JOIN USFor those who have lived in independent houses, especially the ones with two or more floors, the idea of moving into an apartment can be somewhat daunting. The concern is obvious - lesser space.
Interestingly, people move into flats for that very reason, especially when they grow older, as apartments are easier to maintain.
Another concern is that it might be emotionally difficult to move from an independent house with a garden or veggie patch to a flat with barely any space for greenery. But then again, balcony gardening is catching up and there are several ways to keep your green hands thriving.
Most apartment buildings have a good security system, with incoming guests, maids and anyone entering being monitored. In some, there are CCTV cameras as well.
The biggest advantage of moving into a flat is that when one goes to bed, or leaves home, there is only one door - the front door - that needs to be locked, unlike in an independent house, where there are, usually, more than two or three doors to be locked. Therefore security is at its best in an apartment.
However, the locking system has to be such that one does not get locked out. When I was baby-sitting my daughter in a New York apartment and had to go down to the basement for laundering clothes, I would carry her with me, dreading that I might forget the key inside the apartment and lock myself out (the locking system was automatic),
leaving the baby inside all alone. So, it is necessary to ensure that the locking
system is appropriate.
Space utilisation is a must when one enters a flat, as there is no gala space like an independent house might offer. Having an in-built cupboard for shoes and slippers, a built-in desk for your PC and work-station are great ways to save space and keep the rooms organised. More often than not, when you live in an independent house, you tend to overlook these details as you have more space. That leaves the rooms looking rather messy.
In a flat, maintenance of window sills is not easy, especially when there is no balcony to enter and clean them from. So, you could simply do away with the window sills during construction. You can request your builder to simply omit them. This way, you won’t have to bother about pigeon poop at your windows, as they won’t get a foothold when there are no sills!
In many apartments, entry to the kitchen from the dining room is clear, for the kitchen has no door, only an opening. But having a door for the kitchen is a wise decision, as that will help shut-off cooking smells and noises of the mixie and grinder or the spluttering of mustard, especially as it is so close to the drawing and dining room (which generally is a kind of hall).
A sliding door would be most effective for the kitchen, given the space constraints in most flats. We, Indians love hanging around in the kitchen when guests and relatives come over, especially during festivals. Our tradition of cooking together and making merry is still strong, but flats don’t have enough space to accommodate one and all. So, a sliding door might help you squeeze in an aunt or two into your kitchen.
Once, when I had to use the toilet in a friend’s apartment, I had to squeeze in to shut the door as the toilet bowl was too close to it. Wonder what large people would do in such situations!
It is important to keep in mind convenience of use, before having the toilet constructed. Having comfortable access to the taps, having a place where feet can be washed (without making the whole bathroom wet), having good ventilation systems with netting, having a proper place to hang wet towels and another for dry clothes, having adequate handles or something to hold on to (in case you slip), are unfortunately grossly neglected.
Having sturdy handles, especially over a bathtub is a wise move, as it is easy to slip and land up with a fracture!
In our excitement of moving into a new home, we often tend to neglect such no-brainers. From my own personal experiences, I can vouch for these above suggestions as they really do make living in a flat that much simpler.