Advice about moving to a flat

Stay in your bungalow! It would be a terrible mistake to give it up for a flat.

Many of the problems with noise have already been mentioned which in itself would be enough to put me off.

Also would you want to share a washing line with strangers or even worse, have to dry your washing indoors?

Then there is the problem with maintenance of the building with every flat owner having a different opinion on whether money should be spent or not.

You are at the mercy of other people’s opinions which I would hate.

Unless your garden is huge it wouldn’t be expensive to have a gardener round to cut the grass and generally tidy up. You are only talking about six months of the year.

As someone else said it’s possible to reconfigure the layout of your home and it may not be as expensive as you feared.

Bungalows are in such short supply as they are not being built these days and many which are sold get knocked down to make way for flats!

Hang on to yours!

My brother bought a flat several years ago, I was very unsure about it at the time but he's been very happy there.
He chose a property above a shop (very well established). Due to the nature of the shop, there's excellent security, he has a huge lounge, 2 bedrooms etc and a private outside space although access to this is via a staircase.
I think it's the same advice as when buying a house really...research well and don't be rushed.

One of the residents of these flats has turned their garage into a workshop, very well fitted out. So living in a flat does not automatically stop you having a workshop if you wish.

On another point, the residents committee here does not permit anyone to purchase a flat and then let it out. Purchasers must be able to give assurance they will be living in the flat. Fine - if (as one couple usually does) they are away for much of each year, flat is left empty - but not permitted to have anyone else living there.

Do think this is important, I did view nice flats and then discovered many of them were used as holidays lets - and that often meant some problems.

Yes there are many things to consider - but I would say that I would never, ever go back to living in a house or bungalow again. I feel so much more secure in this flat and when the weather was really nasty last winter I felt a total sense of relief that I had no concerns about fences, roof tiles, gutterings, etc being damaged.

New build or nearly new build houses have hardly any upkeep, generally they have small gardens and a garage and often a tiny room, they call a study. The thing is being confined together 24 hours a day is not good for anyone. Your husband cycles, is he still working?

He cycles so he needs room for a cycle and tools for maintenance. He might want to expand his ideas and do eg wood carving in a group every month, to simply meet other people, they are mostly males

Is your house old and a money pit? If so then yes, do consider selling it but be very careful to choose some property that would suit both of you for potentially a lifetime. You sound very restless pearl, really you need to sit down with your husband and each do your own private pros and cons list and then combine them. This will hopefully open up some honest thoughts. Btw it cost me a huge lot of money to move, even to a new build

craftyone We were originally thinking about buying a small property abroad but the arrival of a small grand daughter put paid to that idea, we are thinking about buying a large touring caravan and siting it near the sea side for most of the year and splitting our time between the flat and the caravan over the summer months (whilst keeping up with our allotment ,the benefit of city living in the not so nice weather is there is always something on ( I love art galleries, the theatre, eating out and generally socialising with friends & family) my husband enjoys these things but is wouldn’t say they were his hobbies but he is happy to join me (he likes to cycle and enjoys wild water swimming neither of which interest me to be honest but it must work we have been together 41 years and married for 34!).
Any flat would need to have a balcony as we have never been without a garden just a small space to have a coffee of a morning (or a wine at night) I just feel although we are relatively fine health wise I want to enjoy the time left to us that doesn’t include the upkeep of this damn house ?

would your husband be happy in a flat during lockdown? no garage/workshop to tinker in, no garden to potter in. Why do you really want a flat? I am 12 years older than you and would do around the twist in a flat, my house keeps me mobile. My garage is my workshop, I have a dedicated sewing room which was a bedroom. I suppose it depends what, if any, hobbies you both have, note I said both

Watching because I am in a similarly torn, have been toying with selling up 4 bedroom detached family home in a small town to move into a flat in a city 40 miles away ( I am 57 and husband is 60) We have never lived in a flat and only 2 houses since married 34 yrs ago, So terrified that I make the wrong decision as I suspect deep down husband doesn’t really want to move and keep swinging between settling for what I have and actually taking a leap of faith and going for what I really want ?

No, the delay was really to do with the selling of my house. First year, purchaser did not tell EA the truth, kept me hanging about for six months before I pulled the plug. Took me sometime to recover from that, two years later put house back on market, but EA I used was pretty useless, and again I pulled the plug after three months.

Last year had my third try. House on market at beginning of April, first purchaser pulled out after just two weeks, second one lost their own purchaser after about a month. Third one, got nearly to end, when they got cold feet or something. Final one, went through with it.

During those years I had continued to check all flats in WsM where I wished to move to, both through rightmove and in person when I was visiting my daughter there.

Had actually selected the block I finally moved into right at the beginning, but first flat I viewed was one of the two without garage, so that was no good. During that time, I actually made offers on three different flats, then withdrew them as I realised that they did not meet all my requirements.

Saw this one, originally last April, but did not re-view it until August, when it had actually dropped ten grand in price. I think I have, in person, viewed every purpose built block of flats in this town. I was warned strongly not to consider any flat that was not part of purpose built block. Lot of nice flats in large houses that have been made into four or five flats - but did not actually view any of them.

The Estate Agents here would not accept any offer on any property until you could show that your own property was actually 'under offer'.

Franbern you say it took you 4 years. Did you actually view flats during that time before putting your house on the market or was it just areas you were looking at during that time?

Must say that so many of the problems stated on here about flats have not been part of my experience over the past six months. Built of very solid Weston stone, there is no noise from each others flats either to the side or above.

I pay just of a hundred pounds a month in maintenance, but that also covers all my water (no water rates for me), AND the maintenance agreement and emergency cover for my central heating, etc.

We have one lift, the repairs - the residents Committee Maintenance group seem to handle any repairs to that without problem. We do have strict rules about nothing being put on exterior walls - keeping the look of the building nice. I really love the fact that I have no worries now about outside drains, trees, roof tiles, gutterings, even exterior painting.

The communal area (lobbies, lift, etc) are cleaned daily and always look lovely and fresh. One lady here does the most wonderful faux flower arrangements, which she changes by the season and they look wonderful in our entrance lobby.

Feel so secure and safe. Exterior doors are never left open - unless workman are using them. We have our own garages on the ground floor, and also a gated visitors car park. Again, locked during the night. The rubbish bins are in a secure large cupboard off a small lobby off the main lobby, the exterior gate to that lobby is left open on the night before the bin men come, but it still leaves the door from that lobby to the main area in the flats shut and locked.

We have entrance phones in our flats for the main front door, and, of course, our own front doors. During the pandemic the cttee has been cleaning down the stair banisters and all exterior door knobs and handles three times a day. They are very helpful and someone is always available for advice and support when needed.

I found it extremely economic during the winter, well insulated, so my central heating costs were well down on my house, and with lots of opening windows (all with security locks preventing them opening too far unless I want to over-ride those), mean it has been lovely and airy in the summer weather. Large sliding patio door to my balcony.

Then public areas were all painted last year, and the garages are due to be painted this year. I had my garage door electrified when I arrived, to make it easier for me. Not permitted to change out the door, but the Residents Cttee worked with the garage door company to help to sort that out for me. Wonderful!

As I said, you do need to do your research carefully - it took me four years to get here. So very , very happy that I did. So far I have found ANY downside of this move.

River walk your flat sounds wonderful, id love to swap. I have never got used to a bungalow, bought in haste too as the property we wanted had gone. Hate the loo near living areas and nowhere to go to get away for headspace, hope to move soon. I noticed the management fee for some flats was terrible, I would worry that the price keeps going up year after year, There are no guidelines for this in this country

I love our one bedrooms apartment in Urmston, Manchester. It was brand new which was especially nice. We downsized to it 10y ago from a large 3 bed semi. I loved my house too (we lived in it for over 30y) but our lifestyle (especially now we are retired) means we had different needs.

Building materials must have improved so much over the years! Our apartment is solid. We are on the top floor of two storeys. I never hear any neighbours. No noise from televisions, toilets or washing machines! We have a small verandah to sit out on - I have a bistro table with two chairs & cushions. The front door opens to wooden decking and the sky. We have a bench set against a wall there. We have 2 lifts.

I absolutely love it! Less space = less work. My time isn’t spent maintaining a property, nor gardening. I like to be out and about seeing family and friends and a flat is conducive to plenty of free time. No tail wagging the dog.

We have a designated parking area accessed by a barrier with fob entry. Decorating and utility bills are minimal. It’s a well insulated property. Again I think that’s due to the quality of the building materials. I rarely need the heating on except for the coldest days in winter!

When we want to come out here to Spain (another small apartment!) we can just lock up and go with impunity. No worries about post collecting in a porch, no cold callers, no pizza/charity bag advert fliers.

You never get Jehovah Witnesses calling, carol singers, Halloween trick or treaters!

We have intercom access and it’s slap bang in the middle of town so I get the lift down and I’m at Costa coffee, Boots, Thornton’s, Sainsbury’s, the library with bars and restaurants on the doorstep too. I love it!

I have just looked at rightmove, the 42 properties. It seems that the management charge has gone up to £2660 pa. That is a whopping increase and none of the self management company got paid. It might appear to me that they are putting money aside into the sinking fund for big future bills and that is definitely a risk in any building containing flats.

Cocopops. Are you USA? It seems that homes are much bigger over there. In square footage here, the average flat area might be between 600-900 sq feet

I moved from a house to live near my family.
I looked at buildings containing a minimum of 30 apartments. My priority was to be near family and within walking distance of facilities eg medical centre, library, community cantre, grocery stores and transit . I only looked at pet friendly buildings because I wanted a dog.
I bought an apartment (39 apartments in total) with parking and huge storage lockers in the underground parkade. There is a communal garden and patio. I have a balcony.
The management company is efficient and responsible for building insurance, cleaning of communal areas, window cleaning, gardening, garbage removal etc.etc.
I love the security because I have no worries when I go away.
I like living on one level (no stairs) and cleaning is a doddle.
It's a quiet building with a nice mixture of ages and responsible dog owners. Hope that helps.

A little word about management companies. I have experience of running one, having been chair/secretary of our small management company where I last lived. We were all freehold properties and we self managed the communal area and were able to keep the fees low at around £250 a year

Prior to that my husband and I were in a new build town house with 41 other properties, including 50% flats, some were in the manor house and the lift was part of management upkeep. We bought the freeholds but the communal areas still had to be managed and gardens attended and so on. The lift was a large on-going expense, it needed constant maintenance for safety reasons. The management charges there were £2000 pa per property and we also self-managed

Some people complained bitterly about the noise in flats above, washing machines, even flushing the toilet at night. The communal bin areas were also a problem because some properties were rented with absent landlords and some tenants did not care about keeping that bin area clean. Electricity in communal areas had to be paid for by the management company as well as building up a sinking fund for major future repairs

The house I live in now is freehold and new but we also have some communal outside space. My charge now is £250 a year

Can you change the layout? In a bungalow, any room could be a sitting or bedroom. For the same cost as moving, perhaps some work could be done for you? I'd always pay to have ceilings painted but I'm quite happy to do walls (one by one).

Even making two rooms into a single larger one (by removing a wall) isn't that disruptive. Craftyone is quite right in that there is so much that can be done, gradually, to make a place suit your individual needs. Perhaps your daughter could help with the gardening?

kangaroo, you can fall in love with your bungalow. You are seeing jobs as a whole lot of big jobs but they are so much easier to tackle when you break them down into smaller portions. Are the neighbours ok? the location, is that ok? If you say yes to both then make your bungalow your project and that will give you such great satisfaction in the years to come.

Goodness me, you have outside space and a garden, fresh air and you can get in touch with nature just by portioning off a rectangle and making a raised bed. Of course you can do it. Then fill it and make another with a pathway in between. I did it, a bit at a time and bit by bit, it becomes yours.

Similar in the bungalow, a small bit at a time. Projects for the future can make you happy, make you satisfied with your achievements. What you are doing now is you are considering running away from it but face it head on instead. Make it your home

My friend moved from a small house to a flat - and was very upset by a whole new set of problems.

There was no garden to worry about but constant noise from small children running about in the flat upstairs.

Residents left the outside doors wedged open, causing security problems, and, sometimes, rough sleepers in hallways.

Communal bin areas were often in a total mess with no room left for rubbish and recycling.

The maintenance, repair and redecorating of the outside involved a bill for several thousand pounds for each resident, on top of the usual service charge.

A pet dog, however small was not allowed, being against the rules.

There was no available parking nearby, except at extortionate rates.

In a heatwave, air conditioning became a necessity (no gardens, balcony, outside shade or through draft).

Costs became a problem, resulting in the need to have a lodger. Luckily, that worked out very well.

Think very carefully before you make any move. Gardens can be made low maintenance, help is available, and you can choose when, or whether, to have work done.

Most of the nicer flats in my area have very high maintenance charges which I felt would take a big chunk out of a pension. It may be cheaper if you are not in London or the south east.

My mum moved from a terraced house to a ground floor flat, she owned it. Small, but ideal for her, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, sitting room. It was freehold, no maintenance charges, one of four, two ground, two first floor.
She moved when she was 75, and lived there until she died at 92. It was very central in a little market town, she was able to shop until the last year or so.
It was very close to my sister’s home, and 10 minutes from me, so we were able to support her as she became frailer.
She had good neighbours on the whole, and had a happy 17 years there.

PS just to add that all the flats in this block are freehold. So it is possible not to have leasehold. If it is leasehold there will be a usually reasonably small annual charge for this.

Another thing to consider - some blocks have minimum ages for their residents (usually 55 yrs) this does help to ensure no small children running around, and even teenagers are just visitors. However, some people prefer to live in flats with more age group - again it is a matter of personal preferance.

Think about which floor(s) you wish to live. Again some flats have rules in place forbidding laminate or hard wood flooring due to problems with noise for residents beneath you. I live on the first floor (only garages beneath me) so I can decide carpet or hard floor. Also, although we have a lovely lift, I do try to use the stairs if I am carrying anything heavy for some exercise. I have a large balcony, more like a small patio, very private and with garden furniture a small patio shed and lots of pots it is lovely to look at and sit in - and no gardener expense

I moved from my house in London to a flat in Weston super Mare at the end of last year. Have not lived in a flat since I married in 1964.

Not a rushed decision. Do need to have a good list as to what you want in a flat. For me a large living room area, an en-sute as well as a bathroom (although it is just me) and a nice balcony were very important. I did also need a second bedroom for use for guests, and none of it too small and cramped.

The flat I have is run by a residents management cttee, not an outside company, keeps cost well down. The annual amount I pay also covers all water bills, and also the maintenance agreement/emergency call out for the boiler and central heating. It is actually costing me far less than these things did in the house.

If you run a car you may want a flat with its own garage, again not all blocks have these. Some do have dedicated outdoor parking - you need to know what is important to you.

I chose this block originally because of its central position. All but two of the flats have their own garage and there is also a private car park for visitors etc. The first flat I viewed here did not have a garage, so, that (for me ) was a No No.!!

Not all flats have lifts - this is something you will need to check, and also parking/garages. A lot of modern flats are quite small with the kitchen area at the end of the living room (not something I like )- I wanted a proper separate kitchen.

So, best advice I can give to you, is

(A) Know the area you wish to move to, think of pubic transport facilities, doctors, dentists, shops etc.

(B) Decide what is important to YOU in a place you are going to live.

(C) Spend lots of time looking and checking out lots of flats in your area - do not rush into a decision.

Took me four years - but I can only say that I am so very happy here, it is everything plus more that I could have wanted and I love living on one level with all rooms so easy to use.

I moved from a house to a flat 4 years ago. It’s 3rd floor ( with a lift) so nobody above me. There is good sound proofing so I hear very little and have quiet neighbours on my floor.

The maintenance fees are fairly steep at £90 a month but I am in the SE. It is leasehold but some people are pursuing buying the freehold. I have a large balcony with pots of flowers and there’s plenty of room to sit out without a proper garden to take care of.

All in all I am pleased with my move , the flat is light and spacious and just fine for me

I sold my four bedroom house and bought a two bedroom flat.

The management company do all the maintenance work but they work for us.

Having spent time and money on maintaining the house I now don't have to worry about any outside work as we have contractors to do everything.

It has been a good move for me and noise has not been a problem, mostly because we are all mostly elderly.

I do miss having my own outside space in the summer but it is offset by the security we have here.

On the down side you may be unlucky and get noisy neighbours but that can happen in houses as well.

I moved from a house to a flat after I divorced my husband. As with everything, there are pros and cons. Security is better, you are less likely to be burgled. If you don't like being alone, it can be reassuring to know there are other people around.

On the negative side...there are communal areas and this can cause dispute. Some people make a lot of mess and leave it for others to clear up...you have to carry your rubbish downstairs to the bins (although some establishments have chutes). Other people can be very noisy, especially when family visit.