Advantages of No Balcony Apartments?

Despite the proven advantages of having a balcony and its potential to boost the value of a property, a large contingent of apartments across the globe do not feature a balcony. There are several reasons for this phenomenon. There are also good reasons not to have a balcony.

Many apartments have no balcony, and this could be for various reasons. Regions where the weather doesn’t allow for outdoor leisure, are less likely to have balconies. Older buildings where outdoor space was not prioritized will also not have balconies, which can be difficult to retrofit.

Building a balcony is expensive, and it is unlikely that you will be able to have one built onto your apartment building. Having an apartment with no balcony does not need to be negative. There are many ways that you can implement small changes to make the most of your apartment’s indoor space despite the lack of a balcony. Though we do take a look at the value that may be added to an apartment with a balcony.

Living In An Apartment With No Balcony

Unfortunately, not all apartments have balconies. While balconies are not necessarily a new feature, their importance for apartment living has only been highlighted recently. In big cities, outdoor space is at a premium, and people will pay a significant amount for an apartment with a balcony. You can read more about the advantages of balconies here on the site.

Despite the numerous benefits a balcony offers, developers of new buildings can sometimes cut costs by excluding balconies from the building. Balconies are naturally an added expense that developers can sometimes see as not being a priority.

This is usually a poor decision to make, as a balcony can drastically boost the overall value of a property by a substantial amount. However, balconies can be particularly expensive to include in a building design. With building costs as high as they are, balconies are considered unnecessary expenses in some contexts.

Balconies present the potential for maintenance issues, adding to the list of worries for a homeowner living in an apartment. In areas with heavy rainfall and other inclement weather types, a balcony can create more issues than the balcony is worth.

Rain can make its way into the apartment from the balcony. This is especially true if the balcony door is left open during rainfall. Balconies with insufficient drainage can flood, causing a large amount of water to make its way into the apartment.

If your apartment is in a region with extreme heat, such as the United Arab Emirates, then there is less likelihood of the apartment having a balcony. Extremely hot areas such as Dubai do not lend themselves to sitting outdoors enjoying the weather.

In such areas, most people prefer to remain indoors where the air conditioning can keep them cool. As a result, balconies become superfluous features. People in this type of region would have little use for a balcony. Instead, they would focus on creating cool indoor oases to escape the blistering heat.

In some regions, outdoor air quality is so bad that allowing air into an apartment is considered highly undesirable. Instead of letting fresh air in through the windows, these apartments rely on conditioned air that has been filtered before making its way into the space.

This will ensure that the apartment’s occupants are not susceptible to bad outdoor air quality, optimally protecting their health.

Many apartment types, such as the early Manhattan apartments in New York, did not feature balconies in their initial construction. The lifestyle associated with these apartment types did not lend itself to balconies. The apartments were originally designed to accommodate the working class, and little consideration was given to creating livable outdoor spaces.

Because the outdoor environment at the time was not considered particularly pleasant, little focus was given to views or outdoor spaces.

Even with higher-class dwellings, the focus of a home was turned inwards, with buildings essentially designed to keep nature out. This contrasts the current trend of incorporating nature into buildings as far as possible.

Similarly, in regions where security is bad, or the views of the outdoors are less than desirable, developers may exclude the construction of balconies. This is because balconies in these types of locations may not be enjoyable places to be.

In addition, a balcony in an unsafe area can create a security risk for the individuals living in the apartment, making it easier for intruders to make their way into the space.

Advantages Of Apartments With No Balconies

There are some advantages to having an apartment with no balcony. Firstly, there is less risk of water entering your apartment during heavy rainfall.

Without a balcony, there is less likelihood of passersby seeing into your apartment and witnessing your everyday activities. There is also less risk of somebody gaining unauthorized access to your apartment, as balconies can make it easier for criminals involved in burglaries.

An apartment without a balcony ensures ultimate privacy from neighbors and passersby, with significantly less likelihood of anybody being able to peer into your space.

Making The Most Of An Apartment With No Balcony

If your apartment has no balcony, there are several ways you can make better use of the space to allow yourself to enjoy the apartment as far as possible. One such option is to place a table and chairs by your apartment window.

A high table and bar stools will give sufficient height to enjoy whatever views and sunlight are available. If these are placed adjacent to the window, it will feel like you are sitting on a balcony, enjoying the views.

Without a balcony, you might feel your apartment is lacking in terms of greenery. However, there is no reason you can’t fill your apartment with plants to create your own indoor green sanctuary. There are easy ways to incorporate plants into your apartment.

An apartment filled with light and no wind can be an ideal home for various plant types.

Conclusion

There are various reasons for an apartment to lack a balcony. Whatever the reason for wanting to add a balcony, adding a balcony to an existing apartment can be difficult unless the entire building is being renovated. There are various ways to take advantage of every usable inch of your apartment despite the apartment not having a balcony.