Dead set on a house but now considering a flat, what's important to know?

[Biwurlu]

I had never really considered getting a flat but the only property that has wowed me has been a flat!

It's in the right area, bright top floor share of freehold flat. Bit smaller than I would like but stil good.

Is there anything important to check out with the flat? The floors seem solid (not wooden) and its purpose built 90s. The current owner says they can't hear the flat below (but they would!)

My concerns are noise or smoke coming from flat below (would no smoking indoors be part of the free hold?) And resale value as its way smaller with no garden and a 1200 maintaince fee a year than houses are a mile away.

Anybody here have experience of this all? Thanks

I live in a flat. Can't hear the neighbours and no smells or smoke.

The downsides are fees, which cost me £700 per year, no outside space and the flat hasn't risen in value as much as houses have.

If you are the top flat, are you responsible for the roof (probably not if it is purpose-built but worth asking).

Annual service charge?

Any restrictions by the management committee?

Can you get the minutes of the management committee, see if there are any large-scale work coming up that may require you to pay a share or any disputes Who runs the committee, is it the residents or a third party?

You can't ban people from smoking inside their own home!

Thanks that's good to hear.

I wonder with prices sliding will flats slide less compared to houses?

No there's no responsibility for the roof, that's on everyone. Although it's 90s built so hopefully not many repair costs. Or is that wishful thinking?

I live in a flat, they smoke below us and it absolutely stinks. I mean, to the point where we get a headache from it it's that bad. It has severely impacted our happiness and we are looking to move

We are also upstairs and we do get noise from those next to us if they have parties etc.

It depends on how irritated you would be from the smoke smell, if they do smoke downstairs

Is there a lift? Are the stairwells well lit and safe?

Do you have neighbours to the side and below?

I would never live in a flat again if I had a choice

I would absolutely hate smoke from below, I'm asthmatic and a bit of a health freak!

Would people smell the smoke in your flat on a viewing? I couldn't smell anything in the communal areas or in the flat, but the windows were open. Are the floors in your flat wooden or concrete?

No lift and communal areas are well kept.

Occasionally partys is fine just as long as it's not regular. There's no one to the sides, just the people below.

Smoking rates are low in the UK and of smokers I know they wouldn't do it inside. But I've looked at some nasty smelling properties that smelt like chain smokers that always smoked indoors.

But even if the people below don't smoke, they could just sell it to someone that chain smokes next. Not sure if flat living is for me or not!

Flats will lose far more value in a downturn than houses... always have always will

Top floor no lift has a very small pool of buyers.
Old people wouldnt consider them
People with or about to have young children wont

How many flats in the building? Are any of them not owner occupied? I lived in a small block where a couple of flats were rented out. It was frustrating when the owners had to communicate together and those owners who didn't actually live there didn't respond.

Doesn't matter whether the people smoke now or not. You can't control who lives there, the current occupiers could move out next month

I wouldn't do it

Further to my previous post, my dad has a share of freehold flat where he's the only owner occupier. He likes it as the others are happy to leave decisions to him.

Exactly what crusty crab says - it doesn't matter whether your neighbours smoke now, unless there is a restrictive covenant on the freehold forbidding smoking (that it would probably be unenforceable if there was), someone could move in the day after you who smokes - or of course someone who is incredibly noisy, plays the drums, has a barking dog etc etc. That's just the risk you take with flats, or indeed terraced or semi detached houses, IMO anywhere other than very rural or very expensive detached houses on big plots, you are always slightly at the mercy of bad neighbours...

If it's comforting to you, we lived in a purpose built 90s block for years, our next door neighbour was a very heavy smoker, plus a hoarder and I don't think he ever cleaned his flat, it absolutely honked. The smell penetrated the shared landing but we couldn't smell it inside our flat nor could his upstairs neighbour... I enjoyed flat living, it felt safe as we all looked out for one another, heating bills cheaper as the heat seemed to stay in the building very well due to good insulation, very little building work ever to be done other than cosmetics on the inside of the flat, and mostly people respected the communal areas including the garden and car park and shared nicely...we did hear our upstairs neighbour quite regularly as they had small children and regular loud rows, but then again they didn't complain about us having occasional parties either so it all worked out fine.

With a share of freehold flat as opposed to standard leasehold, you need to look into what the management arrangements are. Quite often the residents will form a management committee and take responsibility for organising building insurance, cleaning of communal areas, gardening and maintenance of outside areas and any structural repair or maintenance work which is needed for the fabric of the building, and hence levying service charges from all the residents in line with the same. This has obvious pros and cons, means you are directly in control and not subject to a distant/indifferent management company and know exactly what you are paying for, cons being organising all this can be a complete ball ache and depends on the cooperation of all residents and you need to get on quite well with your neighbours (or be happy to delegate everything to a few volunteers!). The residents can of course choose to contract all of this to a management agency but then you pay more for the privilege. Swings and roundabouts really - definitely worth finding out what arrangement is in place in the block you are looking at.

If someone smokes in their own flat can you smell it in your flat? Does the smoke come through to your flat? Sorry stupid questions!

Really helpful posts, are the people saying they wouldn't do it because they wouldn't live in any flat?

In terms of a flat there's no one above and to the sides so it's really low risk in terms of a flat. I want to meet the people below, but I can tell from online they bought it 11 years ago.

I put an offer in, not anywhere near full price but a fair price I think. Theyve not had any offers and it's been on for many months so they must know it's overpriced.

For me to take the risk would have to get a decent price that I know I wouldn't loose too much if I needed to sell it on quickly.

Wish I had 100k more for a freehold house in the area thats bigger with a garden, but I don't and that's life.

We live in a top floor flat with two DC and love it. Being on the top is good for noise as no-one above. Never bothered by smoke, retired lady below. Have a shared garden though, and park nearby. Excellent for school catchment (central Bath)- spacious as well.

It was a bit tricky with buggies and prams when they were small but a neighbour let us use their hall cupboard to store it in folded, so no taking it upstairs and I do online shopping (they bring it up for you) which really helps. Overall it is fab and the DC can walk to school too. It is good being in the city centre. I don;t drive and can walk everywhere.

Now the DC are older (teens) it feels a bit like a flatshare! I love that there is no lift giving everywhere, as they can walk or catch the bus, helps them be more independant too.

We are on (run) the management committee so there is that option also, or they have meetings for all to share - e.g. concerns over smoking. Only concerns we have had recently was one flat turing into a holiday let, and someone getting a dog (not sure either of these allowed strictly but we discuss it) If anything needs done, we share costs e.g. fire alarm, roof repairs - and it is discussed beforehand. We have been here over 20 yrs and it has always worked ok.

Our relative who lives in a large house nearby has problems with a neighbours barking dog which sets of her own dogs so that kind of stuff is not all just in flats either!

I am from a country where people live in flats and there is no stigma to it. I love it. Horizontal living is fantastic as opposed to these poky two ups two downs. I now live in a fairly substantial townhouse but if I could find a good standard flat I'd definitely move. The reason I don't t do it is because flats in this country (which I loge got many other reasons) aren't that great. They have low ceilings and high fees and leasehold. Also no space outside or storage space. As you say the flat is built in the1990s I would be concerned about wear and tear as anything built after the 1970, herb building regulations were changed, is a bit flimsy.

Sorry about typos! On phone.

Oh I saw you put an offer in!! Was it accepted? Let us know how it goes. As I said, living in one floor instead of going up and down the stairs it's great for the sensation of space and flow that you seldom get in a house, however big.

Another bonus is no need for stair gates etc with small children. Once you are in, it is on the level. With storage we have a bog loft space. In terms of square foot it is bigger than most terraced houses locally.

Big loft I meant!

Ah thanks, although now im a bit worried that a 90s built will be shoddily built! I thought back then they were built a lot better than they are now?

They're getting back to me on Monday and thinking about my offer, they've said it's too low. And I was that's fine, but that's all it's worth to me.

The smoking below and general noise is my only concerns along with getting back my money when I sell it. It's the same price as a detached 15 mins walk away with an extra bedroom and reception room. But it is much nicer where the flat is even if it's less space and extra fees (although a house has fees too, so maybe it will work out cheaper)

Does anyone know about surveys and what's a a good one to get? I feel like homebuyers servays in the past were a waste of time

I dunno, given the choice I wouldn’t opt for a flat, even top floor can be a nightmare. LIVED in mine 15 yrs And spent all those walking on eggshells because the people below complain about noise-we don’t have parties or loud music or pets, it’s just general walking around, washing machine, tap/pipe noises. ITS been quite stressful and I feel like I’m always telling dcs to be quiet for fear of complaints from below.

You are forever at the mercy of your neighbours and even if the ones there now are nice, if they move you could get some right horrors and then have problems selling inthe future.

If you can afford it id go for a house.

But a house can cause just as many issues.

If a neighbor complains about noise just put down thick underlay and carpets?