Buying a top floor
Some buyers are looking for a top floor. Two main reasons: avoid noise pollution or look for a bright apartment with an unobstructed view.
The constraints of the top floors
In old buildings (built before 1940)
Generally the top floor houses the service rooms. Very often, when you see the mention “top floor” in a real estate ad for an old building, it is actually the level below the service rooms. Unless they were combined into an apartment. In this case the apartment is very often attic and the windows are not full height.
The downside of service rooms
Attention: if you decide to acquire a property located below service rooms, we strongly invite you to check the condition of the service floor. Also find out about the sanitary facilities: have they been created according to the rules of the art and have all the authorizations from the condominium been duly granted.
Check the minutes of the General Assemblies if there is no problem of recurrent water damage. In fact, originally these service rooms generally did not have water features. They have sometimes been created without authorization and not always in a sustainable way.
In new buildings (from the 1950s)
In recent buildings, service rooms (when they exist) are often located on the 1st floor. If you visit a recent apartment whose ad indicated “top floor”, you will not have the unpleasant surprise at the time of the visit to notice that you have neighbors living above your head.
What should you pay attention to in this case?
In the condition of the roof. Indeed, it is just above the apartment. You would be the first to suffer the consequences of poor sealing. Carefully read the minutes of the General Assemblies in search of works or problems related to the roof of the building.
