Buying a ground floor flat?

Blank11

I’ve been looking at flats and have always ruled out ground floor flats due to privacy and security concerns. However, majority of flats on sale are ground floor level and I see some nice ones. Privacy concern I could put up some frosted tints. But security wise it scares me reading online with just constant all round negativity for ground floor flats and with it being harder to sell compared to the other floors. I’m just wondering if I’ll regret buying a ground floor or if it is as bad people say it is with burglaries and that. 

The flat I see has two windows facing the street but has a hedge in between. The back windows face the communal garden which is fenced. 

Martico

What's the area like? 
Burglaries are pretty rare in most places, and remember that all houses have a ground floor and they're considered desirable
Plus, no stairs to climb with your shopping. See how you feel about the area and location, I would. 

luvchocolate

My biggest problem with living in a ground floor flat was the noise from above 

Growingold

luvchocolate said:

My biggest problem with living in a ground floor flat was the noise from above 

EXactly.  

Schwarzwald

I bought a ground floor flat in East London and loving it so far … came with a garden, most top floor flats usually dont. 

also, why is there such a focus on FLATS? Would you buy a house but not a ground floor flat? That house will also be accessible from the ground level …

security: just make sure your flat is more secure than the neighbors’, a lot of burglary are impulse decisions, by making yours more secure than next door … probably you pass the buck in all likelihood

ultimately down to the individual flat but indeed i also wld be more concerned about noise from above than anything else

Blank11

Martico said:

What's the area like? 
Burglaries are pretty rare in most places, and remember that all houses have a ground floor and they're considered desirable
Plus, no stairs to climb with your shopping. See how you feel about the area and location, I would. 

I’ve drove by different times and days and the area seems to be nice and quiet (while I was there anyways). One of my concerns with regards to security is opening the windows. I currently live with my parents and we live deep inside an estate with our ground floor rooms facing our locked back garden so it feels more safe. We keep them close at night but we can open the first floor windows to sleep. I just don’t want to feel as though I can’t open my windows even if I am inside the house. 

Blank11

luvchocolate said:

My biggest problem with living in a ground floor flat was the noise from above 

Noise I would definitely consider how good the soundproofing is before considering to buy. I feel that is more dependent on the flat itself whereas privacy and security will always be a concern for all ground floor flats. 

Blank11

Schwarzwald said:

I bought a ground floor flat in East London and loving it so far … came with a garden, most top floor flats usually dont. 

also, why is there such a focus on FLATS? Would you buy a house but not a ground floor flat? That house will also be accessible from the ground level …

security: just make sure your flat is more secure than the neighbors’, a lot of burglary are impulse decisions, by making yours more secure than next door … probably you pass the buck in all likelihood

ultimately down to the individual flat but indeed i also wld be more concerned about noise from above than anything else

This flat has a communal garden rather than its own private garden. Back garden is fenced but front windows face the street with a hedge between. 

I do agree but my concern also ties more towards opening the windows because I wouldn’t keep the windows open throughout the night in a house for downstairs but I would if I was upstairs sleeping. 

Security measures I would add in but feels hard to think of security while opening windows because people can force or easily get in the window somehow. 

MultiFuelBurner

Can you stretch to buy a house? Even if it's not your desired location.

CSI_Yorkshire

Should you buy a ground floor flat if your desire is to have all the windows open overnight?  Probably not.

But how often do you actually do that?

Jonboy_1984

Lived in a ground floor flat for 15 years and often had windows wide open overnight in the summer.

Rest of the year we had them latched open so there was fresh air but still secure. You can also get  restrictors fitted so they cannot be easily opened further ( https://www.toolstation.com/era-window-safety-restrictor/p12868) .

We did also have a sliding patio door onto the communal garden and as the sliding panel was inside we could drop a length of timber behind it to keep it a few inches open for airflow.

We are partly lucky, it was a nice area but we did hear of thefts in other parts of the town.