Which of these flats would you buy? Elec heating...

[TremoloGreen]

Flat 1
Small-ish (60m2)
Small private outside space - just big enough to stand out and barbeque
Own parking space
OK size communal garden
Slightly rubbish small kitchen contiguous with sitting room
990 year lease
Just over ten years old
Finishing OK, but laminate floor, cheaper bathroom tiles etc
On one of the most 'desirable' streets in the area near the station and the poncey organic shops and a conservation area
Gas central heating, double-glazed etc

Flat 2
Bigger - very good size sitting room, slightly bigger bedrooms
No private outside space
No parking
Good size communal garden with bicycle shed (we both cycle)
Small but separate kitchen, better design/layout
125 year lease
Brand new (with NHBC warranties)
Finished to a high standard
Good location but slightly further from station etc, near a playing field
Electric central heating double glazed

Both are ~£ 250k, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom

Having a rubbish time trying to buy at the moment, have had two properties fall through - getting very depressed living in temporary accommodation etc. I would really appreciate some help!!

I guess I really prefer Flat 2... but I'm really not sure about electric heating (and hob). Would this really put people off when we come to sell? Would it really keep the flat warm enough? Would it be prohibitively expensive? Gah.

I should say - we don't have kids yet but are planning to start trying next year. We want a flat to live in until baby is 3 or so, then we will probably rent this flat out and move outside London.

What floors are they on?

I'd go for flat 2 to be honest - we had a flat with electric heating and hob for 3 years when we got married and were dubious about it but invest in good storage heaters and its great. And the bike shed and good size communal garden are a plus.

Flat 1 is first floor, Flat 2 could be ground or first as there are several empty ones in the new building.

How much did it cost you to install storage heaters (if you don't mind)? It comes with non-storage ones although you can put them on a timer.

Hello Tremolo!

I would go for flat 1 for the following reasons:

Parking space
Private outdoor/bbq space
Good street (assuming that you think it's a good street to live in too!)

Parking space is likely to become more of a premium in future (I say this not being any kind of expert in property at all!) and will always be a really strong selling point (well, it is where I live anyway). I wouldn't worry about the finish - that's almost part of the fun of owning your own place (in my view) - saving up to get stuff done how you like it!

Good location, near poncy shops etc is also always going to be attractive to buyers too. Oh, and having private space outside is a winner too - sometimes you just need privacy!

That said, if you prefer Flat 2, go for that one!

I would say flat 1
Parking space is a big plus point as is some outside space and location is everything

If a first floor flat, is a good idea if there is a lift. Check out storage area for buggies etc. Our ground floor flat was brilliant when DS1 was small - just wheel him straight in and out. Storage heaters cost about 700 to install (was back in 2003 - put new ones into 3 rooms we used the most and left the others on the timers). I'm a great believer in living somewhere because you love the place you live in rather than the parking space/outdoor space which you dont use that much really. We had a similar quandry when buying our flat in 2003 and went for our flat 2 - which we ended up really loving and were sad to leave (branched out further west to a house for when DS2 came along).

Can you put gas CH into flat 2? Electric hobs are no big deal.

Why don't you put a low offer in for both? If you're read to proceed, you coud also commit to exchange within 6 weeks (that ay well swing it for them if they have thier eye on omething else). The answers to the low offers may make a 'winner' more apparent.

It would have been so much more fun if you'd linked to the actual flats. But on the face of it, I'd opt for flat 1.

Good luck.

How much would it cost to get gad central heating put in? Because if I bought flat 2 that's the first thing I'd want to do.

Thank you for all your replies.

We had a second look this weekend and I think we will put an offer in on flat 2. The kitchen-sitting room arrangement is just too crappy on flat 1, and the laminate floor and lino in the bathrooms would piss me off too much.

Apparently there are two parking spaces adjoining the building of flat 2 but it is not decided which flats in the building will get them, so I'm going to put in an offer under asking for the flat plus parking space.

Trills - It is a new building and not connected to the gas mains, so to have this done would be very expensive and require agreement of all the other flat-owners. I imagine a couple of them will end up being bought to let, so unlikely the landlords will care about doing this.

Links? I don't think the pictures are really the best, but here goes.
Flat 1
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-31965913.html

Flat 2
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-32337148.html

I should say that flat 1 will probably go for £235-240k and flat 2 for £250k. However, we are buying something quite under-budget now anyway (to capitalise on avoiding stamp duty and because we just don't need anything bigger and would rather save/invest on other ways than mortgaging ourselves to the hilt) so the price isn't the biggest factor for us.

sorry
Flat 1

Flat 2

Flat 2 does look nice - I like the layout.

But why, having spent so much money on the fit-out, did the developers not put in proper heating? It's London not Brisbane!

Flat 1 .
Easier to rent out when you leave. People go for location when they rent.
You will have moved on before you know it.
A parking space with a baby will be worth the other sacrifices too.
Longer lease....it costs to extend those when you need to.
Could you put bikes in private space?
The park space is the deal breaker....maybe not for you but for future tenants.

Just seen.
Okay even more flat 1 as I suspect you will be near the good forest hill schools in it......big plus for renters.
I think you have found two good ones there.
Maybe hide the link on here when you have enough responses.....good new flats are not easy to find....keep em to yourself.
Great sitting rooms on them both and flooring on 1 does not look too bad at all.
Good luck with it....I love that area...just up from the horniman.

Actually that area up near Blythe hills is really peaceful too....nice to have the park close but if the first one with the school behind.....is a good school......you have to go for 1.
Check out your secondary school for each one too.......think what future renters will want most.
That is my three penorth worth!

I'd go for Flat 1 because I actually really like the kitchen/lounge combo.

We just moved from a flat like that and we had a dining table separating the kitchen from the lounge area. It was fab for having friends round as you could chat whilst cooking and even better with kids as you could keep an eye on kids whilst cooking.

Also like others have said, the parking and outside space is a big plus.

I'd go for flat 1 for all the reasons people have said above but especially own car parking space/outdoor space.

Also Flat 1 has two bathrooms which is great for visitors/potty training etc, plus it has a bath and Flat 2 doesn't I think. Most people with children would rather have a bath as a lot of children don't like showers (I know my DC didn't until they were 4/5) and you can fling them in it for some wind down time at the end of the day.

I also really like the living room arrangement, I had a flat like that and its great for keeping an eye on DC, whereas now I have to peer through doors to see what mischief they are up to.

flat 2 doesnt seem to have a bath? if so then a definite no.

Flat 2 has a bath shown on the floorplan (the one that's not en-suite has a bath).

Ah, I didnt see the floorplan.

I still would go for flat 1 though.

I prefer flat 2,

Ah thanks for posting the actual flats. I'm going to stick my neck out and say neither. There will be loads of flats on the market in the new year and prices are most likely not going to rise, and may indeed fall.

I'm with MrsJAPrufrock- I've bought nearby recently, and I reckon you can do better (although that said- my taste does not run to new builds at all, and I'm so shocked that anyone would build a new place with no gas, and a long long conversion style corridor layout, that I am clearly not the right person to ask!!)

Re the comments about renters wanting this and that- you need to want to live in it. No point spending 4-5 years living in a place which is carefully calculated to please notional tenants. Chances are there will be someone with tastes and needs like yours looking to rent when you're ready to let it out, in any case.

Arrrgh. I'm starting to think the same

We have probably looked at about 20 places, and that's with being fussy at the booking viewings stage. We've looked at lots of period conversions too - we were almost through to completion on one actually, then the vendor changed her mind about selling! They all come with their own problems - short leases, need loads of modernisation we don't have the budget for, second bedroom not really a bedroom but a cupboard, subsidence (!)

We have got an interest in one other place which we love. It is a new conversion of an old building, massive, brand new kitchen and bathrooms etc, private garden. The problem is that the developer doesn't want to spend the money getting a building warranty, which is required for a new conversion the first time it is occupied by most lenders. Structurally, I'm not actually worried about it since it meets all planining regs and we would get a full structural survey (my dad is a surveyor and thinks we should buy it FWIW). We can get a mortgage but only have the choice of a couple of lenders. I'm terrified that we'll a) never be able to sell the place because the lack of certificate will put off other buyers (even though they should have less problems than use getting a mortgage) and b) interest rates will soar and we won't be able to remortgage.

FFS. Have been living in temporary accommodation since September because we can't afford to rent a flat. I'm becoming so depressed about it I can't bloody think straight