While living in a single-family home can have its advantages, living in an apartment building with your family can also have some great benefits as well. But, just like with most things, bringing children into the equation can make things a bit more complicated. So to help ensure that everyone in your family is happy with your home situation and that you don’t run into too many problems with your landlord, superintendent, or neighbors, here are three tips for living in a large apartment building when you have children at home.
Pick Your Floor Wisely
If you have the chance to pick which floor you get to live on in your apartment building, you’re going to want to give this decision some serious thought. Kari Lloyd, a contributor to Rent.com, shares that there are both pros and cons to each level you might choose to live on. For example, living on the top floor means you won’t have any neighbors above you to make noise, but it will also take longer for you to get out of your building. On the bottom floor, it’s easy to get in and out of your apartment, but chances for crime are also a bit higher on lower floors. If you choose an apartment in the middle, you have neighbors on all sides of you, but you also have less noise from the outside world around you. So when picking the floor you want to live on, consider the lifestyle of your family and what is most important to you.
Discuss Elevator Safety
When you live in a large apartment building, your child will likely be around elevators or lifts on a regular basis. Because of this, it’s important that you talk about elevator safety with your child. Elevators can be dangerous for anyone, but especially for little children with small hands and feet. According to Ron Leshnower, a contributor to The Spruce, you should teach your child proper elevator etiquette as well as what to do if something were to ever go wrong when they’re on the elevator. The last thing you want is for your child to be scared of elevators and be determined to only take the stairs to your 18th-floor apartment.
Try Your Best To Make Friends
Living in an apartment building gives you and your kids the chance to meet people you may have never otherwise crossed paths with. So to help your kids feel safe and comfortable, Natalie Saaris, a contributor to Zillow.com, suggests that you and your kids do your best to make friends with your neighbors and others who live in your building. This can go a long way to smooth things over if you and your family ever inconvenience someone else in your building, like if you have a baby crying all night or kids that pass a cold or flu around.
If you and your kids will soon be moving into a big apartment building, consider using the tips mentioned above to make the most of this new living situation.