Living on the 30th floor: common worries answered

Our Kokapet towers rise to 32 floors, and the higher apartments have open views across the city. Families visiting them often love the view and worry about the same few things. Here is how we answer them. Lifts are the first concern. A tower should have enough lifts that waiting times stay short at 9 am, including a service lift for moving furniture and a stretcher-size lift for emergencies. Ask how many lifts serve each tower, whether there is power backup for all of them, and what the maintenance contract covers.

Fire safety is next. High-rise buildings need wet risers, sprinklers, fire-rated doors on staircases, pressurised staircases, refuge areas at intervals and fire alarms. Ask to see these on your site visit, and check that the fire staircases are kept clear. Practise the route once you move in. Wind and movement worry some buyers. Tall buildings are designed to sway very slightly in strong winds; most people never feel it. Balconies on upper floors are windier, so plan heavier furniture and secure plants.

Water pressure on upper floors is handled with pumps and pressure systems, so ask how water reaches the top floors and whether there is a backup pump. For families with young children, ask about balcony railing height and the gaps between bars, and consider invisible grilles, which many residents install. Our standard railings are 1.2 metres high.

Finally, visit the floor you are considering, not just the show flat, and stand on the balcony at different times of day. Some people love high floors; others find they prefer something lower.