best floor to live on

The Best Floor to Live On in an Apartment Building

When searching for apartments, there’s always so much to consider, like location, price, proximity to parking or public transportation and closet space.

However, there’s another factor to consider in the apartment hunt that has the potential to profoundly impact your day-to-day lifestyle: which floor is best to live in an apartment. There are benefits and drawbacks to all the different floors, from the ground floors to a top floor apartment.

Which floor is best to live in apartment buildings

What’s the best apartment floor to live on? The top-floor apartments have great views and privacy, but ground-level apartments are usually more affordable. In other words, there are pros and cons to living on a lower floor or a higher floor.

Penthouse views from top floor apartments

Pros and cons of living in a top-floor apartment

Like all things, there are important factors to consider about living in top-floor apartments, like if the building has an elevator to access the higher floors.

Pro: Less noise

Top-floor apartments rarely have to deal with noise coming from both outside of the building and inside from other tenants. However, if you’re a noisy neighbor, living on the top floor could create some potential problems with your downstairs neighbors on the lower floors.

Pro: Panoramic views of the city

The panoramic views from top-floor apartments are nothing to complain about. However, keep in mind that you might not need to seek out a penthouse apartment to get the views you desire. You might be able to see the same sights from the middle floors, which could save you money in the end.

When touring the apartment initially, observe the view so you can make an informed decision before signing the lease.

Pro: Increased security

One advantage of living on the higher floors of an apartment building is that it’s typically safer than lower-level apartments. Depending on the layout of the apartment building and its built-in security measures, basement and ground-level apartments can pose a higher risk of criminal activity and break-ins than apartments on the top floors.

If your prospective apartment is in a high-rise building with a doorman, is within a gated community, has on-site security or requires a FOB or code for access, crime is less likely to occur.

However, if you fear that criminals could easily access a ground-floor window without an alarm system or bars, you might consider “moving on up” to a higher apartment floor.

Pro: More exposure to natural light

Living on the top floor gives you added height and more exposure to natural sunlight. Natural sunlight is a great way to brighten up your place, especially if it’s a small floor plan. While natural light is great, it can also make your place hotter, so keep this in mind when you budget for utilities. You can also enjoy fresh air courtesy of higher-up breezes.

Pro: Fewer pests

Living on the top floor means fewer visits from unwanted pests and critters. Bugs and other pests typically live in or on the ground outside, so they’re more likely to infest apartments that are closer to where they live in nature.

Con: Added cost for rent and utilities

Apartments with the same or comparable floor plans are typically more expensive the higher up they are. And don’t forget that heat rises. That goes for utility costs, as well. Your monthly electric bill could potentially skyrocket in the summer, especially if you live in a warm climate, like the South.

If money is tight, you should strongly consider these factors when choosing which apartment floor to live on and rent. The abundant sunlight drenching your apartment coupled with the “heat rises” concept is sure to minimize heating costs in the winter. However, that same combination might drive up your air-conditioning bill in the summer.

Con: More difficult to access

Living in a top-floor apartment might be attractive, but how easy is it to get there? Does your building have an elevator, or are we talking four to five flights of stairs every time you come and go? How easy would it be to get to your apartment with two weeks’ worth of groceries?

Make sure to pay extra attention to the ease — or difficulty — of getting up to your place. Additionally, there’s the added element of the actual move in and move out, which results in lots of trips up and down the stairs. Keep in mind, apartments that are more than three stories high must have elevator access to meet ADA standards. On the other hand, walking up and down all those stairs does save you from getting a fitness center membership.

Con: Limited emergency evacuation options

Living on a higher floor can often make evacuating during a fire or natural disaster much more difficult than just walking down a few flights of stairs. Check out the evacuation route and plan for your apartment complex.

Will you be walking down 20 flights of darkened stairs filled with smoke? How many apartments and residents are below you that will also be evacuating at the same time? These questions aren’t meant to scare you, rather more to prepare you. It’s smart to have an emergency evacuation plan in mind when moving to an apartment, regardless of the floor.

Con: Building conditions may impact apartment

Most apartment complexes will have a maintenance team dedicated to the care and upkeep of the place. If you choose to live on the top apartment floor, you want to check out the conditions of the exterior roof and see if any damage has occurred that’ll directly affect your apartment.

Ground-floor apartment with tons more natural light than most you see at this level.

Pros and cons of living in ground floor apartments

A ground-floor apartment, too, boasts some enticing amenities. When looking for the perfect place in an apartment complex, consider all that a ground-floor apartment has to offer to ensure it meets your wants and needs in a home.

Pro: Easier to access

The first floor of an apartment is ideal for bringing in heavy loads, such as your furniture when moving or that big trip to the grocery store. You don’t have to carry things all the way to the top floor. The ground floor might be the best choice.

Also, if your health will prohibit you from walking up and down the stairs frequently, ground-floor apartments are beneficial.

Pro: Reduced cost of rent and utilities

Living on the ground floor will help you save on utility bills. The lower floors make for a less expensive air-conditioning bill in the summer as the cool air naturally reigns in lower locations. Also, you’ll likely have less exposure to natural sunlight, which will keep your place cooler in the hot months of summer.

And sometimes, apartment complexes will offer lower monthly rent prices for the bottom level because it lacks the views some people desire. Apartments on the top floors always fetch higher prices because of the views. So, living on the bottom floor can help you save money on rent and utility bills.

Pro: More options for outdoor space

Living on a ground floor unit could mean easy access to outdoor space like a backyard or courtyard, which is great for tenants with pets, kids or people who love entertaining outdoors. This isn’t always the case, but it’s something to keep in mind when deciding which apartment floor you want to rent.

Con: Potentially more noise

While street noise might be a con in first-floor apartments, you also get the benefit of not having to worry about bugging a neighbor below you. If you’re the type who brings a recording of city noises with you on vacation so you can actually fall asleep, the ground floor might be your perfect place to land.

On the other hand, late-night vacuuming or the high-heel lover upstairs might get annoying for a first-floor dweller. Decide how much or how little noise you can tolerate from potentially loud neighbors before making the decision about which apartment floor to live on.

Con: Potential for more pests in the home

When you live on the ground floor, you’re generally more susceptible to getting unwanted pests than on a higher floor. This is a major turn-off for some renters. Pests can access the bottom apartment floor more easily, but if you don’t mind killing the occasional roach or have a great plan for pest control, you’re good to go.

Middle floor apartments might be the best floor for families hoping to save on utility bills

Pros and cons of living in a middle-floor apartment

The top and bottom floors are both great options depending on what you’re looking for in an apartment rental, but when it comes to heating and cooling and worrying about the trek to and from the apartment, each showcases opposing extremes. As a result, the middle floors are, in a sense, just right.

Pro: Consistent bill price

The middle floor may not get a seasonal break from heating and cooling costs, but it usually sees a steady power consumption rate during each season. If you’re someone who likes to live on a steady budget, the middle apartment floor can help you plan a more stable budget.

Pro: Easier access to your home

While the middle floor has both top and bottom neighbors, it doesn’t demand a huge hike up the stairs. And if your building has an elevator, access is essentially a non-issue. Living on the middle floor gives you a little workout, but you won’t work up a sweat every time you go home.

Pro/con: Some noise levels

Mid-level apartment floors like those on the third floor aren’t exposed to street traffic noise. However, you’re surrounded by a lot of neighbors and foot traffic in the hallways is a trade-off there.

Choosing the right location to rent

Home is a place of comfort and peace, so you want to ensure it has everything you need to feel safe, secure and happy. Everything from the cost of the apartment to which apartment floor you choose is important. Not sure you want to live in a high-rise apartment building? Determine which type of rental layout is right for you.

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