Viewed a flat today (renting, not buying). It ticks all my boxes, and is absolutely gorgeous. Enough storage, central heating, shower and bath, carpeting in two rooms, within ten minutes walking distance from everywhere I love, enough space for me, two cats and future baby. It's also way below budget. The area I want to live in has been lacking in rentals recently so this is like finding gold.
One thing massively let it down though. The stairwell is awful. The block of flats are self factored, there are five floors including basement and ground and three flats on each floor. So fifteen flats in total. Obviously none of the landlords put money towards close maintenance, and none of the current tenants clean it, because it is really, really, really filthy. The flat I viewed is on the top floor, which is fine, but all hopes of storing a buggy in the close are gone (I don't drive). And less important but still sad, the garden is a tip- although it is a massive garden that backs on to the whole street so it could potentially be really lovely if effort was put into it.
I feel seriously conflicted because on one hand it is perfect inside, but the close was manky. I guess I could organise a close clean up or something, the area itself is pretty active in terms of stuff like that, but I just don't know. Should I just go for it?