Castlenau Mansion Flats - Is it worth the money?

[AAC18]

Hi All,
We have been looking for properties to buy within Barnes/ East Sheen area for a budget of 1 mio.
However the houses we view seems to be small for that budget for our requirements.

We found a flat in Castlenau Mansion flats and wanted to check with locals of what your opinion about them? Are they a good option? Is there any catch that we should be aware of?

Also we are thinking of a property in Charlesworth Place but it’s right next to the railway tracks!!!
a train passed by while we were in the property and the noise wasn’t that bad. But it’s difficult to judge from just one train passing by.
Would this impact the resale value of the property down the line? Only pro is a bit more spacious compared to other properties in the area for our budget.

Appreciate any feedback and thanks so much in advance.

Service charge? Ah if it’s the flat on for £965k I see it’s £4400/year, which is reasonable for a portered block either communal gardens, but check about sinking fund and when the service charge next increases (having been hit with an unexpected £6k charge on a flat for outside redecoration, be wary of thst too).
I note that recent sales post 2021 have been flat, but depends on how long you plan on living there.
Hammersmith Bridge is pedestrian/cycles only, which may or may not be good.
of course the village green is the diamond but you’d need to spend a lot more to live near there
I have a friend who owns a house backing in to train tracks, twice an hour. Not Barnes but Wimbledon. It doesn’t affect sale prices at all.
Barnes is very desirable. A bit cut off there though transport wise.

There will be advantages and disadvantages.
benefits:

• that feeling of space in a lateral apartment. I went from living in one, to living in a Victorian terrace and the feeling of claustrophobia was real. I still miss the feeling of open space, high ceilings, huge rooms and a balcony in my mansion block apartment.
• being close to Hammersmith, it’s a 12 minute walk to the station
• walks on the towpath to Barnes Village- stunning walk with a compulsory wine at the White Hart
• those apartments are usually very charming and full of character if that’s your vibe
• zero traffic for obvious reasons, great for cycling on the back roads with kids, nice walks, feels very safe
• good thing is that castelnau mansions had a full front renovations last year, so for the foreseeable you won’t have scaffolding and builders around the building

Now onto disadvantages:

• service charge- they ain’t ever going down, only up

• neighbour noise- this is my biggest concern- I had experienced both quiet and noisy neighbours so it’s a roulette

• you need permission for a lot of things, even if you are a shareholder

• zero community feel in that part of Barnes

• Castelnau, while it’s beautiful & green and quiet, it’s also a dead area. The only grocery apart from the overpriced fruit shop is Tesco express which stocks zero products you want to buy
• you will have to drive sometimes 30 min to Putney Bridge or Chiswick bridge if you want to get north of the river in a car
• that walk to Hammersmith station is actually really awful once you get off the bridge. ( busy roundabout, under a flyover, lots of inconsiderate dicks on bikes, a million pedestrian crossings/lights and Hammersmith station itself, so busy, I hate it)