Top Or Bottom? 3 Apartment Rental Considerations And How They're Affected By Top And Bottom Floor Living

Choosing an apartment can be a difficult decision to make, and one of the trickiest things to decide is which floor to live on. To help you with this, below are three apartment considerations you'll need to make and how they are affected by both bottom and top floor living. 

Burglary and Theft

When it comes to the issue of break-ins, it's clear that top floor apartments are much safer than bottom floor apartments. The only way of breaking into your apartment will be your windows and your front door, and most burglars won't fancy the lengthy trip up multiple flights of stairs to break into a property. Chances are they'll be looking for an easy target, and, unfortunately, bottom floor apartments pose an easier challenge than those on the highest floor.

Now, this doesn't mean that bottom floor apartments are unsafe to live in. Rather, you just have to be a little more conscientious with your home security:

• Make sure that all windows are shut tight and locked before going to bed.

• Never leave your front door open, even if you're just nipping out to the grocery store.

• Make friends with all of your neighbors; they'll be able to keep an eye on your apartment when you are out of the premises.

• Leave a light on when you're out of the apartment. This is a great way to deter any would-be burglar from targeting your apartment.

Noise

Living in an apartment block means that you are inevitably going to be subject to some outside noise. Whether it's people coming in and out of the building, or the traffic on the street outside, you will have to deal with some form of noise during your stay in the apartment. But which location gives you the best chance at a sound-free night?

Bottom floor apartments can be slightly noisier than top floor apartments, but this depends entirely on your neighbors and their day-to-day habits. The reason for this is that apartments on lower floors have to deal with noise from the apartment immediately above. Top floor apartments benefit from not having an upstairs neighbor, which means no footsteps, washing machines, or the sound of chairs being dragged across a wooden floor. Again, the benefit of top floor living depends entirely on your neighbors, so it's a good idea to introduce yourself to the apartment block when scoping out your next rental! This will give you a better idea of where potential noise could come from and whether or not it's worth moving up a few floors.

Energy Bills

Energy bills can vary between those living on the top floor and those living on the bottom floor; however, it isn't as clear cut as saying one outperforms the other across the board. Which location performs the best depends entirely on one thing – the climate of the location you live in.

If you live in an area that is cold for large parts of the year, top floor living can reduce your energy costs due to the movement of heat energy up through the complex. This simple law of physics can dramatically reduce your energy bills because other inhabitants of the complex will have their central heating cranked way up when it's cold.

However, if you live in an area that is relatively warm for most of the year, your energy bills may be higher by living on the top floor. This is because you will have to keep your air conditioning system on for longer periods of time, keeping you cool from both the climate and the heat from the apartments below.

For further assistance, contact local professionals, such as those from Kimball Real Estate.