Which property?! Head vs. Heart

[headvsheart]

DP and I have one DS and I'm currently pg. We have totally outgrown our one bed flat which we're putting on the market next week.

The problem is there are two properties that we really like. One makes sense for us as a family (3 bed house with enclosed garden), is cheaper but the location isn't as good. The other is a fantastic 2 bed flat with loads of light in a great area (especially for schools and a 20 min walk to DPs work) but it is £20k more expensive (had to go in way above AP) and has v high maintenance fees.

I know it makes so much sense to go for the house but my heart says the flat, despite all the drawbacks.

I'll link them both below and any opinions would be gratefully received.

The house: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-80801591.html

The flat: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-60866394.html

Sorry everyone the app blooped our on me for a while there.

Also I would disregard the garden altogether, they tend to be redundant for about 80% of the time

I really don't agree with this, a garden with little ones is amazing, it's enclosed and provides opportunities for hours of fun and games. Trust me it's no fun to have to trek to the park every time you want some fresh air.

Wouldn’t you worry about complete lack of privacy in the flat? Literally anyone could legitimately be outside your lounge window at any time. I’d hate it.

And the house is lovely.

@Bluntness100 I agree with everything you're saying!! But in my head I'm defending the flat the whole time. I am exactly the person I shout 'you stupid idiot!!' at whilst watching location, location, location.

@GoBrookeYourself go on have another look at that sofa though

The communal garden is a nightmare due to the direct access. What happens when your neighbours have a party there, and they can see right into your flat. Or if they chose to smoke there, or have a bbq in the summer, or playing with their kids who dont play nicely with yours,,,it's their garden it's their right, they can be standing right outside your patio doors blaring music, drunk, with your kids trying to sleep and you simply have to let them get on with it.

You can never leave your doors open, unless you are there, due to security risks, as direct access to a communal garden means anyone in it, has direct access to your property.

Yes @Villanellesproudmum I posted the flat the day before I viewed it. NCd.

The house definitely - having a separate good size kitchen/diner is much better than the separate small kitchen in the flat. Also much bigger floor space wise, no noisy upstairs neighbours to contend with, a private garden and separate bedrooms for the DC.

The flat looks nice for a couple, the house is much much better for a family.

Also freehold v leasehold with extra fees.

Sydenham more 'up and coming' too I think than Crystal Palace so more likely to increase in value.

Provided that the schools are decent then I would definitely go for the house.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-65904112.html

I lived in one of these about 4 down from this one

Used to scale the fence as the park was right on the back, we pretty much had the dry ski slope behind us, I guess that's not there anymore?

To everyone mentioning privacy- yes this is a major factor with the flat. Anyone could wonder by, smoke, have a party etc and tbh even the communal garden isn't surrounded by a big fence so isn't that secure in itself. It's also the only flat in the building that has direct garden access so could be a target for burglaries as all the other properties have to be accessed by a secure key coded door.

@Puffthemagicdragongoestobed yeah the area of the house wasn't that nice. Lots of rat runs and in an estate but the houses were laid out nicely around a little green. Felt half lovely, half a bit.. yeah.

I completely get why you like the flat headvsheart but I could not buy it because of the shared garden. I could not cope with that lack of privacy and would be concerned about security.

I have no idea about the relative merits of the areas but can see nothing negative about the house.

I totally disagree with Also I would disregard the garden altogether, they tend to be redundant for about 80% of the time

The open doors into a safe south facing garden would be wonderful for all ages (imho)

It's not just the security issue op. It's the total lack of privacy. You can't expect the other flat owners not to use the garden, you need to accept they will. And there is a lot of other flat owners.

It's right outside your living room. You could literally be sitting there night after night, dayafter day, with you curtains closed so you don't feel like people are watching you.

The bedroom being through the living/dining room in the flat would put me right off. Plus the leasehold element.

The house is lovely!

The flat seems to more expensive for a lot of pretty big negatives.

Less bedrooms
communal garden
£150 fees each month
Less secure than the other flats.

I understand the schools being rated better is a big pull, but it only takes one bad Ofsted or a bad set of exam results to change all of that.

I like the spatial flow of the flat & that mid century architecture.

I live in a really lovely house but (still) miss living in the flat we had when we first got together.

I wouldn't buy property area I didn't like and wasn't really where I wanted to spend my time. Doesn't have to be posh - I have sometimes lived in all sorts of mad rough inner city/red light areas and loved it - but its the feeling you get from a neighbourhood.

@FrankiesKnuckle no dry ski slope anymore- shame!! DS would bloody love that! Those flats are gorgeous OP I used to babysit one just like this.

House. But to be honest don't rush it, if you're in doubt wait.

• babysit IN one just like it!

If it was me I would always go for location. Good schools and being near work would bring so much to your life.

The flat HAS got three bedrooms. That study room is larger than my second bedroom-we had to get a bed specially made to fit!

And the house isn’t that nice really and I usually like that sort of 60s architecture.

Tbh I know everyone is right. The house makes so much sense. Cheaper, bigger, private garden, two floors, 3 bedrooms, freehold. It even has a loft for God's sake!

I can really see the attraction of the flat but a few things jump out at me:

• strangers would be able to see right in through the flat windows
• the house has a second toilet, which I think is essential for a family of four
• the flat decor and furniture is very 50s which is partly what makes it look great, but would your furniture look as good?

Also, just thinking about daily life with a baby and a toddler, the baby will be needing to nap indoors but your older child may want to play outside. In the flat you'd have an awkward situation of needing to ensure the older child was supervised 100% of the time outdoors, but what if he wandered to the other side of the communal gardens? You'd have to lock your front door, leaving the baby alone. You wouldn't be able to simply relax which you obviously can in a private house.

I know you say the children sharing would be ok but you might have a second baby that is a bad sleeper and keeps your older child awake. Three bedrooms would be so much better in that scenario.

So basically I'd go for the house!

Definitely the house 100%. It’s very well presented too - not a lot of work to do either inside or out. The flat doesn’t have much kerb appeal tbh. But wow - the prices for living down South are crazy!

@GetRid the baby will be needing to nap indoors but your older child may want to play outside. This is such a good point, thank you for bringing this to my attention. Hadn't considered this at all.
Tbf our furniture would suit the style of the flat as mic-century is our taste.

Ok picture it op.

You get the keys and are moving into the flat. You're excited.
You get there and a set of neighbours are having a bbq outside your living room window. Right there. Six of them. Music. Food. Looking right at you. Drinking, talking loudly.

How do you feel.

They pack up about six o clock. You think thank god. Peace and quiet.

And another set of neighbours come down at seven.
They have an evening party. Sitting listening to music, talking loudly, drinking, laying on the grass. Right outside your window.

How do you feel? It's eleven o clock. They are still going strong. The baby won't settle. It's too noisy. It's not in there but you can't open the windows as the noise is worse. You can't ask them to go, because they look like they might tell you to fuck off. And eleven is reasonable right?

How do you feel now.

It gets to two in the morning. They are still partying. Right outside your living room window. You've asked them nicely to stop. Your husband has, they weren't nice as they are drunk. Both kids are crying.

How do you feel?

Because this is a very very real scenario you will face.