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Original poster

Ex-local authority flat- trying to convince DH...would you be keen to buy?

98 replies

TurquoiseDress · 27/08/2016 16:43

We are in the middle of the big property hunt (we are FTB).

Ideally looking for zones 2/3 in SE London, seen lots so far but not found anything we love, or even like that much.

Been very slow over the summer, not many new things coming on.

I saw this property on Rightmove:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-53554903.html

It's in Beckenham which we don't know a great deal about apart from meeting some friends for a meal & drinks there- it's zone4/5 from what I've researched.

It's a 3-bed property which is appealing for us, however, DH says it's clearly ex-local authority and that is putting him off a viewing. It seems to have been on the market for ages too (since around Easter).

Would an ex-local authority property put you off buying?
I might just organise a viewing myself to see what it's like.
Another concern is that the 2nd & 3rd bedrooms appear rather small...am wondering if it's the original 2nd bedroom split in half.

Anyhow, please let me know what your thoughts are on ex-LA properties.

OP posts:
YelloDraw · 30/08/2016 11:14

I looked at LOADS of ex-LA 2 flats in zone 2 whilst I was property searching.

Ultimately I came to the conclusion I wanted to live further out, than live in an ex-La block for the folllwing reasons:

  • Communal heating i.e. I'd subsidizing the other residents sitting at home all day blasting out their heating.
  • Major work cycles - how much, when, hard to know.
  • Neighbors. Yup. Didn't think I was snobby but actually turns out I am a bit.
  • Future - how much life has the block got in it? 10 years? 20 years? I have seen lots of blocks being 'run down' in advance of being knocked down and redeveloped. What do you get then? A chance to buy a SO tiny new build flat?
  • Housing market fears - ex-LA falls first and further than private.

But for you, maybe the benefits outweigh the costs? Location, space, cost?

YelloDraw · 30/08/2016 11:14

There's only 91 years left on the lease, that would put me off to start.

That is well typical and would not put me off.

Most ex-La only extend up to 100 years.

Original poster
TurquoiseDress · 30/08/2016 15:09

Penfold007

Yes the lease would put me off a little bit- no idea re costs but extending a lease costs a fair bit doesn't it?

OP posts:
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/08/2016 15:59

Communal heating? Surely not that sounds bonkers!

Original poster
TurquoiseDress · 30/08/2016 17:25

We rent privately in a modern apartment block- I know the owner occupiers constantly complain about the cost of utilities.

I think there are costs for water & heating added to the service charge.
Apart from the rent we pay, we definitely don't pay for our heating separately.

OP posts:
Original poster
TurquoiseDress · 30/08/2016 17:32

Wondering if in this type of ex-LA, does everyone pay the service charge? I would imagine so?

Thinking about it more & discussing with DH, the prospect of unpredictable & potentially massive bills for repairs would put me off this buying this place.

OP posts:
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/08/2016 18:28

So you pay for someone else's heating? They could have it on full blast all day, that's outrageous!

EssentialHummus · 30/08/2016 18:45

Turquoise, as a point of comparison, my service charge is £65 p/m, for a 6 storey, 25 apartment block with lift in zone 2.

EssentialHummus · 30/08/2016 18:45

(ex-council, obv)

I think it's less for the ground floorers who don't pay for the lift.

YelloDraw · 31/08/2016 08:07

They don't all have communal heating, but it was more common than not in the blocks I looked at. You used to be able to disconnect from communal heating but they have stopped that now - somethignb to do with carbon emmisions and that 'vunrable residents woudl have to pay more' yeah, quite. Really annoying - so yes, you would be subsidizing people sitting at home all day with the heating on all day. I looked into the Tower Hamlets systems in detail, and it is only on for like 18 hours a day, so if you are up in the early hours of the morning there is no heating. And you can't add radiators into the system - I looked at several flats in the same block and there was only a radiator outside the bedrooms, not one in either bedroom. So like, you'd be paying a fortune in heating AND then have to have an electric heater or something in the bedroom. Stupid.

just something to watch, not all ex-LA have communal heating.

Turquoise, as a point of comparison, my service charge is £65 p/m, for a 6 storey, 25 apartment block with lift in zone 2.

Wow. Most of the Zone 2 Tower Hamlets flats I looked at were between £1200 and £2000 a year! Low rise so no lifts.

EssentialHummus · 31/08/2016 08:47

Wow. Most of the Zone 2 Tower Hamlets flats I looked at were between £1200 and £2000 a year! Low rise so no lifts.

I'm in Lewisham. There was a court case a few years back between leaseholders and the council subsidiary re repair costs - may have caused them to wind things in a bit.

Mycraneisfixed · 31/08/2016 09:23

There are nice ex-LA houses where I live near Cardiff. Good sized rooms and large gardens. But I wouldn't buy that flat however attractive the price seems.
Keep looking and go for something with outdoor space. Look at 2 bedroomed houses for now, you can upgrade in a few years if you need to.

JohnnyDeppsfuturewife · 31/08/2016 10:58

I bought a fantastic Ex la flat about 20 years ago but wouldn't do it again.

It was a lovely size, nice block, well built nice area - Blackheath.

I asked the previous owners how many were privately owned and they said all of them. I should've got my solicitor to check because they lied and actually only 5 out of 25 were private. At first this didn't matter as the flats were mainly rented to pensioners (who had lived there since the flats were built) and I got to know some of them and it was a nice community. Then they started dying / moved out and got replaced by families (in 2 bed flats) which suddenly meant noise all day and night, cars hooting, children playing, graffiti in internal communal areas, rubbish left lying around.

Sorry that makes me sound like a snob - It probably has nothing to do with the fact it's LA - Just the change of numbers of residents living in a relatively small area and the council didn't seem prepared to tackle the increased anti social behaviour and I had to pay for areas to be repainted, broken lightbulbs to be replaced etc!

I then had to pay for a new roof - which was completely unnecessary and very expensive. That was £15k and originally the council had said it would be £6k! They were not good project managers.

While this was going on dh and asked me to move in with him. My flat made a massive profit - 50% in three years (taking off the cost of the roof) - but it took a year to sell and only one person looked at it (and bought it) in about eight months. Thank god this is before the internet so he couldn't see how long it had been on the market.

Dh and I discussed selling it or renting it but I just wanted to get rid of it!

Original poster
TurquoiseDress · 31/08/2016 12:09

JohnnyDepp

Don't worry, you don't sound like a snob, it is understandable.

I'm starting to see DH's point of view more now, despite all the relatively positive comments by some on on this thread.

Re selling the property in the future, a significant point is that this property has been on the market for almost 6 months, I don't think the price has been reduced though.

I would have thought that if it's in such a lovely area (which I'm starting to realise that Beckenham is) then why hasn't it been snapped up quickly?

This makes me think that coming to sell it in the future will be a headache or that there will be v little scope from benefitting from a price rise.

OP posts:
scheepjes · 31/08/2016 12:11

Come to SE18 and you'll get a beautiful Victorian house for that money!

Original poster
TurquoiseDress · 31/08/2016 12:14

EseentialHummus

That service charge you quote sounds great, but incredibly low.

I have friends in average flats out in zone 4/5, no lift etc and they pay in excess of £100/mth for the SC.

Plus ground rent as well, which is not always a peppercorn 10 quid a year- I know someone who pays £25/mth for GR.

Doesn't sound much but it all adds up when you include the 4 figure mortgage, council tax of around £120/mth, plus utilities and another £100+ for service charge.

OP posts:
EssentialHummus · 31/08/2016 12:30

Yup, I think it varies wildly turquoise. I think you need to approach it on a case by case basis and dig a bit.

BTW - having just clicked on your RM link - I think it may be overpriced. I don't know the local market well, but my neighbours have just sold a flat identical to mine - 2 bed, ex-council, 70 sq m, 5 minutes from Brockley station in Zone 2 - for £345,000. I'd expect similar stock in Beckenham to be cheaper, no?

Lovely as Beckenham is I'm wondering if that price is fair - this flat seems similar (with better proportioned bedrooms, IMO), 0.9 miles from "your" flat. Even taking into account that transport from there is worse, they want £270k.

YelloDraw · 31/08/2016 12:54

EssentialHummus that one has a much nicer layout as well, althought 'block' maybe not as nice.

heron98 · 31/08/2016 14:08

all the ex council houses we looked around we fab. Far bigger rooms than most other houses and really well built. The only reason we didn't get one was they were too far out of the city centre. It certainly wouldn't put me off.

YelloDraw · 31/08/2016 15:06

council houses

Houses or flats?

Totally different kettle of fish given issues with the flats already mentioned sch as major work cycles.

Original poster
TurquoiseDress · 31/08/2016 22:50

EssentialHummus

Thanks for that- yes I would agree that the property is overpriced too, judging by the amount of time it has been on the market for (nearly 6 months).

I know it's been a slow summer, but that is a long time on the market.

Re the other property you linked to- that actually looks like a genuine 3 bedroom, rather than the one in my original post which I think has had the second room divided into two to make 2 tiny rooms that you can barely fit a single bed & furniture into.

However, the external building doesn't look that appealing.

Here's the link for anyone wanting a look:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-42891012.html

OP posts:
sm40 · 31/08/2016 22:59

Beckenham is great. You are between 2 different train lines there. Lots of people moving from Dulwich etc. Lots of restaurants. It's not Clapham but we loved it. Now moved a bit further out 'for schools' but still go back a lot. Once you go very few people move far. As for price was trying to buy a btl in Beckenham last year. It was hard to get a one bed for £250k. Don't know much about local authority, but the main road nearby is lovely and leafy.

sm40 · 31/08/2016 22:59

Sorry was discussing original post.

Original poster
TurquoiseDress · 31/08/2016 23:20

sm40

That's ok- yes that first property is very close to the two main train stations.

The idea of Beckenham is definitely growing on me, but I don't think we can afford much really...that first one 345k is within our budget but to be honest we wouldn't want to pay that amount for it.

Plus it's been on the market for so long, makes me think it would be a nightmare to sell in the future.

OP posts:
YelloDraw · 01/09/2016 10:26

Hey OP you are right - they have divided up that flat to make it a 3 bed form 2. Here is one of the same layout that hasn;t been divided.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-54435865.html

Very very small proportions but your own house and garden - could maybe add an extension to make living space better.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-60270593.html