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?

No leave as two flats, if you ever need an income you’re set as landlords!

And buy the freehold if it ever comes up.

If you knock together and make one properly you will get rebanded for council tax. I think it could work.

It sounds like a fab idea. Plus your neighbours would probably love an easy sale with no agents

In your situation it sounds great. Apart from the having to clean two kitchens drawback.

How many flats in the building? Could you buy the freehold?

Take a look at Stamp duty for 2nd homes though. You have to pay extra if you buy a 2nd home if you are married. If you are not married I guess you could split up and buy a flat next door.

I would do it. In many ways it’s more flexible than one larger property

Tinty good point

Honestly, I think it sounds impractical. You wouldn’t want the children alone in flat 2 while you made dinner in flat 1. The extra bills. And as a PP said, a second kitchen you don’t need.

Not being able to knock through and having to access the other flat via a key is offputting enough (to me anyway!)

When you sell there will be capital games on a second home... do the maths. Unless you are not married as tinty says...

Sounds great.

One kitchen can be the utility room.

Really nice and flexible use of space.

I would register you and DH living at one property each.

Defo knock through like a little secret doorway somewhere.

Margaret Thatcher has her twins and the nanny living in the next door flat. Look what she accomplished ...

I remember reading that Derren Brown did this! The resulting flat looked great. (My flat has gone the opposite way: it used to be a duplex with the one above but was split by a previous owner.)

If one is considered to be a second property is it then liable for a different capital gains tax if you want to sell ?

Honestly, I think it sounds impractical. You wouldn’t want the children alone in flat 2 while you made dinner in flat 1.

Send DP/DH to make Dinner whilst you mumsnet look after the DC.

Seriously though, sadly I think there are a lot of cost implications of buying a second home now, even if you want to use it as one house.

Defo knock through like a little secret doorway somewhere.

Don’t. It’s incredibly disrespectful towards the freeholder. The freehold/leasehold system isn’t perfect but if you live in a flat in England and Wales you choose to be bound by it and should adhere to the rules.

I would try to get permission to officially combine the units, but I would definitely do it if it’s affordable for you.

The spare kitchen could actually be useful. We have a partial second kitchen on a second floor and it is very useful.

Several houses we have looked at have full second kitchens next to the first. The main kitchen flows into the dining and entertaining areas. The second kitchen is enclosed and behind a door. That way you can make a mess in the back kitchen and entertain guests from your pristine kitchen. It is quite ridiculous, but very appealing.

I think it's worth speaking to the freeholder. They will probably charge twice the amount you pay now but I can't see any reason why they could object to you knocking the two flats into one larger flat.
Good luck, hope it works out for you.

We did this but it involved buying the freehold with the 2 other leaseholders in the building before we knocked two into one. (worked out brilliantly). Why don't you ask the freeholder if they would consider it? They would no doubt charge you for granting permission for structural work to be done but may be worth the cost.

You would need pp, but 2 into one isn't usually a problem. More than 2 into 1 gets knocked back and needs a big fight with council in London because they see it as depleting the housing stock too much.

I'd ask about merging/knocking through. Don't assume you can't until or unless they say so! I think that's a better solution, if you can do it, than having two separate flats.

If you decide it's worth it, get a good contractor/builder in to give you ideas on putting in a door in ways that it could easily be removed and put back to two flats. Then approach the freeholder with the ideas. He may be more amenable if he can visualize the door and its removal.

And re 2nd property, if you do it properly this wouldn't apply. You would need to get the property recognised by one by the council (one council tax charge, one address) and get the deeds revised to show the new floorpan. Mortgage company and freeholder would need these. Utilities can also be combined, though we still have two electricity supplies in our place.

recognised as one

You would also have to pay an enhanced amount of stamp duty as it would be a second property. I think it's an additional 3% on top of the normal stamp duty amount.