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?

You’re absolutely mad and completely entitled if you turn this down. You have the opportunity to give your daughter a nice home with plenty of space at a lower cost rent with a secured tenancy for life… and you’re going to turn it down because of prestige? Image? Wanting to pretend you own it and don’t want people thinking you’ve bought something undesirable?

Absolutely mad. Take the house. You’ve been waiting years. You’re not going to keep getting chances at great housing without waiting many more years. If you want to buy something down the line then buy something but for now, take this home! Give you and your daughter space.

I'm confused about the layout. How can there be only the bathroom on one floor? Is it a massive room?

But in any case, like most others have said, an affordable secure home in a suitable area is a very big plus so YABU to not snap it up based on the layout being less than ideal.

Surely this isn't a real thread?

I would go for it. We lived in a 3 floor terraced for almost 2 years similar to what you described (same layout but no one under us). I didn't have any issue with it personally, I liked having the living room and kitchen up because we had a really nice view of the trees. It was also quieter higher up for the bedrooms. I also liked the stairs because it helped with my fitness level without being much of an effort.

There are a few downsides but they wouldn't put me off in your situation. We considered buying a house with similar layout, but didn't because it would make life with young children hell. Your daughter is old enough that it doesn't really matter.
You get used to the layout very quickly. And yes some people don't like it, but IME those properties tend to be better value for money when it comes to size (we lost 20sqm with a standard semi layout for the same price) so you'll find a buyer.

Check your boroughs rules on turning down properties. Typically, they have one of two policies - you can't decline anything they deem suitable; or you get three declines. You've declined two already, so this could be your last offer, you may get removed from the list if you decline.

That aside - how desirable the layout is doesn't matter if you don't intend to buy it, as you won't be selling it. It sounds unique in that there is a flat below; but the actual house layout isn't that unusual and they sell fine around here. But again - if you've got no intention of buying it, you're letting your head get crowded by thoughts that don't matter. It's desirability or re-sale value isn't relevant.

You'd have more space; your daughter is getting older and may appreciate the privacy, you say the location is good...

I imagine the lounge is with the bathroom.

Take it and put it up for exchange after you've lived there a year. You are focusing on all the wrong things

It's not a ground floor flat. It's on the first floor but with one neighbour underneath. It's a terrace flat (as there are flats in rows) but I only have one neighbour underneath me. It has three floors and has a town house layout. Entrance/hallway is on the ground floor, bathroom first floor, kitchen and dining room, second floor, bedrooms third floor.

So its a townhouse with a tenant in the separate basement flat?

My DH's house is like this, its a 4 floor townhouse in a victorian terrace, and the basement was/can be a self contained flat.

They are very desirable.

It's a maisonette. That's the name for this property type.

I think you're being incredibly picky OP and worrying about things which really aren't relevant. Which of course is your choice but you're going to be waiting a very long time if you're not willing to make such form of compromise.

I think it sounds like a great opportunity. You will have your own proper bedroom, more space and a place you can call your own. You don’t need to worry about resale if you aren’t buying it. A treck to the bathroom from the bedroom is quite common in other styles of houses too eg older Victorian where the bathroom is sometimes downstairs past the kitchen. I think you should go for it.

Do you always have trouble making decisions? It sounds like you probably do. You've had good advice here, which you did ask for. Just say yes and enjoy all that extra space with the bonus of not being directly over the flat below.

Btw it sounds like a maisonette to me. Your friends comments are irrelevant in any case.

It sounds like a great opportunity for you to have your own bedroom in a property that is convenient for work, school and family. I would jump at it. Lots of people live in town houses, including very expensive ones. Just keep bathroom cleaning things in the bathroom and kitchen cleaning things in the kitchen.

I don't know who told you townhouses were 'undesirable' but they haven't told all the developers that are throwing the up at the moment!

With a 12 year old I think the setup is infinitely better than what you have at the moment, it would only be a problem if you had young kids that were toilet training. Also having a buffer floor between you and your downstairs neighbors is a real bonus, so much less noise transfer than a standard apartment setup.

You would be mad to pass it up tbh.

It staggers me sometimes how many people in council accommodation turn down property after property because it’s “not suitable”. There was a C4 programme on this a few years ago which although designed to wind people up had the desired effect.

I know someone who lived in a council townhouse (BTL) as they bought it cheap, not as a BTL but as previous council tenants had bought as a BTL. It had a slightly odd set up on the second floor with a sort of nook but was fairly well laid out. In certain parts of London larger terraced houses in townhouse style are bought to house council tenants especially if there’s a lot in one family.

Save for a deposit if you want the perfect property to rent or buy.

How many stairs are there between each floor?

I think you remain in the studio flat sleeping in the living room, with you and your teenager. Why on earth would you want her to live in a decent space, near school, in a place she can have friends over? She'll have moved out in ten years, no time at all.

On the other hand, FFS you have an opportunity to finally house your child properly but don't want to because you'll have some stairs to vacuum?

You should be absolutely desperate to get this place.

A good idea. Trouble is a lot of council tenants want any council house eg 2 up 2 down type of property so they’re like gold dust.

Good grief, take it!

Eh, how?

All local authorities round here use that system, what's the system where you live @25sheets?

Only multimillionaires have the option of the perfect house, OP. The rest of us find the best compromise from the available stock within our budgets

This place sounds like it has so much going for it that unless you or DD have mobility problems you haven’t mentioned I think you would be mad to turn it down. No need to buy it if you are worried about resale.

There are new build townhouses where I live that sell for over 300k so I wouldn't call them undesirable! I want one if I could afford it!

This has to be a joke. Having waited 12 years you want to turn something down because of the re sale value of something you don't own .
I would put my DD first it can't be easy for friends to come round / sleepovers ( and possibly future partners) staying over with mom steeping in the living room .
Do you actually want to move , are you worried about moving ?

Id take it and then try to mutual exchange out of it.

Having read this: yes, I would take it.

unless there were actual mobility issues that would be problematic in regards to stairs.

it might be different if you were thinking of buying it.

can you even decline it?

I think you'd be mad to turn this down and keep your daughter in a studio flat. By the time you are offered another I'd imagine your daughter will have left home and that is all you will qualify for. If you do turn this down you really should remove yourself from the council house list altogether, you are clearly not in need and wasting council resources.