Advantages and Disadvantages to Living in a Loft

Sometimes, when we think about living in a loft, we forget their origins. Currently, we see lofts as luxury homes because they’re usually located in central areas of the city. However, this hasn’t always been the case. They used to be industrial spaces located mainly on the outskirts of the city that were abandoned and reused, especially by artists and students.

Because living in a loft has become so much more popular recently, their characteristics have changed. They’re now very different from what they were when they began in the 50s in New York.

In this article, we’ll help you think about the advantages and disadvantages of living in a loft today.

Advantages

Next, we’ll give you a list of advantages: 

• Major sense of height and space. This is because there are no visual barriers such as walls or hallways.
• More natural light. Because there are no walls or barriers of any kind, light flows through the space easily. Natural light gives more joy and vivacity to spaces.

Diversity

When it comes to a loft, we don’t have to force ourselves into a pre-established space or common design. So we can organize the space however we want to so that it fits our needs. In other words, it’s easy to create a custom layout when you’re living in a loft.

Ventilation and cleaning

It’s easier to ventilate and clean a loft. If you live in a loft, it’ll be necessary to keep it clean at all times, since the space is usually small and very open. That being said, it’s very easy to keep a loft clean because everything is so open and visible.

It facilitates an open, easy way of life

This is especially true for couples with children or people who are limited physically, for example, someone who requires a wheelchair.

Versatility

If you enjoy working comfortable, you can have an area in your loft be specifically for working, such as creating art or studying.

In addition, the way lofts look is usually very stunning. They have so much potential when it comes to decorating and furnishing them. 

Disadvantages

In contrast to the list we just gave you, we’re now going to give you a list of some of the main disadvantages when it comes to living in a loft.

Low sound isolation

This is a complicated part of living in a loft. It’s hard to block sound because there aren’t any walls. What was an advantage visually becomes a disadvantage when it comes to noise. We’re not just talking about the noise caused by the people you live with from conversations, music, or the TV. You’ll also need to take into account how your appliances buzz or hum in the kitchen. Maybe your washer and dryer are very loud. Therefore, we recommend that you buy quality appliances and think about spending a little more money on them.

Bad smells or fumes

Bad smells shouldn’t be a problem when it comes to the bathroom since it’s separate from the rest of the loft. The main concern will be the smells coming from the kitchen. To avoid these smells from spreading throughout your loft, you’ll have to buy a good extractor hood for your kitchen.

Lack of independence or privacy

This is the main consequence of having one large space without separation. This happens in American kitchens as well – when the living room and the kitchen are joined. It’s hard to find privacy in spaces like these.

Work and rest

If you’re someone who needs to separate work from play, a loft won’t be your ideal type of home. Look for something with a clear barrier between workspace and other space.

Cleaning

It’s very important to keep a loft neat and tidy, so if you’re a disorganized person, this is going to be a problem. You can’t just clean the one room that your guests will be in. In a loft, your guests will be able to see everything! Therefore, cleaning is an issue that you should take into account before moving into a loft.

Heating and air conditioning

When you use heat or air conditioning in a loft, you’ll never be able to heat or cool just one room at a time. In addition, due to how much space the loft has (regardless of how much there is), it will be more difficult to warm or cool it completely. As a result of this, you may see an increase in your utility bills when you move into a loft.

Is it worth living in a loft?

As you can see, living in a loft has many advantages and disadvantages. However, many of the disadvantages that we listed can be solved with a little bit of thought and extra care.

The only problem that we don’t have a solution for is the problem of noise due to the fact that lofts generally have very few sound barriers. You can try and limit noise by separating some areas from the rest of the loft by using screens, curtains, or sliding doors. However, these won’t eliminate noise completely.

In terms of cleanliness and order, all you need to do is incorporate good planning and a little bit of willpower.

Loft decoration / abc.es

Therefore, we believe that despite all of these disadvantages, living in a loft can be worth it. Remember, lofts are very attractive spaces that have practical and functional layouts.

It’s important to think about who you’re going to live with. This means you’ll know how much privacy or independence you’ll be lacking.