April 15, 2021
Purchasing a new apartment requires answering many questions. One of the most overlooked, yet important, is quite simple: which floor is best to buy an apartment on in a new residential building?
Let’s explore this question in detail.
Lower, Middle, or Upper Floors: Pros and Cons
Buying an apartment is a long-term decision. During the process, most buyers focus on major factors such as location, size, price, and layout — while the floor level is often treated as secondary. That’s a mistake, because floor level directly affects both living comfort and property value. Let’s take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of living on different floors.
Lower Floors
A strong argument in favor of ground-floor apartments is the private garden or terrace. This option is ideal for families with children or pet owners. A personal green area provides room for creativity: you can furnish it with outdoor furniture, a barbecue, or even a small play area for kids.
When it comes to safety concerns, there’s no reason to avoid lower floors. Modern residential complexes have 24/7 security and video surveillance. Moreover, in many new developments, there are no residential units on the first floor — it’s typically reserved for commercial or service spaces, with apartments starting from the second floor. In such cases, the second or third floors offer the same convenience while remaining quieter.
Living on a lower floor also means you don’t need to climb stairs or wait for the elevator — a major plus for families with small children or elderly residents. Moving furniture, renovation materials, or everyday deliveries is also much easier compared to upper floors.
The main drawbacks of lower-floor apartments are higher foot traffic and more noise, especially if the apartment faces a busy street or is located near the building’s main entrance.
Middle Floors
Apartments on the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors are the most popular among buyers — and for good reason. They are warmer, since they are heated from both above and below by neighboring units, allowing for lower heating costs in winter. They also get more natural light than ground-floor apartments and less street noise than upper levels.
Carrying groceries or moving small items is easier compared to high floors, which is particularly important in buildings without elevators.
These factors make mid-level apartments some of the most in-demand properties on the market.
Upper Floors
Top-floor apartments have their own loyal following. They are often chosen by people who love bright, airy spaces, minimal street noise, and beautiful panoramic views. If the building isn’t too close to others, you won’t have to worry about your windows being shaded.
New buildings often feature unique architectural designs on upper levels — such as spacious terraces or rooftop patios.
However, the need to climb multiple flights of stairs if the elevator breaks down can deter some buyers — particularly families with small children or elderly residents.
In many cases, top-floor apartments are priced slightly lower than mid-level ones, but it’s still worth checking the roof’s condition and insulation, even though this is rarely a concern in modern developments.
Which Floor Is the Best Choice?
There’s no universal answer — it depends entirely on your personal lifestyle and preferences.
Some people value panoramic city views from upper floors, while others prefer the convenience of ground-level access and a small garden outside their windows.
No matter which floor you choose when buying an apartment in a new building, you can be confident that the quality of life in modern developments doesn’t depend on your distance from the ground.
