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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that a flat in a good area is better than a house in a bad one?

55 replies

Readr · 20/02/2022 19:26

A friend is thinking of buying property and has the money (with a mortgage) to get either a flat in a relatively good area, or a house in a sh*tty one (drugs, high crime and anti-social behaviour, several generations unemployed kind of bad area). I get it that with a flat you are forever tied to service charges and lease, while a house is freehold, but still, in this situation AIBU to think that a flat in a better area would be a better choice?

OP posts:
IckyPeas · 20/02/2022 19:42

Buy the best house in the worst area

Redeyed · 20/02/2022 19:43

I'd prefer to be in a good area, having experienced both.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 20/02/2022 19:44

Its a balancing act. You need sufficient property for you needs balanced with safety and amenities.

Allsorts1 · 20/02/2022 19:45

@IckyPeas I think you got that the wrong way around? 😅

SandlakeRd · 20/02/2022 19:45

@IckyPeas

Buy the best house in the worst area
Isn’t advice often the opposite? Worst house in a better area? You can change the house but not the location.

On that basis I would say the flat assuming that is a nice ish flat and not a tiny studio type of place. Is there another area should could look that is somewhere in the middle?

sst1234 · 20/02/2022 19:47

Location, location, location indeed

Marchingredsoldiers · 20/02/2022 19:47

We chose a flat in a good area. We don't care about the size, and love the feeling of living in a safe, vibrant community.

We know friends who chose the house and are scared to be outside their home because of muggings.

IglesiasPiggl · 20/02/2022 19:47

It really depends on her needs and living situation. If living alone, then definitely go for the better area, especially if she will be walking home at night.

Original poster
Readr · 20/02/2022 19:49

Thanks to all who responded. @SandlakeRd, the midde-road would be buying a flat in a not-so-good area, so it would have the disadvantages of a flat and the disadvantages of being in a semi-unsafe place.

OP posts:
sunshinesupermum · 20/02/2022 19:49

Better area, always.

bossybloss · 20/02/2022 19:49

Definitely the worst house in the best area. I bought a terraced house in a poor area ( first house) sold it at enough of a profit to buy the worst house in a good area and gradually with the help of DH and DF did it up. It’s still smaller than most of the houses around it but is quiet with access to fields etc. And I love it!

MintyFreshBreath · 20/02/2022 19:50

Not necessarily. We bought our first house in the worst area of a very expensive city. It was ex-local authority and people would sneer when they heard where we lived. However, houses 1.5 miles away were £100k more with a yard for a garden whereas we had a huge garden. But, back to our plan. The area we bought in was hugely popular with first time buyers, hence why we bought it, due to the fact the houses were so cheap. We bought it and overpaid massively on the mortgage, at least double most months, if not more. When it came to selling, it was snapped up in 24 hours for £15k over the asking price (went to sealed bids) and we went from a 3 bed semi to a 4 bed detached with a garage. This took 3.5 years.

Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 20/02/2022 19:51

I would buy a house in the best part of the bad area I could afford.

Sometimes bad areas are actually ok when you live there, but this depends. One of the areas with the worst reputation in our town isn’t really all that bad and I’d happily live there. It’s a historical reputation, but it keeps house prices down.

whitesta · 20/02/2022 19:51

@IckyPeas

Buy the best house in the worst area
Other way around surely
StoneofDestiny · 20/02/2022 19:53

Buy the worst house in the best area. No point owning a great property in a run down or dangerous area.

Camomila · 20/02/2022 19:55

Following as this is the exact problem we are facing at the moment.

Does she have DC? I keep dithering between "they'd really like a garden" and "but what about school? Will we have to move schools?"

OfstedOffred · 20/02/2022 19:58

There's a balance point.

A shoebox flat somewhere fancy might protect value etc but it might be a huge compromise to your quality of life - it really depends what your needs are - kids/schools, family, work.

I would work out my minimum housing need first then move to the best area where I could get that minimum.

NerrSnerr · 20/02/2022 19:59

I think it depends on what people mean by bad area. The houses in my village are probably about 50-100k cheaper than surrounding villages because it's a 'bad area' because shockingly there's a fair amount of council houses and flats. It's absolutely fine- certainly not the ganglands and no significant knife crime problem etc. I have a few local friends who pretend they live in Cheltenham and tell friends from other parts of the country they're in Cheltenham when they're not (and would have no idea ours is a less desirable place to live!)

If the bad area is somewhere like some of the estates where I did my nurse training where we couldn't go to certain roads/ tower blocks without a police escort because it was too risky then I certainly wouldn't buy there.

partytime50 · 20/02/2022 20:03

Areas change. I bought a 2 bed flat in a shitty part of London 20 years ago. Its worth £800k now ffs. And I don't still own it unfortunately!!

Original poster
Readr · 20/02/2022 20:03

Thanks again for the input. She is single with no children and is in her 50s. Doesn't much like DIY and def. not gardening. The question is more about this: if she buys a flat, there is always leasehold to pay, and yearly service charges, and these could skyrocket and you can't do anything about it (and in this case you can't sell it either, for the very reason). A house is a freehold, but being scared to go outside, or of break-ins, or your car being damaged is a big negative.

OP posts:
OfstedOffred · 20/02/2022 20:03

Also before we had kids we opted for a bigger flat in a slightly run down area with a particular historic reputation - a colleague at work made a semi jokey but quite rude comment about it. The property rose rapidly in value as the area was becoming popular younger people who didn't give a shit about the dated xenophobic reputation and saw it had good transport and amenities.

Staffy1 · 20/02/2022 20:04

Neither, find a house in a nicer cheaper area further afield.

Getoff · 20/02/2022 20:11

The question is more about this: if she buys a flat, there is always leasehold to pay, and yearly service charges, and these could skyrocket and you can't do anything about it

If it's a purpose-built flat in a large development, this shouldn't be an issue. I think there is now a legal right to manage, so bills only need to pay for stuff that's genuinely needed.

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 20/02/2022 20:14

I'm in a flat in more expensive area and it's fine. In an older building the charges aren't outrageous. I pay £600 odd pa and it hasn't changed in the 13 years I've been here.

Konstantine8364 · 20/02/2022 20:21

If the bad area is as bad as you say then the flat hands down. But I chose the house in the not so good postcode over a flat in a v desirable area and I'm so glad I did! I basically went for the best house in a not desirable but safe area. Similar houses 0.5 miles away go for 100k more it's madness. I've got loads of space, lovely garden (which was amazing in lockdown). I live right at the edge of the not desirable postcode area and feel very safe, walk home alone at night etc. I've lived here 5 years and no crime issues at all. You really need to get to know a specific area to decide.

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