Council housing flats

[Sammytoby]

Hi all,
I’m hoping for some reassurance / real-life experiences please.
We’ve just been offered a 2-bed council flat which is in a small block (6 properties) and looks more like a house conversion rather than a big block of flats. It’s self-contained with its own kitchen, lounge and bathroom, just a shared entrance.
I have a 6 week old baby, and I’m feeling a bit anxious about living in a building with other people. I’m mainly worried about noise travelling between flats, if it feels private once you’re inside and My baby crying / being loud and upsetting neighbours or causing tension.

I know babies cry and people have to accept that, but the idea of feeling on edge or worrying about complaints really stresses me out.

Has anyone lived in this type of flat, especially with a newborn or young baby?
Did it feel like your own home rather than shared living?
How was noise between properties?
Were neighbours generally understanding about baby noise?

I think I’m probably overthinking because it’s such a big step but I’d really appreciate hearing honest experiences good or bad.
Thank you.

What would happen if you turn the property down ?

Is the baby the only child ? if so you may have done very well to be offered somewhere so quickly - down here you could be in temp accommodation for months if not years before being offered somewhere.

Council properties are like hens teeth snap it up as long as it's not a hard to let area

I agree, if it's fairly decent you need to snap it up.

To be honest, you could've been offered a council house in a terrace and you might still have the same problem with neighbours complaining about noise.

So it doesn't really matter about other MNetter's experiences, as they would've had different neighbours, different sound-proofing and different babies.

Another vote for snapping it up.
stop worrying, and start getting excited!

Realistically this would be an issue anywhere that isn’t a detached house.
I would speak to the neighbours and sort of apology in advance so they know you’re doing your best. People can be arseholes about unavoidable noise but you may get lovely neighbours.
Make sure you get carpets. They absorb sound.

Yes to carpet. If you’re not on the ground floor, you will need carpet in the living room/bedrooms. As your child gets older and starts running around, it will be essential to ensure you don’t annoy your neighbours! But if you’re on the ground floor it doesn’t matter.

Most people will understand a crying baby. My next door neighbours had a baby a couple of years ago and yes I would hear it crying but to me it was to be expected and the small baby stage doesn’t last that long, so it didn’t bother me.

I’m in a converted house (I have a downstairs neighbour). We rub along fine. I don’t use my washing machine late at night or very early in the morning as it vibrates a lot and I think it could disturb them. Other than that, I just live normally. I only hear them when her adult DC have screaming arguments! I don’t think they get on well! But I don’t hear any day to day noise and they never complain about noise from us.

And yes, it absolutely feels like my own home once I’m inside. I’ve lived in ordinary houses before and this feels no different really. Once you shut your own front door, it’s just your home.

I live in a council flat with my daughter and have since she was newborn, you really can't hear much at all and nobody ever complained about her crying.
Inside it feels very much like my own place and not shared. My neighbours are all nice, and except for one older lady and her son who is disabled everyone is out at work all day so we don't see each other often.

Like others said I don't use the hoover or washing machine too early or too late.

Is it an actual converted property? (IE the address is 15c Mumsnet Road) and not a HMO?

You share a main front door with several other residents but you have your own secure front door to the property and no-one else has keys?

(I live in a converted house like this but just one other neighbour. We share a front door and hallway but that's it)

Where do you live that a flat isn’t considered normal? I can’t imagine needing council housing and being thrown by the idea of living in a flat. I grew up in a rural area and there were still blocks of council flats.

OP where are you living now? Consider staying there if it is preferable, if not, there is your answer.

If you are ground floor much easier for you .
Work out where your pram will go ( not in the communal hallway as it'll be considered a fire hazard and your neighbour will complain about it getting in the way)

Babies are noisy , my NDN could sometimes hear mine (but one was a Childminder , one was a retired nurse so they accepted it better ) we didn't let either of ours do prolonged crying .

And yes , snap it up !

I never said flats aren’t normal, and I’m not “thrown” by the idea of living in one, if I was I wouldn’t have bid on it. I’ve just never lived in a flat before and don’t know anyone personally who has, so I was asking for others’ experiences and being newly postpartum I just want to make sure I’m doing what’s best for my baby. That’s all.

Thank you to everyone who’s shared helpful replies I really appreciate it.
It is a ground floor 2 bed flat with shared entrance and I believe separate lockable front doors, 6 flats and 3 floors with the entrance in the middle so I think I will only have one direct neighbour and they will be above me.
I think a lot of my anxiety has come from never having lived in a flat before, and being newly postpartum after a pretty traumatic birth and difficult ongoing recover has definitely made me over-analyse everything, especially when it comes to my baby. Reading people’s experiences has been really reassuring.
I’m excited and very grateful to have a place of our own, and the replies here have helped massively I will definitely snap it up!

Wishing you all the very best.👍🏡

I really wouldn't worry about it. Everyone knows that babies cry. If you happen to live next to the odd random person who doesn't understand that, it's sheer bad luck that you can't guard against. Being in a flat doesn't in itself mean your neighbours will hear more anyway. The worst property I ever lived in for noise travelling was an old Victorian terrace. It was like we were all in the same bloody building! Which we were, effectively, because the walls were only a single brick thick. My new build flat on the other hand, never heard my neighbours, because it was soundproofed and insulated. Seriously, downstairs had the odd post-pub piss up into the early hours and I only knew if I was coming back late myself and they had the window open as I approached. Didn't hear a thing once I was indoors. That was council too, block of six, sounds like a similar setup to what yours will be.

The best thing for your baby is a secure home, which is what a council let is. I'd take it, honestly. If you're really not sure, just go and have a wee nosey over the weekend, walk past, see what's happening. Good luck!

@Sammytoby
Ground floor makes a huge difference, no stairs to lug a pram up and down, you won't have neighbours below you.
Definitely snap it up.
I had a flat when dd was born, it was great, all rooms on one level, no stairs, no stair gates, dd could toddle around room to room, I loved it.
Eventually bought a house when I felt we needed our own outside space.
Dd is now married and Im now rattling around a three bed house with dp and longing for the ease of a flat.
Let us know how the move goes, good luck

I actually miss living in a flat.
I moved when my son was 8 months old as it was only a 1 bed but every on the same level with a baby is so much easier than traipsing up and down stairs all day.

Definitely all on one level is so much easier. And ground floor is perfect for prams!