House to flat coping without a garden

I appreciate that service charges can be high, but you don't have the ever-increasing cost of outside maintenance. If you don't have an organised management charge you can be faced with huge bills for roof repairs , scaffolding and outside decorating.

We love our flat with its big balcony, after years of gradually downsizing from large to smaller gardens. We sit outside relaxing far more than we used to do, with room for a table.
Also large pots for roses, small shrubs/fruit trees, and climbers.
Be warned though that it can be very hot inside if your balcony and living room get a lot of sun. We face SE, get sun until early afternoon and have an electric awning to stop the flat getting too hot.

We downsized from a 3 bed semi to our 2 bed 1st floor flat back in 2017. Whilst it was the best thing we could have done from the point of view of never having to climb stairs to go to the toilet and or go to bed, we lost useful storage space like the understairs cupboard, the loft and the garage! We have a lovely balcony which we sit out on, on fine days, and we have saddle planters on the balcony rail, but my husband really does miss having roses and bedding plants in the garden.

This discussion reminds me of a lovely, gentle film called Esio Trot. Have a look!

Hi I’ve downsized from house to a top floor maisonette. There is a small garden at the back and front garden. The ground rent is cheap. Place warmer and easier to keep clean. No service charges. My friend did the same after her mum died and sold the house and bought a new build flat service charges were 750 a year now 2130 without this years which may be even higher. Beware of these service charges older maisonette have peppercorn rents unlike the greedy management agents. Many are forced to sell now due to high service charges

I feel for you Tanith! I sold my 4 bed detached house a year ago and now live in a first floor flat with a small balcony and large communal garden. I am in my early 70s and live with my daughter who has been almost bedridden with ME since she was 12. She is now 39! I couldn’t cope with the large garden and I needed somewhere with no stairs as I was carrying trays up and down all day.

Moving was very stressful and physically exhausting as I had years of “stuff” to sort and a garage and attic to empty. I got rid of more than half of my possessions including furniture, hundreds of books I no longer read, dinner services I never used, clothes I no longer wore etc.

My daughter would never have been able to cope with all that and we don’t have any family who could help her so I am glad I did it while I was fit enough .

We are enjoying our flat and because my previous garden was so big it has been a weight off my mind no longer having to cope with it. We have tubs of flowers and bulbs on our balcony and I use the local parks for walks and enjoying nature.

I also find cleaning easier and have fewer worries about maintenance.

Hope that helps but good luck with your decision.

I used to work for a charity for older people and again and again I heard the same thing "move before you have to". Or, in other words, don't wait for a crisis, so I think you're doing the right thing in thinking ahead. I'm still in a house and thinking about a possible move in about 5 years time but I have a few friends who have moved to a flat - one was a gardener and cried buckets leaving their house (but she has health issues and her husband insisted) and would only move to a flat with a large balcony (now covered with plants). The other friend wasn't a gardener and thought she would be okay without any balcony but regrets not having one. Both of them have warned about the management fees - I couldn't believe how much they were (more than our mortgage used to be) plus noise from neighbours and issues of living in more densely "packed" housing (when you're used to living in a house). A neighbour in her 80s has had some developments done to her house (but she loves the street, and has good neighbours) including a downstairs shower room & toilet in her garage (which is at the side of the house)! She's also had a lift put in which takes her straight into her bedroom (it's amazing!) If you are confident that your house will sell quickly, then why not talk to estate agents now, and tell them what you want and start viewing properties? Get your house ready to sell. And also, look into the possibility of a bridging loan - in case you find what you want and your house is not yet sold (they're not as expensive as they once were). A friend did this recently and it enabled her to grab the "perfect" house before hers sold - she was able to say that she had the loan in place, and would be able to proceed quickly, so her offer was accepted. If all this is in place I think your decision might be a lot clearer - how can you make the decision when you don't actually know what your other options are? That's how I would do it. Good luck.

I went from a 3 bed house to a 2 bed flat and it is good cleaning is a breeze no stairs lol. I don’t have a garden of my own it’s a community garden.

I am struggling with similar decisions and have read through this whole thread.
I believe only Lupin has mentioned management fees, sometimes referred to as Service Charges in relation to buying a flat. When I have looked online, I have been astonished at how expensive these can be: in the south-east one can expect to pay between £2000 - £4000 per annum! Plus, of course they can go up year on year. Additionally newer builds often have higher Council Tax valuations. Despite the maintenance costs of owning a house, it could easily be cheaper to stay put and adapt where possible, especially when you factor in moving costs.
I would thoroughly investigate how your home could be adapted to suit your long-term needs before doing anything else.
By the way, I did notice that you felt that your street had changed in character; sadly it is society that has changed - everywhere is noisier with more anti-social behaviour than in years gone by, so moving may not help you there.
Wishing you well.

I agree a ground floor flat with a small outside space or a balcony. My son had a flat (has moved now) and it was near Crystal Palace Park and he used to walk there at least once a day and in the Summer when we visited he would pack a picnic and we would all go to the park. So when buying a flat, try to choose one with a nearby park or open space.

A few years ago friends of ours bought a lovely modern first floor flat with a large balcony on a popular seafront on the south coast. When they moved in they planted pots and balcony troughs with a beautiful array of flowers and vegetables, it was very pretty. They were soon told to remove them. The property management company (they maintain the outside spaces etc) did not want "unsightly colourful plants spoiling the sleek appearance of the property". Bird feeders are also banned because of the mess the birds might make. They are not allowed to hang washing out on the balconies either even though no outside facilities are provided for this. And they were 'advised' that if they sit out on their balconies in hot weather they must be decently dressed - no swimwear or bare chests! One of their neighbours was reported for wearing a vest! None of these things were actually mentioned before they bought the property. They considered moving elsewhere but as the husband is not now in the best of health another move could be too stressful.

So if you find a balcony flat that you like tanith do check the regulations regarding use of the balcony, laundry or shared garden spaces.

Putting in a stair lift (or a 'real' lift) might be cheaper than moving to a flat.

I had my small rear garden paved over a few years ago when I could no longer manage. I can obviously still hang out my washing and sit outside, especially on a gorgeous day like today. I could not give that up.

tanith I think you want the simple things in life as I do so please think twice.

I have never been a keen gardener but love a garden to sit in.
I moved to a 1st floor flat 6 years ago and am so glad I have a balcony. It's big enough for a table and 2 chairs, plus plant pots and a small storage chest. Some of my neighbours have strung solar powered lights over the balcony edges. They look very pretty and welcoming. Neighbours opposite have larger balconies and have made them very stylish with plant pots, small shrubs in pots, and just now pots of spring bulbs.
Are you able to take your time, register your requirements with your local estate agents for a garden flat or one with a balcony you can sit out on?
I moved before I had to and am glad I did. My mobility is compromised now due to arthritis. I can manage the stairs but wish I had a lift. I'm glad I don't have so much housework to do, too. I do it as I go - a bit at a time. For me the move to a flat has worked out well. I miss the space I had before when family visit but have made rooms multi purpose. Living room and dining room can turn into bedrooms when I need them to. Bed settees or chairs are useful. As are two bathrooms.
Running costs are less, but be aware of any management fee.
I hope you find the right apartment for you if that is what you decide you want.
Best wishes.

If I had to go back to living in a flat I would be much more worried about the neighbours, as they were what drove us out of ours and into becoming house-owners.

If you miss your garden, put up a notice in the nearest shop offering your services as a gardener. There must be others who loathe gardening as much as DH and I do and who will jump at the offer of help.

Dilemma, just what I was going to suggest. Apparently small lifts are nowadays sometimes more efficient than trying to accommodate a stairlift. Gardens are a sanctuary for many and the peace of your own space worth fighting for.

If you enjoy your garden, which so many people, do then to live without one’s own outdoor space is hard! I speak from personal experience. I had a beautiful medium sized garden when I lived in my last house and always enjoyed gardening; my summer house, gazebo , hanging baskets etc were my pride and joy. When my husband and I divorced, my half share of the house after the mortgage and his business debts (secured to the house) were paid off, only gave me a nest egg and forced me to rent. At 55 and unable to work because of illness I found a lovely large first floor flat eventually. No garden, no balcony but in a really nice area. I desperately miss my lovely garden, especially in the Spring and summer when sitting quietly outside was such a joy. So I would advise anyone who has the option, to carefully consider what they are giving up and what it means to their quality of life (especially when one gets older) before they decide. I am 65 now and although I have a beautiful park almost next door, it can never be the same.

A point which hasn’t been mentioned is moving/downsizing whilst you are physically still able to do it. We moved from a large modern house with a big garden whilst in our mid seventies to a second floor apartment in the same area.
Very stressful at the time, getting rid of a lot of stuff! However, very lucky to find a large apartment with decent outside space and a south facing balcony.
Quite a few compromises to make with communal living but it has been a good move, lovely neighbours, and when one of us is pops our clogs, we know the other one will have support and be able to manage the property on their own.
Also, when going on holiday, you don’t have to worry about being burgled, which was always at the back of our minds when living in a house.
Now in our early eighties, we have never regretted the move, but you need to find the right place to live.

Tanith, can you have your home layout altered so you don't need to use the stairs if you develop mobility problems. Make a downstairs bathroom and bedroom, and keep the upstairs for storage and guests?

tanith

Thanks everyone lots of food for thought, I spend so much time in my garden pottering, reading, laundry and just sitting even till late at night stargazing in Summer and I wonder how I would fill all those hours without it.
I’m taking my time and then some ?

Your garden sounds like it gives you a lot of pleasure, not to mention getting you out in the fresh air.
If you felt it was a burden and caused you worry then it would be time to move on, but not just for the sake of it.
My mother-in-law is 94 and still lives in her house, though with help.
She's had a three-section stairlift for many years. Not cheap, but cheaper than moving costs.

The stair lift I meant but knowing it might be able to be done.

Thanks for all the suggestions i don't need it yet thank goodness.

Tanith, Acorn say they can fit a stairlift anywhere. 2 firms refused me, saying our stairs were too narrow, but Acorn fitted one. Granted there`s not a lot of knee room, but it gets me upn and down stairs.

Moved to a ground floor flat with a south facing patio a year ago. Lots of pots although I'm not a gardener. Table and chairs where I drink coffee and sometimes eat. It's a quiet street and the neighbours stop to chat, so I've met most of them. There are gardens across the road which belong to some of the houses, so I can watch the seasons change but don't have to do the work. I love it.
It's an old house conversion and there is a bit of noise from the upstairs flats but it's nothing compared with the noise my teenage DCs used to make. I also know it's the man upstairs and I don't lie awake wondering if there is someone in the attic or if the roof's blowing off.!

karmalady

mokryna, do you mean fly tipping?

Oh is spreading good soil fly tipping? Sorry ? thought it was bio and doing good.to the environment.