Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
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Cheers for all the opinions folks. Much appreciated.
Going to have another look on Saturday so i'm going to test a few things out get my mum to go in the hall and shout or summat so I can hear how loud it is  On Saturday i'll be with the actual people who built them, so they should have a better idea with regards to the ground rent etc.
Built quality on them is spot on from what I saw last night. Decent bathroom suit and kitchen in all of them, carpet felt nice and thick and all the lights etc were decent and well fit so I cant see there being any problems with stuff like that.
Think i'd get my own parking space an all, and there is plenty of off street parking on the cul-de-sac where they are for when mates come etc.
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Robbo
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Registered: 6th Aug 02
Location: London
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quote:
Originally posted by ed
Make sure it's well built. My appartment is shite, the doors don't properly and the neighbors smoke about 60 a day. Plus they decide to have fights and arguments in the corridor which gets noisy.
Basically, the problem where I live is what Cosmo describes. Renters  Very hypocritical of me because I rent, but I'm quite a good boy in my flat 
I ahve the same issue and I also rent but I cant stand renters either
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Robbo
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Registered: 6th Aug 02
Location: London
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Looks stunnign btw Danny
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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Ah yes, forgot to say that it looks like a lovely place!
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Fad
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Registered: 1st Feb 01
Location: Dartford Kent Drives: 330cd
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I work for a managing agent and I can tell you be weary about buying a coverted period property.
Get info on how much service charge has been paid to date. Problem is with buildings of this nature mainenance is usually high and cyclical redecorations/maintenance can be costly.
Ground rent is paid to the free holder and shouldnt be too bad if the lease is in its infancy. However in most leases every 25 years ground rent doubles so be aware of that.
Also another thing to consider is with it being leasehold you are tied into the building with other lessees and quite often people fall behind in paying service charges so when this does happen this will fall upon the other lessees in the property.
Any q's drop me a pm
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
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Cheers Fad. Will ask some of them questions on Saturday I think.
I really like the place, just not sure from an investment point of view really. Will probs want to live there for around 5 years (circumstances dictating obviosuly) and dont want to come out the other side in the same position I am with regards to having cash to buy somewhere else.
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Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
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The problem is not whether you can hear people, you will be able to.
The problem is that a proportion of your neighbours will be inconsiderate wankers.
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Andrew
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Registered: 5th May 04
Location: Skoda Octavia Estate, Ford Puma
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At my new place the only issue i see is with parking due to having one parking space and a works van plus my car. Anyone who parks in it will be blocked in and will have to ask myself to move. Pretty sure they will get fed up of me blocking them in.
I currenly live in an appartment. People generally keep the corridors, front and back gardens clean and tidy. Gates being left open annoys the fuck out of me as people can see right through from the back to front and the fact they generally get broken when the wind starts blowing then about.
We pay a service of £68 per month which includes painting and communial repairs. Jobs are generally bodged up though and not done properly. A fence took 4 months to be replaced..
Noise is generally a pain when people come back late. It's usually me making the noise though when pissed up. I'm used to people moving about and slaming doors after being here 7 years.
Agree with Ian, you know where you are with a house. However, i've gone for another apartment due to working 12 - 14 hour days and security.
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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quote:
Originally posted by Ian
The problem is not whether you can hear people, you will be able to.
The problem is that a proportion of your neighbours will be inconsiderate wankers.
This.
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J da Silva
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Registered: 10th Apr 03
Location: The FACTory
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I own a few apartments in the middle of Rotherham (the new ones near Tesco and Tryst for you Rotherhamers) and with it all being newish, nobody has misbehaved yet and the tennants are still in the honeymoon period, but I would imagine the re-sale aspect wouldn't even be worth worrying about as there are more single people buying at the moment as opposed to families.
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baza31
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Registered: 19th Apr 03
Location: yorkshire
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where in bradford mate?
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Robbo
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Registered: 6th Aug 02
Location: London
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quote:
Originally posted by Ian
The problem is not whether you can hear people, you will be able to.
The problem is that a proportion of your neighbours will be inconsiderate wankers.
troof
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by baza31
where in bradford mate?
Im from Wyke, but this place is just over the cross roads in Scholes. South Bradford area.
quote:
Originally posted by Cosmo
quote:
Originally posted by Ian
The problem is not whether you can hear people, you will be able to.
The problem is that a proportion of your neighbours will be inconsiderate wankers.
This.
Yeah thats what i'm worried about, however with there only being 6 appartments, only only 3 of them having access through the same comunial door as me I dont think it will be too much of a problem.
There are some other appartments in the other side of the building which have there own front door which I would prefer but they are out of my budget 
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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Aye, as I said earlier in here, with it being such a small complex you'll all get to know who is in where and no doubt will mean you all look after the place and not piss each other off as much.
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by Cosmo
Aye, as I said earlier in here, with it being such a small complex you'll all get to know who is in where and no doubt will mean you all look after the place and not piss each other off as much.
That would be my hope.
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Tiesto
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: Hinckley, Leicestershire
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Biggest mistake I made was buying our apartment. Its a fairly new build (5 years I think), so there's the usual sound proofing. Only 6 in our block, am on first floor, so one above and one below. Can hear people talk in the hallway/entrance, but that's about it.
Problems include:
Neighbours. Moved in and had nothing but trouble with loud music and people not looking after there flats, leaving rubbish on the landing etc. Suppose that's what you get since most flats are rented. They eventually moved out, so it's not too bad now though.
Service Charge. Covers the usuals. However, last year they had to get a new cleaner as they weren't doing their job properly (apparently), which turned out to be more expensive. Get the accounts at the end of the year and we are told to pay an extra £200 each to cover the extra cost, we weren't even told of this increase when they brought the new ones in. Most estate managements are good, but there are some which can rape you for the little things, maybe ask the tennants in there now about how they get on with them.
General Issue. Had a leak from our washing machine, which caused nothing but hassle as it leaked into downstairs flat causing damage. Covered under the building insurance, but hassle dealing with the tennant and insurers. At least if it was in a house, you've only got to worry about the damage to your place. Obviously only a slim chance this could happen to anyone.
Re-Sale. Not a chance, had ours on market for year and a half, and one viewing. There's another 2 for sale in the complex, and ours is priced between them. Well around here anyway the apartment market is on it's arse. Yet houses at a similar price with less space are selling easily.
Here is ours if your interested
2 Bedroom Apartment
This is going by my experience on apartments, but I would never buy one again.
But that apartment does look very nice, and more than likely won't have the issues we've had.
[Edited on 30-10-2009 by Tiesto]
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
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Well, went to have another look round on Saturday morning and got all the info I needed & it looks like I wont be able to afford it as it will be just out of my budget
Ground rent in £200 per year, plus £90 per month which I think is way too much for what you actually get for it. I reckon that extra £90 p/m could get me an extra £10k on a mortgage, or used to pay bill which would be more worth it in the long run.
Gutted as I really liked the place, and they were going to offer me a good deal with regards to price, but I just cant justify paying out what is esentially dead money each week when it could be better used elsewhere.
Cheers for all the info mind, much appreciated
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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Its not really dead money, it keeps the rest of the building in good condition which is a must if you want to sell it.
Imagine you didnt have that £90 a month, if you want to sell it in 3yrs time then a shitty looking communal area would probably knock more than the £3240 you paid out off the value of your apartment.
BTW - what did they say the £1280 would be spent on?
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Cosmo
Its not really dead money, it keeps the rest of the building in good condition which is a must if you want to sell it.
Imagine you didnt have that £90 a month, if you want to sell it in 3yrs time then a shitty looking communal area would probably knock more than the £3240 you paid out off the value of your apartment.
BTW - what did they say the £1280 would be spent on?
They told me it went towards the window cleaning, gardening (when I say garden, its more a flower bed which would take about 2hrs a week max to maintain) and then keeping the comunal areas looking "nice" I appreciate what your saying with regards to them doing the up keep, and I did take it into consideration. However, for the money I would be paying out per month I could keep it looking in a decent state me sen for a lot less than £90 p/m. Bearing in mind there will be 5 other properties paying this amount as well.
As i'm buying on my own im limited to what sort of mortgate I can get and that £90 could get me approx another £10k which would get me a house, probably with a garden and a drive way. Plus the fact when I come to sell it will people want to pay £90 (bearing in mind ot could go up in the 3 years) a month on top of a mortgage? I think thats what might be stopping them being sold in the first place.
Way that i'm looking at it is, would I pay £90 a month for someone to do a couple of hours gardening and clean my windows if I lived in a house? I wouldn't, i'd sooner do it me sen, and thats got to be taken into consideration an all.
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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Im presuming its also insurance (not cheap!), energy costs for the communal areas, repairs to the whole place, etc.
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by Cosmo
Im presuming its also insurance (not cheap!), energy costs for the communal areas, repairs to the whole place, etc.
Building insurance, so would still need to get contents. Repairs would be to the communal areas only. If anything went inside my appartment then that would be up to me to sort. Only thing in the communal area is a starcase and a small radiator, so unless someone decided to smash these up then I cant see anything going wrong with them, im guessing the running of the radiator is covered an all.
Like I say, I just think the £90 could be better spent. For example in the same area, with that extra money available I could probably get something like THIS or THIS which granted arn't as nice in terms of the herritage looks and moderness, but in the long run with a bit of work and re-decoration etc would probably provide a better return.
[Edited on 02-11-2009 by Danny P]
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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quote:
Originally posted by Danny P
quote:
Originally posted by Cosmo
Im presuming its also insurance (not cheap!), energy costs for the communal areas, repairs to the whole place, etc.
Building insurance, so would still need to get contents. Repairs would be to the communal areas only. If anything went inside my appartment then that would be up to me to sort. Only thing in the communal area is a starcase and a small radiator, so unless someone decided to smash these up then I cant see anything going wrong with them, im guessing the running of the radiator is covered an all.
Repairs to the roof, all electrical work outside of your apartment, all plumbing outside of your apartment, communal decoration, exterior decoration + repairs, etc.
Im not saying its good value for money, tbh services charges are never going to be, but it does often get spent on a lot of stuff if the management company is any good.
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
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Aye fair point.
Just looking to long term though, I cant really see the appartment ever really being worth much more than what it is now (apart form market rises) where as in other properties around here that I could afford taking into consideration what i'd pay out per year in the appartment, I can.
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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Oh yeah, you certainly have more scope to improve on a house over an apartment and add value to it.
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