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It really depends on the construction of the apartment. Most apartment complexes are constructed of cheap material which usually translates to poor drywall and insulation, which equals NOISE. I lived in an apartment for 7 years and I was able to hear normal conversations going on in the neighboring units, people walking, computer games (Farmville, when it first came out) when I was trying to sleep, romantic relations, babies crying all night, etc....
My suggestion would be to take a top floor apartment, and an end unit, meaning that you can have a bedroom that doesn't share a wall with a neighboring apartment (if that is how the floor plan is laid out).
The best apartments in my opinion though are duplexes. They are often separated from your neighbor by a garage, and you usually don't share walls.
One thing I recommend is when a person wants to move to a certain area, I say go in the evening and check out the area, when most people are home, how loud is it, how is parking, etc? I've found that helps me gauge if a new place is a good area to live in
Construction of the apartment plays a big role in noise. If you can find a concrete highrise apartment you will likely have less noise problems than a stick built four-plex type building.
And also pay attention to the period of construction! I lived in a high rise in Minneapolis, constructed in 1970, with, yes!, poured concrete walls between the units (they don't construct high rises like that anymore! ) and never, ever was there a noise issue!
In Mexico, given you can't even get insurance on any wooden structure including a house, it's concrete all the way, even between the units in the building.
You know this country, build it as fast as you can, and with that you need wooden construction, thanks to the powerful, lobbying forces of our lumber companies, who will forever dupe you into believing concrete construction being more expensive!
Build with concrete, better insulation from noise, and it'll take 2-3X longer to build, and developers are too impatient for that! Shame on all of them!!!
I disagree with another poster who talks about "riff-raff" and price of rent. In my experience, there is NO correlation whatever between the two.
I'm inclined to agree with this, although perhaps not quite as vehemently.
I hated living in apartments.
Some neighbors are disrespectful of others and play their music loudly, stomp through their apartments, argue loudly, etc. Some issues aren't quite as much about disrespect and are more about living in such close quarters and sharing walls with complete strangers who have completely different lives and schedules. These are just a few of the "normal" things that you might hear on a typical day when you live in an apartment:
-Deadbolts being locked and unlocked.
-Babies crying.
-Doors closing (not even being slammed...in the last apartment that I lived in, you didn't have to "slam" the door for it to be heard by the neighbors)
-Cars starting and pulling in at odd hours, such as by neighbors who have to leave early in the morning or who work night shifts.
-Neighbors having reasonably-quiet phone conversations while walking in and out of their homes.
-Coughing.
-Dogs walking across the floor at odd hours.
-Exercising.
-Bass from music or movies that are otherwise being played at reasonable volumes.
-Pots and pans being "banged" while cooking or washing/putting away dishes.
-Vacuuming during the evening or early in the morning, which may be the only convenient time for the person's shift/schedule.
-Things being accidentally dropped.
-Furniture being moved.
The list goes on and on and on. And, in my experience, even the more expensive apartments that are supposed to have higher-quality, better-insulated walls have these same issues.
Who wants to hear every little thing that his/her neighbors are doing at every single moment? Kind of keeps you on edge all the time, in a way, and can make it hard to sleep or relax. Also, who wants to live somewhere where you live in fear of neighbor and landlord complaints for being generally respectful but trying to live a normal life? Especially when the rent for many apartments is not cheap at all?
Plus, you usually have to deal with parking issues, maintenance workers who want to come in at any time that is convenient for them (even when you aren't there, which isn't my cup of tea, really), strangers moving in and out all around you at various times, etc. etc. etc. Oh yeah, and don't forget nosy neighbors who are always in your business. If you have a weekend guest, expect complaints about parking and a letter or phone call from your property manager asking if you are going to be adding the person to the lease...even if he/she only stays for one or two days when your lease only requires permission for a seven-day stay or longer....
Can you tell I prefer single family home rentals yet? I really can't think of many benefits of apartments at all, other than maybe in an area where they're all that is available. I know that around here, single family homes are generally similarly-priced or cheaper than apartments.
Expect to always be aware of your neighbors. Get an apartment on the top floor. Have an escape plan. Really, if you have any choice at all, don't get an apartment. Some are better than others.
Procure a snubnosed .38 revolver. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to use, proficient and basically foolproof.
We have hardwood floors and as much as I loved them in my home, they are a problem in the
apartment. I have Herman Munster clomping around all hours at night & vacuuming at 1:00 am.
Everyone does not have these experiences but we do. So next year, after this 2 year experiment
of moving to a new place, we will move and look for a home.
In our community they just decided a few months ago to start up quiet time. No music , vacuuming etc , in other words everyone has to settle down between the hours of 10PM to 8am and for the most part it works ! I do not like dogs but we have alot of them here and I hear nothing and security comes through periodically through the night .
In our community they just decided a few months ago to start up quiet time. No music , vacuuming etc , in other words everyone has to settle down between the hours of 10PM to 8am and for the most part it works ! I do not like dogs but we have alot of them here and I hear nothing and security comes through periodically through the night .
For this night shifter worker, who sleeps from 10am to 6pm everyday, I'd thoroughly enjoy living there! Let's not forget the night shift workers!!!
If you actually have the option, I would locate detached housing, rather than take a chance of possibly being miserable. It doesn't mean that you would necessarily experience bad neighbors in an apartment, which I think is generally not the case and you could possibly do so even in a house, from what I've read. It doesn't seem to matter as to which "socio-economic" environment it may be, because I believe it comes down to personality, as to being considerate or inconsiderate, the latter being rude and self-involved, apparently. Good luck and happy housing!
For this night shifter worker, who sleeps from 10am to 6pm everyday, I'd thoroughly enjoy living there! Let's not forget the night shift workers!!!
Exactly! This is why headphones and earbuds in apartments should be mandatory. Of course most complexes don't even have quiet hours (at least that are respected). The point is that unless silence is 24/7, someone is going to suffer.
For 90% of human history, warehousing human beings in a building, housing people unrelated to each other, did not happen. To pretend that one can live happily and successfully in shared housing, or in cramped stand-alone houses in congested neighborhoods, is bull-pucky.
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) and never, ever was there a noise issue!
Shame on all of them!!!
I really can't think of many benefits of apartments at all, other than maybe in an area where they're all that is available. I know that around here, single family homes are generally similarly-priced or cheaper than apartments.
Let's not forget the night shift workers!!!
