On a casual visit, climbing to the 4th floor once might feel fine. “Not bad, I can do this,” you think. But living there means doing that climb multiple times a day—coming back from work, carrying groceries, taking out trash, plus all the “Oops, I forgot my phone” trips.
If you stop and imagine your daily routine—how many ins and outs you usually have—you get a more honest picture. Multiply that by the number of floors and your future self’s patience level. Add kids, elders, or heavy bags to the calculation, and stairs suddenly become more serious.
If there’s a lift, consider its reliability too. If it fails often, you’re essentially living in a walk-up. Sometimes, a slightly lower floor or a building with a better-maintained lift is worth more than a marginally better view.