Huge flat vs small house

[Luv2chat2U]

Hi all

Just wondering what you would consider to be more important.


A huge flat flat or small house

[BikeRunSki]

Does either have a garden?
Do you have children?

[TheWeeBabySeamus1]

Before I had DC it would have been large flat.

Now I'd pick small house ( assuming there's some sort of garden/yard )

[sooperdooper]

Yes to outside space, if the huge flat was ground floor and had a garden/patio area I'd maybe consider it but usually I'd prefer a house

[sooperdooper]

Also, what put me off a lot of flats were the ridiculously expensive service charges, once I'd factored in that cost I decided I'd be better paying that on a mortgage for a house

[JeanGenie23]

I think it also depends on location. I live in NE London and it's really common for families of 3/4 to live in a large 2 bed flat (with garden) just because of the cost. If I was still in the midlands I would more likely have a small house.

[AlwaysNC]

Whichever was more soundproof / had outside space. My ideal would be a lovely roof terrace

[FishWithABicycle]

Small house - the problems of having upstairs or downstairs neighbours are not to be underestimated.

[ElspethFlashman]

Whichever had the most outside space.

I rented a mahoooosive flat some years ago. It was amazing, from the sixties and actually had a proper big hallway and everything!

Everyone envied us and went Oooh when they visited. Then that summer was boiling and we realised that we had to hang out in the local park to get some air!

It sacked, tbh. You need some private outside space, even without kids. It's claustrophobic otherwise.

[sofato5miles]

House.

[TremoloGreen]

House.
Private garden presumably
No upstairs/downstairs neighbours
No communal areas
Own front door
Freehold vs Leasehold - you have very little control in practice as a leaseholder and can get badly ripped off
Ability to extend perhaps

[Luv2chat2U]

Oh thank you all for your very useful comments .

@ Bikerunski and Theweebaby.... @sooperdooper.....In answer to your question they both have gardens. The flat is communal and massive the house is own garden and also very big...


@always NC, Fishwithabicycle and Tremologreen....you are spot on re:soundproofing and noisy upstairs neighbours, I'm going through it now :-(

[BikeRunSki]

On the basis of what everyone has said house - private outside space and the noise is your own noise!

[Mandolinoparadiso]

Owning the freehold would be important to me – which of course you can have with a flat as well as a house. We live in a huge flat with kids, and we love it, but we've just been stung with an enormous bill for major works to the building, and there's nothing we can do about it.

[TheWeeBabySeamus1]

I forgot about soundproofing, so definitely house. I lived in a middle flat for years ( one above and one below ) and it was unbearable . So much more peaceful in a house.

[BaboonBottom]

House, I lived in a huge flat with a garden. It's not the same as slipping out in your pjs with your dh's shoes on to put the washing out.
The garden got neglected and not used as you were aware of the others around.

[Spickle]

Luv2chat2U - you've started quite a few threads on this subject all wanting opinions on which is the better choice. The fact that it is obviously bothering you so much would suggest you need to move out of your Georgian flat with soundproofing problems in a great location and enjoy the privacy of your own front door and garden without the noise disturbance in a not so good location.

I moved out of my home in a quiet cul de sac because of issues with parking and now live on a noisy main road with my own drive and no parking issues. Some people would not consider a main road but I love it. Different strokes different folks.

[DiggersRest]

Definitely a house. We are end of terrace and l constantly say to dh I'd hate to have neighbours joined on both sides, neighbours above/below/side would send me around the bend. And our neighbours are quiet, it's my bloody lot and constantly having to tell them to be quiet!

[loraflora]

The last time bought a property I could afford either a flat or small house in the location I wanted. I went for the small house. I bemoan the lack of storage space and poky rooms, but wouldn't be without a garden and as it's end of terrace I only have one neighbour adjoining.

[AgathaF]

Definitely a house. You won't want to sit outside in your pjs on a Saturday morning, having a cup of tea in a communal garden.

[Luv2chat2U]

Thank you all... I see there are Lot of preferences for the house...

@ theweebaby.... I know what you mean about middle flats they are defo a nightmare😳

@ Bamboonbottom....stepping out in to my own garden in pjs to hang up washing sound bliss.....never though of that....😀👍

@Spickle you are so right, however, I'm just indecisive by nature 😩

@Loraflora how did you deal with the pokey rooms????😑

[FoolMe]

A planning officer said to me it's better to buy a nice flat in a nice area than a little house in a shitty area. However the one I'm hopefully buying is share of freehold in a nice location with its own front door and it's own private garden. Not too worried about neighbour noise from above I've viewed houses where you could hear the next door neighbour through the paper thin walls

[ArtOfKnit]

We're just about to move from a big (and beautiful) flat in a not so great area, to a small semi in a much, much better area. The reasons for us are: location, wanting to have a family soon, want a garden, plus getting rather sick of being on the top floor without a lift! I will also be very glad to see the back of our ground rent/ service charges, so owning a freehold is a definite plus. I will be sad when we leave our flat, but for the next phase of our life it's just not suitable anymore.

[Luv2chat2U]

@foolme I agree with your planning officer, however I currently have a really lovely
Flat in a very desirable location....but the poorly insulated property and noise from the neighbours is forcing me out 😔

@ artoknit good luck with your move....I'm the other way round, might have to leave nicer area and flat to a less desirable to a house with stronger walls for the sake of my peace and well being

[GingerIvy]

We're moving from a decent sized 3 bedroom semi to a small 2 bedroom flat (with garden) in a nicer area. We could have taken a 3 bedroom semi a little further from where we wanted to be, but compromised on size to get the area we wanted.

[DiggersRest]

Love2 are you in London? I ask because we could have bought a maisonette in a better area or a house in the not so nice area. We decided on the house and typically of London the area has improved 100 fold and of course now we couldn't afford to buy our house in this new nice area