Want to move to a flat

[Plantlover]

To release money and to buy near the sea.

What do I need to know?

I was presuming top floor so don't have other people's noise?

Lease needs to be long or ideally freehold?

Service charges?

Grateful for any help as I've only rented a flat once and only moved house to house three times.

I'd watch out for any big work that is being planned for building in the future.

When I bought my flat they tried to hide the fact they were moving because they couldn't afford the major works on the building that needed doing. I will be forever thankful to my upstairs neighbours for getting in touch the day before I signed to tell me about the work which was going to land me with a £10k bill. Luckily they told me just in time and I refused to complete till they knocked the cost off the price of the flat.
Also I'd look for somewhere run by a professional management company otherwise everyone is to busy squabbling amongst themselves actually get anything done.
Also if the person above you has laminate or wooden flooring it is loud.
Also with service charges see if they have a sinking fund to cover any future work needed or you could end up with endless large bills for things that are needed because for the last 20 years all the previous owners have ignored and not done basic upkeep on the building (speaking from bitter experience) I still haven't forgiven the couple I bought the flat from.

I think if at all possible I would rather buy a tiny house than another flat.

Very few flats are freehold - look for commonhold or other arrangements where all the owners have a share of the freehold. Chek historic service charges - a well run block will have steady charges, plenty of accounts/information and a sinking fund to pay for large expenses. Check how often external maintenance/painting is done.
Ideally have marked parking.

Top floor isn't necessarily the best either - if there are issues with the roof or insulation, it could take you a very lng time to get anything done about it. Not to mention trekking up and down the stairs a lot and issues with any deliveries.

top floor depends on block height and whether there is a lift. Definitely quieter.

I think it’s share of freehold in the U.K. not commonhold. Or if leasehold make sure it’s over 100 years.

I had the same experience as shiny buttons. Mine was more. I also had some very unsavoury characters living in the building and as a result of both of those experiences I would never live in a flat again.

Rubbish management company, It was never cleaned, repainted or even light bulbs changed the entire time I lived there.

Mine was by the sea though and I did like living a 5 minute walk to the beach.

I missed having a garden though. I love having some kind of outside space.

On the flip side, I had some friends who lived in a new build apartment. It was a development built by one of the big companies and they were very well looked after. I think the actual flat was cheap but I don't know what the fees were. So if you were stuck on the idea of a flat, my advice would be to go for a new build.

The biggest bugbear I find with flats is the service charge, it's like another lot of Council Tax+++
I find maisonettes a better option if they are available/suit.

I would personally stay away from flats. Having just sold mine it was an awful experience. Getting information from the management company was lengthy and dragged the sale out. My service charge also increased over £400 in 4 years and I was charged for random things that I had to pay for £250 for a communal grit bin. The management company were shocking and they would often not reply to my queries. Had I not paid the sums invoiced for I would not have been able to sell.
I know some people have no problems go out proceed with caution!!!
And the solicitors have had to keep £1900 of my money in case I am charged anything else for the period I owned the flat. Nightmare!

Thank you everyone. I don't think I will be able to buy a house by the sea because I don't have a huge budget.

I'm looking at Eastbourne if anyone knows it? ( will also start a thread specifically asking about Eastbourne).

I would strongly advise against moving to a flat if you are downsizing. For a first property when you don't know any different it may be the only option but having had a house it would be so frustrating. Continual charges that you have absolutely no control of. Fees increasing far more than the rate of inflation. Often the person selling is doing so as they cant afford their share of pending works. Definitely speak to others in the block about charges before buying and never buy in a block where not all property is privately owned. Far better to be slightly further from the sea in a small house in my opinion. All the experiences of flats mentioned above are very common in my opinion.

My parents did this, worked well due to decreasing mobility as they got older, and enabled them to live close to the sea with better air. They went for a flat with lift in a new build block of 8. All are retired people in a similar situation and as they moved in at the same time it seems to have worked well. being a decent new built has meant good sound insulation (old people / loud TVs is the main noise). A communal garden gives some outside space but without the upkeep need. They had a share of freehold and use a management company, but the 'directors' of the block are all residents, my father took on the chairman role which has some stress but also keeps him busy. it does mean they have control of costs and are building a sink fund for future large works. Things like buildings insurance, odd jobs to the structure and grounds are done centrally. Sometime flats have increased costs over a house (fire certification checks, need to use trades rather than DIY partly for insurance purposes), but if you are not a DIYer then it is comparable.

I would avoid council freehold blocks
Definitely have the owners of the flats as owners of the freehold
A good thing by the coast is a 'no holiday home' clause in the leasehold. This includes air B&B. Means there aren't too many strangers coming and going.
By the coast be prepared for an older bunch of block residents. Some will like having chlidren around, some won't!
Get a block with a lift for resale value to older people. Ideally near a bus too.

Mrsnec, mines by the sea too and I love my amazing view so much but not enough to keep trying to keep up with the endless demands for more money.

Since I moved in there was the original work that cost around 10k per flat, then the fire alarm system, then the lift broke (mainly due to not bring maintained for many many years) then the roof leaked (scaffolding is expensive ) 2 months after the scaffolding came down it leaked again, the drains are broken. By the time I can sell it it will have cost me at least 30k in charges on top of the service charge which has also doubled to 200 a month. I've only been here 3 years and as much as i love my flat I can't wait to sell it. I just can't afford it.

Well I like flats!
Obviously there will be blocks which are maintained better and worse, and better and worse managing agents. You need to try and find out which you are looking at.
And to be fair houses turn out to need expensive maintenance too (admittedly not to the lift as there isn't usually one, but roofs, subsidence, painting the outside etc). You need to consider the service charge as part of your maintenance budget.
Flats will usually have lower bills, and I love the ease of living all on one level.

To the pp who dislikes service charges and prefers maisonettes- surely maisonettes are the same as flats in that respect??

To the pp who dislikes service charges and prefers maisonettes- surely maisonettes are the same as flats in that respect?? Not what I've found anyway, there's usually a minimal ground rent but no maintenance, the garden is usually maintained by the lower flat. These massionettes aren't new though, I've noticed even new build houses these days have service charges, the council won't adopt the roads anymore, I've even seen houses with ground rent, ridiculous.

I had to sell my flat and move because of a problem with another resident. The bill the management company wanted in order for me to sell was 30k. But I'd only paid 40 and sold it for 90 but it was worth more than that. (South coast) when I sold, they did the work and the new owners sold for a lot more than I sold it for and at the time the area was going through some gentrification it was very upsetting.

My parents inherited a flat and sold it for a fraction of its value as they couldn't afford the fees. So it just needs very careful consideration.

Having said all that, I like the space I have now but sometimes feel the cleaning and gardening are hard work.

I am not sure about maisonettes. I saw one I liked and it was a bargain but it sold before I got the chance to look into the charges.

Check service charge, ground rent, how long is left on the lease, how much is in the sinking fund, if there are any clauses such as no pets. Old buildings that have been converted are often not well sound proofed or insulated. Check for parking restrictions as new builds often come without entitlement to on street residents parking. Look around to get an idea of how well the building is managed and maintained.

Thankyou everyone! I've learned a lot.