Recently some friends were out in Northern Virginia trying to decide if a new home was in their future. They were checking out various condominiums developments from Arlington to Prince William County. They quickly learned that the differences from building to building can be huge.
We aren't talking about condo fees which is something that every buyer needs to consider when they are looking at their budget but instead this is focused on construction. Many of the older "garden" style condos that they looked at reminded them of their days in a college dorm. But what they noticed the most was the noise! If they were looking at lower level units they could hear people walking around upstairs. They heard toilets flushing and when people walked by on the outside stairwells they could hear their conversations. The noise was a deal breaker and eliminated the garden style condos from their list.
Then they checked out the "high rises" and began to notice the quiet. Buildings constructed out of poured cement and steel were by far quieter than stick built construction. They also found what they labeled "hybrid" buildings. Stick built "mid-rise" condos with a thin layer of concrete poured over the standard sub-floor to help buffer noise between floors. It made them realize that not all condos in Northern Virginia are built the same and looking beyond the glitzy kitchens and nice clubhouses was going to play a huge role in their decision process.
Now they are going back to each of their top three choices at night to listen for the neighbors. If they can hear them loud and clear then the condo is off their list. They can't afford a penthouse overlooking all of the DC monuments so they are being realistic but before you sign on the dotted line for a new condo you may want to follow their lead. Go back at night or on the weekend and make sure you can live with the noise levels in your new condo.
Comments(4)