Optimal sound insulation of house and apartment in comparison

Hello, I didn’t know who to turn to, so I am asking here now. I don’t know if questions about apartments are allowed here.

I am thinking about buying a house/apartment. I would actually prefer an apartment because it is usually more economical and ecological, if I am correctly informed. I am not very demanding, but I once lived in an apartment where you could hear and notice a lot from the neighbors. Examples: neighbor singing, neighbor talking (individual words could be heard depending on the volume), neighbors’ romantic activities, footsteps in the hallway, elevator (which bothers me the least). Otherwise, I am not very demanding, but that really pushed me over the edge and I never want to experience it again.

Is it possible to insulate an apartment so that it feels like living in a house? What would that cost? What things would already need to be considered during construction? I don’t have a decibel meter yet, so I can’t say how loud the noises actually are.

Hello,

do you want to buy a new-build apartment or an old apartment?

If it is an old apartment, there is not much you can do. The measures you can take on your side do not prevent body and airborne sound from neighbors being transmitted to the building. Against airborne sound, you could at least build a soundproof dry-wall in front of your partition wall. But sound transmission from the floors/ceilings above, below, or next to you cannot be reduced with this.

With a new-build apartment, the problem should actually be much smaller. The requirements nowadays are so strict that with proper execution, sound transmission is significantly reduced. However, it will never be zero. There are regulations specifying how many dB the sound must be reduced when entering your apartment.

You don't have to do anything for that, just trust that the executing company does a good job and, if in doubt, sue.
BUT you can still hear something in a new-build. It will only be as quiet as in a single-family house in your own home.

I agree, but I would like to add: Preferably the attic apartment ;) This generally reduces the perception of impact noise significantly – there’s simply no one above you, but it might still be slightly audible from the adjacent apartments. From the apartment below, you shouldn’t really hear anything. Logically, this also reduces emissions from the stairwell, as there is less foot traffic on the attic level.

What I would also like to add: generally, the more younger people living there, the more parties/loud music. This doesn’t necessarily have to be true, but it is often the case. I still feel sorry for the neighbors of our student flat share.