Apartment or House?

leaskovski

leaskovski

leaskovski

Soldato
Joined
22 Oct 2004
Posts
9,087
Location
Berkland
Right, I am currently in the final stages of selling my old house down south, so very soon I shall be able to get back on the property ladder and buy in my new town.

Now the thing is, I have a rough idea of what areas are ok to live in and thus I could get a 2 bed house (freehold). Ive also been tinkering with the idea of maybe ditching the idea of a house and instead going for a 2 bed apartment in the center of town. This of course would be leasehold.

What sort of cons are there to owning an apartment. Im thinking that the house is a better idea, but I just can't seem to find any really nice ones that apeal to me.
 
having lived in a flat for nearly a year, I would never *ever* (hope you're reading this goldilocks :p) buy one. Too much space for the people living above/below/beside you to do stuff that can affect your home. Besides, I'll be wanting a private garden and I've not seen a flat/apartment that has that
 
agree, I would never buy a flat/apartment

noise issues, service costs and ther people affecting your life

not for me
 
Sic said:
having lived in a flat for nearly a year, I would never *ever* (hope you're reading this goldilocks :p) buy one. Too much space for the people living above/below/beside you to do stuff that can affect your home. Besides, I'll be wanting a private garden and I've not seen a flat/apartment that has that
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***!
 
Hmm, yeah, thats one thing I didn't really think about and that is your neighbours, but then again, you could have neighbours from hell in a house, its just you dont get it from all directions, just the sides.
 
I own an apartment. It was the only way to live where I want and at a price I could afford.

As people said, neighbours and service charge are the two main downsides. I'm lucky in that my flat is really well insulated and I can't hear anything from outside, but that's a rare case. A lot of new builds have paper thin walls and it's hard to judge from a quick visit.

The service charge costs me about £1,200 annually. That includes water rates, building insurance, maintenance of common areas and the concierge service. It's a lot of money so make sure you factor it in to any mortgage calculations you make.

I really appreciate being right next to a very well connection tube station, shops and bars. It's not something I'd want to be doing if I was raising a family though.

One thing I'd definitely avoid is maisonettes. You need to be very chummy with the other tenants if anything goes wrong (i.e. the roof needs to be repaired).
 
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I didn't have much choice when buying my appartment ;) but if I had the money I would have definitely have bought a house.

In hindsight I knew there would be a lot of outgoings, but there is just a ridiculous amount :/ and usually annoying things too which people seem to think you know about - even if you are a first time buyer and don't actually have a clue! :rolleyes:

BB x
 
leaskovski said:
Hmm, yeah, thats one thing I didn't really think about and that is your neighbours, but then again, you could have neighbours from hell in a house, its just you dont get it from all directions, just the sides.
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it's not just that they might be from hell, though. I know for a fact right now that I'm causing the bloke who lives downstairs tonnes of trouble because we have a damp problem that has now gone into his flat - all he can do is deal with the problem when it gets to him - it's up to my landlord to sort out the damp in his flat (which he isn't doing and refuses to do!) whereas if you were in a house, you'd just go upstairs and sort it! My neighbours upstairs have a leak in their bathroom which comes through our bathroom light pull-cord fitting (you read that right) - they refuse to acknowledge that there's a problem, they don't own and won't tell us who their landlord is so we can get stuff sorted. needless to say, I think we'll be looking to rent a house at the end of our term!
 
I would always go for a house, they increase in value more from my experience, and you have more control over what goes on around you.
 
Sic said:
having lived in a flat for nearly a year, I would never *ever* (hope you're reading this goldilocks :p) buy one.
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I absolutely agree with you. In recent years flats have become 'fashionable' as a lifestyle choice. This is pure marketing by the developers. They have a place in crowded towns and cities, and as a temporary stepping stone, but only if the price is right. And flat prices haven't been right for quite a while IMO.

House every time for me (if it's in a halfway decent area, obviously).

Andrew McP
 
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