WIBU - to sell and 3 bed house with garden and buy a 3 bed flat?

[blinkineckmum]

Our house is freehold. We were looking for somewhere bigger. I have found somewhere smaller. It's a flat and leasehold. BUT it has shared use of a gym, swimming pool and tennis court. I really want to live there! WIB mad?

Find a gym that has a crèche. You still get to exercise and improve your mental health without the headache of leasehold and service charges. As your children get older your own space outside is a god send. Think very carefully

I'd go for the garden over the pool with young kids. It's good for them to play outside, you can do so much with a garden. Mud kitchens, tents, paddling pool, picnics, garden toys, sitting on the back doorstep with a cup of tea while they play. When we lived in a (huge) flat with communal gardens I was always conscious of neighbours under us 'don't jump, don't bang that toy on the floor' etc. We couldn't hang washing in the gardens. They weren't enclosed and there were rules about not leaving toys out, no ball games, no furniture.

Hell, are you crazy?!

3 children in a flat with no garden - don't do it!

I get that you would like access to a pool but maybe move to a town with a pool instead and have a garden.

Aso, the place you describe sounds like the sort of place where a family with 3 small children might not be welcomed with open arms. I get the impression that it's one of those places for professional singles and couples, active retired etc not a child friendly place (but I may be wrong of course).

in a flat:

• you will be constantly getting into rows with neighbours about how noisy your children are (running up and down etc) and also the reverse when your kids are trying to sleep and neighbours are making noise.
• you may not have stairs in your flat but you do have stairs in the block.
• very unlikely that your kids will be allowed in the pool at all times - likely to be moaning from neighbours there too, as noone likes kids jumping around in the pool they pay for.
• lack of safe outside private space will drive you and them a bit mad.

I am about to have a child and the thought of living in a flat makes me shudder.

The time for a fancy portered block with a pool is before or after kids, not during. If you are desperate, you could sell your house and rent for six months and see how you go - but I think its probably a waste of money.

We are a 15 minute drive from the nearest swimming pool and gym. Our house is freehold (the leasehold properties are two flats which we rent out). The pool and gym are council run with good facilities and a creche. I used to use them if I could get space in the creche when my children were babies (youngest is now 15). I couldn't have gone otherwise, as there would have been nobody to look after them. It was a far better and cheaper option than trading a freehold house for a leasehold flat.

YANBU.... I have never understood this British obsession with your own front door mentality, give me a lovely serviced apartment every time! We live in a 3 bed apartment in a similar set up and it’s HEAVEN.... you need to make sure it’s a well run building with a reputable management agency but it’s much less hassle than owning a house. Roof issues, boiler maintenance, window cleaning etc..... not my problem it just gets done. I have a lovely constant never ending supply of hot water and no responsibility for how it gets to me! Great with young kids to as there is often good facilities, shared gardens, park areas, onsite cafe etc that gives them far more space to hoof about in than a small house garden. Plus I find it very safe - the concierge is about 24h a day so there are always someone keeping an eye on things plus I never have to wait home for a parcel. Yes you pay for all this convenience but remember you need to factor in the ongoing cost of owning and maintaining a freehold not just day to day running costs. So yes a freeholds day to day cost will be much lower but when the roof needs work that’s ££££ and all you.

Also modern well built properties are usually pretty sound proof - we don’t hear our neighbors at all including the baby and massive dog opposite. Plus a lift with a baby is awesome.... I roll right out the front door into the lift and off up the street.

slacker you think having your own door is overrated and not having a back garden with dc is a good choice when the OP already has this??? Okay

Hip - each to their own! I don’t find it a problem and we have access to a huge amount of outdoor space and a deck. Works for us and I massively prefer it... yes with dc. Plenty of people have set out problems for the OP and I just wanted to give an alternative perspective based on my experience.