The cities are now growing upwards as the population in cities rises and there is limited space to accommodate the growing number. The real estate developers in India are developing high-rise projects, both in luxury as well as affordable category, reaching out to the large number of home buyers across different income groups.

In fact, India will soon be home to the world’s tallest residential tower ‘World One’. This project, located in Mumbai, will have a 1,450 foot tall tower with 117 floors, and will offer apartments, duplex and even villas, reaching out to wide audience

So, if you are one of the home buyers seeking an apartment or even a villa in a high-rise residential project, one of the most crucial decisions you will have to make is to choose the right floor. High or low, each floor has its own advantages and disadvantages. Before you make a decision, weigh all the factors involved and decide what suits your lifestyle better.

Here we list some factors to assist you in your home-buying experience:

View:

Obviously, higher floors offer better views and that adds to your status quo. If this factor is important for you then go for higher floors.

Top floor view from Keerthi Gardenia, Bengaluru. (Wikimedia) Top floor view from Keerthi Gardenia, Bengaluru. (Wikimedia)

Rental Returns:

Property surveys have proved that overall lower floors command good rental returns, as Indians generally have a sense of affinity for staying closer to the ground. If you are buying a property purposely as an investment, then lower floors should be the choice for you. People, especially in in Mumbai and Bengaluru, prefer upper floors while buyers in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) and Chennai prefer ground floors. Climatic differences could be attributed for the difference in choice. For more information on property in Mumbai and Bengaluru, click here and here.

Privacy:

In congested areas, living on the lower floors could not offer much privacy. If you love solitude and wish to avoid any kind of unwanted intrusion then go towards the top.

Noise:

Many home seekers prefer higher floors to minimise the street noise or just wish to avoid the uproar that comes from other occupants walking through the common passage. However, if the ground floor flat is not located on the common hallway and is also far from the elevators, staircase or clubhouse, then noise would not be an issue for you at all.

Energy Consumption:

Power consumption increases as you go higher. It is so, because you need to run your air-conditioners (ACs) for a longer time in summers. Moreover, drawing water using motor pumps can be another heavy power consumption task.

Security:

Ground floors pose a comparatively increased crime risk as it is easy for anti-social elements to break into lower or sub-level apartments. Overall, it also depends on the structure of your high-rise and the security measures adopted by the management of your residential society.

Access:

For most of us, waiting for the elevator can be time consuming. Choose to live on the ground floor or sub-floors, so you can comfortably take the stairs.

Family Consideration:

With kids and elderly around, it is always good if your home is on the lower floors. Apart from the safety point, it also adds to the convenience factor. In addition to this, if you or someone in your family suffers from mobility impairment or has the fear of height then you should prefer living closer to the ground.

Light and Ventilation:

Apartments on the ground have comparatively limited light and ventilation when compared to the upper ones. Not only this, upper floors don’t face mosquito intrusion as well.

Water Seepage:

It is observed that generally the top floor and the ground floor suffer from water seepage and drainage issues. It also depends upon the drainage and sanitary mechanism of the residential complex.

We hope these tips will help you make the right choice.

Isha Mathur