Kirkland/Bothell Condo: Which unit to buy?? (hardwood floor, apartment)

[Van-Sea]

My husband and I have been looking to buy a property. We have looked a lot of homes, and finally found a new construction building. We like the finishing inside, but cannot decide which unit we want.

The biggest problem is the condo is next to the highway, you can certainly hear the noise on the south/west side of the condo. The unit we like has the nicest floor plan but facing south/west. I really love the the facing cuz it's brighter but when open the balcony door/ window, the noise just drive me crazy. I don't know if i will get used to it eventually.

Another unit has bigger floor plan and is facing east. You sure don't get that much light as the one facing south/west but it's quite!! I almost forget that it's next to the highway.

Another issue is we cannot instal hardwood floor (for now, maybe later after voted by assoiation) except the first floor. So the third option we have is the 1st floor unit facing east (the one facing south has been sold).

ok, here are the options we have:

1. nicest floor plan, facing south/west but with noise, top floor without hardwood flooring.
2. biggest floor plan, facing east, much quiter, top floor without hardwood flooring.
3. biggest floor plan, facing east, much quiter, 1st floor without hardwood flooring. (this one is not on the ground, there is underground parking underneath, so like half level high)

which one do you think is the best choice??

[Van-Sea]

there are so many highways in here, 405, I90, I5... Will it be a problem when comes to resell in the future?

[allforcats]

If you are considering purchasing this as a residence, a place for you or anyone else to live, you need to consider first and foremost how livable the place is. If it's noisy now, it will not become less noisy later. If the noise bothers you now, there's no rational reason to think it will bother you less later. Your residence should be a place of peace, comfort, relaxation, renewal and joy. If noise cancels that out for you, then cancel out the noisy place.

Close driving distance to a highway here is a good resale point. Constant audible traffic noise from that highway heard in the home or on the balcony is a bad non-resale point. Location location location.

Sunshine matters. However, in this region anyplace that faces south and/or west will absolutely bake down to the studs in late June, in July, in August, and in half of September, and it will be damned near impossible to sleep at night. The rest of the year, facing south or west won't matter since everywhere you look will be cloudy. You can use electric lights instead of southern-exposure light. I don't know how many people I've met over the years, or seen comment on these forums, saying they wish they had never moved into a place that faces south or west!

Hardwood floors are interesting. Pretty much all condos around here require carpeting in units that are located above other units -- obviously to cut down as much as possible on the noise made by the residents above. It would take an act of Congress to change that. If YOU were living on the 1st floor and the family of 5 people and a large dog above you had hardwood floors, how comfortable do you think you would be? That's why.

I would never buy a condo on the ground floor or within a quick leap or fast climb onto the balcony from the ground. Far too easy to be robbed, raped, killed. I have simply avoided that possibility for decades by purchasing on higher floors where a robber has no easy access.

[Van-Sea]

Thank you so much allforcats!!

[OnMyWay]

Just an addition to what allforcats said...

We chose to move into a 1st-floor unit in our condo because of the stunning hardwood floors, while upper floor units were not allowed to have hardwood. Unfortunately this policy is not enforced consistently throughout, and the person directly above us has hardwood (it was like that when he moved in). We suffered from major anxiety issues with all the noise he made, and he was just a single guy. He's gotten much better after we sent a couple of letters explaining it, but it's still a sore point for us. Apparently other tenants have similar problems even with carpeting above them. Most new construction is NOT built with up/down noise reduction in mind, unfortunately, so you're pretty much at the mercy of whoever lives above you

Our new policy is if we ever choose another condo or apartment, it'll have to be top floor or nothing. We simply don't want to ever deal with that again.

As for the highway noise, if it drove you "crazy" now, imagine what it'll be like every day for the next several years. You won't be able to enjoy a relaxing drink out on your balcony... I'd veto that choice without a further thought. Perhaps that complex is simply not ideally located for you?