Which floor of a boutique apartment would you prefer?

I'm looking to buy an older walk-up boutique apartment in the near future and was wondering which floor is preferred and why.

I've heard:

Top floor

• often the roof is poorly insulated and it can get very hot in summer, regardless of aspect
• theoretically the quietest as you don't have any upstairs neighbours
• only likely to deal with leakages in the roof

Middle floor

• possible leakages from top floor
• can have noisy upstairs neighbours
• relatively accessible (one less flight of stairs than top floor)

Elevated ground floor

• ground floor is the most accessible (fewest or no flights of stairs)
• more likely to deal with leaks from upstairs neighbours etc.
• can have noisy upstairs neighbours
• still a bit of privacy if it's elevated

Ground floor, no elevation

• ground floor is the most accessible
• more likely to deal with leaks
• can have noisy upstairs neighbours

Would love to hear any thoughts on the matter. Also, how much more would you pay for your desired floor (compared to the same layout on another floor)?

 

Ground floor is usually the most sought after in older boutique blocks because you don’t have to climb stairs and you will have some sort of a backyard instead of a balcony.

Depending on the size of the backyard, you could be looking at 10-15% premium.

 

Backyard is great, but ground floor might be considered a break-in security risk. Also, when plumbing backs up, its the ground floor apartments that suffer.... I had that happen twice in different buildings (its a very common occurence, tree roots and people putting stuff down the toilet like t-shirts etc (yes, it happens)) and it's not pleasant at all. Also, your courtyard tends to get a lot of rubbish and blown down washing from upstairs units. Things like glass bottles from upstairs units landing in your courtyard either accidently or intentionally are dangerous.

 

As there's no lift, definitely closer to the ground

Usually I'd go for the top floor, but........
Tried ferrying your 4-5 bags of groceries from the basement carpark up 4 flights of stairs lately
Buying a new lounge, fridge or moving gets very expensive also

 

Ground floor by miles, I can understand the appeal of penthouse view though.

Ground floor wins in ease of access and even small courtyards are many multiples larger than a balcony, usually big enough for outdoor dining and a barbeque - obviously works best in a queit leafy street and not next to the freeway.

 

I'd prefer the floor with the most valuable position. That could be ground or top, depending. I wouldn't try to apply a rigid rule.

Depends on views, garden appartment, lift availability, security etc.

Judge each case on its merits.

 

Usually ground floor as more often than not it comes with a bigger outdoor space