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Original poster

Secure pied-a-terres in London that can be left empty for months and accept dogs...

35 replies

GreenCushion · 12/04/2022 16:41

Thought I'd give the Mumsnet hive mind a go - hopefully for some solid recommendations.

My partner and I are barely in the UK these days, maybe about 3 months a year and not very predictably. We're looking for something in/near London that we can be happy standing empty until we pitch up. That leans towards a flat with a porter/some kind of security.

We thought the Barbican would be a good shout, but we sporadically foster dogs when we're here and they and like many other places have hard rules again dogs in the lease. We're thinking of spending £500-750k. And it's nice because everything in the Corporation of London has very cheap council tax and the Barbican has sensible service charges, but it doesn't work for the reason above.

A decent size one-bed and even a nice studio could work.

I love the idea of a place with more space and a garden/parking further out, but it'd be mad to leave somewhere like that empty for months and I don't intend to ask friends/relatives to guard it.

So in summary:

  • £500-750k
  • Central or East London
  • On site security/porter
  • Council tax and service charge doesn't cost a bomb
  • Allows dogs

Any specific recommendations?

OP posts:
Twizbe · 12/04/2022 17:06

Could you not foster the dogs while you're here?

Other than that could you look at some of the new developments in battersea?

designSalmon8 · 13/04/2022 06:41

@GreenCushion

Thought I'd give the Mumsnet hive mind a go - hopefully for some solid recommendations.

My partner and I are barely in the UK these days, maybe about 3 months a year and not very predictably. We're looking for something in/near London that we can be happy standing empty until we pitch up. That leans towards a flat with a porter/some kind of security.

We thought the Barbican would be a good shout, but we sporadically foster dogs when we're here and they and like many other places have hard rules again dogs in the lease. We're thinking of spending £500-750k. And it's nice because everything in the Corporation of London has very cheap council tax and the Barbican has sensible service charges, but it doesn't work for the reason above.

A decent size one-bed and even a nice studio could work.

I love the idea of a place with more space and a garden/parking further out, but it'd be mad to leave somewhere like that empty for months and I don't intend to ask friends/relatives to guard it.

So in summary:

  • £500-750k
  • Central or East London
  • On site security/porter
  • Council tax and service charge doesn't cost a bomb
  • Allows dogs

Any specific recommendations?

Have you heard of Shad Thames in se1? Beautiful area right by Tower Bridge with lots of converted Victorian warehouses. Lovely walks by the river. A stone's throw from London Bridge station. A tonne of amenities. Your budget would work, many buildings allow dogs (subject to consent, not to be unreasonably withheld). Re service charge, not cheap but not extortionate. I tend to find that if service charge is too low, the building may be behind on regular maintenance.
GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 13/04/2022 06:47

Why buy a place and leave it empty/unused for 9 months a year? So selfish. And how can you ‘foster’ dogs when you’re all over the place?

MrsTerryPratchett · 13/04/2022 06:49

Zombie apartments with no one living there 90% of the time have killed London. Please just AirBnB or use a hotel and leave the housing for the people who actually want to live there.

Fluffruff · 13/04/2022 06:50

Have a look at some of the new towers around Stratford International on the edge of the Olympic park, the old athletes village area.

ticktockriojaoclock · 13/04/2022 06:51

Yeah, don't buy somewhere and leave it sitting empty. That can be your social conscious salve, instead of fostering dog.

Nowisthemonthofmaying · 13/04/2022 06:52

Why don't you just rent a serviced apartment for when you're here? Seems a massive waste of money to buy and as a pp said there's a huge housing shortage in London so leaving it empty most of the time seems a bit unethical.

NutellaEllaElla · 13/04/2022 06:54

I guess you're looking to park some money really.

Sunnysideup999 · 13/04/2022 07:02

Also agree with Shad Thames . Lovely views of the river too. Better walks than the Barbican too.

Octomore · 13/04/2022 07:03

Agree with PP. Buying homes in order to literally leave them empty most of the time (not even renting it, or AirBnB-ing it out, which would contribute to the local economy) is immoral.

I presume you like London, which is why you spend time there? So why do you want to contribute towards killing it?

Octomore · 13/04/2022 07:04

@Nowisthemonthofmaying

Why don't you just rent a serviced apartment for when you're here? Seems a massive waste of money to buy and as a pp said there's a huge housing shortage in London so leaving it empty most of the time seems a bit unethical.
Sadly, it's not a waste of money to people who have the funds to do this. It's just an investment vehicle, somewhere to park their cash.
nomistake · 13/04/2022 07:07

Stop pricing londoners out of their home town!!!

yearisdone51 · 13/04/2022 07:12

C'mon someone spending £500kish on a tiny flat isn't super rich. I live in an area where super rich do park their cash and the houses go for at least £5million and then they are often under construction for years - digging down to build basements, etc. Sometimes they have caretakers living in them, some of them are literally boarded up and left vacant.

Lots of Brits have modest (according to billionaire standards) second homes in Europe - is that the same?

ticktockriojaoclock · 13/04/2022 07:20

Lots of Brits have modest (according to billionaire standards) second homes in Europe - is that the same?

Yes, it's also a shit thing to do.

yearisdone51 · 13/04/2022 07:23

@ticktockriojaoclock

Lots of Brits have modest (according to billionaire standards) second homes in Europe - is that the same?

Yes, it's also a shit thing to do.

Yeah, maybe it is. What do I know. 🤷‍♀️

I, um, recommend an estate agent for "solid recommendations" OP, for some reason they do seem to be quite knowledgable about properties.

jay55 · 13/04/2022 07:31

I don't think having security/concierge/Porter is going to get you a low service charge anywhere.

Where I am council tax is average, pets are allowed (have a one off fee to management co), there is concierge in one building and security. But service charge is high (due to gym, pool etc) and because of a communal energy system, energy prices are insane as not subject to the cap and no choice of supplier.
And most newer blocks are the same.

Octomore · 13/04/2022 07:32

@ticktockriojaoclock

Lots of Brits have modest (according to billionaire standards) second homes in Europe - is that the same?

Yes, it's also a shit thing to do.

I'd add to this - it's also a shit thing to do when people have second homes in rural areas of the UK.

I live in a national park - some villages have had their soul ripped out due to the high % of homes left empty for much of the year. Holiday lets aren't as bad because at least those contribute to our local tourist economy, but the homes that are empty most of the time (all winter, and through the week even in the summer, meaning total occupancy is easily less than 25%) are a fucking blight.

Octomore · 13/04/2022 07:35

C'mon someone spending £500kish on a tiny flat isn't super rich.

Spending £500k on a flat that you live in is fairly normal.

Having a spare £500k-£750k (plus concierge/service charges, utilities and council tax) to park on a property you barely ever use is bloody wealthy.

MissBattleaxe · 13/04/2022 07:40

How can you foster dogs sporadically? I just had to write a reference for a friend who wanted to do this and she was thoroughly vetted before approval.

Rainbowshine · 13/04/2022 07:45

Will such a property be suitable for a dog? I think many of the animal charities have strict criteria for what the home is like to foster.

You need to factor in that you’ll have difficulty getting home and contents insurance if it’s unoccupied for that amount of time.

It’s probably easier to let go of the idea of fostering dogs and get a serviced apartment or short term let.

Soontobe60 · 13/04/2022 07:47

No wonder there’s a housing crisis!

OP, don’t be that person - just use an hotel when you come back into the country. As for fostering dogs, that’s not really true is it?

Octomore · 13/04/2022 07:50

I don't know what depresses me more. The fact that the OP expected to get a good reception to this post, or the fact that some PPs did indeed give her recommendations of which areas she should consider ripping the soul out of.

NightmareSlashDelightful · 13/04/2022 07:53

@Octomore

I don't know what depresses me more. The fact that the OP expected to get a good reception to this post, or the fact that some PPs did indeed give her recommendations of which areas she should consider ripping the soul out of.
I can’t believe it’s real. No one could be that tin-eared, surely.

My cynical mind is wondering if we’ll see a lot of posts like this today, to froth up/dilute/distract MNers from focusing on the Johnson/Sunak scandal.

Octomore · 13/04/2022 07:55

If the OP is fake (I have no idea) - that makes the fact that people actually gave recommendations even more depressing!