Please help me pick between these two flats...

[HairyPorter]

Ooh I've just seen two lovely flats today! Flat 1 is very modern, and needs nothing doing to it, smaller flat (1300sq ft) and a small garden but 10 minute walk to school with nice-ish shops surrounding. It's a nicer part of town. Has 1 big room and 2 smaller rooms which works well when kids outgrow sharing but they will be cramped till then. It's share of freehold.

Flat 2 doesn't need loads of work doing, just a few bits, but was last refurbished about 15 years ago. It's still in decent condition. Has an amazingly mahoozive garden with an orchard and has lots more character than flat 1. But 25 minute walk to school (slightly less on public transport) and is in a very nice street in a not so nice part of town. Also the garden back onto train tracks, and you can hear the trains from the living room and kids room, but not master room. Has 2 big rooms and 1 small room so may be an issue when kids outgrow sharing... And it's leasehold (100y left)

I fell in love with flat 2 because of its character but wonder if the distance from school and train noise will be issues? And of course divvying up rooms will be tough as kids get older..

[mrspaddy]

I think flat one... That knocks 39 mins off everyday and in a nicer part of town and less noisy. Less work, near shops
I think it sounds like the easier option,as nice as the garden is, it might make for an easier life.

[mrspaddy]

Opposite 30 mins

[jalopy]

Flat 1

[SolomanDaisy]

Find out about how soundproof the flats are, the amount of noise you hear from the other flats would be the decider for me!

[bundaberg]

i'd keep looking, unless you're in a hurry and properties are scarce?

a big garden is a must for me, i hate our tiny garden and as the kids get bigger i just wish i had more space. but the trains would put me off big time.

[HairyPorter]

We aren't in a hurry but properties are scarce. We've been looking for over a month now and these are really the first two places that tick most of the boxes. The garden in flat 2 has apple, pear, plum, strawberries, red currants, grapes and more. I have visions of dc feasting on pick your own fruit all summer! Hence why I've fallen in love with flat 2...

[TheLeftovermonster]

Flat 1 no doubt despite the lovely garden of the other one.
And I'd check the secondary schools out.

[kitsmummy]

How bad is the flat 2 area? You sound like you've fallen in love with flat 2 so if the area is fine, just not quite as good as flat 1 then I would go with flat 2. If actually a bad area, then flat 1 or actually just keep looking.

[bundaberg]

A month isn't that long to be looking.

If you def want to go with one of these 2 tho I'd go with 2

[HairyPorter]

It's not a bad area, just not as nice as flat 1... It's more the nursery run that's holding me back.. I think the noise will fade into the background with time and we're quite used to a fair amount of noise anyway as our rental current flat isn't fully double glazed and you can hear quite a lot of traffic.

[HairyPorter]

(Nursery and school are in same location), so will be a25 minute walk to get to both

[georgedawes]

1

[icklekid]

2- you will want to move again out of 1 quicker because of the lack of garden and smaller rooms, don't stop looking though

[Bowlersarm]

Have you looked at them both at least twice? Have you checked his noisy and frequent the trains are?

[CreatureRetorts]

We back onto a train line. It only annoys me in the mornings but doesn't bother the children at all.

I wouldn't buy it second time around despite the huge garden (70ft), huge amount of space etc etc.

[noisytoys]

1 just because it is share of freehold. I live in a leasehold flat - never again!!

[mummaemma]

Are they on right move. Put the link on so we can nosey

[HairyPorter]

creature why not??? Was it the trains that put you off? Or something else?
Andnoisytoys what was wrong with the leasehold flat?
Will link later- on phone now! Viewing flat 2 again this afternoon with dh who is far more rational and likely to spot all the other negatives I missed!

[mummaemma]

Can't see a problem with leasehold as its got 100 years on it. Never had leasehold so no experience there I'm afraid. Where are the flats located. Busy area lots of conmuters of small town. I would want to know exactly how many times a day the trains go past. Every 20mins or more frequent.And if during the night. How close if the line to the flat. I'm assuming its at the bottom of the garden. Seeing pictures will help immensely.

[CreatureRetorts]

The trains are one thing. We used to sleep in the back room and getting woken up at 4.45am by the first train used to really upset me. We've moved bedrooms and the kids aren't bothered and don't wake up thankfully. Other things are specific to our flat - stair only access to the garden, making it a pain with two under 4 and not easy to just pop outside. Also parking but that's because of the area. DH loves the flat - he sees the trains etc as niggles.
It's leasehold but we get on with the other flat owners (just two flats) and no issues at all. Freeholder does very little!

[HairyPorter]

Dh loves flat 2 too!! Yippee!! The trains are barely audible from living room with the garden doors closed. It's a tube line unfortunately so very frequent, but the rest of the flat is just sooo lovely. :)

[HairyPorter]

This is the first property that we both loved and ticks most of the boxes by the way, and we've probably seen close to 50!

[KatyPutTheCuttleOn]

flat 2 without a doubt. You will get used to the trains (I used to live in a bungalow with the main line to London at the end of the garden).

[mummaemma]

so are you going to put an offer in.