Thinking of moving to a flat. Please tell me the pros and cons.

[GirlScoutCookies]

I’m thinking of moving to a ground floor flat from my 3 bed semi. It’s a brand new flat(Still being finished) and I’m contemplating it due to disability and wanting to be on one level.

I’ve been considering a bungalow too as was my original plan but for various reasons including the maintenance of a garden, I’m leaning towards this flat,

It’s 5 minutes from a train station and offers more buses than my current home and is closer to the city which is very helpful as I don’t drive.

I haven’t lived in a flat since I was 9 I was raised in a top floor flat and loved it as a child but I’m wondering if I’ll still love it as an adult.

Any opinions/thoughts would be much appreciated.

TIA

I love my flat but all flats are usually leasehold. My main bugbear with flats is getting communal stuff done. We are in a small block and own our own freehold. It's great to have control and we set our own service charges but my God it can be frustrating getting everyone to agree. I'm not sure how it works when you don't own the freehold, presumably you are at the mercy of an external management company which I would not like.

A major con is the noise, especially in a ground floor flat you will hear the neighbours above you.

Won't ever live in a flat again unless I have to.

Having my own space outside is unbeatable. If a garden is hard to maintain find a fix that works for you! Don't lose your outside space though.

Thanks. I’m in Scotland so no concerns about leasehold though we will have a factor but I’m currently in a new build with a factor so I’m used to that though of course there are extra considerations with a flat.

Leasehold
Noise from all sides
Service charge

If all of those are acceptable, go for it.

Not in a million years would I buy a flat, and definitely not a ground floor one. Noise both sides and above too, and they are almost ALL leasehold so you never truly own it. And the owner of the block can put up the ground rent and charge as much as he likes, and you will be jointly and severally responsible for any repairs to the building - like a new roof! Also, no driveway, and no garden in many cases. (Or a joint one/communal one that is overlooked by everyone in the block, so zero privacy.) And no WAY would I choose it over a bungalow!

No, because of the neighbours. I'd try to find a bungalow with very little garden/very low maintenance garden.

Good point about noise and the soundproofing is really great here. Though the increasing number of families with a lot of play equipment and very loud children is causing another headache.

I like looking at my garden(I have a gardener) but I really rarely go out in it other than to feed the birds though perhaps I’ll miss it more than I think but the maintenance is becoming an issue.

My daughter lives in a first floor flat and one of the pros is she didn't have to put the heating on at all last winter as the flats above, below and to either side keep he ers warm! That might not be as much the case on the ground floor though. The community in her building is of mainly older retired people, who have taken her under their wings rather, and she's been given use of one lady's off street parking space and another lady offered to take her parcels because she's always in. Some of the residents are a bit nosey but it makes her feel safe and she can always ask older neighbours gow things work etc. In return she helps neighbours carry things up the stairs and so on and is willing to have short chats on the landing. She's very happy in her flat and it's very low maintenance.

It very much depends on the specific flat and block and community though - I guess like asking for the pros and cons of living in a village...

Bungalows tend to be quite large where I am which is a pain as I want/need as little maintenance as possible. I’m only early 40s but due to disabilities I don’t want to have to maintain a larger property or big garden if I can avoid it.

@GirlScoutCookies is it being built by a trusted developer OP as that will depend on the build quality and therefore the soundproofing.

Definitely noise. You are very much at the mercy of your neighbours, especially those above you. I would look very carefully at the soundproofing. If it’s bad then even normal every day noise will be intrusive.

It is a well known developer.

I may go talk to some of the people if I can, who are in the other flats that have recently been built and are now occupied to see what they think of the noise.

@GirlScoutCookies that’s good then, there are rules re soundproofing now anyway. I lived in a new build flat it was silent and very well insulated so much so that we didnt really have the heating on much in the winter, plus very well appointed with the white goods, sanitary ware heating system etc.

Also in Scotland so the 6 owners in our block own the freehold . No factor so no charges. Yes it was an absolute ball-ache when I first moved in to persuade older residents we need to pay for regular repairs and maintenance on the body of the tenement but happily the council owns one of the flats and is very pro- active re persuading the reluctant ones that maintainence and repairs are needed annually on our 100 year old building . The deeds state we pay 1/6th each towards these costs . The thought of having to deal and pay with these expenses on my own was another reason I wanted a flat .

I'm in a ground floor flat on the outside of the tenement so own a very large front garden , patio and side return with a garden room currently being built. Plus a comunnual drying green̈ out back . I sometimes hear my upstairs neighbour going about her life but it feels comforting rather than intrusive .

Downsizing from a 5 bed 6 bath 3 storey townhouse to this 3 bed here is the best move I've made on every level. I've since developed chronic health issues and it is so easy to care for my current home . I simply wouldn't be able to manage in my previous one. The move to a smaller dwelling also freed up significant cash enabling me to buy a rental property which supplements my pensions plus have savings available. Like you, I looked at bungalows but gardens were too large .

Honestly, my life has improved 10 fold since moving into the ground floor flat . Choose the right place for your income and needs and I'm sure you'll flourish. Best of luck !

We live in a 2br tenement flat in Scotland. I really love it. Much more space and more usable space than in an equivalent house. And we can afford to live closer to city amenities than if we lived in a house.

The main disadvantage for me (1st floor) is no direct access to the garden which is a shame with a young child. But if you are on the ground floor, you don't have that issue.

Another disadvantage is that you are dependent on others when organizing cleaning / repair of communal areas. I don't know how this works in a new build, but in our stair we have organized jointly for a monthly clean of the stairs / entrance hall, and we all had to pay towards some necessary roof repairs a couple of years ago. If you live in a bungalow, you are responsible for the full cost of any repair, but you don't have to organize your neighbours into contributing their fair share!

I would rather get a bungalow with a patio garden if you can find one that’s affordable.

I agree with others who've said that noise and getting agreement can be an issue.

I'd add one pro and one con:

If you live on your own you can feel safer knowing there are people in the building.

My neighbour is doing some major building work and the hallway and communal areas have been a building site for many months, with all the dust and noise that goes with it. They also turned off my electricity and water a couple of times without asking first. They weren't emergencies.

Re the noise. You could have the same problem in a bungalow or similar with dogs barking or just noisy neighbours. It all depends on neighbours really.

I love living in my new build flat overall.

Pros - new appliances, lots of light, energy efficient, rooms good proportion (not boxy either), concierge, communal gardens/cleaning maintained for us, private parking space, we don't hear our neighbours at all when in our flat, community feel.

Cons - service charge, we've had cladding issues but will all be remedied by next summer, hasn't appreciated in value in 8 years (due to cladding).

Oh yes and security is great. CCTV on outside doors, manned reception from 7am - 11pm.

But then I live in a mid terrace house and don't have to put the heating on, as both families either side seem to run their heating at Inferno levels and keep my house warm by extension!

So it's not just flats that benefit from Neighbourhood Warming...

I moved from an end terrace to a ground floor flat (also scotland) and i love it. The neighbours noise doesnt bother me, we are fairly noisy as well. I have a small private front garden which i do think makes a difference. Best decision i have made to move out of the suburbs.

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate your opinions and experiences. You’ve given me a lot to consider.

Yeah but I'd probably go with a ground floor cottage flat. No factor fee, less neighbours to contend with (more of a neighbourhood) and you will normally have a bit of garden(usually quite small and managable) to hang a wash or sit out in the sun.