Thinking of buying a flat in Notting Hill

[Augill]

Hello all

I was wondering if I could get some opinions please.

I have just started looking to buy a flat. I am single and in my mid 30’s and rather than wait to meet someone (which seems impossible in London) I want to get settled somewhere I could see myself happily living for several years.

I am not too familiar with London (I only moved last year) but have spent a fair bit of time in Notting Hill and love it, so am looking there. My budget is upto around £650,000 and I am looking for at least a one bed (in all reality, this is all I would get in this area).

I’ve seen flats I like on Talbot Road, Hereford Road and Chepstow Crescent. Links are:

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/61602381/?search_identifier=d58a78a8e637347ab91942b99cd7c159

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/60640982/?search_identifier=a7b386cdf7a7682f40d8e102d6c859f1

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/61635077/?search_identifier=0bfbb7eaf6a2d3bec7b56a68c6e1a54d

None of the above are perfect - Hereford: the bedroom is very small and wardrobes are in the living room, rather than bedroom; Chepstow: needs fully renovating and Talbot: not much storage, no separate freezer (only small section in fridge) and no hallway.

Does anyone know what these streets are like?

When buying a flat, what things would you want to know before putting in an offer? (Other than title, ground rent/service charge fees).

What is the current market like for flat?

Any advice would be greatly welcomed.

Many thanks

Morning, unfortunately I don't know NH anymore to know which location would be best.

Just comparing the flats, for me, Talbot. (Easily) you could always put an undercounter freezer in, if that's really an issue, but it seems a trivial consideration when buying a flat (to me).

theres a lot to consider when buying leasehold (tbh I wouldn't do it again, UNLESS I could afford to buy a flat in NH, which I can't!!). By 'title' are you including the length of lease? You can't apply for an extension until you've owned it for 2 years, if it's not very long already, then consider asking current owners to apply for it. If it is you might benefit from the proposed change in law.

Read the fine print about what you are/aren't allowed to do & what you need permission to do
and if there's anything you already know you want to do, find out if you can, or what you need to do & how much that'll cost for permission.

maybe see if there's a Facebook group for the block?

I used to live around there. They are all great streets.

Remember the carnival. That is either brilliant or hell depending on your view. Men per on your front steps, noise all night but great views if you’re at home. I used to live on Talbot Road and I liked it but it can be a bit grim.

Talbot Road flat much the nicest!

Don't know the area at all, but the Talbot Rd flat is lovely! Lucky you!

They are all nice properties - however the proximity to Portobello would put me off. It’s just mental there now at weekends and at carnival people do go away if possible - I know a couple of people with shops near and they just board up and close down.

Chepstow I’d probably the quietest of the three and I’m guessing it’s the north end of Hereford (rather than closer to the park), so again closer to the business end of portobello.

As said above - check lease length and if possible get an estimate on extension. Also check what you ‘own’ and service charges.

I know people house hunting (Sw3) and she says that properties are going for above asking price at the moment.

If you don’t know the area too well then try to visit weekends and evenings to get an idea of what it’s like when it’s busy - they are all fairly quiet during the weekdays.

Shopping/high street areas are pretty poor - portobello (touristy), Notting hill (touristy and some chi chi shops), Queensway (tourist tat), Westbourne Grove (it’s trying!). Of course you are near Ken gardens, so that’s good, and transport is decent. Not too far to Shepherd’s Bush and Westfield (if you really must).

The only one in Notting Hill is the one in Chepstow, the others are more Westbourne. Frankly I would walk around and see if you like the area of the other ones. Different streets have a different vibe. You are unlikely to get the perfect flat even a one bed with that sort of budget.

I live in the area (I was born here) and it depends how close you want to be to certain tube lines, shops etc. Some areas are a bit sketchy.

With that sort of budget, you’d get more for your money in Shepherds Bush, Hammersmith, Kensal Rise etc.

Me too!I had a really grim bed sit, shared bathroom with two other tenants. Water for the bath heated by a terrifying ascot water heater you had to put money in, I never did get to grips with it. Really scummy landlord who owned loads of houses in the street, I always hoped he sold before prices rocketed.

So how come I never see you lot around here…

Hands up who is being driven mad by Whitley’s redevelopment noise?

They’re all lovely flats although I wouldn’t for for the one with the narrow living room but as a PP said you’ll get more for your money in other areas. And the carnival.

All three flats are conversions, I would be wary of noise from other flats in the building and from other properties. Conversions are notorious for poor insulation, especially if people have got rid of carpeting.

I think it’s a requirement now to state the length left on a lease when advertising now so no idea why the info is ‘not available’ on one link?. Leases under (I think) 72 years are not mortgageable so consider that. Check for s20 notices (notification of major works planned to be done outside of the service charge) as the cost of an exterior paint on some of those would be significant as indeed would roof works. You also might have to pay for ‘approval’ from the freeholder every time you want to carry out any work to the flat. Check those costs. Check that the freehold is not currently up for sale or that a section 5 notice has not been issued as the cost of service charges/ground rent could really spiral. Check the cost of insurance which the management company controls. As a pp said, conversions are noisy so make sure you view at a time when residents are likely to be in.

As an aside, I am bemused by the flat which seems to house the ancestral portraits 😆

I’ve just moved away from there after 14 years in the area (well, more Westbourne tbh). Sold my one bed mansion block flat on a road north of Westbourne Grove swiftly for the kind of money you’re looking at. In that price bracket, it’s unlikely you’ll find the “perfect” place but there are a ton of properties so after a while something decent will come up.

Things to think about off the top of my head (haven’t looked at your listings or read all PPs comments…):

1. I’ve lived in both conversions and Mansion blocks but the latter generally have better soundproofing, better proportioned rooms and layouts, have lifts and security and generally easier around upkeep as on the whole they’re reasonably well managed. However this can mean….


2. Service charge and ground rent will be higher. Check and double check this before making an offer as some of these can be high and you may not be told the exact number until you’re a way into the process.


3. Lease length - I extended my super easily for my sale as in a block it was clear what the cost would be as other leaseholders had done it so the landlord and I just agreed it and got it done quickly (so didn’t need to go through the full notice process).


4. Go East of Chepstow Road if you can - Westminster council tax is far lower than RBK&C. Still on the border of Notting Hill but with the added bonus of less disruption from carnival. And I always found easy residents parking in my section with a Westminster permit. Plus, better transport connections than if you go North/North West of Notting Hill.


5. Be wary of basement/lower ground floor properties for damp - probably similar elsewhere but particularly this area as a lot of the water mains/drainage are Victorian and they leak. Despite seemingly having been fixed multiple times.


6. I prefer a higher floor flat (3rd or above) as you generally get better light, less noise and better security (no need for bars on windows that you’ll see on the lower ground or some ground floor places).


7. Storage in a lot of these properties will be limited obviously as square footage is at such a premium. Though I managed well by making sure every bit of furniture that could double as storage space, did (bed, sofa…), and used the height of the rooms too.


8. It can be quite polluted so being off the busier roads helps (your lungs and your walls/curtains!).

It is a great area of the city to be based as you can get most places pretty efficiently from there, as well as having some great spots on your doorstep. Though like any of London, it has good and bad sides. I moved as I needed to be in the countryside and have more space and, after 20 years of full on London life, it was the right time.

And to the PP who mentioned the Whiteley’s development noise/vibrations at odd times of day - yep, I don’t miss that! Looking forward to seeing what it turns out like though. Hope they keep as much of the original features as possible.

Good luck OP - the agents there are some of the pushiest I’ve ever come across so take a lot of what they say with a pinch of salt!

I live there and wouldn't live anywhere else. I have never felt unsafe here. Yes it's a pain on a Saturday when the market is so busy but you just adapt to that. The vibe leading up to carnival is amazing. Yes it's noisy and yes it's messy- we tend to stock up and stay home. Houses do get boarded up as do non food shops. I wouldn't attempt to go out other than early morning. It's a brilliant place to live.
What is your budget? I saw a Two bed for 740k ex authority. Not lovely on the outside but in a great position and bigger than those you posted..

You would get a lot more for your money in Pimlico and similar style architecture. Also the area is far less busy and full of tourists. There are a lot of flat on the market for your budget or less, such as this

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/122234399#/?channel=RES_BUY

I miss Whitelys and the H&M outlet store 😢

I miss the Kew outlet and many a session in Gymbano!

Thank you all for your messages and very useful comments.

I am kind of familiar with the area - well more the side where Chepstow Crescent is (my ex used to live off Westbourne Grove so I’ve spent a lot of time in the area).

I have however never been in the area or indeed London when it’s Notting Hill carnival but have been told how awful it can be.

I know I can get more for my money elsewhere - I do like the NH area though and also don’t really know many other areas in London and need to purchase a property fairly soon (I need an offer accepted in the next 2-3 weeks) so I can port my existing mortgage (up North - would have a 5% fee otherwise and it’s a c. 1.2% interest rate).
I had looked at Greenwich but do ideally want somewhere near to a tube station and more central (Greenwich only has the DLR).

@Morte - why was Talbot Road grim?

@Investicat- as you live there, do you think any of the flats I’m looking at are in sketchy areas?
Is Westbourne not good?
Some people had said to avoid around Ladbroke Grove - is this something you agree with?

@Norachance - again as you live here, do you have any comments on the flats I’m looking at?
My budget is up to £700,000 at a push but I am ideally wanting a period properly.. which I know does unfortunately come with a price tag..

@Ohthatoldchestnut did you have much interest for your property?

Again thank you..

I will also be seeing this property but conscious the roof terrace could cause some additional expense for me (or would any building insurance cover the problems?):

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/61429753/?search_identifier=4aa5c67de86d7bde5c0daeef3ac6846d

Talbot Road itself wasn’t grim except during the Carnival. The endless public urination as people couldn’t find or get to a loo (my downstairs neighbour would charge people £1 to use his loo) masses of litter, weed (that’s not just a carnival thing though!) and the odd scuffle breaking out. It’s usually absolutely fine though - bit of a walk from Notting Hill tube in torrential rain but I did love it there.

It's a great area to live but Portobello Rd is full of tourists and more and more tatty and overpriced tourist shops. I'd rather live towards Westbourne Grove or Ladbroke Grove sides now. Frankly Golborne Rd is better than Portobello for day to day living.

It was pretty grim when I lived there. Nearly every house turned into tiny flats and bedsits, friends of mine got fed up with their upstairs neighbours not closing the front door properly ( deliberately) so that local junkies could use the hallway. Another friend had an abandoned mattress left on the landing for a couple of weeks by the landlord until they hauled it downstairs themselves. Good local pubs though! I also fondly remember the chip making machine that churned out chips for about 30 p. They never caught on for some reason but were a lifesaver on cold nights waiting for a bus, trying to remember where it was situated, somewhere around all the Colvilles I think. I didn’t live there for long so never experienced the Carnival. Sorry to hear Whitley’s is being demolished, I bought a lovely Indian throw bedspread there which I had for years.

@Morte - endless public urination? So not jus around the Carnival? when did you live there and why did you leave?

@viques that sounds awful

i Haven’t looked at the links am in the middle of work but a few random comments from me

• try and buy a flat with share of freehold


• I know people selling in K&C and prices are below asking (and below where they were a few years ago, now is a good time to buy)


• parking in K&C is not zoned like it is in Westminster. If you have a car you can drive to eg Chelsea or Sloane Square and park.


• council tax is still cheap in K&C compared to other areas of london due to the density of high-value properties


• Roof terrace shouldn’t cost too much more to maintain for you personally, major works it should come out of communal costs, worth checking.

A chip making machine! Where?!
I would love to try this.