What's the difference between a flat and an apartment?

[WildRosie]

According to various estate agents, I live in an apartment but that's not what I call it. I call it a flat. To me, apartment suggests at least two bedrooms, generous size, possibly split level and some sort of terrace or balcony. Perhaps basement garages and a concierge service in swanky blocks. My home is on the small side, one bedroom, one floor and only communal outdoor space. Admittedly, the kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom are all separate. Again, none of the rooms are big.

I wonder if apartment has become estate agent speak for flat, because it helps to sell them ? Perhaps it's one of those American words that's becoming adopted in the UK.

Apartments can be big or small. In the US context, 1 bed apartments can be larger than 2 up 2 down terraces in the UK, just look at that 1 bed apartment below, its 803 sq feet and i have seen terrace houses that are the same size as my 53 sq m 2 bed flat which means that it has even less usable space as the 53 sq m also includes the staircase and hallways. There are countless articles on how couples in new york manage to squeeze in a 1 bed flat with 1-2 children but thats very different to managing in a 1 bed flat in the UK!

www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/555-Main-St-Apt-1106_New-York_NY_10044_M98195-08765?view=qv

I would say apartment definitely means that its purpose built but flat can mean either purpose built or converted.

Levels of pretentiousness?!

In US context an apartment is rented and usually one landlord owns the entire building. An owner occupied building is a condo which would be
comparable to a flat with a share of freehold in the U.K.

Ok so:

A flat: a room or series of rooms in what looks like a house and has been split in to flats.

Apartment: a room or series of rooms in a new-build style/purpose-built building.

I always say flat. Apartment for me is just a word used in other countries, I understand it to mean the same thing as flat.

I love flapartment and will use it all the time now

I think of a flat as small and pokey e.g. a house converted into flats; whereas, I consider an apartment to be purpose built and have more space. I currently live in a 800sqf open plan, one bedroom apartment + balcony, in a purpose built block - with facilities like concierge, pool and spa... I always cringe a little when someone calls it a flat haha. 😂 But it could just be that I’m very pretentious (and need to make myself feel better about the extortionate rent I pay). 🤣

Approx 20 years and £££££

@AllieCat22 for home owners like myself, a lot of facilities and lift also mean high service charges. I mean, I think its great if you use the facilities but personally I would rather lug a buggy to the second floor than pay for the lift. Lift maintenance adds thousands to the budget.

I don't like conversions either as the floor plan is usually awkward. And also there is usually no economies of scale for maintenance, its just you and the neighbour and so its good when the neighbour is nice and horrible when the neighbour isn't.

I like purpose built period housing with communal gardens and low rise so there is no need for a lift. Share of freehold.

I'm about to put my flat up for sale. A neighbouring property is already being advertised; I noted that it's described as an "apartment" in the estate agent's advertisement. Made me snigger. Wonder if mine will be called a flat or apartment when it goes online. It's certainly not fancy! Seems to be an Americanism that's creeping over here now.

My parents interrogated an estate agent in the U.K. on this a few years ago. My dad wouldn’t live in an apartment because “they’re for flash gits.” The EA said it was because of the lift, anything with a lift is an apartment. My dad said he wouldn’t be using it so he could call it a flat. They didn’t buy it

International term sex interchangeably to sound ‘better’.

If someone said they were selling an apartment in a big city, I’d assume an old derelict building that has been converted in to modern warehouse type apartments. Or new build purpose built modem high end/spec, large apartments.

I would describe ex council flats as that. Flats, but I suspect estate agents would refer to them as apartments.

used nit sex 😳🙈

Not ffs

If people want to call this type of property a flapartment, it will keep everyone happy. Mind, I shall be charging a quid per utterance.

If you rent and live in a high rise and the bloke next door buys his from the council, it's then sold as 'a spacious apartment commanding superb views located in a highly desirable location'.

But you still live in a council flat. Unless the owner of said spacious apartment rents it to you for three times the amount the council does to cover its costs and make a profit.

I think 'apartment' is more international but in the UK I'd use flat for everything that isn't a house, however spacious and desirable it is.

The EA said it was because of the lift, anything with a lift is an apartment

No really? Ha! My great aunty lived in the high flats in her town and there was a lift (rarely working and more often used as a urinal than anything else) but they were definitely flats and not apartments.

I live in Scotland. The flat/apartment is the equivalent of a housing scheme/estate. Both the same but posher to use apartment/estate.

Apartments are to flats as preserve is to jam.

My flat has been called a mansion block flat by EAs lol.

I don't think you can get mansion block flats for £400K (which is what my flat cost) and the mansion block flats in Hampstead/Highgate/Kensington usually have porters and look much grander.

My flat is definitely a flat. It's above a row of shops on the main road. Nothing posh or 'apartment' about it. Although it is beautifully decorated inside.

Generally I think a flat is more social housing whereas an apartment is more upmarket - or somewhere you stay on holiday.

I live in a converted building- not a big house converted into flapartments, but a building that had an entirely different purpose originally. We have two beds, two baths, an upstairs and downstairs and a shared courtyard. I've never known how to describe it to people- I don't think of it as a flat because it's on two storeys, it's not a maisonette because we have a shared entrance. Who knows 🤷‍♀️

@shinynewapple2020

how would you classify this? Not my flat but my flat is similar. Period block

www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=56386296&sale=90659064&country=england