Which Floor is the Best Floor to Live On?
Whether you’re looking for an apartment to rent in Malta or you’re looking for an apartment to buy in Malta, you’ll need to make a number of decisions prior to making any moves! Most probably, you’ll start with the obvious ones, such as location and size, before going on to the more obscure ones!
Certainly, you’ll need to have an idea of which location you want to live in. If you’re a person who likes to have an active social life (and you have a larger budget), you might want to consider an apartment in Sliema or St. Julian’s. This where the majority of the bars and restaurants are located and where many companies have their offices, too.
If, on the other hand, you’re looking for somewhere a bit more residential, you could try searching for a place in Mosta, Naxxar, Swieqi, Gharghur or Balzan. Alternatively, if you’re a tanning junkie, you might like to look further up north, in St. Paul’s Bay, Bugibba, Qawra or Mellieha, where you’ll be closer to the island’s best beaches.
Along with thinking about where you’d like to live, you’ll also need to think about the size and the layout you want for your apartment. How many bedrooms do you need? If you’re alone, or you’re a couple, you might choose to go for a studio or a one-bedroom apartment. This would be the cheapest option. However, if you’re expecting to have friends or family coming to stay, you might want to go for a two-bedroom place, instead.
On the other hand, if you’re a family, you might want to look for something with three bedrooms or more! Additionally, you’ll need to decide how many bathrooms you want; whether you want any outside space and if you want separate or combined kitchen/living spaces.
But what about the other decisions you’ll need to make, the ones that aren’t so easy? Like, perhaps, which floor you want to live on. Unless, of course, you have the budget to buy or rent a villa or a townhouse, this is definitely something you’ll have to decide! So, how do you know which floor is the best floor to live on, in a block of apartments, and how do you go about making this decision?
Plenty of factors can be taken into consideration when deliberating this. The perfect floor won’t be the same for everyone. There are advantages and disadvantages associated with each floor. Factors that one person would consider positive, the next person won’t. The only thing you have to worry about, however, is making the best decision for you.
If you are afraid of heights then perhaps choosing to live life in a penthouse apartment is not the best idea for you! If, however, you don’t mind heights then living in an apartment on the top floor won’t be a problem in this regard. The penthouse also usually comes with the best view, so if having a view is important to you, then the top floor, or a high floor, would be a good choice.
However, penthouses also come with their disadvantages. For starters, they’re usually the most expensive apartment in a block of flats.
In fact, normally, the higher the apartment, the more expensive it is to rent or buy. What’s more, it’s a well-known fact that heat rises. Now, if you’re living in a country like the UK (or Norway or Sweden) then living on the top floor might make you more comfortable and save you money on your heating bill! Here in Malta, however, living in the penthouse apartment can be a problem in terms of temperature. Anyone who’s spent a summer here in Malta knows just how hot it can get. The Maltese summer has everyone swearing that the thermometers are broken! Therefore, living in a penthouse can get uncomfortably hot, especially in the months between June and September.
Not only because heat rises, but also because you have nothing above you protecting your roof from the Mediterranean sun!
The ground floor also comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Ground floor apartments and maisonettes are normally the only ones in the building that come with access to a yard. The other floors will usually have a balcony, or balconies, and this is especially the case in Malta. Be that as it may, balconies can often be small and sometimes not even big enough to fit a table and chairs. As the owner/tenant of the ground floor, you’ll probably have the most outside space. However, depending on how the building is constructed, higher floors may also have a full view of and be able to see everything you do in your own yard!
Not only that, the ground floor is usually the floor that has to deal with the most noise, both from people entering and exiting the building, as well as from the road. As a resident of the ground floor, you’ll potentially hear people coming in and out of the entrance, and walking down the hallway alongside your apartment, at all times of the day and night. Furthermore, if your building is on a busy road, you’ll hear more traffic noise than your upstairs neighbours. In comparison, anyone living on a floor in the middle of the building might have noise problems, too. Potentially, living in the middle of the building will mean having to deal with noise from neighbours above, as well as from neighbours below you. You never know what sort of neighbours you’re going to get, though – they might be as quiet as mice!
The residents of the ground floor also have (debatably) the biggest security risk. This can especially be the case if the apartment has windows at street-level, which are accessible from the road. On the other hand, those who are living on the ground floor don’t have to climb any stairs or wait for lifts –which can be a determining factor for those with mobility issues, such as the disabled or elderly. Even better – the ground floor residents will always have the quickest route out of the building in an emergency situation!
Taking everything into consideration, what might seem like a simple decision (and one that you might not have even thought about before) could actually end up being the hardest of them all! As always, if you’re on the hunt for an apartment to buy or to rent in Malta, whichever floor you’re looking for, get in touch with one of our specialists! Our team at QuickLets are the experts when it comes to rentals. For sales, look to our professional and friendly team at Zanzi Homes.