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

I'm genuinely fascinated, would the issues with the shared space and and lack of privacy really not bother you hargen?

Although I don't know the area having lived in a 2 bed house for 10 years with 2 children. I'd go with the house we now have a lovely 4 bed and the space is great. They will outgrow it rather quickly we could have done with moving years ago if only we could have afforded it.

I wouldn't appreciate the shared garden and agree with others you may end up feeling trapped in the flat. The schools wouldn't sway it for me either, unless you know them personally I don't see much difference between a good or outstanding primary, you've one maybe slightly iffy high school near the house but you may be able to avoid that school.

Just to be clear, I'm not asking about living in s flat vs house. I'm asking about the specific issue of this flat opening directly onto communal space.

They are both lovely. Just think how lovely it would be to open your doors and let your children play your own garden though, also having there own bedrooms. What are the schools like in the area?

House.
Having just moved from a communal garden flat, to an actually bit smaller flat but with its own private garden, I will never ever ever go back.
The benefit for my dc (3 years old) having his own garden space is huge

I wouldn’t entertain that flat for small children. It’s beautiful and for two adults I’d love it but the issues are: privacy as mentioned earlier, large single glazed original windows - will be freezing, the layout of the bedrooms worries me in terms of fire and getting kids out, the charges - these can be increased especially if work is needed on the building. I work in a mid century brutalist building designed by a famous architect, it’s full of silverfish and there are big issues with the external cladding which will cost my employer £££. The house seems more boring and less chic but will give you a better family lifestyle - your own private space, pottering in and out. Read the ofsted reports of the schools, I was most impressed by one here that rated good but the comments were about individual learning opportunities being excellent. Our catchment school is outstanding but I’m not overly impressed tbf. It’s fine, nothing wrong with it, but not been inspected in over a decade and nothing special

House. Maintenance fees change. Also 18 yrs ago our flat needed £10 000 of roof works. Between 3 flats when £10 000 was a quarter of the value of the place. Sold it at a loss in the end. Never ever flat if you have the option of a house

One thing I notice on here is parents saying that their DCs school has changed a lot, perhaps with a new headteacher or change in admissions criteria. It will be at least two years before your oldest starts school (though there may be nursery before that). Unless the schools near house are very bad for a number of years things can change.

Hi Op, I was in your position 4 years ago - and similar areas (3 bed house in Lee vs large 2 bed flat in Brockley). We went for the flat and have never once regretted it it. I love where we live and also now we have DS being on one level is great! But sounds like you are about 5 years ahead of us in terms of timing / kids. We are planning to move to Kent once property market picks up (ideally before potential DC2 starts school) but we are more than happy to ride things out here. I always said that I'd rather be bursting at the seams in a flat I love in the right location than in a house I wasn't 100% happy with. I have lots of friends in New York and Paris and no one bats an eyelid at families living in apartments there. I guess my main thoughts would be 1) what is soundproofing like in the flat? (Ours is awful and my one problem with the flat) and 2) could you let the kids play in the garden while you did a few jobs or would you always have to be with them?

I see why you think the flat looks wow, it is bright and airy but that is clever lighting, paint colours and furnishings. You could make a house look like that.

Just read about catchments though...you aren't going to like what I'm about to say! Can you wait a bit longer and find a house in the area where the flat is? House is so much more practical.

I live in Sydenham. The primary schools are generally excellent especially near Wells Park.

I would almost always choose a house over a flat,more scope and no extra charges.

It is a lovely flat though!

For the sake of a private garden I would go with the house. I have to share a garden with 1 neighbour, he's never even in it but I bloody hate it and they won't let us build a fence! I also have 2 boys 10 and 5 right now sharing is fine but I do worry about it but we have no chance of moving.

Looking at the flat, you would need to spend more money having those internal glass windows and door replaced as they look like they could be the original 60s stuff which is nice if you’re into it but not nice when your kid has put their arm through it because it’s paper thin.

I’d also be thinking about security of anground floor flat like that, it seems very open from the photos.

OP, I love the Austin Vernon estates and regularly go and visit the beautiful mid-C houses in Open Studio week.

I think the house also has great proportions , big windows etc.

Dulwich Estates are very greedy and controlling, fees will go up and you might have difficulty in getting permission to move a wall in an Austin Vernon property.

Sydenham Wells Park is gorgeous.

Check out the local school. Eliot Bank, the second nearest, is one I always see people fighting for on the E Dulwich forum and has a catchment if about 500m, so check the nearest one for catchment etc.

As a pp said, will you get an offer accepted before yours is under offer?

House for me.

BUT please bear in mind you won't even put your current flat on the market until next week, and who knows how long it will take to get a buyer, so there's potential for both the flat and the house to go before you are in a position to put an offer in on either. I would personally caution against getting your heart set on either therefore just yet. (I'm speaking from personal bitter experience of having found a house we loved before we had sold, and watched it sell to someone else. In many ways now I would advise not doing any viewings until you have a buyer). Best of luck OP.

London children use parks. It is nice to have a small outdoor space for BBQs and toddlers, but otherwise proximity to a park with a good playground is more important Communal gardens can be brilliant if there are other young families.

The two areas are very different. Where do YOU feel more at home. (Says someone who raised two children in centeal London without a garden, and would do exactly the same again. Though actually I find Dulwich Village a bit 'posh' whilst Sydenham would feel way too suburban.)

It looks like you could fairly easily move the wall in the study to make the room bigger and have a 3rd bedroom. If that's the case, I'd go with the flat personally. Having a 20 minute commute would be amazing, and to be honest I think the space in the flat is better than the house. The house might have a garden, but it's tiny, and the reception room is really small. With the flat you have a huge lounge, and the kids' bedroom/s would be nearby so you could easily keep an eye on them while they played in there.... The access on the house - shared walkway and ugly frontage - really puts me off.

Only skim-read the whole thread so might have missed some updates.

But for me, location is EVERYTHING. So i’d be controversial here and say go for a flat in the neighbourhood you prefer, rather than a house somewhere you’re not as keen on. And schools are really important. Once the kids are in, you can move slightly further out of catchment where property should get slightly cheaper. If you can bare to do two moves in five years! (Assuming it’ll be five years before your baby starts school.)

The flat - at 800 sq ft - is quite small for a family, you’ll find you quickly outgrow it. I’d keep looking for a better flat around that part.

I don’t know Sydenham we’ll, bern once and was amazed how beautiful and leafy it was. I’d locked the car doors on the inside and secured the hubcaps and everything ( East Londoner )

Round here where school issues are tricky I would suggest a third way. Stay where you are for a bit longer. Then sell your current place and move into a rental right next to the school you want. Then once you’ve a school place you can decide where to buy.

If Sydenham isn’t like that and you can get a school place ( our area has black holes where some children aren’t allocated a place on offer day) I guess you can afford to be more relaxed.

I’ve relooked and my heart is with the flat but the house is fine and probably makes sense. I’d spend your money on the flat but if it was my money I’d stay put.

Actually - I agree with Debenham. Also a Londoner and school catchments are tiny.

Or you could let out your current place and rent next to the school you love in the area you love (to offset the cost of renting). When they’re in the school, sell and buy.

The service fees on the flat are mad, though.

Having lived in a 2 bed flat (lovely, spacious, in Georgian house, we ended up moving when the children were 4 and 3 so they could have their own rooms (boy and girl).
The house is lovely, near a park, has a garden. Wins hands down for me.

I think I there would be an admissions issue to rent your own flat out and move elsewhere for a school place. You’d have to sell it.

debenham - people at my kid’s school did it. As long as you don’t live in the flat and don’t pay Council Tax there (and only pay council tax in your rental), it’s not a problem.

That flat is gorgeous. I know the area well and love the period properties round there. Very nice (I'd be going for that one over the dated / semi-modern style house. Older properties hold their value better).

Good luck with your move either way