Highrise buildings in Kolkata are a common sight now. As opposed to the situation till a few years ago when highrises meant only office buildings, residential highrises are quite common these days.
Any building having a height of more than 15.5 metre is considered a highrise in Kolkata Municipal Area. In other places, buildings higher than 14.5 metre are considered highrises.
Presently, Kolkata prides itself on many highrise buildings. Apart from office buildings, there are highrise apartment complexes and hotels.
In fact, The 42 in Kolkata is one of the tallest buildings in India.
If you are buying an apartment in a highrise building, should you buy it at the highest floor available?
Before you answer this question, you must consider the following factors.
The answer is not simple as you will see.
Privacy Concerns
If privacy is one of your priorities, then you should prefer to stay on higher floors. Lower floors do not offer much privacy and exclusivity as compared to the higher floors.
Higher floors are generally much quieter and more peaceful.
Safety & Security
The lower floors are generally considered somewhat unsafe in a highrise building because they can be accessed easily.
However, buying an apartment on the lower floors is more economical and you should thoroughly examine the security arrangements like CCTV, etc. before taking a decision.
However, if you consider fire safety, higher floors are of questionable security as the Fire Brigade often finds it difficult to fight a fire on the top floors of highrises because of a dearth of equipment.
However, the developer can obtain the completion certificate when it gets clearance from the fire department. Therefore, when the apartment you are buying has a completion certificate, you know that it meets the fire department’s safety criteria.
Nevertheless, you must also examine the fire safety arrangements like fire extinguishers, fire exits, etc. in a highrise in great detail.
Apart from these, there should be at least 2 elevators in any highrise and wide stairways so that there can be easy exit in the case of any emergency.
Natural Light & Air Flow
Higher floors are airier and draw more natural light than the lower floors. Moreover, there is much less air and sound pollution.
Especially during the winter, air pollutants like smoke and fine dust particles gather around the ground and the upper floors are relatively pollution free.
Even in the dry seasons, dust pollution is not that high on the top floors of a highrise.
Additionally, lower floors are generally cooler than the higher floors in a highrise building. This is especially important in a city like Kolkata where the summer is quite harsh and long.
Lower temperatures on the lower floors help you to conserve electricity as there is a reduced need for air-conditioning.
Mobile Network
Nowadays, we are dependent on mobile phones for many functions. For example, a simple credit or debit card transaction involves an OTP sent on the mobile. Poor mobile network coverage can be problematic in such cases.
Often, the top floors of a highrise lack mobile network signal strength. This can be a major irritant and in the case of an emergency, potentially dangerous.
You must ensure that there is proper mobile network coverage in the building. Nowadays, telephone companies do cooperate to fix any problem if it is brought to their attention.
Mosquitoes, and Other Pests
In the higher-floor apartments, the occurrence of pest infestation is very less. In fact, there is hardly any mosquito also on the top floors.
Fewer mosquitoes and other pests mean a reduced chance of diseases like Dengue.
View from the Top
Living on the higher floors of a highrise building has another benefit.
This is one of the major considerations why large number of homebuyers prefer to stay at the top floors in a highrise building.
A top-floor apartment can offer an unhindered view of the city.
Not only this is esthetically pleasing but also mentally relaxing.
The view from a high floor of a highrise overlooking the golf course, the Maidan, or the Ganges is overwhelming.
However, there is a price to pay for such a pleasing view. Apartments on the higher floors of a highrise are usually charged a premium above the base price.
Developers charge a Preferential Location Charge (PLC) for higher floors in vantage directions.
Living in the clouds has its costs.
Benefits of Staying on Lower Floors
One of the biggest benefits of buying an apartment in the lower floors of a highrise is the lower price.
As the lower floors do not attract any PLC or additional charges, your budget can be considerably lower than the apartment costs on higher floors.
Another important consideration for the aged souls is the ease of staying on lower floors. There is no worry of the elevator not working and climbing so many floors.
There are other benefits of staying on the lower floors.
Staying on the lower floors allows you to join all the community events quite easily. A little less exclusivity, but big on community.
Rental Income
If you are buying an apartment for rental income, do remember that some floors are easier to rent out that the others.
Although it depends on the area and other factors, higher floors usually attract tenants fairly easily in Kolkata.
The Final Word
When deciding to buy an apartment in a highrise, you need to consider several factors as regards the choice of floor.
Apart from the price of the apartment, you must also consider the above factors before you confirm your purchase. Additionally, you need to consider the location, connectivity with your workplace and children’s schools, and other infrastructure nearby.
NK Realtors have several highrise projects in its kitty and if you wish to choose from a basket of top-class properties, contact us right now.
