5 Things To Know About Low-rise Apartment Versus High-rise Apartments
You’re in the residential market in Hyderabad to buy a new apartment, but are having trouble deciding the type of home to buy! On one side, you have massive high-rises built on huge land parcels, and on the other hand, you have low-rise home constructed on a smaller plot of land. Low-rise in Hyderabad are mostly part of a stand-alone buildings which do not go beyond five floors.
In both these options, you will need to be governed by price, location, and amenities. These considerations along with your priorities will decide whether you want to have your family live in a ‘big’ or ‘small’ building or complex.
To help you with your decision making in choosing the right home to buy in Hyderabad, given below is a brief description of the key differences between high-rise and low-rise apartments. It gives you a list of factors you need to evaluate to reach the most logical, rational and emotionally correct decision. The article helps you clear the clutter, and help take a well-informed decision.
Let’s begin…
What’s a High-rise and low-rise apartment?
Before beginning our comparison, let’s get an understanding of what we mean by a ‘high-rise apartment’ and a ‘low rise apartment’. A high rise essentially refers to a building over a certain height or number of stories.
In Hyderabad, this is usually more than 18 metres as per definition by GHMC. Simply put, these are buildings over 5 floors.
However, the general public consider considers any building with over 9 floors as high-rise.
In Mumbai, which is the city of high-rises, a high-rise is actually any building above 30 meters, which corresponds to 9 floors. The moment a high rise goes beyond 40 or 50 floors, it is usually referred to as a sky-scrapper.
In Hyderabad, a sky-scrapper is considered to be 44 stories tall. The skyline of Hyderaqbad is set to change with GHMC poised to approve more sky-scrappers in Hyderabad, especially near the I.T. corridor of the city (Western Hyderabad).
Low rise buildings are apartment complexes which go up to 5 floors in Hyderabad. These are also referred to as ‘mid-rise apartments’.
In Hyderabad, we see these mostly in stand-alone buildings, which are usually built on plot sizes ranging between 400 square yards to less than 1 acre (i.e. approx. 4800 square yards).
High-rise versus low-rise apartments in Hyderabad: which is better?
Now that we have an understanding of what a high-rise apartment and low-rise apartment mean, it’s time to dwell on which one to go for.
Advantages of High Rise Apartments
1. You get fantastic views of the skyline
If you seek stunning views of the skyline of your locality, you will get that in abundance with a high-rise apartment. The balconies of these apartments give you beautiful views during both dawn and dusk, and allows for a visual treat in most cases.
The higher you go in a high-rise, the more is the natural light, provided your balconies are NOT eclipsed by other tall buildings in the vicinity. This is one of the reasons why in cities like Mumbai, the builders charge a premium on floors as they go higher. The higher the floor you choose in Mumbai, the more expensive your apartment gets! The top floor of an apartment in Mumbai, for instance, 30th floor could actually be up to20% costlier than the exact same apartment located on the 1st floor.
2. High-rise buildings are usually located in job-hubs
If you working in or around the I.T. corridor of Hyderabad (in the Western Hyderabad), or are keen to explore the nightlife, shopping hubs, entertainment hot-spots, then one could choose to live in a high rise apartment. More than 40% of all the residential offerings are coming-up in a 15 KMs radius from Madhapur.
That’s the easiest way to both cut down on your commute to you place of work, as well as to have access to the most happening surroundings.
However, post COVID, this factor of wanting to be closer to place of work has changed significantly. Many home buyers, post COVID, are actually thinking of being a bit farther away from the place of work, and paying lesser to get more spacious homes in other parts of Hyderabad, instead of flocking to high-rise buildings located in and around Hi-Tech City and Gachibowli.
3. High-rise buildings offer more amenities like security, clubhouse
Another certain advantage of high-rise living is the host of amenities like central-greens (parks), walking-tracks, clubhouse, gymnasium, play-areas (tennis, basket-ball, badminton etc.), swimming-pool, security, power back-up and other house-keeping & facilities staff that make your life easier. These lend added sheen and glam to high-rise apartments.
4. High-rise elevators have more elevators or lifts
If you are worried about climbing up the stairs in a low-rise apartments without elevators, then high-rise apartments certain take away that pain. With effective power back-up gen-sets in place, high-rise apartments are popular and far more convenient.
Having said that, even low-rise apartments in Hyderabad these days have the provision of 100% power-back-up for common facilities like elevators. Yet, the sheer scale of facilities and upkeep in high-rise buildings is definitely superior.
The number of elevators in high-rise buildings are usually more in number as compared with low-rise apartments. For instance, in a high-rise building with 6 flats per floor, there could be provision of two regular lifts, and an additional service-lift. This makes 3 fully-operational elevators/lifts to service all the floors. This helps cuts down on wait-time for residents living in the high-rise building.
High-rise buildings offer better rentals due to additional amenities and security
If you’re looking for decent rentals, and an apartment that remains in demand, then high-rise apartments offer you a good deal. Your tenants could be interested in amenities and spacious external spaces like a park, gymnasium, play-areas etc. This makes it attractive to both the owners and the tenants.
High-rise apartments have pre-fitted and well-enabled utilities and maintenance
Most high-rise apartments are pre-equipped for various facilities like internet, garbage disposal, presence of laundry (washing & ironing clothes), established security protocols for visitors, grocery shops, access to authorised vendors, authorised domestic-help, school-buses stopping-by, availability of in-house electricians & plumbers etc.
This makes it very convenient to have access to all the essentials, and to hit the ground running so far as a convenient living experience is concerned.
Maintenance and facilities offices are well established, With Residents Association, and effective management of ‘maintenance amount’ being paid by residents, the comforts of everyday life are well catered-to.
Advantages of Low Rise Apartments
Low-rise buildings are normally closer to main locality hubs and streets
Whether it is children or elders, low-rise buildings are usually superior on LOCATION. Located in well-established residential colonies, the low-rise standalone buildings usually have easy access to main roads, and main markets nearby.
Low-rise apartments make for a convenient living for residents of all age-groups. All the essential social-infrastructure related requirements are met very-well for the entire family.
Due to the location advantage, you are efficiently connected to excellent social infrastructure, be it healthcare, groceries, educational institutions, public utilities, or even your place of work.
Low-rise buildings provide basic amenities for a convenient living besides being low-priced
Low-rise apartments in Hyderabad, especially, those being offered in stand-alone buildings have all the necessary amenities like parking slots, water-connection, electricity, power back-up generators, passenger lifts/elevators, staircase, common areas, gardens or mini parks.
Besides, the low-rise apartments are just as luxurious as the regular high-rise apartments from the inside.
Post COVID, having more spacious apartment has become a bigger priority for home buyers world-over. In Hyderabad too, the home buyers witnessed the amenities and facilities like gymnasium, swimming pool etc. to be first ones to get locked-down due to the pandemic. Consequently, people got confined to their homes. This was nothing short of house-arrest, and with this, the home buyers in Hyderabad and the world-over now seek more leg space, and more square-foot area at their disposal.
Social distancing can be better observed with low-rise buildings, and with space ‘inside the home’ taking precedence over amenities, low-rise buildings are being viewed much more favourably.
Plus, the low-rise buildings are extremely cost-effective as compared to high-rise buildings.
Low-rise apartments provide better more green cover, and low-density living
Most of the low-rise buildings are being constructed in residential colonies with independent houses. Many such colonies in Hyderabad/Secunderabad, e.g. Sainikpuri & Yapral area are lush green, and known for fresh, clean air!!
This gives dual advantage of ‘low-density living’ and the natural greenery with trees all around. Home buyers are increasingly realizing this to be more important than amenities like club-house or a gym. The ‘ask’ is for a ‘pandemic ready’ home, and a low-rise building offers just that!
Low-rise buildings are located in natural habitat that’s dominantly residential
Low-rise apartments constructed as part of stand-alone buildings are usually found in naturally preferred residential neighbourhood. People come to live in these areas not just for the sake of job-related needs, but because the locality proved to be a naturally good habitat to live in.
Although this means additional commute time to your place of work, but the delight of lesser pollution is enticing! When you come back home to your low-density, low-rise apartment, the tranquillity and greater sense of community connect is overwhelming!
This gives you a sense of peace and elevated living with people around who know you, and who care for you!
The big plus this offers you is the social-connect! There is nothing more valuable than the feeling of being cared for. The neighbours in low-rise apartments are normally known to stand-up for each other, where everyone knows everyone else.
Low-rise apartments offer greater peace and privacy
Not everyone enjoys the hustle and bustle of big city! Some simply prefer the peace and quiet nestled away from the rush of the city. With better location and low-density living offered by low-rise apartments, greater privacy is the natural outcome.
Low-rise apartments are cheaper than high-rise apartments, yet offer good rentals
Low rise building comprises of fewer residential units, however, they are usually cheaper to buy because the burden of added amenities is eliminated. The additional load of facilities like swimming pool, sprawling club-house, play-area, lawns etc. is completely eliminated.
With a low-rise apartment, you simply end up paying for the apartment, and not for the shared amenities and resources. Consequently, the price per square foot gets much lesser.
Thanks to the usually better location, low-rise apartments still fetch equally good, and sometimes higher rentals compared to high-rise apartments located in slightly far away locations. Large land parcels of lands for constructing big projects are rare in the centrally located areas in Hyderabad. For instance, a low-rise apartment in Madhapur may be preferred by an I.T. professional compared to one located away in a high-rise building.
Which floor should you choose, be it a high-rise or a low-rise?
There are pros and cons to whichever floor you choose to live in. For instance, if you choose to live on the first floor of a high-rise apartment, it is as good as living in a low-rise apartment. While this may give you the access to all the amenities of a high-rise environment, the location may not be as promising. Plus, a first floor restricts clear views of the skyline of your locality. Infact, a lower floor in a high-rise could be even more devoid of good views being surrounded with tall buildings.
So, both high-rise and low-rise apartments come with their inherent advantages and disadvantages depending on what the home buyer is looking for!
Another perspective is that in both high and low rise building, higher the floor, better the natural light and privacy!!
Both low-rise and high-rise apartments have their pros and cons.
Benefits of living on a higher floor
• Superior views
• Added privacy
• Better natural light
• Much less noise- vehicular & surroundings
• Less infestation of insects, reptiles, microbes
• Superior ventilation (an important factor in the post-COVID era)
Benefits of living on a lower floor
• Easier access to street
• Less walking/waiting, both elevator and staircase
• Lower energy costs of air-conditioning in summer since lower floors are cooler
• Closer to green spaces since you can see trees and greenery at the eye-level
Conclusion
Both high-rise and low-rise apartments are good in their own way. Both offer advantages and disadvantages in their own way. Hyderabad has traditionally been a city where you find stand-alone buildings mushrooming at a much faster pace as compared to high-rise gated communities.
Plus, builders associated with constructing only stand-alone buildings are also improvising, and providing essential amenities which were hitherto seen only in high-rise buildings.
Having said that, the charm of a high-rise building may still be luring enough for those who seek more amenities and spaces outside of their apartment.
Either way, you cannot go wrong with whatever comes closer to your concept of a dream home!
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