Another "would you buy this" post - garden flat

[HolyParc]

I enjoy these posts as they help me understand market perception of properties I'd be considering purchasing, hope they are also fun for you :)
For those not familiar with the area, this is a lovely residential area in SW London/Surrey border with great schools, transport, amenities, safe, near a lovely river walk etc. And because of this, very expensive :)

What do you think of this? https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/136368815#/?channel=RES_BUY

I am not sure about being lower ground due to limited light and also, for some reasons it feels less safe? Location is as good as it gets though and I like the flat too.

Obviously that would be subject to the freeholder’s consent.

Exactly

I was fantasizing about a house CHEAPER than this (£550K) here that was detached, had 5 bedroom, 2 living rooms, conservatory, cinema room, bar, games room, gym, huge kitchen diner, garage and is set in its own private woodlands.

I can dream about it but at half a million it will clearly remain a dream (plus I think it sold now anyway).

@JusthereforXmas I know. This is London though, prices are mad

I think it's nice @HolyParc
I've lived in a basement flat in a different city and I loved it. We did have some damp in the bathroom becauae it didn't have enough ventilation and we did have to run a dehumidifier in there. But that was a minor inconvenience to have a lovely secure private garden. I liked sitting out on the patio at the front too and watching the world go by from below.

I think this one you've linked is a bit odd. Is there any way you could swap the living room and the back bedroom so you had a smaller living room opening onto the garden and had the 2 bedrooms closer together? You might feel quite far from dd when you're at opposite ends of the house.

I'm always surprised at how many people natural rate light as a top priority but it doesn't bother me, I love a basement flat, but I do think it affects resale as a result. Damp is also a definite risk.

Have you never seen Shaun of the Dead?

@TheFireflies i live in a 5th floor flat and I often think about the advantages this brings in the event of zombie attack.

Born and raised Londoner here too - can’t get my head around anyone thinking a 6’6” fence would be hard to climb. I can do it and I’m 5 ft 3.

Depends on the layout - but generally rows of houses with gardens - the gardens to the end houses have side walls to the street. Scoot over that and across the gardens.

That’s how people were burgled around us.

@Mirabai ahh but you said hop not climb? 😜

It's certainly not been a common experience in my life for burglars to hop over rows & rows of tall fences in the hope they will end up in a garden where a house doesn't have an alarm/dog/people in/secure locks/pir lighting etc & stuff worth stealing.

High hedges obscuring the ground floor windows is what the police used to always caution about. But I guess not everyone is burgled the same

Have you never seen Shaun of the Dead?

😆😆 From memory isn't Simon Pegg short & the fence he falls over is shorter than him. Good film!

I've name changed by the way.

It’s nice, although I’d want to add back some character. Keep the white walls for light but ditch the modern furnishing approach and add colour, bit of unpainted wood. It’s a garden level, so you should get enough light. Even over here in Cambridge, the price doesn’t feel too bad for outer London

Bit limited on photos and weird none of the bathroom.

It's a decent sized flat & garden
Could put patio door (or another window) on the back bedroom for extra light and access

Unlike others i don't mind the layout, I'd use back bedroom in the extension as no attached neighbour noise, bathroom next door and kitchen close to pop kettle on to take cuppa back to bed so all very handy for getting ready in the mornings. Kitchen next to living room is ideal though I wonder if could reconfigure the separation so that it would allow more light into living room. Looks to have plenty storage cupboards which I love.

Main bedroom looks lovely and suits use if a darker space but seems more likely to be disturbed by street noise and wonder if in above flats it would be there living room. If couple without kids though I'd just use as extra reception/guest room.

No idea on value comparisons, so my only concern would be how well it was converted to combat inevitable damp and noise issues. Also hadn't thought about sewage risk or flooding river as PP mentioned.

Can’t think of anything worse than living in the basement for a premium price, I see some going as high as 700k in some london area (no one’s buying them, but sellers can hope).

I was always wondering, who was so desperate, at some point in this lifetime, to accept this downgrading living standard and make it a norm across London. I’d understand if it would be used for short term shelter, but living in the basement full time is not something I would consider. I’d move cities, countries, whatever, but wouldn’t live in the basement.

Oh, give over 😂. You're making it sound like an airless, windowless cellar. I'd rather a garden flat than the 10th floor of a high rise block of flats any day.

Because it is, what’s the point of the garden that you have to share with another 2-3 families? Sad. They’re hard to resell for a reason.

The garden flat generally gets sole use of the garden.

Not in London

The flat op has linked to specifies it's a private garden? Why are you insistent it's something it's not? Very odd.

Surbiton isn't really London. Not a London postcode. I know people like it because it's safe/boring and very white, middle class, but it does nothing for me. So no, I would never pay that much for a basement flat conversion.

@SD25 well you don't like Surbiton but I do, so location wasn't actually a question, I was more interested in understanding people view around the type of flat - which were useful actually.

@Wanderergirl yes that's a private garden and there are properties who have that, even in London

well you asked if people would buy it, so I answered!

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/127254938#/?channel=RES_BUY

I don't know if you've seen this one....I don't know why it's not sold obviously
HolyParc

@cittigirl I have! the only reason why I wasn't considering it is that it's very very rare that these type of houses come to market in this location and given we are not buying yet, I think it's highly unlikely we'd manage it - also a bit over budget x