Flats - what's the best floor to buy/live on?

[sammydavis]

I tend to top floor for security but have realised it has its own issues, lack of roof insulation, stairs etc.

Top, middle or ground - which floor would you prefer and why?

Not ground as they can be cold and also security may be an issue. I prefer top floor but it does have issues (roof repairs being one)

Top floor for me, not good if you have babies or dont like stairs and can be a pain moving furniture in or out.

But you get less noise, and loft space for storage. And more light.

Love my top floor flat. (6th). There is a lift though.

I don't get noise from above and the view is great.

Im on 2nd. Over christmas everybody else was away and my flat was noticeable colder! Upsides, least likely to be burgled (not at the roof, not at the door) but whenever you have neighbours above boise is a threat.

Top floor. Neighbors's shower or washing machine doesn't get to leak onto you. No noise from people coming home late from the pub.

I would say any floor where you don't get two lots of noise!! I am on the first floor and the woman beneath me shouts t her children ALL day and the little girl above (lovely girl) skips and jumps a lot-the noise can drive you bananas and you never actually get to sit down and hear nothing!!

I would like ot live on the ground purely for easy access of any garden. We have a garden, but becausee you have to come out of the front door AND the main security door we never use it. My son can't just go and play in the garden which is a shame. Although I do like the security of living above ground floor.

I've lived on a ground floor in a conversion which was very noisy and a mif floor block in a purpose built which suffered more from noise from above than below - could have been down to the kind of neighbours I guess..

I do feel depressed at the thought of having people live above me again.

Would you pay extra for a top floor flat? Would you expect a top floor to cost more anyway?

I've never lived in a block higher than three stories - what's the noise like in bigger blocks? Proper towers maybe.

I live in the first floor flat. We have no noise, better insulation, loft space and a bigger flat than downstairs, but downstairs have a garden I am very jealous of that. Downstairs do hear alot of our day to day noises just walking etc and we are fully carpeted I wouldn't like to imagine what it would be like with hard floors

"preferred first floor"
Top floor, LESS secure as they can access vie the roofspace or be quite confident that nobody will pass them on the stairs.
Any roof problems fall on you (literally)
Ground floor, less privacy less secure.
Second floor, more stairs than first.
First every time.

Long ago we lived in a very big first floor flat (tenement) in a very cold part of the UK. The flat was above a shop (9-5 deal). Our flat was SO warm all the time (and I feel the cold badly). So that was a good deal - although lenders don't really want to lend for homes above shops.

We purchased a middle floor flat (the building's 3 floors) and I think it's perfect. I'm less worried about security, nosy people looking in and being wiped out in our beds the (unlikely!) event of a hollywood style flood! We have the heat rising from downstairs so rarely turn our radiators on, well insulated from upstairs and although I would worry about noise, our area is all young professionals and the families either side either have silent babies or, the soundproofing on newer build properties is amazing!

Middle sounds like the ideal location for heating bills but only if you've got great soundproofing or good neighbours or both.

Anyone have experience of soundproofing in 1970s purposebuilt blocks - not the towers but those ones which you see in London suburbs which are usually about 3 or 4 stories high - probably low level to avoid any legal requirement for a lift.

Ours is slightly older than that Sammy, but not sure exactly how much and the soundproofing is rubbish!! Either that or I have REALLY loud neighbours. If you were thinking of buying, I would see how much it would cost to put in your own soundproofing. It really gets annoying when you just want a bit of piece and the woman downstairs is shouting and the kids upstairs are playing with a skipping rope!!

The police told us one time that in a shared stairwell the top floor is actually the most likely to be burgled, as the thieves are less likely to be disturbed by other residents, and have time to hear people coming up the stairs.

I'd got for top though, it's horrible having people clattering around above your head.

But then there's garden access, and carrying the shopping up the stairs, and once you've got a pushchair.... Hmm!

Top. The view, the heat from everyone else, no leaks from showers or washing machines above and no noise from above.

The stairs are great for keeping you fit and healthy

Ground floor in case of fire.

Ah yes, the view!

I've generally lived in mid-floor flats throughout my life and tbh I don't notice the noise. I think when you've grown up with it, you just tend to block it out (in fact I get creeped out when I go to stay in the country in a detached house and it's perfectly silent!). I think it's usually much warmer to be in the middle floor, which has always worked well for me. Never had issues with leaks and access to a garden isn't something we care for.

I wouldn't want to live in any flat without lifts (I've mostly lived in purpose-built blocks and am horrified by stories of friends who live in top-floor Victorian conversions where deliveries are only taken to the bottom of the stairs).

We are currently on the third floor of a 4 storey block. It would be a bit nicer to have the penthouse above (especially as it has a big terrace) but we'd have had to pay a lot more for it. It's a very modern block and we don't hear anything from the neighbours (I think the penthouse is owned by a city professional who is rarely at home). The only thing I fret about is how on earth I'd get out in a fire, but that's just my irrational thinking - I've never had a fire situation in 25 years of living in flats.