Any Problems with first floor apartment?

First floor is a disadvantage for some. An advantage to others. No view will take a price cut at resale. Dark, cave-like space (no matter what the price) is difficult to sell.

In general Chirs T is correct but you really need to understand your micro-market...

First floor apartments are highly desirable, for instance, for certain religious groups that can't use the elevators on Friday night/Saturday (in such cases, presence on the first floor may easily trump things like light, noise, etc). HOWEVER, those religious groups don't live every area of the city...

Are people who have first floor units more likely to be robbed or have their unit broken into?

I see. How about a top floor for 6 story walk up building? It has many sun lights from the Windows and open view. Does it look more attractive in price and resell value?

It all depends; a first floor unit on a brownstone block (with a doughnut green space in the middle), with private outdoor space, high ceilings and nice light will command a premium. A dark dungeon like you described doesn't seem appealing at all and will be hard to sell.

The unit has 11-12 foot ceiling. But it is on first floor. Solid building. Window has no view since it is facing the side of the buildng which is a few feet away from the other building. Both living room and bathrom have window. I am not sure if this may be hard to resell in the future. Any ideas?

so why does it appeal to you? more space, good price, good location/nabe? Why this particular one?

For me, I am not picky. But I want to hear the drawback since I am new to Manhattan area and not sure the market and people thinking. I like the area on 54th street and half block to 7th ave. Price is good. High ceiling. But on the first floor and window has no view since it is so close to the next building.

It's the kind of place that's hardest to sell, IMO. Even harder than a 6-floor walkup. It will always trade at a deep discount, no matter what the market look like. That said, if it's for your own use, you're not picky and the price is right, why not?
Are you sure you couldn't rent a dark place cheaper? You'd still save money and wouldn't have the headache to sell down the line.

Do you know why this place is the hardest to sell? I am looking at 205 West 54th Street. The area looks fine to me. Any ideas or comments?

if you really like it, then do not worry too much because someone else will. If it's big and has high ceilings, that sounds nice. good luck.

I currently represent a first floor listing with 12.5 foot ceilings (I actually thought you were talking about my listing when I read your post). The apartment is pretty amazing and there is storage like you would not believe, but the fact that it is on the first floor is the biggest challenge for most people (it has views out to the street, not a wall). In the country and in the burbs, being on the first floor is a fact of life, here is it the complete opposite, and that gets to people.

I think the reason that people are reluctant to live on the first floor is really more of a privacy issue than a security issue. The apartment I represent has huge metal bars on the window, so you couldn't get in if you tried, but because it is on the first floor, the light is not going to be as good as a higher floor that clears the trees outside. Additionally, while you are a little elevated from the ground, you still see the tops of peoples heads when they walk by.

Every apartment will ultimately sell at the right price to the right person. But in a building with the same line of units, something on the 2nd floor will ultimately trade for less than something on the 10th floor, but the 1st floor requires an even deeper discount by comparison.

(Matthew Russell - Brown Harris Stevens)

Also, see this prior thread: http://streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/discussion/13311-first-floor-apartments

Another disadvantage... you are paying maintenance for an elevator you will never use.
Advantages... no one below you (great if you like loud music), don't have to lug groceries, kids, bags, beer, soda, etc. up stairs (which, in NYC are often too narrow), and it's quick to get in and out of the building. Plus, if you have a basement (my building has laundry and storage in the basement), you can run downstairs as though it's your own basement (I use my storage area a few times per week).
I've lived on a few different floors in NYC (and, in an elevator building), and I prefer the first floor. I realize I'm in the minority, but I come and go a lot, so I think that has a lot to do with wanting to be on the first floor.
I really disagree that a first floor apt is more difficult to sell than a 6th floor walk-up. I know plenty of people in good shape who would never consider a 6th floor walk-up; the ground floor might not be their preference, but I think more people rule out high walk-up floors than the ground floor.

The first floor may be more prone to rodents and may be hotter, too.

When we were looking in a strong market several years ago, we looked at a couple of places like you describe (different neighborhood, though). Even then the place took much longer to sell, and I would say they traded at a 15-20% discount from what the price would have been if it were a mid-range floor - say 5th or 6th where you get better light, but no particular views.

There's also the street noise - I used to rent a ground-level place, and you could hear every conversation which took place on the street very clearly (which provided a great deal of entertainment, actually), not to mention the street noise. And the soot on the windows was repulsive.

A sentence beginning with "It will always trade..." and real estate just don't go together. In the early 90s I remember hearing stories that houses in some upstate towns were on the market for over 15 years. Under the right economic/crime circumstances, first floor city homes could become completely illiquid, much like very small studios did in the 80s. In the early 80s people used to say that in NYC you wanted to be at least 6 floors up from the street level to be above street lights and noise. Obviously, a lot has changed since then.

"I think more people rule out high walk-up floors than the ground floor." True, only a person in their 20s or 30s seriously considers high walk up floors. I have a friend in his 50s who dreams of moving from his fifth floor walk-up rental that he has been in for nearly 20 years.

The reason I think a dark dungeon-y 1BR on the first floor is harder to re-sell than a 6th-floor walkup is that their main attraction is price; as such, they are cheap housing for young, new-to-the-city, single people, who are less concerned with walking stairs than people who are older or have children.

It may flood when it rains hard. First hand experience. And I know others with the same experience. Even with bars on the windows, you may want to curtains down at all times, even when sunny, for privacy. Coldest floor in the building (heat rises) so higher utility bills in winter which are not made up by it being cooler in the summer.

Louder street noises.

Pluses: easier move in & out.

Real estate brokers and landlords will lie like a rug about the flooding, BTW.

I live in a ground floor apt in the back of the building. No flooding, no rodents, no problems with heat, no noise, no real difference in privacy than any other apt. It's much easier to get in and out of the building, don't have to deal with the elevator.

I would think the biggest issues would be light and street noise. If you can find a ground floor apt in the back of a building with decent light, no issues at all.

I am in a ground floor apartment and have no problem with it. I face the side of my building, so no street noise and no privacy issues. The neighboring building is not too close, and we have a bay-windowed seating area so light is good(and even get a partial river view). We are on the same level as the building's side door, so coming and going is super easy. Also on the same floor as the laundry which is also very convenient. We use the common roof deck pretty often, so I even feel like I'm getting my money's worth in the elevator. Our unit is 200sqft larger than all of the other 1br units in the building, but we pay a smaller share of the maintenance. I feel it's a win-win for us.

Global warming causes the melting of the polar ice cap which will alter weather patterns leading to an increase in the level of high tide causing coastal flooding. Unless your a republican. In that case disregard the former comment.

But for 1st/ gound unit, they have a few stairs/steps to get to the lobby and the unit. I think this can get rid of the flooding issue. Right?? As long as the unit is not facing the street, there will not be street noise except you may hear people talking in the lobby if they are loud. But being 1st floor unit may be less attractive. I don't know. Let me know if there are other issues/concerns.

I forgot about rodents! Yes, endless rodents and bugs. Oh my god, how I had those.

the flooding is only a problem if any part of the unit is at or below street level. If its a few feet above probably not. HOWEVER with my unit, the front was above street level, and the back was at and below so...

...nightmare...

Good point Jason, I was about to bring that up. Flooding should only be an issue if the unit is 'below grade'. If the unit's floors are always above the nearest ground level (as mine are) there should be no flood worry. My nabe has plenty of units whose windowsills sit at ground level, and then I would worry about flooding/rodents, etc.

Also, if it overlooks a side alley, make sure it's not where they store the garbage for the building prior to putting it on the sidewalk. Otherwise, you will not be able to open the windows, ever.

i live in a 2 floor lower duplex and it's great. i've always preferred to be on the first floor. and, i have a backyard. no problems at all, and especially no rodents or bugs. think it depends on the building. people live in brownstones all over the city. it's not a big deal.

First floor may have unique noises or vibrations. Be sure you're not over a boiler or elevator mechanicals room, or over a sidewalk fan grate.

I own a ground floor and cellar duplex that faces the street in a 5 year old building. My apartment sold at a price equivalent to a 5th floor unit but my apartment is more than 30% larger. Because the neighborhood is filled with low rises, I have plenty of light. Even the cellar space has plenty of light- people are shocked just how filled it is with natural light despite being below street level.

I don't have most of the problems people have mentioned in this post, but they are solid points to take into consideration. I keep my apartment spotless- therefore, I don't have problems with insects or rodents- although some people on higher floors do. I don't have problems with flooding either.

I do have a security gate on my window- so that minimizes the concerns about crime, but unless I want people gawking inside my apartment, I do tend to keep the drapes closed in the bedroom. I have a sliding shoji screen in the living room window which allows natural light to brighten the room and allows me to maintain my privacy. I do hear people talking outside and in the hall- but I could go to one of the city quiet (or competitors) if it really bothered me enough- and it really doesn't. I am near the mechanical rooms- but don't hear much or have vibrations.

I am not overly concerned about resale- I love the apartment, but I am sure when it comes time to resell, it will have a smaller buyer pool. But then again, there are people out there like me that want more space for their dollar and a terrific flexible layout.

btw there are people out there who are uncomfortable, even feel claustrophobic about taking elevators. Used to have a babysitter that would walk up 8 flights of stairs instead. People usually do like to keep these private matters, or phobias to themselves, but there is such a population out there.

I'm on the second floor (first floor of our building is the garage and commercial space. There are plusses and minuses. For me the minuses were no ambient heat from the floors below us so apartment is cold in the winter. Also when there was a plumbing issue since we were the first apartment in the line we suffered the consequences. Even though it is a new building it still took them almost 3 months to solve the problem with the plumbing stacks and for me to not have to experience gruesome plumbing problems. On the plus side, I don't need to take the elevator, and I have a lovely patio.

With very few exceptions the first floor sucks. Too many people looking into the apartment from outside, cold floors, lobby traffic, street noise..this is just a subset........

Small world, I checked the listing 1D it is for sale again at $399,000.
It sold for $280,000 when skting was talking about buying it.
I know the sale hasn't been realized, however not bad in that timeframe.