Posted by
punya
13 yrs ago
We are looking to rent an apartment with rooftop. While the extra space for kids and family is always welcome, i have been cautioned by a friend who says its not all that great specially in summer when it gets super hot and in the 'spring' where molds grow everywhere. anyone out there who thinks this is a good idea? or bad? Please help.
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Hugie
13 yrs ago
Your friend is correct. But the pros far out weigh the cons! I have a village house with a roof. I have a six seater table, BBQ, dog house, dog,washing machine and loads of space to have a paddling pool for my son in the summer! It's not that hot in summer, just hose it down a few times a day. It fantastic! It was my main requirment when looking to buy a village house.....must be roof top! GO FOR IT!
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i have lived in two apartments with roof tops in the last 10 years in Hong Kong - and currently still do.
out of my experience, a rooftop must have an internal staircase, else it's pretty much useless. it will bother you too much to get there to really use it
secondly, your roof needs to be properly equipped to make it usable. chairs, tables, umbrella, a water connection, etc are all useful items to have. on our current roof we have installed a bar counter, underneath which we have our washing machine, a wine fridge, a regular fridge, etc. it makes the whole space much more usable since you dont have to walk up/down all the time
thirdly, mold has never been an issue for us (as long as you have a bit of wind on the roof). the temperature is more of an issue: winter is too cold to enjoy, real summer is too hot indeed. usually - not this year though - feb-may and sep-nov are the months you can really use it
re kids, there's probably also a safety aspect you want to consider. our baby boy is now 18 months and we cant have him on the roof unsupervised anymore since he could climb over the railings.
net-net, i would not pay much more (5% max) for having a roof. it's really a nice-to-have
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If the property in question is a village house, check to see if your neighbours have dogs.
A rooftop shared with barking dogs can be a hell of a place to spend your relaxing time.
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punya
13 yrs ago
Thanks all for the insights. Rob_378, I will check on the barking dogs before we put down the deposit.
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F100
13 yrs ago
make sure the roof doesn't have any leaks either.
wait for a rainy day and check the ceilings/walls if possible.
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just noticed, it makes a big difference whether you are looking at a highrise or a village house. my comment above was relevant for highrises only
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if you need/want outdoor space, don't overlook podium flats, that have direct access from your own space...you do have to be careful about falling rubbish of all sorts, or have canopies installed...
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