Take upstairs or downstairs of a duplex?

[release213]

I am not going to be able to see this place in person due to time constraints but I saw photos. The photos of the duplex looked good enough (imo) and this is only for 1 year so I'm leaning towards signing the lease.

I have the option of taking upstairs or downstairs. Is it usually better to take upstairs over downstairs? The winter can get harsh in that city so any thoughts on which could be warmer inside? My other concern is noise. Since it could be an older duplex, there might be more noise to deal with from people walking around if I lived in the downstairs one.

 

[olds]

Do you prefer your cockroaches going up or down?

 

[lxskllr]

I'd go with downstairs. I think it would be more energy efficient, and I'd rather deal with other's noise rather than constrain myself from making noise.

 

[MongGrel]

Heat rises, and I hate having people walking on my head are my thoughts I guess.

But I've had my own house 20 years I guess, but used to be in apartments.

I'd go upstairs myself.

 

[zerocool84]

Yup, heat rises, plus you'll make more noise being on the second floor so if you live down below you'll be able to hear them doing stuff. If you live up top you won't hear them since you'll be the one making the noise.

 

[preslove]

Also, safety-wise, the downstairs has more exposed possible entrances thieves, because of the windows, vs the upstairs with just one door.

 

[Bill Brasky]

Upstairs no question. You never want have people living above you if at all possible.

 

[Strk]

Considering the house I grew up in, I'd say upstairs. My mother and brother walked around like a couple of clydesdales.

 

[Poulsonator]

Upstairs no question. You never want have people living above you if at all possible.

+1

 

[Imp]

According to British TV, the poors lived on the lower floors, so you be da cools just for living on floor number two.

And if you ever leave a faucet on... you'd be screwed, but so will your neighbor!

 

[Murloc]

if there's any chance it's old or badly insulated, absolutely upstairs.
You don't know how much walking around at night your neighbours will do and how elephantic they are. Too much risk.

Also on the ground floor it might be more humid, and it might have easy-to-break-into windows.

 

[RaistlinZ]

Upstairs x 100

 

[l0cke]

Downstairs because moving furniture up stairs is hard.

 

[mrjminer]

Upstairs. For the above reasons, and plus you don't have to hear people's piss and shit plopping when they go to the bathroom.

 

[blackangst1]

Heat rises, and I hate having people walking on my head are my thoughts I guess.

But I've had my own house 20 years I guess, but used to be in apartments.

I'd go upstairs myself.

This.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Downstairs because moving furniture up stairs is hard.

That's something you only have to do once. The rest of the benefits of being upstairs happen every day.

 

[dr150]

Upstairs x 10000000.

Ask any owner/renter how annoyed they become when you hear footsteps, toilet, etc from neighbor.

 

[Anonemous]

Up unless you like being stomped on. Heating bill is also less since heat rises. You can actually open your windows without people walking by to check out what to steal. Only con being upstairs is gets hot in the summer.

 

[Imp]

Fire and smoke also rise if you really are worried about irresponsible neighbors.

 

[Kyle]

Upstairs. For the above reasons, and plus you don't have to hear people's piss and shit plopping when they go to the bathroom.

Huh? I live w/ people above me and have never heard that. The footsteps bothered me for a couple months maybe but now I don't even notice it - I absolutely hated living above people that would bang on the ceiling for being too loud/walking too loud, sub being too loud etc. I'm in the minority but I'd take the bottom floor.

 

[mrjminer]

Huh? I live w/ people above me and have never heard that. The footsteps bothered me for a couple months maybe but now I don't even notice it - I absolutely hated living above people that would bang on the ceiling for being too loud/walking too loud, sub being too loud etc. I'm in the minority but I'd take the bottom floor.

It depends on the location of the bathroom and the thickness of the floors. Most apartments I've had have the bathrooms in the same location, so it's only something you'd usually notice if you're in the bathroom at the same time as the residents above you taking a shit or something. Doesn't happen very frequently

Rarely would I go into a bathroom then be greeted by sound of someone dropping their kids off at the pool, but one of my friends lived below a 400 pound behemoth woman who regularly subjected anyone who entered his bathroom to the sound a muffled uzi. That was enough for me to never get a floor apartment since

 

[TridenT]

It really depends on the place. Generally, I'm a downstairs kind of guy. But that's in places where I'm not going to hear others walking around all the time...

Since you have no idea as to the quality of this place... UPSTAIRS, MOTHERFUCKER

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Upstairs

 

[MrSquished]

Upstairs no question. You never want have people living above you if at all possible.

this is true in some instances. newer, usually more higher end 'luxury' apartment/condo buildings are built with thick concrete floors - you will not hear the people above you.

in a duplex though, definitely more possible.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Its always better to be the A-Hole walking on the ceiling rather than be the guy listening to the A-Hole walking around on the ceiling