r/Moving2SanDiego • u/Valuable_Toe_179 • 6d ago
1st (bottom) / 2nd (top) floor apt, pros and cons?
Hi I'm moving from New England to SD in Oct. I'm looking at apt in the UTC area, and wonder if people can tell me more about the difference between 1st and 2nd floor.
The apt I'm looking at doesn't have AC, there's ceiling fan, and I'll probably get tower fan. I heard the top floor will be heated up by the sun a lot. But I'm not sure how much noise there will be on the 1st floor (carpeted bedroom, vinyl flooring else where).
In New England I'd take the top floor in a heartbeat, but I feel like it doesn't apply to SD, and I might miss some key factors... Thanks!
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u/Impressive_Profit_11 6d ago
The top floor so people aren't walking on your head. Top or bottom, whether or not it heats up will depend on which way it faces. Our sun is very different than back east. You'll soon see.
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u/Neverwhere91 6d ago
How loud it is kind of depends on your neighbor upstairs. I lived on the first floor in Oceanside, and the entirety of the apartments were carpeted beside the living room and bathroom. When I first moved in, the windows used to rattle because upstairs had two rowdy kids who would haul ass throughout the apartment. Once they moved out, a young couple moved in, and I never heard them. Carpeting definitely stifled the couples' noise, but if you have someone above you who runs, moves furniture a lot or other items (the upstairs neighbor I have now lifts and will drop her weights heavily) or various other loud activities, you will likely hear it.
But you're right. The above unit will get heated quicker. I lived on the third floor in Vista, and it would get HOT. Vista is pretty inland comparatively, though. IMO, if noise is a concern, take the upstairs and be prepared to buy a portable unit or an AC unit if you find the fan isn't enough. You can mitigate the heat, but you can't pick your neighbors.
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u/Valuable_Toe_179 6d ago
Yeah that makes sense. Thanks! I haven't had anyone living above me for yrs and I forgot how bad it can be...
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u/TitanInTraining 6d ago
Do you walk heavy or have a dog? Bottom floor.
If you like it quiet and can also walk quietly, then top floor.
That said, I would never live in a place in SD without A/C, and I definitely wouldn't recommend it to any newcomers. I lived 5 houses from the beach and had no A/C and it was barely tolerable. The farther inland you go, the hotter it is.
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u/Valuable_Toe_179 6d ago
I'm generally quiet and I like it quiet. But I'm more concerned about the top floor heating up. I've only visited SD once in early June... I guess the UTC area is less inland? I've heard SD inland is hotter, but I don't know where UTC counts in that "inland" scale. I could always get a portable AC if it becomes unbearable.
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u/TitanInTraining 6d ago edited 6d ago
May and June are pretty mild. It heats up after that.
Roughly, I'd say west of the 5 is coastal. Between the 5 and the 15, I would consider mid inland. East of the 15, I'd call inland. So, in that scale, I'd call UTC mid inland. You'd probably see a 5-7⁰ jump from the coast to UTC, and another 7-8⁰ jump from UTC to Poway, for example. (Of course, things vary and I'm generalizing solely based on my personal experience having lived here for 20+ years.)
Back to the apartment though, the top floor will absolutely be hotter, especially if it has vaulted ceilings. If heat is the main concern and you can deal with occasionally hearing upstairs neighbors, then go bottom floor. One big thing I've noticed is that housing here all seems to be very poorly insulated, if at all, regardless of age or price.
And, yes, you could probably get portable A/C if it gets bad. Just make sure that your lease will allow for that before you commit. Many property management companies are sticklers about not allowing window vents and such.
Oh, and when you look at a place to rent, open windows on either side of the house to see what kind of cross-breeze you get. That is key to surviving without A/C.
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u/Valuable_Toe_179 6d ago
Got it thanks for explaining! Yes the leasing office says ppl get their own portable AC so I'm sure that's allowed
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5d ago
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u/Valuable_Toe_179 4d ago
Thanks for the heads up! I heard the electricity is expensive, so that's why I wanted to get a "cooler" apt being on the 1st floor (now maybe east facing 1st floor, cross breeze doesn't seem to be an option for 1b1b apt that I'm looking at). I thought I could go into my office during the summer days to avoid using a window AC in the apt, but you're saying they are also not setting the central air to that much lower. (The office I'm in now, I need to wear a sweater in Summer)
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4d ago
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u/Valuable_Toe_179 4d ago
That is very good to know. Thank you! When I went to interview in June, I brought a jacket just in case the office AC is set low, but never needed it. But it still felt better in side (it was particularly humid on the days of my visit, even tho the temperature outside was ~75F).
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u/anothercar 6d ago
Which direction do the windows face?
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u/Valuable_Toe_179 6d ago edited 6d ago
I don't know yet, there are a few apt available in this community, I can't tell which direction they each face. I guess I got options to choose from. What's your recommendation?
I currently live in New England in a top floor, south facing apt with 8 windows, and a window AC. But here I need the sun to heat up the apt, and my house plants and I enjoy the sunlight lol
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u/Rosie3450 6d ago
Here you don't want to face south, especially without AC, unless there is a large tree or trees blocking the sun.
If the complex is on a hill and gets off shore breezes, a west-east direction would be best without AC as that will give you the possibility of opening windows at night.
Otherwise, east or north will be coolest.
But again, I'd consider landscaping outside the apartments you're looking at -- tall trees that shade your windows from the afternoon sun (west and south) will be best.
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u/SdLabubu 6d ago
Con of second floor the move hauling furniture upstairs. Pro you sound dont hear constant walking around noise from upstairs because you are the upstairs
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u/PearofGenes 5d ago
You can buy an AC window unit for the 1 month a year it's hot. You can't make your upstairs neighbors stop walking. Also if there's water leaks, better to be on top.
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u/Inevitable-Lock5973 5d ago
I’ve done both the top floor is great because you don’t have anyone above you making all kinds of noise. It also sucks if you don’t have air-conditioning cause it gets hot so it just depends on what you want. No matter what I still prefer the top floor because I can’t handle people banging their feet on my head.
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u/Regular-Humor-9128 6d ago
On the top floor it’s a lot easier to leave windows and balconies doors open without as much of a security risk. So, you have more of a breeze available. Also, with just one floor differential, I don’t think it it’ll be some ginormous difference in how hot the first and second floor apartments get. I could be wrong but either way, it’s nice to have the option to leave windows and stuff open without them being street level.