Would you buy this flat?

[leslieknopeisdope]

FTB in London. Would appreciate your views on a place I've put an offer on.

Pros:

• 10 mins walk from the tube
• Close to my friends
• In a very popular up and coming area in London
• Cheap (for London!)

Cons:

• It's a studio flat (could possibly covert to a 1 bed)
• It's right next to a school
• It's next to a fairly busy road (that dies down in the evening)
• There's an electricity substation next to the flat (didn't notice it but it was picked up in the survey)

All of the cons I could deal with individually but I'm worried that all together they might be too much and put off future buyers. What do you think? I don't love it but it's the best I can get on my budget and I do like the layout inside.

I live next to a high school with an electricity substation about 5 doors down over the road. Plenty of houses have bought and sold in the road in the 11 years we've been here.
A school is a good neighbour- peace and quiet 14 weeks of the year and after 4pm every day.

That's good to know leccybill. I did have a look at the flats in the same block and a couple sold a few years ago so it doesn't look like it'll affect resale (I hope).

No proven risk from a substation, and as everyone in london has their brickphones in their hands at all times they clearly arent worried. As mentioned, presumably the flat has electricity?

The actual issue is noise, but in a city it will be inaudible.

Yeah I don't think it's close enough that I would hear it, special subject.

Never mind property values are you going to be living there and are you happy with the place?

I don't it will reduce in value even if it doesn't gain.

I can imagine living there and being happy SingaSong12 although I'm not sure how annoying the noise will be.

Do you want to post a link - totally understand if not. You might get some good advice on how to convert to a 1 bed.

I had a 1 bed which I still love loved until I met DH. We are midlands and never had a problem renting it out - it's an ace flat! Big difference between studio and 1 bed though.

I'd rather not FloweryTwat but it would be quite easy to convert it to a 1 bed, I think.

As it's quite close to the tube I imagine I wouldn't have a problem renting it out.

Leslie, do you love the flat? Does it feel 'right'? Could you see yourself living there happily? If so, then this balances the cons.

I bought a first-floor maisonette that I fell in love with just seeing the pictures on Zoopla. It needed updating and is on a busy road in an unglamorous neighbourhood.

But I knew that I could make it into a warm, comfortable family home and, five years later, it's gorgeous.

That's a good tube line to be near. Fast, frequent and reliable.

Yes, I do GinAndTunic. Although I am still a bit concerned about the sub--station. Has anyone ever done an EMF survey??

Do you like the flat? Do you think you'll be happy there?

The school wouldn't put me off, I'm at work during school hours.

Substation isn't an issue unless it's like, actually IN your garden.

I am not a massive fan of studios, I much prefer 1 beds. But obviously you are constrained by price if you see what I mean, so if you are happy with the studio compromise then so be it.

How about making the offer that you'd be happy with and continuing to look and visit other properties.

Flats take ages to go through and if you see something you do prefer while you are looking then you can pull out before you have had to pay for a survey (maybe a week or two's gap).

Nothing is certain until you have exchanged contracts on the flat.