AIBU to think living here would be magical?

I am clearly unworthy, I keep getting a 'Forbidden' message.

Nope! It's me - my computer just logs me in under a different name. Honestly - who cares anyway. I am definitely not an agent but look, if you want to assume I am then go ahead!

I reckon the agent OP, is the same one who has been trying to sell some new 'senior' apartments to some people in my village - on the fringes of our local market town... just off a busy A-road, some 2 miles from the shops.

All the bungalows in our village (and the small cottages,) a total of 50-ish properties in all, has had a flyer through the letterbox, for this apartment complex of 56 apartments... (They are actually bedsits IMO, and they have a lounge/diner/kitchen all in one, and one bedroom with an ensuite. No separate bathroom and no separate kitchen...)

These 'apartments' boast a 'great view of the garden' and a great social life with the other occupants. A shared community lounge (with a TV!) A games room with a pool table, a darts board, bingo every Wednesday, and a quiz every Friday. They also organise walking groups. You do have to pay £50 per person a month to be in this 'club' though.

The price of the apartments... £325,000 for the one-bed one, and £400,000 for the 2 bed one. Only 12 of the 2-bed ones are up for grabs though! (North midlands by the way...)

As I say, these flyers have come to some of the homes in the village, and they are aiming them at people who live in a lovely little rural village, in a cosy bungalow or cottage, (mostly paid for as they're over 50,) with a big garden, a 2 to 4 car driveway, a shed, and a garage, 10 minutes walk from woodlands, and a canal, and a river. It also has a pub, a little parish hall, and a Church. (And lots of hobby groups, and community groups...when there is no covid!)

And they ASSUME that they'd give this up, to pay potentially £400,000 for a 'bedsit,' in a complex of 56 bedsits, with no private garden, no shed, and no garage, 2 miles from the shops, and 100 yards from a busy, main A-road?

Absolutely batshit. No-one is going to do that. Many people have a decent amount of equity on their home, but would still probably have to take out a mortgage of £200K or so at the age of 50 plus. Who the F wants to do THAT for a glorified bedsit, when they have their home (that is much better, and in a much better place, and is virtually paid for?!)

I am definitely not working for the agent. I have NOTHING to do with this listing. I just came across it and thought it was nice, that's all.

I thought it was going to be a castle or something!

I always think posts like this are the last ditch attempt of a desperate seller. Presume OP hasn’t been back?

As I live in an unfashionable part of the north, at least the price tag has given me a bit of a laugh!

Can't think of anything worse than having to share a garden, I think I would rather even have no garden.

I bet there's a list of covenants as long as your arm, ruthlessly enforced by Brenda from the Residents Association.

Lovely outdoor space. I moved in I couldn’t wait to set up the trampoline for the kids. 😬

I think it looks nice.

Those box rooms being on a different floor to the main rooms would annoy me as you’d never want to put a baby on a different floor, but they’d be crap as spare rooms.

It's not my thing, but seems a good price for the area.
Maybe the lease is up in a year

I've a friend who lives in a mews house in a more desirable part of London. It's good for London living in terms of outside space and he's v close to everything he needs but it's not magical.

For that money I could buy a local large detached 7 bed property with lots of land, a lake and walled Victorian garden. It's truly beautiful.

The bathroom is hideous! And the carpet... why?

It’s lovely but I need a proper garden.

Absolutely nothing about that house looks welcoming.

The decor is naff and looks cheap. I dread to think of the grounds maintenance costs on top of a mortgage.

I don't get it sorry, Kent and Sussex are within an hour and you could get a full detached country house with your own orchard for the same money.

What is with all the Streatham bashing? It has improved quite a bit in the last 10 years, we have Gastro pubs and Kite festivals, the lovely Rookery gardens, vegan restaurants, outstanding primary schools and lots of parks. To name just a few good things.

Yes crime is high and some people can be a bit scary however that is true of anywhere in London.
Streatham is improving and Streatham Vale is a lovely little community. I am sad that we are leaving soon.

I agree that the house itself is not particularly wow. The gardens are nice, though, but I bet the service charges are high.

P.S estate agents if you are reading - you have a grocer's apostrophe in the description: "including it's very own apple orchard.

Yeah I wondered what the service charges would be as well. Also streatham is not magical

They're very, very quiet in the particulars about the service charges, but as you'd have to pay for the upkeep costs of the gardens and orchard that would be a major worry for me. Quite often on programmes like Escape to the Country they show properties which are part of a divided-up former stately home, but for the same reason I wouldn't touch them with bargepole.

It’s such a depressing little house. Useable space divided into tiny bedrooms, miserable garden and all for three quarters of a million.

The service charge would be savage.