Ground floor converted flats - please share good and bad experience about upstairs noise

OldMusicGuy

I lived in a converted ground floor flat in a Victorian house as a student. The noise from upstairs was frequent and weird, it sounded like they were running around and doing all sorts of things. Most off putting and they were a young family, not students.

I always went for a top floor flat after that.

Fast forward to the present day, my son lives in a converted flat in a Victorian house in London (middle floor). He is plagued by noise from upstairs, he says it sounds like they are running around and moving furniture, very similar to my experience. Add to that they play loud music at odd times as well.

Best of luck if you go ground floor......

mwt_2

I grew up in a top floor flat, and always remembered it being quiet, not much different from a house. However, I lived in a ground floor flat for 3 years expecting it to be much of the same. I was wrong. It was a purpose built block, solid concrete, but it doesn't matter. If you share a building with others, you will hear them. It's then up to you if that's something that will bother you. My experience was noise travels down more than it travels up, so if I ever live in a flat again I'll only consider the top floor.

another_casualty

Interesting topic . Lots to think about .
There are different types of ground floor flats as we know . I was just about to post my experiences here in my converted ground floor Victorian flat , but am editing it as I could be here all day .

Things that need to be considered are the managing agents , how many people actually live in the flats they've bought , the foundations and of course noise .

I live in a gd floor converted Victorian flat since June 2017. Unfortunately I chose to go for a flat as I couldn't afford a house as I prefer a better area .

As it's a Victorian conversion , the foundations are good . Suspended ceilings , which reduce noise . The managing agents are quite good so far , but at a cost . I was renting around the corner in a new area for me . After completing the purchase , I had time to decorate my flat before my tenancy expired. Everything was quiet .
I didn't know which flats were bought for actually living in or let out.

The communal area was messy with post chucked on the floor , plus food wrappers etc. Trying to find out what post actually belonged to the people above , was a pita. One would think that if it has the flat no of the above , they take it and deal with it . No so! Lazy bar stewards ! I keep area tidy now .

Suspended ceilings keep noise to a minimal level .
There are 2 flats above me . One has recently changed tenants . They are great . The otters are a large " family " . The mother had a baby last year , and a pram is left in the communal area . There are 2 kids a boy and girl ( approx 10/11 years old ) who have gotten too noisy of late . The " father" comes and goes .
I had to complain to managing agents twice about the kids shouting in the communal area, which is next to my small bedroom wall.
When I first came , the kids were running up and down the stairs a lot at weekends . They started running around the communal garden which is fair enough. When they are running around my front window at the other end , potentially damaging the shrubs outside which I am paying for then that is too much . They're a nice family but have outgrown the flat . Too many people .
The ironic thing was when I bought this flat , the people above complained about the people I bought this from smoking and talking loudly in the communal area . The flat was let out .

Things could be a lot worse . I'm hoping the kids are not too noisy later on when the summer holidays are here .
There are a couple next to me who bought their flat and actually live in it albeit for six months of the year . They have their own entrance
The kids flooded their ceiling a while back .
Insurance is so important

I'm used to living previously in upstairs maisonettes .
I'm weighing things up and if things get bad , a buy to let person will probably be who buys it .
I'll take everything as it comes . I'll leave it there for now .
Hope this helps ..

Smodlet

In my opinion there is no such thing as a "good experience" of upstairs noise. You have either a bad experience or no experience of it; that is the only good experience possible with other people's noise.

All neighbour noise is an issue but that from above is the worst, in my experience. There is something oppressive about noise from overhead but it is all subjective.

If you must buy a flat, try to go for a top floor one. How about an end-terrace house? They can sometimes cost about the same as flats and at least the noise is only from one side, not both.

Good luck, OP.

KatieDee

I cannot tell you how bad of an idea buying a ground floor flat is, regardless of the age.

I have been renting a ground floor flat, very modern/built to a premium, with excellent insulation, for around three years. During this period we've had three different neighbours, all very different, but every single one of them causes an incredible amount of noise.

I don't think any of it is intentional, which makes it very difficult to bring up with them. Sound travels, our current tenant is tiny but very heavily footed and loved playing bassy music at very reasonable times. We can't really ask her to stop, as she has a right to enjoy her home, but it drives us both mad. Shaking light fittings, random loud bangs, hammering...it's tough not to focus on the noise. We also hear the door slamming day and night. The flat is amazing apart from this but it has really ruined our enjoyment of our home.

Fortunately we're able to move as our tenancy has come to an end, but I would have been absolutely furious if I'd bought the flat. If you can only afford a flat, go for the top floor, as at least then you'll be the one causing the issues. Having a garden isn't worth it (this was the major selling point for us when choosing the flat) - I'd just focus on moving somewhere closer to a park as some kind of compromise.

Crumble2018

KatieDee wrote: »

I don't think any of it is intentional, which makes it very difficult to bring up with them.

Exactly this. I don't think our neighbours are being deliberately noisy, but because they are top floor and don't get much noise, they probably presume nobody can hear them either!! We don't hear a peep from the downstairs flat, so sound definitely travels down far more than it travels up.

Murphybear

We rented a ground/first floor maisonette a while ago and we had the lounge on the first floor. There was a flat above our property and the tenant, a young girl, started tap dancing :eek:

It was as bad as it sounds but the girl was reallly nice and apologised for the noise when we mentioned it to her. Fortunately she found somewhere else to practice

Smodlet

Murphybear wrote: »

We rented a ground/first floor maisonette a while ago and we had the lounge on the first floor. There was a flat above our property and the tenant, a young girl, started tap dancing :eek:

It was as bad as it sounds but the girl was reallly nice and apologised for the noise when we mentioned it to her. Fortunately she found somewhere else to practice

Why am I seeing red shoes and an axe?

boo_star

"Normal" noise from my upstairs neighbour was barely audible.

Unfortunately she looked after kids after school for a few hours Monday to Friday and it seemed they rather enjoyed running the length of the flat for 20 minutes at a time.

That was a tad noisier.

I suppose it all depends on the neighbours.

JennyJukes

I currently live above a ground floor flat and below a top floor flat (lucky me)
NEVER hear the guys above me unless they DIY or move furniture every 3 months. However, my downstairs SLAMS their door and blasts bass music which travels all throughout my house! Plus the lovely weed smell that travels up. I always thought I would have problems with the upstairs but damn.....
I'm moving to a ground floor flat on Wednesday. Would have preffered an upstairs flat but bit late now, so hoping it's someone who's at least quiet after 10pm.. we'll soon find out.
I lived in an upstairs masionette with my ex and it was wooden flooring. My ex would move his computer chair and I always worried the poor lady downstairs would hear it. She was so timid so she wouldn't have said if she did. He'd also play rap music and shout at his computer at all hours.. now I worry we were the neighbours from hell!