...to ask which flat you would choose?

[TooManyPringles]

I've put two offers in and now I'm stuck. How do I decide which one to ultimately go for? Both are 2 beds with outside space, which was my criteria when choosing.

Flat A: just over 500 sq ft. Very small! A period conversion, gorgeous little Victorian garden flat built with yellow London brick and a bay window at the front. The kitchen is just two units and a cooker in the living room, essentially. I would need to come up with a lot of storage, and use the space creatively. The 'kitchen/ living area' would basically become a big eat-in kitchen, and then I'd use the second bedroom as a living room. It has one small bathroom, and a cute little courtyard garden. It's an end of terrace, so the garden wraps around the back. When I viewed it, there were a couple of damp patches on the walls, and evidence of a leak coming through from the flat above.

Flat B: Nearly 700 sq ft. In a modern, private, gated block (built early 2000s). Two big bedrooms (one en suite) and a long kitchen/ living room in a rectangle shape - a kitchen area at the back (lots of storage/ cupboards) and then a living area which has French windows opening onto a patio, which then leads onto a communal garden (shared by a couple of other flats in the block). The patio just belongs to the flat though. It feels very quiet - almost rural. (maybe a bit suburban? There is a great view of the London skyline from the entrance to the block, though).

I'm really stuck. How would you choose? I like the space in Flat B, and the idea of having more flexibility with the en suite/ bigger bedrooms etc. I worry that the block itself just feels a bit character-less, though? I always envisaged living in a period property. But then...the damp and the lack of space in the Victorian flat may end up being annoying. But the bay window is so pretty!

Which would you go for, and how have you made decisions about homes when you've been deciding? Tips and ideas about making this sort of decision welcome!

Thank you.

Voting, for fun:

YABU: Flat A
YANBU: Flat B

If all cladding is ok on flat B - then Flat B..

B, no question

Hmm. What stage of life are you at? Do you have kids ? Do you want them? Do you need space for visitors?

I live in London too and when we bought our first flat we could have got a small one bed period home with no outside space or storage. However, we opted to buy a large two bed on a lovely street in a fairly bland, midge low rise block. It had a garden balcony and lots of storage. Two big double bedrooms.

It was the right choice as we had space to grow. We ended up having two kids in that flat. Plus there when there were maintenance issues and it was managed by a company who dealt with it. With a terrace you are at the mercy of whoever owns the other flat.

The draw back in someways was value though. Character homes simply sell for more and go up in value faster. If we had bought that one bed we would probably have a lot more profit when we moved. It's what people want (though a lot of terrace conversions are actually quite rubbish, no storage, small rooms, dark).

So if weigh up what you want.

I love older properties so would probably prefer flat A but would choose flat B to live in. It sounds much more comfortable. Space is so important. Having an en-suite is so handy for when you have guests.

B - this is a no brainer surely?!

B for all the reasons PP have given

Flat B.

I rent but I live in a modern purpose built flat. I love it. It's warm and toasty, soundproof, big.

My mum lives in a period property and she's always moaning about how cold it is and that it costs a fortune to heat. I wouldn't touch one.

Definitely Flat B - it's designed as a flat, for one thing, so insulation and sound proofing should be better.

Is there an annual charge on each of them?

B

Flat B. Our first house was a victorian terrance. We never bought another period property, as we don't love/ aren't brilliant at DIY/ didn't have the budget for lots of renovations and that's what it (potentially) requires. We have since very much enjoyed the good insulation, non-crumbling walls, etc in new (albeit perhaps slightly less charming) houses.

I love period properties but I couldn't do with a kitchen that size.

I love old Victorian properties and I'd vote Victorian it were a house you were buying.

But I also believe that flats are better when they are purpose built as flats. Old houses tend to be draughty cold, especially Victorian conversions. For that reason I'd go for ..

Flat B

Flat b - have done flat A and found it to be a money pit…
what about parking? That would be a consideration for me

A sounded quite cute and romantic until this-

a couple of damp patches on the walls, and evidence of a leak coming through from the flat above

Does the price reflect the cost of sorting all that out and getting a bigger kitchen in the kitchen-living space?

Unless A is an absolute bargain I'd go for B

Avoid any property with damp. It is always way more expensive to fix than you imagine and often doesn't ever go away properly.

But I also believe that flats are better when they are purpose built as flats.

As the unfortunate owner of a flat with fire safety issues (along with hundreds of thousands of people in the UK), this isn't necessarily true.

I would also never leasehold again.

*buy leasehold

Flat B I have owned a victorian property (beautiful, just what i imagined living in but cold draughty and required constant maintenance, something always needed doing) I now own a property built in the 90s it's characterless but I don't have to waste time and energy on it, I just live here, it's very relaxing!

Flat B by a million miles. We have a 70s purpose built flat it’s fantastic. Barely have the heating on, it’s so solid and get loads of light. Never had any condensation or mould. Have lived in period flats before and hated it, constant mould/damp and tend to be really small.

Flat B
I also always imagined living in period properties, l adore Victorian property (and everything Victorian!) but have lived instead in 2 1970s houses in a row.
I have just added my own 'character' to them!

I cant see how a bay window could be so pretty to have 200sq ft less and damp. The garden sounds much better but then i dont think it would be used for 6 months of the year. So i am a vote for modern flat B.

Heart says the cute victorian one, head says the more modern one. My experience is that you end up wanting and needing more space, and the practical benefits outweigh the aesthetic benefits. You can decorate the modern one to give it its own character. I'd take the safer and more sensible option, which is flat b.

I would go for flat B.

Flat A has a leak coming from above? so you are already starting with having to liaise with a neighbour to get that sorted and potentially with insurance. Frankly the seller should have done that already.

The newer one sounds much nicer imo.

Damp patches would be really worrying, and the end of terrace flat is also quite small.

Another voice for flat B. I have a friend who has the private patio/communal garden arrangement in a modern flat and it's so nice - you gets loads of garden space for entertaining etc, far more than you'd ever get privately in London. Also all the other reasons others have said. I used to live in a Victorian conversion and it was crazy money to maintain.