In a bit of a dilemma regarding a house move

How about picking the flat but seeing if there are allotments available not too far away or even if there is a National Trust/heritage site that needs volunteers for the gardens ?
You could be waiting for a long time for a 2 bed house, wherever you want to move to - most that were originally built as starter homes have been bought up and extended to 3 or 4 bedroom homes and many developers seem to only be interested in either building rabbit hutches or huge 4+ bedroom homes.
A garden may be a dream, but it can be harder work than you realise if you have never had one. At least, by renting an allotment or volunteering you can walk away in later years if it gets too much !

I’ve been trying to downsize to a bungalow for ages. Twelve years ago one came onto the market about 8 doors down so it was in the area I like and had the garden aspect I wanted. But... it was in a terrible state and it didn’t inspire me. I saw an extension which was falling away from the main building, tiles I’d ripped out of my house 25 years before, a kitchen and bathroom that had been in since the year dot. It needed to be totally gutted. (Since then it’s been done up and sold on for a vast price.)
How I wish now I’d asked to look inside the bungalow next door for ideas. It was owned by a good friend who kept up the pressure on me until the day someone else bought it!
Maybe you could chat to someone who lives near the flat you viewed and do the same? Don’t think of it as I did - being cheeky. Consider you could be just the neighbour they’ve been searching for. The flat is where you want to be, with patio doors overlooking a garden. The estate agent will put it up for the most s/he can get but the ultimate price paid should reflect the work which needs to be done.
If you’re keen, work out the cost of bringing it up to what you want. Then you could make a cheeky offer, refuse to be ruffled and sit tight. What have you got to lose?
It could be your passport to fewer working hours and some dosh to indulge yourself.

Don’t let someone’s ‘yuk’ decor/negligence/furnishings put you off! Look at room sizes, light levels, layout and location. We bought a smelly & scruffy property- you can knock down the price! Can also get a cleaning company in/renovators/decorators etc. You get what you want if you start from scratch. Visitors walk into our home now and say Wow!! It had lots of viewings but no offers( as it smelt and was so dirty/ broken) Good luck in your search!

Dotty1960

No Peasblossom theres no allotments but theres a massive communal garden,its very large indeed plus its a ground floor flat so as soon as i open the patio windows all the grass is there so I guess thats a plus if I decide on the flat.

The flat seems perfect for you. I would always feel more secure with money in the bank

I lived in a Victorian terraced house for 50 years but decided to down size in my early seventies to a modern house. One reason being the difficulty of gardening without suffering backache. I had always loved gardening and it provided solace when my husband died suddenly.
Although you are younger than me, perhaps keeping a garden will prove to be more difficult as you grow older.
What I am trying to say is, don't make the garden your only reason to buy a house.