A home can look impressive and yet be uncomfortable.
A large lobby creates a good first impression.
But the quality of life is not determined by the lobby.
It is determined by how a person uses the building every day.
The path from the street to the apartment
A home UX audit begins before even entering.
- How convenient is it to get there?
- Where do passengers drop off?
- How is guest parking organized?
- Is it easy for the courier to find the entrance?
- Do you need to make complex turns?
- What happens during rush hours?
- How far is the parking space from the elevator?
Each individual flaw may seem insignificant.
But repeated twice a day, it becomes part of the quality of life.
Elevators
The number of elevators in itself does not guarantee anything.
Need to consider:
- number of apartments;
- number of storeys;
- separation of passenger and service elevators;
- speed;
- queues in the morning;
- work during delivery hours;
- access from parking;
- behavior of the system during the repair of one elevator.
Five extra minutes of waiting every day turns into hours of wasted time.
Layout as an interface
Apartment area is one of the most overrated indicators.
Two apartments of the same size can feel completely different.
A good layout answers practical questions:
- Where do people leave their shoes and bags?
- Where to put the suitcases?
- Is there space for a vacuum cleaner and household items?
- Is it possible to arrange the furniture normally?
- Are there enough work surfaces in the kitchen?
- Do people constantly pass through the common area?
- Do the bedrooms have privacy?
- Is it possible to organize a workplace?
- Where to put children's bicycles?
- Are the square meters eaten up by long corridors?
If a layout requires people to constantly adapt to the space, it doesn't work well.
Light, noise and temperature
It’s important to stop while watching and not say anything for a few minutes.
Need to hear:
- roads;
- construction;
- air conditioners;
- neighboring apartments;
- elevator hall;
- public areas;
- restaurants;
- technical premises.
It is also important to check the orientation of the windows.
Beautiful daylight can mean the room heats up a lot.
The view may be temporary if there is a vacant area nearby.
Building management
The physical quality of a home cannot be separated from the quality of management.
Please note:
- how clean the common areas are;
- how quickly damage is repaired;
- how security is organized;
- Are the rules clear?
- how convenient it is to interact with management;
- how parking and access are managed;
- what is the condition of the pool, gym and children's areas;
- Are there any chronic complaints from residents?
A well-built house can gradually become a poor product due to poor management.
Final check
Before making a decision, you need to mentally live a normal day in your apartment:
- Morning exit.
- The road to the car.
- Returning with shopping.
- Delivery.
- Evening at home.
- Reception of guests.
- Cleaning.
- Storing things.
- Going out with children.
- Emergency situation.
Such a scenario test often shows more than area, renderings and expensive finishes.