floor flat ( 2 floors under us ) around 2 years ago.

Its in a purpose built block of 9, we originally made an offer on a ground floor flat in same block, the sellers pulled out for personal reasons which we were not privy to, but we are glad that happened now.

For us the positives are: Privacy, have fantastic views across our little town and surrounding countryside, only really have to worry about noise from one flat under us, the owner of which is considerate of fellow flat-dwellers. Occasionally hear a bit of noise from another flat one below us, but to the side.

We are able to use the loft space for storage, which is great.

Other pluses are not being anywhere near the communal bin area, and if smokers are having a quick fag outside the communal front door, we don't get any smell/smoke from it.

Also some people let the front communal door slam shut when they leave/enter, but we hardly hear that being at the top, must be a pain for ground floor especially though.

Negatives:

Obviously having to walk up and down stairs, actually at the moment I see this as a positive as its good exercise, but I am mid-50s now, so could become an issue if/when get less mobile as I get older.

Deliveries of heavy items like washing machine havnt been an issue for us personally, its must be a pain in the arriss for the folks lumping the stuff upstairs, but as long as we have advised them in advance, and paid any extra if necessary then its ok.

I hadn't really considered the security implications of being top-floor and that being attractive to burglars, our block is easily accessible via trade button..
We live in a very low crime area, but I am not complacent about the possibility.

All in all, I am happy we are at the top - we refer to it as the "penthouse" jokingly

fishcake27

We are able to use the loft space for storage, which is great.

Very good point - being on the top floor we've been able to run our new central heating pipes through the loft so that hardly any are on show. Downstairs have theirs running all over the place. Has also made installing new lighting much easier. However I have found lugging DIY bits up and down the stairs to be an absolute chore.

I thought of another minus. If you have pets, you can't open the windows properly... :eek: I have two indoor cats and have been known to forget this a couple of times :eek:

deejaybee

Forgot another negative :

have to be careful when cleaning the outsides of the windows..:eek:

Our windows hinge to a quite wide angle and its just about possible to get your hand through the gap to give the outside pane a wipe over - obviously have to watch yourself when leaning though as its a long way down and I am too old to bounce very well !