Buying a flat above a Chinese takeaway

[SecretSeven]

Hello

I am considering buying a flat above a Chinese takeaway.

It seems like a bargain, and is enormous. But I'd like some guidance. Has anyone done this? Was it really that bad?

well I would spend some time there at different times of day and evening, if possible, to see if there is a smell.
My friend used to live above a shop that baked stuff in the mornings. It was horrible to wake up to.

It's probably a bargain due to noise and smells to be honest. You should ask to view again during the evening.

What time does it close? Just be aware if it's late, drunk customers late at night might pop by and be a bit loud.

I can smell our local Indian restaurant from about a quarter of a mile away. Surely being above a Chinese takeaway would mean you would be smelling (of) sweet and sour chicken and crispy duck all the time? Your washing would all smell of it and there would be piss heads stopping by at 1am etc.

I think there's a reason it's so cheap...

We're a couple of floors above a parade of shops, including takeaways and restaurants (cafes, chocolate shops...)

Things to think about:

1. Will your lender consider it mortgageable?
2. What noise levels will be?
3. Will you mind people eating chips and chow mean outside your front door (and the litter from that)?
4. Will you mind people who work in the takeaway using your step as a fag break seat?
5. Will you mind the smell the day they make up big batches of curry/sweet and sour/sweet chili sauce?
6. Will you end up never cooking and spending a fortune on takeaways
7. Is the takeaways hygiene good- otherwise insects and vermin can be a much bigger headache than smells.
8. Is the takeaway's premises owned or leased by the operators?

For me, after a few years here, I can honestly say that I have loved living here more than anywhere else, but I am also happy to be moving. The takeaway was actually the least of it really- food smells were always nice, there was not a huge amount of litter. General noise of being in city center has gradually worn me down though. Not just takeaway noise, just general stuff

Great list from Mumble. Re hygiene, consider where the bins are and how many. Are they going to reek in summer if you open a window?

DH rented diagonally above one. Was a fab "flat" (more of a whole house really) at a bargain price. They are not worth much, I guess there is the risk of people waking you up, throwing up/pissing on your access steps and generally it not being that salubrious. No garden or outside space at all. OTOH I always felt safe there - always people about, including responsible family shop owners, close to bus stop etc.

If you can live with the cons, go for it, but be careful not to overpay. Much like some ex-LA flats, you get bags of space but it might not be the easiest flat to sell on, and you might find it doesn't increase in value as much as other flats.

Can you get a mortgage? Can you get insurance?

As others have already said, obtaining a mortgage and insurance will likely be a huge stumbling block before you even have to think about worrying over smells, noise, hygiene etc etc

Not always the best source for info, but I recall on home-renovation programmes the problem was always the exhaust fans (were they called flue or flux??) working til the wee hours and being very loud and disturbing sleep.

Mortgage is a good point. My girlfriend couldn't get a mortgage above a dry cleaning place. We were all very relieved for her!!!

You'd probably have to be a cash buyer! Check with your mortgage lender before making an offer.

My concern would also be mice - a good friend of mine rented above a fish and chip shop a few years ago and regularly had lots of them...

I've lived over food retail with on-site kitchens. It will depend entirely on their set-up, but for me the things that drove me bananas on a day to day basis -

• Middle of the night/crack of dawn wholesale deliveries
• Waste collection - HUGE bins trundled in and out, and the guys who collected the used oil came in the dead of night)
• Smells from bins in Summer, especially waste meat. And if the council have a problem the bin build-up is horrific
• Pests coming in from their yard. An endless stream. Endless.
• The extractor fans. The one where I lived was a HUGE chimney type that came up past my window. VERY loud. Very fragrant.
• Refrigeration condenser unit thingies, as above.
• Litter.

Positives?

It was a bakery/trattoria type place so the actual cooking smells were not unpleasant. But they were a constant.

I'd worry a bit about the opening hours. You won't get the early morning bedlam (my lot started work at 05:30) but depending on the area you will probably have lates.

My mortgage company doesn't do flats above shops. Presumably some do though.

I don't think I'd be keen, but it depends on how much noise and smell bothers you I guess.

If you can get a mortgage then I'd visit at as many different times of day as possible before making a decision.