Help! We are buying our first home

[Charliechoco]

Me and my partner have worked our asses off to finally afford a deposit on a home and we have found the perfect flat, albeit some concerns.

It is a basement level flat in West Norwood, SE London, 2 beds, private garden and separate kitchen/ living room for £470k.

The kitchen is very bright, but the bedrooms have small windows which might be depressing to live in throughout winter. We are also concerned about damping/ flooding etc.

I would love to hear people's thoughts on basement level flats - are they easy to rent out? Easy to sell/ as desirable? Have you had any unforeseen problems?

We are also concerned about damping/ flooding etc.

a survey will either confirm your concerns or reassure you

how much time do you spend in your bedroom during the day?

I do think basement flats are always a harder sell than others for exactly the reasons you have given. People worry about potential damp plus lack of light. Hence they tend to be slightly cheaper and more affordable.

That sounds very overpriced. We sold a 1st floor large 2 bed flat in West Norwood recently for £310k, although no garden. I wouldn't want to live in basement or ground floor flat in London, either renting or buying, from a security perspective.

Here is the link! www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/139739816#/?channel=RES_BUY

I was also very conscious of the security aspect when my daughter bought a flat in London last year, especially as she is a single female.

Seems very over priced compared to other flats in the same road with greater square footage.
Check the leasehold- 90 years remaining. What are the charges, how much can they increase?
The market is falling. You really don't want to over pay.

Yes, I do agree! It's actually share of freehold, as well as 90 year lease, but security was something we were very conscious about too.

Yes it’s a lovely flat @Charliechoco I can see why you like it.

I just personally don’t like basement flats and I have to be honest & say I think they are harder to sell. Having said that, this is obviously a very good example of a basement flat. I notice all the lights are on in the photos though. I would want to turn some off on a viewing and see how much natural light you get.

Yes! We were thinking of arranging an evening viewing to see what it looks like with no natural daylight. But also don't want to waste the vendors time if we think it will be unlikely to sell or if we potentially loose money on it. Hard situation to be in.

We also had eyes on this property: www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138074903#/?channel=RES_BUY

Lots of natural light, bright and airy, but annoyingly ground floor again, although looks less affected by damp and higher security

Wow - I can see why you like it. I can't work how, given it's a basement flat, you still have to go down to get to part of the terrace. Is the garden on a very steep slope? This makes it feel less like a basement flat than one that is more underground iyswim. I don't think darker bedrooms are necessarily a problem if you have that lovely light-filled kitchen and living space. No idea about the area, price, value for money or flooding risk, but the flat itself looks lovely.

If say the rooms where you’d spend your time have natural light. Would you use the front bedroom as your living space? Bedrooms are for sleeping in so not an issue and fairy lights etc are the way to go.

But I would worry more about the noise from upstairs etc. Does the balcony on the flat above have good drainage etc if they water their plants so doesn’t effect your kitchen roof etc

Really interesting to hear everyone's thoughts on this, and appreciate your help!

The living room is very dark, so was thinking to potentially swap this with the first bedroom for daylight!

We have asked if their were any problems with noisy neighbours, and that all came back time! Albeit they are unlikely to tell the truth on this one. But we did meet the neighbours and they seem lovely!

Fine*

I also don't understand this - is it basement or GF? Is the terrace above the flat? Or on the same level. If same level, where do the steps go down to?

Lilian - to access you have to go down the stairs in the photo, so it feels basement from the front but ground level at the back, if you see what I mwann

I prefer the building and frontage of the second flat, but I think the space is more flexible in the first one.

A windowless bathroom would be an issue for me. So claustrophobic.

Was there a fan or extractor at least?

Is it basement level at the front and groundlevel at the back of the property? Hard to tell but it doesn't look completely basement like all the way through.

Yes exactly, basement level at the front and ground level at the back. There is also a fan in the bathroom, but I too like an airy bathroom

Basement flats are not all damp and depressing. You get more space and often outside space for your money. I live in one and it’s not dark or damp, we have high ceilings and huge windows but I do have to manage humidity levels as it’s hard to get a through draft for ventilation. We are right by the coast so it’s to be expected.
So long as it’s structurally sound and the lease etc is reasonable then it should not be a problem to sell on but make sure you are not overpaying. Mine worked out approx 25% cheaper per square foot than a ground floor or first floor flat.

I prefer the second one personally. Still ground floor as you say but at least it’s not basement and I like the style of it possibly even more than the first flat. Plus it has 2 bathrooms which is a bonus .

2 beds- so assume you have or want children- how would you get a pram down those stairs at the front whilst holding a child?

Yes, we would want to have children at some point. This flat was more of a stepping stone to getting something slightly bigger later down the line, we had a good friend looking to sublet the 2nd room.

Ignore cradlemadle username, was playing about with the settings.

I much prefer the 1st flat. Doesnt feel like a basement at the back. You will probably live most in that section. I don't know the area but in theory i dont see an issue.