London flat but lower basement

[Housedilemmasss]

Anyone have any advice please?

FTB and this has caught my eye - https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/70098133/

however I’m mindful it’s been listed several times over the years - are there any major red flags?

It’s probably the no windows in bedrooms, would bother me from a ventilation point of view.

People are often also wary of damp in basements.

It is nice though - I think I’d go and view!

Is that lower basement? Don’t see so in the description. It’s lovely. Would you need all the bedrooms as bedrooms, it’s completely open plan otherwise. Nowhere to hide!

Oh also communal garden right outside your back door - that would be a no from me. Imagine if people were out there all the time smoking or looking through your windows..

I would not like not having windows in the bedroom - from a fire safety point of view!

According to the floor plan there are windows in each bedroom and bathroom, I think it looks nice a has a long lease and share of freehold. I'd go and see it, conversions can be noisy though if they're not insulated properly upstairs. What are the service charges, is there just one other flat in the property.

Thanks! Planning on going to see. I think my plan would be to put glass along with staircase or maybe a light well of some kind if possible? It looks listed so keen to try and extend the top windows a little too but not sure if that will be permitted - as in, to have them around the top of the bedrooms.

there are several flats in the property I think

The radiators look very small for the room sizes so it might be cold in winter. Otherwise it looks lovely

It's lovely but I'd be looking to rejig it a bit. Three bathrooms seems excessive.

Looking st streetview there are quite a lot of agents signs, some for sale, some to let, there's no parking, it's a busy road and the hospital opposite may have a lot of extra traffic which may be reasons it has sold quite a few times, there are cars and garages at the bottom of the communal garden, do they belong to the property.

Ignore me, it says there is allocated private parking.

Looks like they bought it for 500 in 2015 and have been trying to get their money back with a profit ever since. They bought it at too high a price. It’s probably worth 550 offer

Looks pretty good for me and a nice price given area.

I would phone the agent and ask them upfront why it isn’t selling (neighbour dispute, noise from road etc). They might be honest and it would save you a viewing.

Otherwise, I would take a look. It is a nice looking flat in a nice area.

It looks well-presented but I think the bedroom furniture is AI, so be prepared. I would be wary of a basement flat in London because of rats (I know they can climb, but easier for them to get at you in the basement!)

I can tell you why this lovely flat is so cheap for Putney. It is on a horrible main road where there are traffic jams every day because it's where the A3 changes from 3 lanes into 1 going towards central London.

I know that people expect to pay a lot of money for flats in London and that compromises need to be made, but I do think for £600K windows in two of the bedroom shouldn't be one of those compromises.

I’d be worried about damp in the bedrooms. Look for signs like fresh paint, or air fresheners to cover up smell

The windows are those tiny rectangles that you can see in the photos, I think they are slightly smaller than the ones that you get in prisons.

@somejust ,

’I would be wary of a basement flat in London because of rats (I know they can climb, but easier for them to get at you in the basement!)’

I lived in a ground and basement maisonette in zone 2 for 13 years. My late mother lived in a basement flat in zone 2 for about 15 years. Neither of us ever saw a rat!

Although they say you are never more than 1m from a rat, they don’t want to share your space !

I would personally never want to live on that road with the constant traffic. The houses are attractive to look at but built long before people all had cars.

I used to live in a basement flat. It was lovely. So much fun and I would do it again.

However! I only lived there for a year. On leaving I removed the mattress protector. And there was mould all over the mattress 🤢 The house did not smell damp, did not have condensation issues or anything. And there was a small window like yours. But clearly wasn’t enough.

I’d also worry looking at those pictures and the “windows” whether they meet the minimum standards for bedroom windows? You might find you offer on something where those rooms cant officially be considered bedrooms.

in the same way a loft conversion without permission can’t be considered a bedroom and people don’t want to pay an X no of bedroom price when in reality it is X-1.

West Hill is constant traffic, as a PP said. People braking and engines turning over all day long outside your home. Exhaust fumes. I wouldn't live there, and I've lived in lots of places in London.

They can only call those rooms "bedrooms" if they have legal windows, so I assume they do.

Hmm so sounds like most people consider it a no?

Exactly @DiamondThrone the road is horrendous for traffic and traffic jams. Even by London standards it's horrible.

I wouldn't bother going to view the flat - and beware if you go out of rush hour times because you wouldn't see the daily jams.

In a peaceful and quiet road in Putney that flat would be worth far far more. Maybe 3 times more? A friend bought a 2 bed 1 bath flat in a nice road in Putney recently for £699 but it needs complete renovation too.

It is on the A3 which is incredibly busy. It will be right by daily queues of traffic and very polluted.