Crazy Condo Neighbors

[emily_in_nc]

ishhh and I was looking into selling our home (too big for us) to get a nice - high-end - condo when we retire in 6 years. Not so sure anymore.

Stick to the top floor and you should be fine. I guess you can still end up with some crazies, but at least their noise shouldn't drive you crazy!

[Helene2013]

Right. But we're not there yet! Who knows...we may be fulltimers in a motorhome (we'll be in our late 50s so enough time to enjoy life) and if we don't like the neigbhours, you can just move the rig somewhere....pretty easily.

[Pax]

Right. But we're not there yet! Who knows...we may be fulltimers in a motorhome (we'll be in our late 50s so enough time to enjoy life) and if we don't like the neigbhours, you can just move the rig somewhere....pretty easily.

That's what we're considering as well. Just travel for a while and see where we'd prefer to be.

[emily_in_nc]

Us too...I think a motorhome is our next adventure!

As for "carpet required" rules for condos, I suspect these rules are less common these days as hardwood and tile floors are much more popular than carpets and it would hurt sales if such a rule were in effect. Many older units are being upgraded with hardwoods or tile these days. In Belize, all our condo floors were tile, and boy, did the noise carry from the floor above. Even side to side, with concrete walls in between, we had a unit on one side of us and could hear them sliding furniture around, though we couldn't hear their TV or conversations. There should be laws requiring everyone in multi-family housing to use pads under their chair and table legs! We did, but no one else in our building seemed to.

[ny biker]

Us too...I think a motorhome is our next adventure!

As for "carpet required" rules for condos, I suspect these rules are less common these days as hardwood and tile floors are much more popular than carpets and it would hurt sales if such a rule were in effect. Many older units are being upgraded with hardwoods or tile these days. In Belize, all our condo floors were tile, and boy, did the noise carry from the floor above. Even side to side, with concrete walls in between, we had a unit on one side of us and could hear them sliding furniture around, though we couldn't hear their TV or conversations. There should be laws requiring everyone in multi-family housing to use pads under their chair and table legs! We did, but no one else in our building seemed to.

It's not a wall-to-wall carpet requirement, but a requirement to cover at least 80% of the floors with rugs of some kind. It's pretty standard in many apartment buildings. Unless you're on the top floor, your life is miserable without such a rule. Even on the top, you can hear more noise from downstairs and next door when there are not enough rugs. And without sufficient rug coverage, you are basically giving up all privacy because your neighbors know everything you are doing at all times. When my upstairs neighbor had only a couple of small rugs, I knew everything about her. I knew she abused her dog by locking it in a cage in the corner for most of the day. I knew when she zipped up her suitcase before leaving for a trip. I knew when she was having sex with her boyfriend (it was the only time she was quiet.)

[shootingstar]

We don't have that carpet rule where I live. I don't hear people walking upstairs. I do think my building in terms of the floor structure has been constructed to avoid much noise. Would I be bothered by children running around upstairs? No, as long as the children weren't beaten by parents. That would bother me.

I grew up surrounded by 5 siblings and have memories of crying infant sister when I was 10 yrs. old.

I think the guy upstairs cares about his place that he owns (even if he likes crashing through the muddy wilderness in his Hummer. I can see his dirty car in garage which he spends money at the car-wash.) because I think he invited a bunch of (drunk) friends for a short chat about 1 yr. ago They kept on using the bathroom... for an hr.

Thereafter I haven't heard anything. I bet he (and girlfriend I think), really didn't want people tromping all over his place using his bathroom indiscriminately.

Lest people think condo living is a terrible thing.....for certain if you will be single for a huge chunk in your life and as you age, just make sure there's someone else to look after garden, lawn, running up and down 2nd floor, basement, etc. I have a single 51 yr. sister who has a semi-detached home in Toronto. She has no children. She now has some balance problems because of an ear infection/disorder right now. And it will be long term.

[Trek420]

Stick to the top floor and you should be fine. I guess you can still end up with some crazies, but at least their noise shouldn't drive you crazy!

We're ground floor end unit. Our upstairs neighbor is nice, we rarely hear her and get along well. Our next door neighbor, also pleasant. He's a student and pretty quiet. But that could be because his parents own the unit above him also.

Crazy condo lady has a penchant for over-watering randomly wherever she can. We removed 3 large plants, totally root rotted. It's been raining hard as per usual in the sunny PNW and today she was still out there watering our grounds with the public hose of the building.

We'll be removing that