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?

I’d take it. If you’re buying/renting privately you have to make compromises, same applies to council houses.

I’d be snatching their hand off!

The layout sounds absolutely fine and you’ll love having all that extra space!

Just imagine having your own rooms and a separate living room!

I honestly think you are mad to even question it.
If you don’t like change just think about how much happier your DD will be and she’ll be able to have friends round without being embarrassed.

If you’re worried about being broken in then you could change the living room to your bedroom and have the living room upstairs.

Its my dream to have a townhouse over 3 floors.
Your friend literally doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

Why do I feel like I have read this exact thread a couple of months ago.

I don’t think townhouses are unpopular? They sell for millions of pounds around here! I personally like having different levels as more privacy!

This. I'm sorry, but you're being ridiculous. It's near your parents/ school and a good area. Your DD will be able to have friends around (and you) and space to yourselves.

Stairs? Most of us have some of those. Cleaning? What do you mean? I need to walk up the stairs to get to the bedrooms/ upstairs bathroom to clean, then another set to get to the final bedroom in the loft. Most people need to use Stairs to get places. I jusy don't get it.

If the rent is affordable bite their hand off!

Sounds perfect but you don’t want it and are looking for reasons to turn it down - so turn it down and let someone else have it. Wait for another property to come along that you prefer. Fwiw - I live in something very similar and we have no issue selling it ( we are moving in 3 weeks)

You would be absolutely insane to stay in a cramped one bed flat with a soon to be teenager when there is suitable alternative.

If you are worried about your entrance being down an extra flight of stairs get a camera, they are cheap and easy to use these days.

Cleaning is a minor issue, a cordless vacuum and a caddy for carrying cloths/sprays etc should reduce the number of trips you need to do but it is all good exercise.

Noise will be less of an issue. You will have loads of space and your daughter will have privacy. You will also have privacy, in a few years she may be coming and going when you are in bed, you don't want to be sleeping in the lounge then.

Do it!

If there's only one toilet and it's two floors down from the bedrooms then YANBU for disliking it. That would really put me off and I think it would really put most people off.

But you're not going to get perfect, and there's much worse problems somewhere could have. It might be the least bad option.

It's a maisonette. With 4 floors. Very unusual to have only a bathroom on the 1st floor though.

We have a lot in my Borough, the upstairs ones have a door into a small hall and stairs up to the 1st floor which would have kitchen, living room etc. Stairs up to bedrooms and bathroom. So essentially, once youre through the front door and up the stairs, it's laid out like standard house.

You say the location is good. Location, location and location. I'd go for it.

It's not a maisonette - they are normally only 2 floors with an additional flat above or below - this has a set of stairs to get to the "initial" floor of their home, from the entrance, then it has 3 floor's. It is a lot of stairs. It's also not a midern town house, with several toilets. It has morecstairs than a town house, including entrance stairs. I'd still take it OP.

Exactly this - it sounds like a great place to be offered.

If you were offered a flat, you would have to go up x flights to get to it, so that's the same situation when bringing home groceries.

You're being ridiculously selfish considering making your dd stay in a studio flat even longer because you read that other people think the perfectly good home you've been offered to rent may be undesirable.

Pathetic.

Definitely take it OP, it sounds great.

We live in an old worker's terrace that would probably be described as a townhouse if it was built now (tall and narrow and lots of steps) and it's fine.

We have 8 steep steps up to our front door.
Ground floor - kitchen and dining room, door to cellar.
First floor- bathroom and 3rd bedroom used as office.
Second floor - two bedrooms and living room (living room goes over the neighbouring terrace so our next door neighbour is also our downstairs neighbour).

Going down to the bathroom in the night isn't a problem. We have two flights of stairs between kitchen and living room and even with young children it isn't that much bother. You'll probably find you're not going up and down stairs as much as you imagine you will be. Vacuuming the stairs isn't a problem with a light weight vacuum cleaner.

No ground floor windows will mean it's more secure. Just change the front door locks when you move in and install a dead lock and chain for extra peace of mind.

If in the future you did decide to buy and sell there will be the right buyer our there somewhere. Right now though it sounds like it will be a great home for you and your DD. Don't wait another 12 years!

I live in a similar sounding property, it's a converted 3-story Victorian house. Entrance at street level for us and the ground floor flat, up a flight of stairs to the first floor and our door. Kitchen, living room and bathroom on first, bedrooms on second. It's really fine, when you're inside the layout is really no different to most family homes. It's not a big deal having to go up and down stairs, although it's a bit of a faff with a buggy but you don't have that to worry about. It may not be everyone's ideal layout, but why do you care about the hypothetical opinions of strangers?

Op it sounds like a heck of a lot of stairs - you'll not be needing to go to the gym!

But the location sounds ideal and it gets you a proper house. The studio sounds ridiculously cramped.
And given how long its taken you to get a suitable place I think I'd take it.

Sounds great, I’d do it!

I’ve lived in townhouses and loved them
Technically you have a three storey property
Thats not unusual.
If location and cost are great why turn it down

You’d be crazy not to take it. I don’t get the problem with a resale value when you’re not buying it.

We had to buy a house we hated because that’s all there was - that’s a kick when you’re paying it off over many many years. You can leave without huge cost any time you want. It’s a win win.

Take it take it take it OP! It sounds amazing and you will be so happy there with the space to get away from one another a bit.

For anyone wondering why just one room (bathroom) on the first floor - it will be because the flat underneath is actually a maisonette too and will 'own' some of the first floor.

OP, these modernist designs are really well thought of by architects and I would absolutely leap at the chance to live in one. If the area is good and close to school etc FFS TAKE IT!!!

> In case I buy it, it's all wrong.

With all due respect, OP you're in a bedsit with a child. Go step by step to improve your situation.

When you're in a financial position to buy, you can look at swooping. There will be people to whom the layout is less important than the location, e.g. if their parents live 5 mins away.

It's like me saying that I don't want my house because there's no room to land a helicopter in the garden, and when I became a millionaire I will have my own helicopter.

Like millions, you might never be in a position to buy, thus resale might never be a problem either.

From the other thread linked to, it sounds as if this property is the older type which has half landings. Up a few steps to a half landing with a bathroom, stair turns, up another few to the kitchen etc. It's not a house with three floors all one on top of the other.

But pretty clear OP is - again - looking for excuses to turn it down and stay in her overcrowded property with her 12 year old (who may be a son, may be a daughter) as she is purely thinking of her own reasons not to move rather than putting her child's comfort and needs first.

I don’t understand the issue? Are you planning on renting it so you can buy it then sell at a profit?

at one point me and DH spent 65% of our income on renting a 1 bed. I would have loved to have a shot at a council house. Are there honestly people who reject low rent housing because the loo is on a different floor to the bedroom?

What are your fears?

If its the idea of someone breaking in then I'd look at a Ring doorbell or Nest do similar so you'll get an alert to your phone if someone is at the door.

The slightly less than ideal layout is probably why the rent for it is affordable. You've been out bit before on other houses which could happen again with more desirable layouts.