Apartment living etiquette

Hi Willjac123 ... I made a long distance move from Yorkshire to the south to be closer to family. Consequently, I could only afford a flat. The first flat I bought was a conversion in a Victorian property, it was hell, for all of the reasons already mentioned. I managed to sell that and bought a retirement flat for over 60’s. I would recommend this for anyone on their own. It is an older building, about 35 years old, very well built, with concrete floors and solid walls. It is warm, safe, you can lock up and go without fear of being burgled. There is company if you want it, with a communal lounge and garden. A laundry, we don’t have to book, it is great to be able to dry the washing and put it away. And we have a live-in Manager to oversee it all. Of course all this has to be paid for by way of the service charge, but everyone I speak to thinks we get very good value for money, and if you are in receipt of pension credit, then it is paid for you. I had a detached bungalow in Yorkshire, and 3 noisy dogs in the garden next door ! It is so peaceful here, I will only be leaving in my box ! I actually can’t think of any negatives.

What’s the difference between a flat or an apartment?
Is it the same? So is it a generational name we always called them flats or is it just a posh name for a flat ?

I was very sad to have to leave my house , but more my garden, to live in a flat due to health situation, but have seen so many people stay too long n their house and end up going where they do not want to ive. This way I had some choice. I am in a ground floor flat , but could not bring my piano , which was rather sad and I do think about the neighbours and try to be courteous. My back is very painful, and when I was in my house if I was awake at 3am, would often go for a shower which would help a bit. Now , I would not have an early shower and if I want to watch some late tv I do put the subtitles on so that there is no sound to disturb the neighbours. but I have the railway station quite near, in case I can no longer drive my car. There are shops, the doctors surgery and a local hospital, so that hopefully I should be able to stay here for some considerable time

Re retirement complexes: I wouldn’t buy on unless that was my only option:

Management charges, they like their pound of flesh, although having the responsibility of the external and communal areas in another’s hands can be a blessing.
There is often a difficulty in selling the flat on, not very desirable in the second hand market.
If not sold and you have fallen off the perch I think your estate has to carry on paying full charges.
The residents are all of a similar age, no youthful voices about.

When you do sell often the management company take a slice of that.

A friend bought one and regretted it straight away, the residents thought themselves a cut above. The communal lounge was a wasteland of lines of sensible chairs (not homely). It was not a welcoming place at all and the “manager” was replaced by emergency cords etc. She felt very isolated and didn’t make friends there.

In France the flat is bought ground, walls and roof, there is no leasehold.

Apartments are what Americans call flats!

SueBdoo70, thank you for your comments, I find them very reassuring and you've made me feel a bit more confident about the future. But I take on board what you've said too, Madashell and Madeleine45.
It might end up as the only type of property I can afford to buy so I'll bear all that in mind.

We live in a flat as there no young children here there are no prams and they are not allowed safety reasons. We have wood floors we are 1st floor everybody in our block have wood floors even our director, who manages our flats.
We aren’t allowed dogs or cats, our neighbour as two small dogs we have a cat and so does another neighbour. We found that the next block along from us has cats. We have lived here for 17 years about 5 years ago we all bought the lease on our flats so people can do what they now.

I rented in a block of flats. There were 18 flats but arranged in groups of 6 with separate entrances so it seemed like there were just 6 flats. I was living there - top floor - for work purposes only for a couple of years so like to think I was a quiet neighbour as I rarely entertained and was usually away for weekends and holidays.

Aveline

Apartments are what Americans call flats!

I thought it was the other way around! In London I lived in a flat, in America I lived in an apartment.

BlueBelle
We’ll be using condominium soon. Another reason for a price hike.
it’s a flat ?

That's exactly what I said Arewethereyet!
Americans call flats apartments!

We live in a flat!

Here blocks of purpose built units are called apartments.

Units in old converted houses are called flats.

Bignanny2

I have just retired and bought myself a ground floor flat with a nice little private garden. The main thing that annoys me is that there are only 3 flats, I’m on the ground floor by the entrance door and there are two upstairs. I am the only one who ever cleans and the communal entrance hall. Although it’s by my flat - everyone uses it. But also the stairs to the upper floors have never been vacuumed or the banisters and walls wiped down etc. I can’t do them because of my disabilities! I think the upper flats are both rented out but I’ve never seen the landlords.

Whoever owns the freehold should clean the “common parts “ and if the leaseholders own a share of the freehold they should arrange for someone to do the cleaning paid out of the service charge.

The first home I bought was a first floor flat in a 2 storey block. My downstairs neighbour was renting so despite being on the residents/management committee I didn't know his name. After a very disturbed night, followed by being exhausted all day at work, I wrote him a note explaining the lack of soundproofing and my need to sleep. That night he arrived home with loud music blaring from his car as usual. He came in noisily, banging doors etc then clearly read my note and silence ensued. I was never disturbed by him again.
I don't suppose he meant to be inconsiderate, just hadn't realised how much his noise impacted on me. Sometimes people just need things pointed out.

Obviously I have great sympathy for those with neighbours who are truly inconsiderate but I was lucky mine was just thoughtless! I never actually met him in person but a polite note was all that was required.

Aveline

That's exactly what I said Arewethereyet!
Americans call flats apartments!

Sorry Aveline - it read the opposite way round to me but I see it now ?

Where is here vintage jazz?

What is selfish idiot.

I used to live in a ground floor flat, just four flats, it looked like a big pair of semi-detached houses....anyway, the first time my now husband stayed over (in the spare room, it was early days!) we were woken up at 3am by a loud ringing noise, he nearly had a heart attack! then we got back to sleep and it happened again at 4am and then 5am. It seemed the young man upstairs (who wasn't living there at the time) disapproved of me having what he called 'gentleman callers' .. I was in my 60's then and my only other visitor had been my son. He had put an alarm clock on the floor (without carpets) under a bucket, so it sounded like nothing on earth! I never forgave him for that, and when he wanted to sell (all 4 flats had a share in the freehold) I hung on to my transfer form and wouldn't sign it until he had apologised (grovelled). Now we live in a terraced house, and have to put up with screaming (and I mean REALLY screaming) children either side, one side look after their grandchildren every day and have them visit weekends, they are also deaf, so we get the worst of both worlds from that side... I long to win the Lotto and get a little cottage in the middle of a field!!

I moved back to the UK and bought a specialist retirement apartment so I could avoid maintenance ....hoped to use (and was happy to pay for !) a maintenance team for things like light bulb replacing in the ceiling etc ...things I can no longer due (getting ancient now !) BUT the only maintenance team belongs only to the building ...so have to find tradesmen which is difficult ...but use Check a Trade and have eventually found everyone I need ! Sadly due to Covid all activities stopped ( ie weekly film club etc) I only bought it so I could travel, and again, could only travel in the COVID restriction intervals (have got lots in though !) so that there would always be someone to keep an eye on it ....again one snag is I cannot have a cat (I had three in France) (who I found lovely homes for).....residents charges are very very expensive, and parking has to be paid for and there are 42 flat and 20 space and no allowance for visitors or even medical people if needed. Sadly the age WAS over 50 but of course some have been here for years and are now well over 80 and have carers ...it is getting more like a care home every day (mind you, I guess maybe one day I will need one ha ha !) .....overall because of the reasons I bought it (security, 1 min from the beach, the Metro, public transport, cheap taxis, a ferry and an international airport) I am pleased with it .......did look to buy a bungalow but again, didn't feel secure on my own (husband died in France in 2019 so that and Brexit are the reason I moved back ) .........it is 'ok' but I do have to remind myself sometimes of why I bought an apartment and not a house !

for the pedants:
We call them condos if you own them, and apartments if you rent. The word flats is not used here in Canada, but I'm not sure about US usage.

Silverlining. In Germany neighbour noise is just not tolerated. Definitely no hard flooring. Noise on communal stairs is immediately reported to appropriate body. One thing I liked was if noise from your car ie radio, music, can be heard outside its a motoring offence and people don't hesitate to report the vehicle. We can do with a bit more "officialdom" as respect for others is quickly disappearing in UK.

Even if you have a 'share of freehold' and have bought your flat, you still have a lease!

i live in a flat that has indoor stairs to bedrooms and bathroom, when i moved in 20 years ago there was no children, my son had to be over 16, now it is full of children making noise and mess, there is 4 landings and nobody is allowed wooden floor above the 1st landing but they still put it in and h/a has not bothered to do anything, the person above me used to come in at 3am and put the washing machine on, slam drawers and microwave door, clicking across the wooden floor with her high heels, now i have children above and below. i try so hard to be considerate, headphones on late at night, rubbish put in bins (not left at side for seagulls). we do have rules but people don't bother and h/a just send out letters that everyone ignores. i have some good neighbours and one contacted my friend on another landing and she saved my life a few weeks before christmas when i got sepsis (hospital said if i had gone to sleep that night i would not have woke up). i stay here for the few friends i have and that is worth putting up with the other things.