The floor is one of the first things buyers ask about — and one of the few things you cannot change after you buy. The ground floor, the middle floors and the top floor have different advantages, different risks and a different audience when you come to sell. Here is how to compare them with a clear head.
First floor: convenience with compromises
Pros:
- no reliance on the lift — convenient for older people, families with pushchairs and people with limited mobility;
- sometimes there is a yard or garden with the flat, which is rare in the city;
- usually a lower price than a similar flat higher up.
Cons:
- noise and less privacy — the entrance, the street, the pavement, the bins;
- damp, especially in older buildings above basements or with poor waterproofing;
- cooler in winter if the basement below is not insulated;
- security — bars, an alarm and a good door are usually not a luxury.
What to check: signs of damp low on the walls and in corners, a musty smell, the condition of the basement below, which way the windows face (street or courtyard). A semi-basement unit is not the same as a first floor — check its status in the documents.
Middle floors: the "safe" choice
The middle floors — usually from the second to the one below the top — are the most sought after and, as a rule, the easiest to sell.
Pros:
- less noise from the street and the entrance, more privacy;
- thermal comfort — the flats above and below act as a buffer, so heat losses are smaller;
- no risk of roof leaks and less risk of rising damp.
Cons:
- neighbours above — footsteps, renovations, sometimes leaks from the bathroom overhead;
- in a building without a lift, the third or fourth floor is already a challenge with shopping and children.
Top floor: views and light versus the roof
Pros:
- views, light and quiet — nobody walks above you;
- less dust and street noise;
- sometimes an attic level, a terrace or higher ceilings — particularly valued in new builds.
Cons:
- the roof — leaks, condensation and poor waterproofing hit the top floor first;
- overheating in summer if the roof is poorly insulated — especially with a flat roof;
- colder in winter in older buildings without roof insulation;
- reliance on the lift — when it breaks down or is being repaired, life gets hard.
What to check: leak marks on ceilings and in corners, especially in rooms below the gutters; when the roof waterproofing was last renewed; whether the roof is insulated; whether there is air conditioning. Ask the building manager whether a roof repair is planned.
Who pays for the roof and the lift
A common worry is that the top-floor owner will pay for the roof repair and the first-floor owner will pay for a lift they never use. Under Bulgaria's Condominium Management Act, this is how it works:
- Repair costs for the common parts — roof, façade, lift, stairwell — are shared between the owners according to their undivided shares in the common parts, not according to the floor. The roof is common property — everyone pays.
- Running and maintenance costs — including electricity and servicing for the lift — are, as a general rule, shared equally according to the number of owners and occupants, regardless of the floor.
So at a viewing, ask what the general meeting has decided and whether there are arrears or upcoming repairs.
The lift
- In older buildings the lift is often original — check that it runs reliably, when it was modernised and whether it has regular technical inspections.
- In a building without a lift, the higher floors are usually cheaper — and harder to resell to older buyers and families with young children.
The floor and resale value
As a general market rule:
- middle floors with a lift sell fastest and with the smallest discounts;
- the first floor sells more slowly and for less — unless it has a garden or suits an office or studio;
- the top floor is "polarising": with a renewed roof, views and a terrace it can be the most expensive flat in the building; with leaks and no lift, the hardest to sell.
If you are buying with a future sale or letting in mind, a middle floor is the lowest-risk choice. If you are buying for yourself, choose the floor whose downsides you personally find easiest to live with.
The floor and the type of building
The pros and cons also depend on the construction. In panel blocks the top floor is particularly sensitive to the state of the roof insulation and the panel joints, while in new builds attic floors are often better insulated. More on the differences in our guide to older apartment blocks. And what to look at on site, whatever the floor, is in our viewing checklist.
In short
- First floor: accessible and cheaper, but with a risk of noise, damp and less privacy.
- Middle floor: most sought after, easiest to resell, best thermal comfort.
- Top floor: views and quiet, but check the roof, the insulation and the lift.
- Roof and lift repairs are paid by all owners according to their undivided shares, not just by the floor "affected".
If you are torn between two flats on different floors, call us or come into the office — we will help you weigh up the risks and how the floor will affect the price today and when you sell.
This information is general and does not replace individual advice. Verified as of October 2026.
