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Adequate sound insulation can deal with most of those issues (I assume group meetings is a euphemism for hearing your neighbors? Otherwise unless you’re on a co

Adequate sound insulation can deal with most of those issues (I assume group meetings is a euphemism for hearing your neighbors? Otherwise unless you’re on a condo board or something there are no such meetings in U.S. apartments in my experience, it’s not a college dorm.) I lived in concrete floored apartments for 7 years and almost never heard my neighbors. Never got any sound complaints. That said a lot of low-rise U.S. apartments are built with wood and may not be adequately insulated.

foobiekr 5y ago
Do you like open windows? Most of my neighbors like open windows. I like open windows.
dimmke 5y ago
Apartments and condos in the United States are built as cheaply as possible. Developers love the 4 over 1 style which is the most they can get away with. Combined with hideous "developer modernity" styling. Neighbor noise is the top issue with this style of housing, but it goes completely unaddressed during building. I've always wondered why nobody has tried to differentiate on that. I would be happy to live in a condo instead of a house if I felt really comfortable that I wouldn't have to deal with noise. But as it is now even if your neighbors are quiet at first, they could sell to someone with a new baby and you're screwed.
- staticman2 5y ago
  I live in a townhome built in the 80s with crazy good noise isolaton, i assume it's easier with a townhome because they just run a thick firewall between units. Still, I would think good noise isolation must exist at some condos. I imagine you could interview current residents to see how good the noise isolation is before purchasing.
  - Ekaros 5y ago
    It's entirely possible. My friend told that his almost newly built apartment had very good insulation. My parents is good as well, only noise really is the elevator if on other side of wall. My current rental isn't bad either. Though some noise get through. Last place was horrible though, specially with dog that made noises through the night... So it is possible to have good noise insulation. In general the noise from outside is bigger problem than from neighbours. Only real case with issue is renovation as any drilling or hammering through travel in structures.
  - novok 5y ago
    I think good sound isolation mostly comes as a side effect of concrete housing, or things like firewalls in the american housing market. I think it's a side effect of how house price = sqft so all the other important things go by the wayside. When I looked up soundproofing, there are techniques that involve a few layers of drywall and sacrificing like a few inches of air space to have an airgap, so it is possible to do it relatively cheaply in new construction, but then you sacrifice sqft :/

foobiekr 5y ago

Do you like open windows? Most of my neighbors like open windows. I like open windows.

dimmke 5y ago

Apartments and condos in the United States are built as cheaply as possible. Developers love the 4 over 1 style which is the most they can get away with. Combined with hideous "developer modernity" styling. Neighbor noise is the top issue with this style of housing, but it goes completely unaddressed during building. I've always wondered why nobody has tried to differentiate on that. I would be happy to live in a condo instead of a house if I felt really comfortable that I wouldn't have to deal with noise. But as it is now even if your neighbors are quiet at first, they could sell to someone with a new baby and you're screwed.

staticman2 5y ago
I live in a townhome built in the 80s with crazy good noise isolaton, i assume it's easier with a townhome because they just run a thick firewall between units. Still, I would think good noise isolation must exist at some condos. I imagine you could interview current residents to see how good the noise isolation is before purchasing.
- Ekaros 5y ago
  It's entirely possible. My friend told that his almost newly built apartment had very good insulation. My parents is good as well, only noise really is the elevator if on other side of wall. My current rental isn't bad either. Though some noise get through. Last place was horrible though, specially with dog that made noises through the night... So it is possible to have good noise insulation. In general the noise from outside is bigger problem than from neighbours. Only real case with issue is renovation as any drilling or hammering through travel in structures.
- novok 5y ago
  I think good sound isolation mostly comes as a side effect of concrete housing, or things like firewalls in the american housing market. I think it's a side effect of how house price = sqft so all the other important things go by the wayside. When I looked up soundproofing, there are techniques that involve a few layers of drywall and sacrificing like a few inches of air space to have an airgap, so it is possible to do it relatively cheaply in new construction, but then you sacrifice sqft :/