Opinions on Manchester flat?

[BaconandWaffles]

I was initially looking to rent but stumbled upon this and was tempted. A friend said the heating situation makes it a bad choice so looking for any other opinions!
m.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/contact/47305667

Looks lovely in the pics...I am guessing you’re already familiar with the area, but it’s pretty lively of an evening, so even on the second floor I’d wouldn’t be banking on early nights unless the soundproofing is superb. I may have had my fair share of Bluu’s 2 for 1 cocktails in my time...

I know some folks who’ve had lovely flats in the Northern Quarter which they had to sell up due to AirBnB rental, weekend lets and party flats in their building, so if you can do some digging on what else is in the block then that would be wise.

I'd want to know how much it costs to heat, if you can get it properly warm, and what the sound insulation in the building is like and noise from the street. It's one of the livelist areas for nightlife.

Older storage heaters aren’t great (I used to have them and they’re expensive to run) but I’ve heard that modern ones aren’t as bad. It shouldn’t be too expensive to upgrade the heating to soemthing more economical- I’m assuming that there’s only 2/3 storage heaters and a fan heater for the bathroom?

Something more economical would be gas - much cheaper than electricity.

The NQ is one of my favourite places - am off out there on Friday night! Presume you know it already? I love the flat, but having recently moved out of one, questions you need to consider:

What are the service charges/management fees like? Look carefully at the permissible rise per annum and check it's not one that doubles.
Would you be expected to make a payment towards the emergency fund (used to build up a contingency for things like routine maintenance and repairs) when moving in? This can run to a few thousand.
Heating - what will bills look like? What's the EPC rating?
What are the building rules? Some blocks are pretty laid back but others have management rules which are very stringent. Make sure you are comfortable with them.
What's the sound insulation like? If you view it then make sure you go back for a second viewing in an evening when people are home - ideally on a weekend late afternoon/early evening when there will be more activity.

Great advice from Daily
It's a lovely flat but a lot of money for what it is imho.
Depends what you want of course.

Thanks for all the thoughts everyone - I'm not actually that familiar with the area but am not put off by it being lively or loud! I will definitely ask about the service charges and building rules and will try to get a clearer idea of what the heating costs might be (I suppose it's fine in summer but in a few months...)

Oh the NQ is great. If I'd wanted to stay in the city I would have definitely looked there. I love the vibe; still a bit grungy, very hipster in places but a real mix - so alongside your independent delis you have adult stores! Lots of freestyle graffiti - some of it really stunning and clever. There's a fab pie restaurant called Pieminister which does the most awesome food. The Koffee Pot is brilliant for breakfasts. One of my favourite haberdashers is based there as well. Great nightlife and most of the stores and shops are independents, which is lovely.

I absolutely love it there and if I was younger and not so attached to having a driveway and a garden, I'd be looking! If you don't know it well then spend some time there to see if you like it - go on a weekend when it's busy during the day, then go back on a Friday or Saturday night when the social side is in full swing.

Ooh I want to live there!

It’s a fab part of town. The Craft Centre and Earth Cafe are a couple of my favourite hidden(ish) gems. Fred Aldous is an Aladdin’s cave of arty-crafty loveliness. I keep meaning to get into town to try out the food hall at Mackie Mayor in Swan Street, just by Band on the Wall, which has been done out by the people behind Alty Market.

If you do move there, OP, you’d have the peregrine falcons that live up on the Co-op Tower as neighbours!