house hacking multi family, which floor to live in?
I think that the 3rd floor would be better as you said and if you are afraid of noise. Garden and [grill](https://grillguru.org/best-fire-pit-grill/) zone are important for sure
northy2910
in General Discussion 4 years and 6 months ago
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Guest User | 4 years and 7 months ago
I am planning to house hack a multi family 3 story property that was built in 1920. Any suggestions as to which floor would make sense for me to occupy? I am single but plan to get married in the next 1-2 years. I was thinking the 3rd floor (highest) unit so I would not have to deal with noise from tenants. Not sure if there is anything else I should consider or be aware of?
yudashasom | 4 years and 7 months ago
How many units are in the building? What is the configuration (floor throughs, duplex, triplex)? Is your goal to save money/maximize the rents?
Guest User | 4 years and 7 months ago
vacant – 3 story house – legal 3 unit, each floor has a separate unit. 1st floor – 3Bed 1Bath, 2nd floor – 4bed 1Bath. 3rd floor/attic 3Bed 1 Bath. Goal is to save money but have enough space for two people to live comfortably.
yudashasom | 4 years and 7 months ago
Personally, I would take the garden unit. Besides the benefit of having use of the backyard, you have your own entrance, and easier access to the cellar for storage or extra space.
RobertGMarvin
in General Discussion 4 years and 7 months ago
Own entrance IF it’s a house with a high stoop—unlikely if it was built as late as 1920
Guest User | 4 years and 7 months ago
We have one main door that then has two other doors. One door is for the garden unit and the other door is access to the stairwell that leads to the 2nd and 3rd floor units. The garden unit has its own back entrance.
thompson.molly99 | 4 years and 7 months ago
Either 1st or 3rd unit.
workisfun | 4 years and 7 months ago
The garden fl is appealing because of the outdoor space, entrance, and ease of in/out/no stair climbs with groceries. How is the ceiling height?
brokelin | 4 years and 7 months ago
You don’t mention the garden, whether it is nice (or whether you will fix it up to be nice) and whether you want to use the garden. A garden is nice to use, but not so nice if you don’t put money into it (if it needs it) to make it into a nice place to be. As a rental, even a not-so-nice garden unit will be sought after by those with dogs (if you allow dogs) and some who like to grow things in garden, even in a rental – some tenants will improve a garden for free for the chance to either grow things, hang out outside, or grill outside. (I will say from experience in a 2nd floor brownstone coop that barbecuing in a backyard – though I can’t recall now if if was from the garden floor’s backyard or next door neighbors) – that barbecue smoke will enter your windows upstairs, making you run to close all those windows – so you may want to consider what rules you make on cooking outside if you rent the garden floor, as to where in the garden, times, etc.)
You mention that the garden has its own back entrance, but not whether that is from the common hall (or basement), or whe ther it is IN the garden unit. If access to the backyard is in the hallway (or basement), will you plan to let all units use the backyard, or will you want exclusive access to it? (Or, if this is not a rowhouse, and access to the garden can be gained from the outside, then you could have a shared garden.) Obviously, if the access is from the garden unit only, then only the garden unit has access to the backyard. But if the garden access is from common space, not the garden unit, you could live on 3 and still have garden access (sole or shared.).
If you chose to live on the 3rd floor so as not to have noise above you, that IS the best for noise, though with the added burden of carrying up groceries (and potentially laundry if you don’t have a W/D in your unit). If you chose to occupy the lower floor, then if you are renovating, think carefully about which rooms of the apartment above you want to be above your bedroom.
You also don’t mention where access to the basement or cellar is, and whether you will want to use that space, or whether access is solely from the garden floor unit. You don’t mention if there is space in a basement or cellar that you will want to incorporate into the garden unit. You also don’t mention whether you will be doing laundry in the basement, or whether there will be a W/D in your unit, whichever it is. Laundry in the basement is a consideration if you live on 3.
The nice thing about this is it doesn’t have to be a permanent decision. If the garden needs work you can’t do now, and access is from that unit, you might want to live in 3, say, and later when you want to fix up the garden, move to the garden unit. Same goes for adding space in a basement or cellar to the garden unit with direct staircase access from inside that unit.
As for attracting tenants, W/D access, even if it is in the basement and not in individual units, will be a big plus. If the basement access is solely from the garden unit, W/Ds in the units on 2nd and 3rd floors would be a big plus. As would access to the garden – to some tenants, anyway, whether exclusive use to the garden level tenants if access is thorough their unit, or access by all units to a shared garden space.
brokelin | 4 years and 7 months ago
Yes, look at ceiling height. Depending on the style of the house, sometimes the garden unit has a higher ceiling than the top floor, and sometimes it is the other way around. If there is a difference of more than a few inches, all other things being equal, I would choose the higher ceilings.
Also, look at how much sunlight enters the units. Third floors tend to be sunnier. This is something I prize even more than higher ceilings, though often they go together (higher ceilings = taller windows often.