Offered a ground floor flat?

[lookin4advice]

I bid on several flats in the same block and I have been shortlisted for a ground floor flat.

I received an email advising me my other bids had been slipped as I wanted to be considered for this home.

I have security and privacy concerns with a ground floor flat.

I am extremely grateful for this opportunity but as I was not asked which was my preferred choice would it be unreasonable to ask the HO at the housing association?

AIBU

The council here, and the neighbouring one, won't allow "swaps" of bungalows, as they have so many people waiting for them.

My gff is very close to the communal door so I do hear it, not helped by someone having the inability to shut the door quietly

OK, but if you lived in a first floor flat, you might have horrific noise from the upstairs neighbours AND the ground floor ones, so being on the ground floor halves the chances of noise from neighbours.

Any flat can have noise from above or below. Being on the top or the bottom means you'll only get noise from one of those directions, not both.

Can you look at google street view to give you an idea of what it might be like?

Personally I always though ground floor flats were like gold dust to get hold of because so many people want them. Disabled, people with pushchairs etc.

The noise living under someone is much worse than the noise living below someone! Ive lived in both. I hear footsteps, jumping, running, throwing things, dropping things, toys being played on the floor (cars) up and down, you really telling me that sound doesnt travel differently if it’s above you than below? 🤣 directly on your ceiling 🤔

New build apartments should have a higher level of soundproofing in comparison to many older homes. So hopefully any noise heard from the upstairs neighbours won't have much of an impact on your lives.

Thanks to improved building standards, a new home will retain heat so heating costs will be lower in the winter. I would hate to live on the upper floors of a new build apartment block in the summer, the heat could be unbearable. The ground level will be much cooler and more comfortable in the summer.

My block is fully soundproofed so there is no neighbour noise at all. The block is 18 three bedroom flats so mostly families with kids and I never hear anything. There are three kids in the flat above me.

I could hear the front door closing if it was slammed and I was in one specific room (the bathroom) that shares a wall with the corridor. But the housing association replaced the front door with a new door that can't be slammed (it uses magnets to catch the door on the last couple of inches and then slowly pull it closed).

Full disclosure, I am deaf, but my late OH wasn't and he also said he never heard anything.

In what way is a ground floor flat more of a security risk than a house which is also “ground floor”? Of course it isn’t an issue unless it’s in a terrible area with a high crime rate so you’re worried about windows getting smashed and such.

I’ve never lived in a flat but would imagine bottom floor would be best, easier to get the furniture in and out of for starters and things like food shops.

I bought a ground floor flat and never wanted anything higher

My dd was in a new build first person to move in she was on 2nd floor. The sound proofing was absolutely awful. It caused massive issues. Stress police, Threats etc

Ground floor flats are safer if there are fires! 🔥

😲That's terrible, they're supposed to be better, not worse! I'm sorry she had to go through that, I hope that wherever she's living now is much quieter.

I don’t think they’ll accept security and privacy as reasons… considering you’re implying that nobody can live there without having security and privacy issues.

Same, I was too floor and the lawyer under me threatened litigation because of the noise I made apparently walking around my own flat at night.

@Rainydays26 Wow, sorry to hear that, I have heard mixed things about new build apartments.

I currently live in a new build house and I can literally hear my next door neighbour on the toilet and the toilet flushing lol and they must hear me as well.
At times I can hear the convos as the living room's are back to back.

Actually I want to agree with you. I prefer being higher up myself!

Yanbu to see whether you can ask for a higher one, especially as no garden

Oh I'm in a new build house and don't hear thing. It seems to be a bit of a mix . Maybe it depends on who builds them .

Agree, depends who builds them. I have friends in buildings where you can hear evvverrrryything, but I spent six years in my place and never heard anything from upstairs (and they had a dog running around up there)

I don't understand how they get away with it. Dd had to be moved out of her flat due to threats was really bad. Kids were effected crying at because they were so bad.