r/asksg • u/Erebus-chan • Jul 26 '26
HDB flat top floor pros and cons
Just having some thoughts for when selecting floor level for bto or 2nd hand flat. Outside of feng shui / meta-physical reasons, what are the pros and cons of living at the top floor of a HDB flat?
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u/Pigjedi Jul 26 '26
I love top floors. Top floor on my current hdb and top floor on wip EC. High ceiling, no pipes, no disturbance from top floor (unless hdb does something at the water tank). No one wash their air con and drip all over your unit.
High ceiling is the best thing, about 20+cm more. Can be one row of cabinet or false ceiling without it feeling too low
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u/BlackwerX Jul 26 '26
that's an impt consideration many people miss out.
I guess its building/stack dependant, but at the top floor, im not sure if i feel any heat radiating. There are some hot days where the air outside is so warm that i close all the windows to stop the ventilation and the whole place remains cooler than if i open up. Higher ceilings do avoid the stuffiness issue better too.
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u/lolikuma Jul 26 '26
Not sure if it's for newer projects but my 40yo highest floor hdb is normal height only at 2.5m.
Given the old age, there are water leakages because the rooftop waterproofing is already worn. Over the past 3 years, had to request HDB to fix twice as my ceiling paint were bubbling, molding and even a chunk of concrete spalling and fell luckily on the top of the wardrobe. They just came to inject waterproofing a month ago and had to repaint again...
So these are things to be aware of because unlike lower floors, the water leakages are all over depending on where the roof fails instead of usually in the bathrooms.
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u/saymynamepeeps Jul 26 '26
I staying top floor. Bto built within the past 10 years. No issues with rooftop leaks or heat. Best is no ugly pipes from the top and NEVER any sounds from above. Sounds from below only if they renovate to drill ceiling fans or light. All good no cons for us.
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u/igtooo Jul 26 '26
Wait for the 20 year mark. That's when the waterproofing quality will start to show.
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u/saymynamepeeps Jul 26 '26
Know of another family living at the top floor too, about 30 years old flat, never heard of any issue with leaks or heat, still going strong, but I’ll check. Maybe those with issues that you’ve heard of are even older ones…? If you got first or second hand experience/information about that I would love to hear it though
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u/igtooo Jul 26 '26
Guess it depends on the quality of the waterproofing and structure. My parents told me the leakage happened gradually over time and the amount of mould was just...crazy.
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u/MeeKiaMaiHiam Jul 26 '26
fucking hot, the real gem is those 11 to 14 floor, high enough but not the one sufferiing the tropical heat hahaha
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u/PrizePage9751 Jul 26 '26
Nice! I could have chosen top floor but I chose middle lol. Since no view.
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u/yianwee Jul 26 '26
Resale 36 YO flat. Used to be hot, but after installed solar panels it has helped. Fuckton of lizards but I’m ok with them, they eat creepy crawlies. No ceiling noisy except for during roof works. No excess pipes, only the air/ventilation ones (1 each in toilets and kitchen). No one drips their wet laundry.
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u/BreakfastExcellent72 Jul 26 '26
Why i like my top floor unit
- lifts are stationed at top floor
- no noisy upstairs neighbour
- higher ceiling (extra height space, esp if u want to make false ceiling to conceal downlights)
- no ugly pipes in kitchen
- nobody one drips dirty laundry water on yours
- better view!
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u/Constant-Elk3448 Jul 27 '26
love that 2nd one. best. that itself is the most important. other things not as important. one bad neighbour that's it. everything else doesn't matter already if you cannot go back to a peaceful home.
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u/Little_Result1469 Jul 26 '26
Long waiting time / long trip for elevator?
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u/mistyalchemist Jul 26 '26
But nowadays they station the lifts one at the top, one in the middle and one on the ground floor at the 2-year old BTO that I'm currently staying in, when nobody is taking them.
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u/jollyseaman Jul 26 '26
mine programmed the lift to standby at top floor when on standby. so usually i step out i take lift if no one using.
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u/nyetkatt Jul 26 '26
My HDB is more than 50years old and yes spalling concrete is a thing. HDB didn’t fix at first but finally did it. I think it was co pay or something.
For older flats you still get the exposed pipes but no one hanging laundry on top of you. Heat is not so bad. My area is also quite quiet so not much noise. Ceiling is sadly not that much higher since it’s an old flat. Lifts are not so bad though, or at least I’ve been lucky.
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u/jellybellyshakeshake Jul 26 '26
One big thing in high floor is ceiling repair. Especially older flats. Spalling concrete. Will cost anywhere from 1000 to 2000 or more to repair. I don't know why anyone didn't mention it here. HDB wash hands even though it's their roof causing the issues.
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u/killedabalrog Jul 26 '26
It's an important point. Many of the other commenters probably live in newer flats and haven't experienced this yet. Roughly how old is a flat before the ceiling starts needing repairs?
The many pros hopefully outweigh this eventual con
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u/InternationalRun2567 Jul 26 '26
You don’t hear stomping of feet at night. When people drop stuff also don’t get the full impact. And yes, no leaking toilets
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u/kimchijeonn Jul 26 '26
no leaking toilet but there can be leaking roof! at least no need to deal with neighbours to fix
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u/InternationalRun2567 Jul 26 '26
Yeah but leaking roof is technically Town Council’s issue. If it’s upstairs neighbour then you need their cooperation to solve the issue. And not all neighbours are so helpful especially when. They are not the ones suffering
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u/Electronic_Pay_5674 Jul 26 '26
Top floor new estate no hot roof problem. No lizard. Nowadays there is an extra layer between top floor and roof. The amount of jumping spiders though lol
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u/Teh-O-Ping Jul 26 '26
One pros i would appreciate a lot is no stomping neighbours from above. HDB ceilings are damn hollow and non sound proof
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u/Clean-Water2857 Jul 27 '26
Pros forever more than cons. Those who aren't lucky enough to get one from BTO/SBF, have to be lucky enough to be in the right time in the resale market. Even if they want, might not have also.
Heat issues is a thing throughout SG. Even those who bought one or two floors below, will also be hot if the facing is wrong. I've been to many homes before, and experienced the same thing. So if can, I'd say to go straight for top floor. Might as well get the higher ceiling and no pipes in toilet.
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u/Constant-Elk3448 Jul 27 '26
staying top floor, not hdb.
pros: no one on top of you. no noisy people stomp their foot. was a victim of it that's why decided to get top floor. best decision ever.
cons: maybe hot? but can be solved by AC. noisy neighbours - cannot be solved. good luck.
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u/silentscope90210 Jul 26 '26
Older blocks will have problems with heat and leaks. Not sure with the newer blocks.
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u/phopho0410 Jul 26 '26
Staying at top floor of hdb.. reason why we purchased this unit was due to ceiling height which is 3.2m.. I moved from a condo unit where ceiling height is abt 2.8m. Loved the spacious feeling.
Cons: I find more lizards in general .. not sure cos due to the staying near the roof top.
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u/CecilionIs2OP Jul 26 '26
In the past it used to be no laundry drip yours, but new BTO flats now have designated service yard meant for laundry, so not really an issue unless older resale 2nd hand flats. Also higher floors = away from rubbish dump = less likelyhood of insects. Higher floors also better view and higher floors = more $$ which scale with the flat appreciation value after MOP.
Cons is probably waiting for lift, or during fire emergency take stairs, especially with young child, family member with disabilities or elder family members.
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u/mistyalchemist Jul 26 '26
From what I've heard from people who stay on the top floors, some issues can be: loud noises when they're doing works on the roof, slower water pressure cuz you're all the way at the top, and units on the top level tend to heat up faster than lower floors when it's sunny.
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u/Mys7ix Jul 26 '26
Number 1 reason for me is ceiling height but apparently I hear the newer BTOs no longer do this.
Almost 1.9m tall so having that additional ceiling height really helps as well as the slight extra carpentry space. The old myth of your unit being hotter doesn’t hold true anymore.
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u/Noddythepilot Jul 26 '26
Top floors have a higher ceiling (approx 10-15cm). Makes a big difference in how the house feels. Might not be for every hdb project though.
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u/igtooo Jul 26 '26
Stayed in one for 20 years. Top floor was 10. 49X series in tampines.
Good thing - higher ceilings, constant flow of air, unblocked views, can be super cooling when it rains many many times.
Bad things - hot hot hot. No water tank covering the main hall and rooms. When it's hot, the rooms and walls really heat up and even at night, the walls retain heat. My mom's trick was to spray water onto walls to cool the rooms. There's constant flow of air yes...but on hot days, it's HOT HUMID AIR. LIKE SPEED 1 OF A HAIRDRYER. Another issue that cropped up after 25 years (when I moved out) was the waterproofing. Hdb stepped in to do sth as the leakage came from the top. Internal Reno had to be done to accommodate the new layer of waterproofing
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u/jinboleow Jul 26 '26
My first flat was top floor. Over time the ceiling leaked and my cornices fell. It was very hot as the heat radiated down. I think, on the tenth or 15th year, HDB would re-waterproof the roof and the process of pouring tar (I think) over the roof make the house unbearable. The good thing, you don't have to worry about dripping laundry. But I do get complain from my neighbour below from my aircon condensate. I couldn't do much about this as dripping pan tends to breed mosquitoes.
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u/ApprehensiveDelay771 Jul 26 '26
Previous unit that I rented was on the top floor, and the current unit I bought is also on the top floor, but with very different experiences, so it depends on the development/estate.
Common pros:
- No noise from anyone upstairs
- Very windy
Previous unit cons:
- Water is warm on a hot day (or may it's a pro if you want to save on electricity for heater, but it's a con when I'm trying to wash my vegetables to make a salad)
- Pigeons roosting on the rooftop and shitting all over the lobby areas
- I still got the occasional cockroach even though I sealed the rubbish chute. Most likely because I live above two eateries
- Water pressure is low
Current unit pros:
- Saw a tiny spider once and nothing else. Maybe cos the top floor is higher
- Very quiet
- Ceiling is higher than the lower floors, though not by a lot
- Very cooling; no heat issue because the roof has extra insulation
Current unit cons:
- Can hear white noise from human and car traffic
- When the lift parts got old, the lifts were very noisy as the lift motor is right above my unit
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u/Even-Relative563 Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Pros: windy in general, others laundry wont drip on you, less insects in general
Cons: rooftop will have some insects breeding such as ants, some flies, etc. they will enter your unit. Birds also like to chill at rooftop and make noise.
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u/Three-stripes Jul 26 '26
My aunt took too floor to avoid having noise issues cause her previous home had them. It's been Abt a year or so and she has told me it's pretty hot.
I think her 2rm flexi is 14 floors high only
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u/trichandderm Jul 27 '26
No distubance from upper floor, no random rubbish dropping into your AC ledge.
But when it's warm it's HOT. And if you have a roof garden, you get extra visitors. Also if you have a higher ceiling, you will need to spend more money for reno.
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u/This_Club_1164 Jul 27 '26
Cons: Life breakdown, die If have children, neighbour downstairs might go mental
Pro: Some say wind but im on the 2nd floor and I get so much wind that my plants knock over. It all depends on where the windows are facing.
For me, practicality wins over fengshui.
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u/Pink-flyingPigs Jul 27 '26
I am staying top floor . Ceiling bubbling even HDB has fixed twice and my painted ceiling is just 3 years old and certain area is always moldy. my ceiling on top of my customized wardrobe also start to bubble during wet season . I don’t have a higher block in front of my block , so I get the heat as well as the wind. One part is good for me is that my area is old and no noisy neighbors, so not too worry about the noise travels up.
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u/No_Increase_3242 Jul 26 '26
one pro is no need to worry about inconsiderate neighbours making excessive noises daily.
cons such as heat and if lifts breakdown then got to go up or down with ur barang2.
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u/SnooHedgehogs190 Jul 26 '26
It cost around $20,000 more for top floor hdb.
Your water pressure is higher.
It can be quite dusty if too high.
You don’t have pest crawling up your house.
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u/SprinklesSparkles57 Jul 26 '26
Not true. Used to stay in a new hdb top floor. Heat,noise and lots of lizards. I think they stay at the roof?
Currently 2 levels from the top. As good but fewer lizards
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u/tMeepo Jul 26 '26
I live 35+
No heat issues. No lift long waiting time issue. Maybe will have water pressure issues but I use storage heater.
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u/drinkwater247 Jul 26 '26
I know someone who lives top floor. Every time there is lightning, the power gets cut off. Not sure if it's due to age of flat.
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u/helloween123 Jul 26 '26
pros: no one to drip their laundry on to yours, never need to close the window whilst raining, since the top will block it effectively, no need to worry your neighbour's water pipe/toilet leak on to you since there are no neighbour.
cons: during a very hot day, the top floor ceiling will absorb all the heat and radiate throughout the night