WIBU to buy neighbouring flat and live in both?

[TinselTimes]

We love our flat and the area, we don’t want to move but do need more space.

Our next door neighbours have told us they’re planning to sell later this year.

We could afford to buy their flat as well.

There’s no chance the freeholder would let us knock through walls, they would have to stay officially separate flats. But we could use the extra space for a home office, and a spare room, and a playroom, and just have more space generally.

Is this totally crazy? Pros and cons?

Double council tax!!

Oh yes! That’s true. We’ve only just started thinking about it, I need to make a list of all the extra expenses.

Wonderful idea. If you can afford it, go for it!

Double Council tax... you could possibly insert a secret entranceway between the 2 flats though - like a hidden bookcase

Thanks @Singlenotsingle!

Crazy!
You'd have 2 lots of council tax & other bills which will be more expensive than the same bills in a bigger property.

You'd need to be dressed to go from one house to the other.

Without knocking through, it would be a bad idea I think.

Hah yes @Youshallnotpass - DH has been chatting to his mate who is a builder today and speculating about doing something unofficial like that :)

Or register as living in a flat each and get 25% discount for single person living there!
Sneaky...

I love this idea. I'm fantasizing about buying my neighbours house now...

It’s difficult because if there was a suitable bigger property in our area then obv that would make more sense. But we need a flat (due to disability in the family, so can’t use stairs), and we live in central London so there are no big bungalows.

We could theoretically move to a slightly bigger flat but it’s likely we’d spend a lot of money for only very slightly more space. This option would actually give us more additional space for less money at least upfront in the purchase price.

You'd also end up with space you don't want like 2 kitchens.

You wouldn't want to put kids to bed in one flat while you do stuff in the other.

Either rent an office or buy a bigger property.

My relative has done this, although there’s no freeholder etc where we are so they were able to create an opening in the separating wall. It never even occurred to me they’d have 2x council tax now.

If you never sleep at one would it technically be classed as either vacant or a business address? And if so what sort of issues might that bring (insurance for one?)

I'm trying to find a reason why you and DH can't technically both be living in separate flats and can't think of one.
Do you have children?
Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton had side by side flats /houses and didn't actually live together.

Hmmm yes we’d be using one for a spare room but that would only be occasional guests. We’d definitelt need to work out how that impacts insurance and council tax.

We have young children, yes, so couldn’t really leave them in oneflat when we were in the other.

I'd look at houses and disabled access lifts.

But in Hard times you could rent one of the flats out. You could send the DC to live in one of them when they are teenagers. You will have extra space. Can you use one as living space, one as bedrooms? Set up a great camera system between the two flats. I think there is a story about Bob Geldof and his girlfriend living in a big house, and his DC lived in a flat at the bottom of the house with a Nanny.

Can you afford an au pair who can live in one flat, whilst you and DH live in the other? Just kidding.

Are they opposite each other? In a new block? Or are they in a conversion? With a shared wall? You’d be surprised your freeholder maybe willing to agree.

Hah long term putting an au pair in one flat is a great idea!

They’re next door in a newish block with a shared wall, I suppose we could ask the freeholder? Im not sure f we’d need planning permission to merge two properties?

Unless you can do a sneaky knock through, then I wouldn’t bother.

Do you have to physically go outside to get from one to the other or is across an indoor hallway?

I want to do this! Go for it! You’ll be all”just nipping next door for a bath😁”