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What is wrong with this flat?

251 replies

Danni677 · 18/07/2022 07:48

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/93970370

This ticks all my boxes. It is a reasonable price for the area but has been on since Jan. just wondered if I’m missing something?

It’s a fairly busy road but that’s ok.

Thinking of booking a viewing but don’t want to waste people’s time if there’s something obvious I have missed.

OP posts:
TheLadyofShalott1 · 18/07/2022 09:58

I think it looks beautiful in the photos OP. However, in the video you can see how small everything is. I think if it is just you and your partner most of the time, and one of the bedrooms for occassional guests, then it would probably still work ok. If you have children, or want to have children while you live there, then that would be a definite no from me. So I think that it's size is probably the main issue.

However, I would want and need further information on how that particular shared freehold works. Then how much maintenance fee each flat in the whole building have to contribute towards the maintenance.

I would them need a breakdown of everything the maintenance covers - does it include the buildings insurance? Does it include all the maintaining of the fixtures in the communal area, and what about the fabric of the whole building, and the fabric of the individual flats?

Does it include the really big payments, eg a New Roof, or a total rewire of the whole building, and/or your individual flats electrics? I have the same question for any plumbing probems, both for the whole building, the communal areas, your own flat, and any damage caused by any of the utilities that start in your flat, but then stretch to the other flats, and of course the other way around, where someone eles flat floods yours (I appreciate that that particular example would be rather unlikely as you are in the top floor flat!)

Is it in the rules that if someone has a major problem eg they get a massive crack open up in one of their outside walls, that that residence has to cover the whole of that repair themselves, or will the maintenance or insurance cover the whole cost, or does the householder have to pay a much larger contribution to an extra fund needed for the repair?

What happens if one of the flat's owner's become unemployed, and can no longer pay the "huge" maintenance fees, or if they have a major poblem in their flat that affects the fabric of the whole property? If they just cannot pay their bill/s, and end up having to sell the flat, but with the problems it has,
no-one wants to buy it?

Presumably if it is a problem that would affect the other flats, but the owner can't afford to repair it, you and the other freeholders would have to pay for the repair yourselves?

Does the building have extra insurance either within or without of the main maintenance contract, that will cover any emergency treatment or replacement, if the owner of the flat that is within the whole building, cannot pay some, or even any of that emergecy bill?

Also, if there is a main insurance of the whole building, and a different emergency insurance, are they both with the same insurance company? They really should (or even must) be with the same insurers, because otherwise insurers have been known to argue between themselves about which insurance the problem should come under - these sort of issues have been known to sometimes take months to resolve, and in a few cases, even years.

Meanwhile the problematic issue may get worse or even affect the building so much that the residents need to move out until their building is safe again, and actually does either of the insurances pay for the owners' to stay somewhere else in those sort of circumstances? I am sorry but I have run out of ideas at the moment, and it might be worth getting official advice on any issues raised in this thread, or thst you subsequently think about

Any of the points that I and other PP's have raised might be relevant to whatever property you eventually purchase, so I think that you should have a spreadsheet that covers all of the points you would want to ask any Vendor, their Solicitor, or probably in the first instance, their Estate Agents. Good luck OP, with whatever you decide, I am sure that whatever you end up purchasing OP will be lovely, and just right for you, your partner, and any present or future children you may have. 💐

k1233 · 18/07/2022 09:59

My review based on where I live - different country but slightly bigger floor space of 82sq metres.

My place is two bedroom. Bedrooms are 3x3ms. That's minimum size for a functional room IMO and all bedrooms in the link are this size or bigger - so that's good.

The issue I see is the living area at just under 4x6m. That's the size of my lounge room. Putting a kitchen + dining + lounge in that space is VERY cramped - again, IMO.

My dining is 3x3m and thats a nice size for breakfast bar seats off the kitchen bench and a dining table.

My kitchen is also 3x3m - again a nice size for a functional kitchen.

My combined bathroom / laundry is also 3x3m and roomy. Space could be saved there if needed. Then I have a separate toilet and hallways.

You could look at furniture for small spaces. Heaps of innovative ideas to maximise the use of your space. The outdoor terrace is a plus. How many months of the year could you utilise that space? It's pretty much year round where I live, but I'd suspect less for you.

Headspace in the loft does look to be an issue as well.

If you like it, go have a look. The space may feel different in person and you may see some opportunities eg there's no reason one of the bedrooms couldn't be used as a living room, depending on your space needs.

I find when I have a couple of people stay with me we can get under each others feet, but that's possibly because I'm used to living alone.

Honeyroar · 18/07/2022 09:59

Ps, for everyone saying you can’t sit up in bed- I’d build a big, deep headboard, come cupboard behind the bed to pull it all out into the room a foot or two more, then it wouldn’t be so low. There looks enough space.

AnybodyAnywhere · 18/07/2022 10:00

Tiny living area, outdoor seating wouldn’t be usable for most of the year, very little storage, no lift, suspect parking is hellish.

If you don’t drive and the flat is just for you or you and partner then it might work but to me it is more like a holiday let than a permanent home.

ifonly4 · 18/07/2022 10:02

Someone said it was freehold, but details say leasehold. Estate Agent will be able to get you details of maintenance charges before you agree to anything, and your solicitor can double check them.

I think the only way you're going to know if it could be for you is by viewing. Sometimes places are on the market for a while, as a potential purchaser has to pull out - might be they lost their buyer, can't secure funds, other.

GCHeretic · 18/07/2022 10:03

It’s small, in an ugly building, and not on a great road. It’s a conversion, so will likely have issues with noise and possibly water pressure.

The layout is a bit strange, with small bedrooms.

goody2shooz · 18/07/2022 10:03

A ridiculous price per square metre.

Rina66 · 18/07/2022 10:04

Small living space
Old Service charges from 2019 detailed - possible big spend upcoming
No lift and it's 3rd floor
840 sq ft?

Think I'd rather this...£100k cheaper and 3 times the size

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/61441129/

butterflied · 18/07/2022 10:05

Small for a three-bed if nothing else.

JimDixon · 18/07/2022 10:06

goldfinchonthelawn · 18/07/2022 09:54

There's a house around the corner from it - admittedly probably ex-council but definitely the prettier end of ex-council. Classed as '5 beds' but two beds would need to be knocked through to make a good reception. That leaves it as a 3 bed with big reception, eat in kitchen, whole house with garden for well under 1 million. In Maida Vale. There are loads and loads of reasonable 3+bed houses in Zone 2 for a budget of 1.2m.

Yes you're right there are plenty of 3-beds in zone 2 for £1.2m especially if you look in south east.

This is nice for example: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/123435263#/

shockthemonkey · 18/07/2022 10:06

We own a flat on Warrington Crescent and lived there very happily with very young kids for four years.

Apart from what has already been pointed out, parking can be extremely tight, even with the line of cars down the middle of the road. I got very good at maneouvering into the smallest of spaces!

I may be biased but I literally cannot think of any other downsides to the street or the wider areas.

I think you are on the other side of the road to us. Our flat - even-numbered side of the street - gives on to Formosa Gardens and yours onto the other side by the looks of it.

I don't think the sound of traffic will annoy you at all - first, you're higher up than we are, and second, you just get used to it. The speed bumps keep things reasonable. From time to time you get the Household Cavalry clattering down the street very early in the morning and that's a lovely thing to wake up to!

On the ground floor you really notice when the underground trains run underneath you. We had to space our glassware carefully in the kitchen cupboard otherwise they'd rattle against each other every 10 minutes!

The area is lovely and the gardens are great for kids - even if you have to walk around to the gate to access them! They make friends before long and spend lots of time being invited into their mates' garden flats for refreshments...

Best of luck with the viewing!

reluctantlogin · 18/07/2022 10:08

No lift . More of a two bed footplate. Road busy. A bit overpriced for the area given these points.

Kennykenkencat · 18/07/2022 10:11

It is for a family yet the kitchen, living room and dining area is tiny.

3rd floor with no lift. Imagine bringing a weekly shop up all those stairs 4 bags ar a time.

The master bedroom is in the attic. Little head height and suffocating in the summer

Compared with the other 3 bedroom places that are up for sale in the same road/area which are larger, on lower floors, some have proper gardens/outside space and are generally a better layout I would say the sq footage comparison should be a lot lower
not similar.

It looks initially very reasonable until you compare square footage and layout.

I would want it for just under the million not £200,000 above

When it comes down to it the reason it has been up for so long is the price.

shockthemonkey · 18/07/2022 10:11

Regarding maintenance charges, in our case at least, most things are included: buildings insurance, fixtures and fittings for the common areas, cleaning of common areas... then you may also get a separate bill from your garden management company unless that's also folded into the maintenance charges.

When the façade needs redoing, we get a bill on top. I won't lie, it's quite a big bill but obviously shared amongs all residents.

ChicCroissant · 18/07/2022 10:12

I think it would be very hot as it's the top of the building (might be a plus point in winter) and as others have said, for three bedrooms the main room is small. Lovely view over the gardens though.

emmathedilemma · 18/07/2022 10:15

I guess the market for 3 bed flats is relatively small - 3rd/4th flats with balconies probably aren't most people's first choice for a family home and singles / couples probably only wants 1-2 bedrooms. And the living area is quite small for a 3 bed property.

fuzzyduck1 · 18/07/2022 10:17

Check ground rent. In the 80’s they set the ground rents at say £500 a year then put in a clause that it doubled every 5-10 years which means your ground rent could be heading towards £8,000 now with the next hike being £16k a year!

rbe78 · 18/07/2022 10:19

Not sure if anyone's posted this yet, but it's actually been on and off the market since 2019, which you can see via its Zoopla link (go to the bottom and press 'Listing History').

Started at £1.7M in April 2019, was reduced in September, then sat doing nothing for a year plus (lockdown I assume). Then put back on the market in May 2021 with three more price reductions up until Jan 2022. It's either massively overpriced or something is wrong with it, beacuse it looks lovely.

www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/51115742/?search_identifier=f3c225907ad18789aca60291b3a77cfd

ItsLisaLou · 18/07/2022 10:20

Maybe the fact it looks like a converted studio and is only 800sqft. I wouldn’t pay a mil for that.

shockthemonkey · 18/07/2022 10:21

There's a building management committee in our case, and all owners have a vote on extraordinary expenditures. And the garden management company might organise the odd event such as fireworks for Guy Fawkes. I don't know if it's still done these days...

Tablechairtable · 18/07/2022 10:22

Someone in my family lives there. Parking is an issue. The rooms aren't big enough to justify the cost. You have to be very minimalist to live there.
You're basically paying for the area. Also the shared tenancy isn't great.
OP isn't bragging as no one knows who she is! And anyone can pretend to be able to buy an expensive pad so what would be the point?

ZandathePanda · 18/07/2022 10:26

The no lift and third floor would be a deal breaker for me.

ItsSnowJokes · 18/07/2022 10:28

ifonly4 · 18/07/2022 10:02

Someone said it was freehold, but details say leasehold. Estate Agent will be able to get you details of maintenance charges before you agree to anything, and your solicitor can double check them.

I think the only way you're going to know if it could be for you is by viewing. Sometimes places are on the market for a while, as a potential purchaser has to pull out - might be they lost their buyer, can't secure funds, other.

It is a share of freehold with leasehold. Very common. I am a freeholder for a building. When I lived their I was also a leaseholder to the flat I owned. Now I have sold the flat I am just the freeholder (although in the process of selling the freehold). When it is sold, the current leaseholders will all be share of freehold but they will still be leaseholders as well.

They are completely separate legal entities and people really need to read up more on this!

DeclineandFall · 18/07/2022 10:28

Only thing you can do is go and see it really to judge the proportions. We have a loft bedroom with slopey ceilings and its a pita but i'ts far better than that one. There is prob a 1m area down the middle of the room in that flat where you can actually stand up. You'd need to crawl to get at most of the wardrobes.

TinyTear · 18/07/2022 10:29

I think it's too small, you can get a 100sqm 3 bed in Hampstead for similar price.

The terrace is ok sized, but the living space is a bit small...

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