Declining townhouse layout?

[notintowoo]

Hello,

I have been on the council register list for about 12 years. It is just DD and I (12). Over the course of those years, we have viewed four properties. I declined two properties due to price and unsuitability and the other two properties I was outbid.

I recently received a call from the council to view a property, which was declined by the first person. I went to view the property and although the location is great (for work and DD travelling to school and not far from my parent's house) and the rent is quite decent. The townhouse layout is what is putting me off. It's a terrace conversion flat. I am on the first floor (a neighbour below but no one above me) but it has a townhouse sort of layout. I have my own entrance door, the hallway/entrance is on the ground floor, the bathroom is on the first floor. The kitchen and living room is on the second floor and the bedrooms are on the third floor.

Also, a friend recently told me that if I was to consider buying the property (which I wouldn't), it would be very difficult to sell as townhouses are unpopular.

I feel a bit disheartened to consider turning this down but I wanted to gather all of your thoughts before I speak to the council. What should I do?

It’s unbelievable isn’t it 😉

My parents have a 3 story house with loo on middle floor. We lived there all my life and they still live there now - totally normal.
My uni house had the bathroom off the kitchen on the ground floor and I lived in the 3rd floor loft conversion. Really wasn't a big issue.
My boyfriends new cottage has the bathroom on the ground floor. Not an issue.
My house has a right of way over the back garden (totally normal in little welsh villages).

There are lots of things that people may consider "less desirable" but nothing is less desirable to me than living in the living room and sleeping on the sofa so I'd snap this up - you'll get used to it no problem. If the walk in the night is an issue there's always a gazunder!!

Here's a suggestion OP - save up a deposit, get a mortgage and buy exactly what you want? Or rent privately and look for something that meets your exact specification? Although I've got news for you - even those of us who spend a fortune renting and buying privately have to make compromises

A townhouse is a standalone unit. A literal house.

A maisonette is like a ‘mini house’, it’s a bigger flat (usually over multiple floors) with its own entrance, so it doesn’t have a shared lobby/hallway area with other flats in the block.

This is surely a wind up?

If you’ve been coping with one bedroom for 12 years, surely a few years in this and DD will probably be at university or living independently and maybe you can think again. In the meantime, you’ll have a lot more room for things like the homework-intensive years so I’d go for it.

You clearly are not in desperate need so I'd decline and let someone who is have it! What a horrible thread 😩

Be best if you didn't hear someone breaking in. If you want a council property I'd take it, there are many more he want one if you don't.

The living space is over two floors - so it's exactly the same cleaning situation as any other house (unless you're going to be spending a lot of time cleaning the entrance hallway. In which case, get a small handheld vacuum).

It's safer than a normal house because you don't have any windows on the ground floor. The only downside is that you'd have to carry groceries up one flight of stairs, but that's not a huge deal if it's just groceries for two people (and no different from if you were living in a first floor flat)

I feel sorry for your poor daughter who is being denied the opportunity for a settled life because you keep turning your nose up at what you've been offered.
Have you thought about her at all? Why are you fixated on this place being "undesirable" for resale when you've said you don't want to buy it? You're being ridiculous.

OP says she's been "outbid" before. Is this really happening to council houses? People can bid on them? Sounds unethical.

OP: my advice: take this flat. It sounds spacious, quiet (bedrooms separated from neighbours living spaces) and there is nothing wrong with townhouse layout, except the inconvenience of stairs between bedroom and toilet. And actually you are awake for most of our 24 hours so it saves you going up in the day!

Townhouse type properties are certainly not unpopular near me!

Your Dd will soon need proper study space. If you keep finding reasons to refuse secure affordable council properties you will stay in your studio. Which will be really difficult as your Dd starts to stay up later, have teen friends round etc.

And worse if you are in private rented you could be evicted at any moment.

And the next council property you get offered could be the 8th floor if a difficult tower block on a high density estate… what are you holding out for? A 3 bedroom semi is going to go to a family with more kids.

Your worry about intruders is not rational.

Think very carefully about why you are putting obstacles in the way of accepting this property.

It sounds nice OP - take it!

I lived in a townhouse layout for years, quite liked it- was away from noise of downstairs neighbour for sleeping. Dragging the shopping upstairs a bit of a pain but it kept me fit.

You also have to be careful you don’t turn down council properties too often as this can lead to them not having to make any future offers.

I don’t understand why your friends comment is coming into this decision as you say you’re not planning on buying it long term.

All the other points or near work/school/parents, good rent and location make it sound perfect for you.

People higher up the list / with more points accept them

Your main concern seems to be that people don’t like town houses, why does that bother you? You don’t plan to buy it, you each get your own room, the added floors mean you’ll unlikely disturb your below neighbour and then you! Snap it up and enjoy your new home!

Not outbid in terms of money.

You are put in a priority band on housing waitlist a points based system on circumstances, urgency, special needs, size of family etc - if someone in a higher priority band bids on a property, then they will be given it.

The rent is the same.

I don't know the official definition but a townhouse I believe usually has three floors for the exclusive use of the family. Whereas a maisonette has a floor below that is not exclusive, either it has another flat or a shop but still has its own entrance. For example where I used to live there were lots of two story flats above shops that had an entrance on the ground floor between shops. These were always called maisonettes. Townhouses usually are newer builds either with three living floors or enterence/garage on ground floor.

OP, in the nicest possible way, why on earth are you letting some vague idea that maisonettes are ‘considered undesirable’ get in the way of having an affordable permanent home, when you’re currently sharing a one-bed with a 12 year old???

Is it better than your current studio flat? If so, take it, if not then don't. It sounds significantly better to me. Not perfect, but few places are, especially council places.

Can you take it and then try and do a mutual exchange with someone else?

Bidding just means you put your name down for it. Then they give it to whoever is highest on the list.
It's not bidding like whoever bids the most money.

This.

Sounds great.

Very popular on the continent.

I lived in this set up happily for years.

Might be a bit difficult if you had babys with buggys etc., but other than that it sounds great.

I had two balconies too.

It ticks so many boxes, be careful you don't bitterly regret saying no for a very small reason.

Space, location, price=no brainer

Read where? They aren’t always good if they put the parent bedroom on a different floor to the bedroom for young children (most town houses have bedrooms on at least 2 floors) but that isn’t the case here.

Resale value is irrelevant - you aren’t buying it.

What exactly is causing you an issue with this property as opposed to what other people are telling you is an issue?

Also, I’m vaguely looking to move and I’m definitely considering town houses so here’s at least one person prepared to spend several hundred thousand pounds of her own money on one.

Being outbid means someone had more need how is thst unethical?