Many of us dream of living on the top floor, waking up to unblocked views every day. Given where they are situated, these units also are more breezy, bright and feel more spacious because of the higher ceiling height.
These are reasons top-floor units, including penthouses, are the most expensive units in a development.
No home is 100% perfect. Before making an offer for that top-floor unit, here are some potential issues you should know.
Water leakages
Top-floor units are more prone to water leakages, as the waterproof membrane at the rooftop wears out over time because of exposure to the sun and rain.
The worst-case scenario we have heard so far is that it can happen as often as every six months. Like this HardwareZone user.
If you are buying a resale unit, don’t just focus on how tall the ceiling of the unit is during the viewing. Look out for any water marks and mould on the ceiling.
The good thing is that you will not have to fully bear the repair costs. For these HDB units, HDB will seal up the leak and cover the repair cost. The painting cost will be borne by you, though.
Likewise, for condos, the management will fix the water leakage problem for free.
If you were to live on a lower floor, if there was a leak on the ceiling, you will usually have to liaise with the neighbour upstairs to figure out the cause of it. And it can be a hassle if your neighbour is uncooperative.
If it is caused by your neighbour, e.g. their kitchen pipe keeps leaking, then they would have to bear the full cost of the repair.
Otherwise, if it is because of wear and tear, split the cost with them.
Read this: Tackling ceiling leaks and water seepage in your HDB
Feels hotter
This sounds a little ironic, because the general understanding is that top-floor units are more windy.
But here’s the thing about top-floor units. Unlike the units below, they have more surface area that is exposed to the sun.
On top of that, if the nearby buildings are not as tall as your development, there’s nothing that provides shade for your unit.
And we all know it’s worse if it is a west-facing unit.
During the viewing, find out if there is any insulation on the rooftop that can shield the unit from the sun. Or, with HDB flats, find out if there are any solar panels installed on the rooftop.
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Low water pressure
Another issue we occasionally hear about living on a top-floor unit is the low water pressure.
So do not forget to check the water pressure during the viewing, especially if you are planning to install a rainshower for your bathroom. (After all, what is the point of having a rainshower if you are only going to get a drizzle?)
A likely explanation for the low water pressure is that some older developments have their water tank below, while newer flats have their water tanks on the rooftop.
Another explanation is that the pumps used may not be strong enough.
Louder traffic noise
This depends on where your unit is facing. You are more likely to hear louder traffic noise if the unit faces a main road or an expressway.
This happens because sound travels upwards. Those living on the lower floor units will not hear as much traffic noise because there are more structures and buildings that can absorb the sound.
The higher the unit is, the fewer structures there are that can absorb the sound.
So this is not restricted to just top-floor units as it generally occurs on higher-floor units.
(I have heard of someone living near the 30th floor complain about the noise, because the development is located a few streets away from two expressways.)
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Tremors and vibrations
Here’s another issue that is not restricted to the top-floor units, but can also be felt if you live on a higher floor.
This can arise if there’s construction nearby. One example is the construction of the North-South Corridor, leading to vibrations that affected Braddell View residents, especially those living on the 19th floor and above.
Those living on a higher floor here are also more prone to tremors caused by earthquakes in Sumatra in Indonesia. One of the recent earthquakes that some residents in Singapore felt was the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that occurred in February this year.
(I have not experienced this before when I was living on the 10th floor nearly 20 years ago, but my family has felt the tremors when there were earthquakes in Sumatra.)
One reason upper floors experience the tremors is because of the higher displacement. The building is like an inverted pendulum, so when there is seismic activity, those at the upper floors would feel the swaying more.
Interestingly, according to NLB, tremors here are generally more felt in the central and eastern areas that are on softer sedimentary materials. The western region lies on a harder rock material, which helps to dampen the tremors.
Any other potential issues of living in a top-floor unit that we missed out? Let us know in the comments section below.
If you found this article helpful, 99.co recommends Buying a property: 9 tips for picking a great resale unit and This is How to Pick the Best Units at a New Condo Launch.
About Virginia Tanggono
Virginia covers the property news in Singapore, from record sales to profile stories on home ownership. In her free time, she occasionally searches for spoilers of movies and TV shows.
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