flat buying advice asap please

[Theas18]

Can anyone give me any advice on buying a flat or point me to a reliable guide on line?

Jointly purchasing ( cash) with DD for her to live in during PhD.

We have only bought 2 houses ever and the last was 20yrs ago....

As this is a cash purchase we would like /expect this to go through quickly and simply though I know we will have to regularly poke the solicitor to make sure it happens.

Also the living area is lovely with huge sunny windows, the bathroom and bedroom have no windows ( though are big enough and nice enough) is this an issue? I wouldn't want it in a house but can see that natural light in all areas of a flat is a luxury looking at the ones she's been viewing - you only seem to get windows to living area and bedroom if the windows are at the narrow end IYSWIM!

I'm pretty sure that you can't legally call a room a bedroom if it has no windows.

I think it's an issue! There's no fire escape from the bedroom.

I'd find somewhere else...

Having fairly recent bought a flat, I'd be looking at/thinking about the following:

If it's a long-term home, and you don't have to think about resale or letting in the immediate future, and DD loves it, that goes a long way. If you might have to think about resale, the issue about the windows might make it harder to sell.

I chose my current property partly based on the face every room had a least one window, my last flat had no window in the bathroom and was prone to damp. I assume you will get it surveyed to check this.

Property in some areas is moving like hot cakes, as you presumably know. If this is the area she needs to be in and the property stock is low, I'd go for an 80% 'ticks the boxes' property rather than keep on looking and possibly miss out.

Note: Just my personal view based on how I went about buying mine, know nothing about legal or surveying matters!

Bovrilon there is a proper fire escape door just no window :)

Thanks Katie2001. Dd loves it. She has a funded PhD for 3yrs so at that point we may ( probably will, she needs to at least work in another uni for a while I think) either sell or rent it. It's in a factory conversion and a lot of the residents are young doctors ( as is the current tenant who has been there 5yrs but the owner wants to sell) so renting /selling in future should be reasonably OK I think.

I don't know about " it can't be a bedroom if it has no windows- lots seem to be like that TBH.

That's ok then!

Happy to help, sounds like a cracking little place to be honest. Hope she is very happy there.

I thought the same about bedrooms needing to legally have windows - to comply with building regs - it is so the firemen can get you out if you are trapped in the room I think!
Factory conversion sounds nice though!