What do you think of this flat?

[AfterTheRainComesSun]

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/64804766/?search_identifier=6b42a58c5882bfa0edb5e0e44deba7cd0b64374e13d948a067e06a716e767d6b

Hallway= dining room.
Not sure

@MissyB1 That two bed is gloroius isn't it? Sympathetically updated. I see they have kept the original glazed doors. We have one left in ours - between the living room and hall. We may have to sacrifice it due to new fire safety regs and I shall be very very sad,

They are gorgeous flats on a 20mph road and they overlook Bushy Park. Great location! The hallway being this size makes the whole flat so much more airy and I think it's a great use of space putting a dining table there. I gasped at the service charge, but someone has said that includes heating and water.

I know of a few flats in similar blocks. Questions:

• is the building listed? If so, the cost of doing major repairs and renovations is normally much higher, and therefore puts more pressure on the service charges
• communal heating and water within the service charge sounds good, but make sure you have your own controls and aren't at the mercy of someone else's determined schedule. It's no good having centrally paid heating if it doesn't turn on until after you've left for work. Also, bear in mind that bigger systems often have bigger maintenance issues, and take longer to fix. It's not like you can call our your own plumber to fix issues. I know of a 1970s block with communal heat and water that was recently without any hot water for 4 days and someone is still complaining that the hot water takes 10 minutes to come through.
• What are the current service charge reserves? Obtain copies of any correspondence or minutes of meetings about the future reserves. Are there any major works coming up where extra demands might be needed of the lessees?
• How is the noise? Beautiful parquet flooring, but if the upstairs neighbours have the same, does it mean you can hear every bit of movement, or are the flats actually better built than they would be now?

In terms of the flat itself, it is lovely. As PP have said the dining "room" is a little strange, but it's a good use of a large space. and with the large opening to the lounge, it doesn't look out of place. Perhaps "dining hall" would have been more appropriate.

For an extra £10k the 3 bed is much nicer than the 2.

Oh, and does the fireplace work?? Seems a bit bonkers in this day and age that you can have an open fire in a building of multiple occupation. Who is responsible for maintenance of the chimneys if it is a real fire?

"Location, location, location"

I think it’s lovely. I live relatively near, and it’s a really nice area. Being so close to Kingston but also to Bushy Park and Home Park - the dream. There are plenty of flats nearby and so while it’s an affluent area, it’s not like all your neighbours will be from £1m+ detached houses - there is a range. Really really nice.

Both are lovely flats, slightly prefer the 3 bed.

Oh no I don't like that little dining table and the space it is in. I'd want to know if there is space for a full sized fridge/freezer in the kitchen before going to view.

You are comparing apples with onions here. Why do people do that?

Because it seems like batshittery to pay huge prices for a flat!!

My village is no onion, let me assure you.

If that's your situation, you may be better off looking in Twickenham or Whitton.

I know the area used to live around there.

Id say for. 3 bed flat it’s a good price - also not many three bed flats around so think it’s a plus. If we had stayed in the area to start a family this is the kind of flat we’d probably go for.

The bit that jumped out at me is the service charge! £3500 a year is a lot, yes it includes other bills but is rather pay for what I use. It is share of freehold though so I’d be wanting to understand what control you have over the service charge.

TBH £3500 is not massive for landscaped gardens, maintenance of a historic building (it is going to be at least 90 plus years old) and heating and hot water.

I pay £2700 a year and that does not include heating or hot water. Older blocks are expensive to run - that is the price of the larger rooms and better storage.

Do please tell us the name of your village @StaunchMomma .

I love it but seems too cheap for the size and area… am I missing something?

it sold in 2020 for 499.5k & reduced a few times so I think it’s still overpriced.

Odd layout as pp have said (front door opening into dining room, and weirdly small bedrooms. It would be a no from me.

It's a nice flat.

Re the service charges, key questions to ask is a) if they take into account the costs involved in complying with the new BSA requirements, as it's a mid-rise block, and b) when the boilers and lifts were replaced, and if it wasn't recently (i.e in the last 10-15 years), what they have collected against those costs. Lifts and heating networks are the two really big-ticket one off spends which really can't be delayed when due (unlike exdexs, for example) as if they stop working it's pretty catastrophic. And they're expensive, so you don't want a bill for your share suddenly turning up on your doorstep to be paid in 30 days.

What puts me off is the high charges (although it does include some bills) and the fact that the area is very expensive and posh and I am sure the majority of people we'd get to meet and other parents at school will be living in very fancy houses around there. I would like to live somewhere where we "fit in" especially as we have DC; am I mad to think that?

Are you happy to remain in a flat or will you dislike it if everyone else has £££ houses?

Flats in London haven’t been great investment wise last few yrs, I personally wouldn’t buy one now unless I was happy to stay a long time &/or was in my 20s.

@DidiAskYouThough but if you are not even in England then your answer is even less relevant. I too could buy a proper luxurious property in my home country with this budget but circumstances would be different so doesn't make sense to compare

what’s your max budget?

I like it a lot. Prefer the GF. I would want to replace the kitchen and bathroom ASAP so I’d make sure I had enough in the pot to do that.

@Anisette isn't Twickenham even more expensive?

Do you already have dc? is the location right for secondaries?

Parking?