Downsizing to flat

I’ve lived in flats when the noise from above was terrible. People stomping around, loud music & banging. I would never do it again as I really value peace & quiet!

We moved our aunt and uncle to a sheltered accommodation. It was basically a small ground floor flat with community garden very safe and cosy. They did have car space but didn’t own cars.

We moved from a 4 bed house to a large 3 bed apartment. It is very well situated near bus and tube station. We can walk to the shops and restaurants.
We love it. We have a large balcony and some shared gardens. We have no problems with noise.
Make sure you have parking spaces. This is the only problem on our complex as some flats only have one space but residents have two cars. This has caused problems when they take over the Visitor spaces.

The trouble with flats, is, the dinamics can change very quickly.
Our last home was a flat. When we bought it ( a large Edwardian house converted) everyone owned their flat and lived in them.
Over a period of 2 years the two flats under us ( we had the whole top floor) were rented out to people I didn't want to live near. Then another on the ground floor was rented out.
We had a beautiful garden that was maintained by the managing agents. That all changed. That company sold out and the new managers weren't to bothered by some of the residents behaviour.

I moved into my two bedroom flat from a 4 bedroom house 14 years ago. It was a very good move for me but much depends on the area and neighbours. Most of my neighbours are over 65 so it is not noisy here.
I would suggest finding out who your neighbours will be before you move in anywhere. My flat is in a rural area which is what I wanted so you need to think about the area you would like to live in too.