1. Put the layouts side by side.
Look at usable rooms, circulation, daylight, ventilation, storage and work-from-home needs. Walk through how your furniture and household would fit. A bedroom count alone will not show these differences.
2. Understand the shared arrangements.
Ask what is shared and who looks after it. In either format, establish the actual arrangements for entry, lift and stairs, parking, water, power backup, waste and repairs. If a facility is proposed, identify its current status and the terms of access.
3. Compare ongoing responsibilities.
Ask for the recurring charges and how additional repairs or replacements are handled. Check who coordinates maintenance and what the payments cover. Do not assume the format automatically means lower upkeep or fewer responsibilities.
4. Rehearse an ordinary day.
Test the journeys to work, school and essentials at relevant times. Look at visitor access, deliveries and the street in the evening. For older family members, examine the route from arrival to the front door as carefully as the home itself.
Make the compromise explicit.
Write down the three priorities you most want to protect, then record what each home gives up. More private space, particular facilities or a familiar neighbourhood can matter differently to different households. Compare the actual properties against your own routine.
Discuss the home you want