Would you buy something like this?

[Iamabarbiegirl]

This is a very expensive area of South West London, with great train connections, schools, all the amenities you can think of, safe and very close to Kingston, which is an amazing town for shopping (just saying this as I appreciate people from other parts of the country might think this price is nuts for a property like this):

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/132580421#/?channel=RES_BUY

Personally no as I don’t like the area- I’d rather be properly in London or properly out of it.

I know lots of people have a different view and I don’t find that price surprising at all. Horses for courses.

@BinFace I like the area so it's mostly the property itself I wanted an opinion on

Freehold with no back garden. Not a chance. Would rather have a one bed garden flat.

Hang on, are you the OP in a one-bed flat with a teenager who’s been offered a maisonette as a council property? Because if you are and that’s the sort of property you have been offered you should snap it up. I live locally and that is a perfectly good small home for a small family.

@HerculesMulligan No, I am not. I am looking to buy a place in the near future.
The flat we are renting is much smaller than this, doesn't seem like such a small home to me! It's 3 of us (DH, I and DD).

It depends what I want at the time of life I'm buying. The house looks fine enough. I prefer a garden though. Right now I prefer to be in a detached home with a garden. If I'm downsizing and getting older, and a garden might be harder to manage, as long as the internal stairs aren't a big problem for my level of mobility, I'd consider it. Being close to public transport and amenities would be good then.

@KievLoverTwo we have a DC so need 2 bedrooms - would also love a garden yes but the position of this one is very good and I like the space inside so would consider ir - it's on offer anyway, it was just to gather opinions :)

I think it’s lovely and light and looks well maintained. The only reason it wouldn’t be for me is because I love gardening. If the area is perfect and the price is fair then why not?

@WannaBeRecluse a big detached house with a garden would cost well over 1 million here - we are first time buyers with good salaries but no more equity than a standard deposit, would never be able to afford it unless we move to the countryside, which is definitely something we would never do.

I’d be put off by it having no direct access to the garden. If there was even a balcony opening out of the kitchen that would appeal more. Other than that it’s lovely and spacious with share of freehold, long lease, low service charge and looks well maintained and bright. I’m used to crazy prices and I’d rather a big spacious flat in an area I love than move to an area I’m not crazy about just to have a house.

I like this too, although it is leasehold whereas the first one was freehold:

@Karmatime same!

There’s not much difference between leasehold and share of freehold tbh.

It’s fine- the layout makes good use of the space. No garden would be an issue for me but presumably a similar place with a Garden would be over budget so it’s up to you whether you compromise on that or on location.

Not the prettiest house but again that’s a reasonable thing to compromise on.

Looks fine to me . Also nothing needing doing . Win win.

Who lives on the ground floor?

I spent the first six years of my life in a maisonette, my grandparents lived in one until they died. It’s nice having the two floors when you have a family, it gives more feeling of separation ( upstairs for bed, downstairs for living) when you need it .

if the people underneath are pleasant, it’s a good situation. DGP were very friendly with their ‘downstairs’ and it worked well for them.

This one is lovely.

Is that a round extractor fan?!

That second bedroom is tiny- don’t know how old your DC is but I’d think about whether it’s going to be practical long term. To me that’s a one bed with a box room or home office and much less well suited to family living.

It looks lovely inside and spacious but I don't like the outside of the building so no I wouldn't buy it, especially for such an expensive price. You could buy a nice 4 bedroom detached where I live in the Midlands for that price.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86195787#/?channel=RES_BUY

New Malden if you want access to Kingston and a garden? ( and it's cheaper).

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137220302

Any good?

I never care much about the outside appearance ( as long as it’s not shabby). One of the nicest houses I ever lived in looked like a public convenience from the road. At the back it had a thirty foot balcony overlooking the river.

I like it and the location is great. You don't have a back garden it looks like, but there's so much green space around there and you're very close to the river. Price is not crazy for the area.

I like the inside, not keen on the outside but there's always a compromise.
I absolutely love the area OP .... can walk into Surbiton, to the river, to Kingston. Very fast train into London.

I'd love to live around there. I'm very familiar with the area as my mum lived there at one point.

The lack of garden wouldn't bother me as you are so close to the river and parks.

THere's a reason New Malden is cheaper ... nowhere near as desirable.