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Comments
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Upstairs maisonette
Pros:
More secure. Today, the hottest day of the year, we have all the windows open without having to worry.
Tends to be warmer in the winter than the downstairs property.
Possible access to loft space for extra storage or space.
View can be better.
We have more space than local two bedroom bungalows.
Cons:
Parking can be an issue.
Carrying shopping upstairs.
Taking white goods and furniture up the stairs. Check out what furniture the present occupants have. Can you assess the windows to get furnitue in and out. Once DH had to insist that a kitchen company hire a tower to get a kitchen work top in, instead of cutting it.
Posties don't always give enough time for occuppant to answer the door.
Neighbours do move. New neighbours can present problems over space and what is acceptable noise.
It takes more effort to go out to the garden in the winter.
What is required of you to repair the roof, gutters and fascias and drains?
Lease definitely needs sorting.'You can't change the past, you can only change the future' Gary Boulet.
'Show me the person who never makes a mistake and I'll show you the person who never makes anything'. Anon0 -
Thank you very much - it is good to hear positive feedback.
The maisonette in question does have a pretty good living/dining room and a large garden. On the downside, it is close to the main road so you can hear the noise all the time when in the garden.
The current lease is 78 years as I posted earlier and the EA is asking the owner if they will be willing to pay to have it extended.
It is a share of freehold but apparently, not just with the downstairs neighbour but also with 5 other properties nearby. So 6 more people will have a say in what I can do with the maisonette (in case I do want to do anything of course).
I would not describe this maisonette as fab - it is fine, I suppose. The internal area is bigger than most houses but then it is more expensive than many houses I have viewed.
My husband didn't like the fact that it is in fact a flat - he prefers to be the only one responsible for his house and his land. And doesn't like having neighbours downstairs. And the noise from the 70 mph main road being very close to the house (even though it is in a cul-de-sac).
I'm confused: you said the maisonette has a 78 year lease, and then said you have a share of the freehold? It's either one or the other.
As for the location of the property, houses/flats/maisonettes can all be next to a main road. Location is incidental to your problem surely?
By the way, buying a freehols property does not give you carte blanche to do as you wish on the land your property is built on - you'll still need planning permission if you wish to build or extend. Having said that, some houses are so small and pokey, like little rabbit hutches with gardens the size of postage stamps that you probably couldn't erect a garden shed in it!0 -
beverleyhills wrote: »Upstairs maisonette
Pros:
More secure. Today, the hottest day of the year, we have all the windows open without having to worry.
Tends to be warmer in the winter than the downstairs property.
Possible access to loft space for extra storage or space.
View can be better.
We have more space than local two bedroom bungalows.
Cons:
Parking can be an issue.
Carrying shopping upstairs.
Taking white goods and furniture up the stairs. Check out what furniture the present occupants have. Can you assess the windows to get furnitue in and out. Once DH had to insist that a kitchen company hire a tower to get a kitchen work top in, instead of cutting it.
Posties don't always give enough time for occuppant to answer the door.
Neighbours do move. New neighbours can present problems over space and what is acceptable noise.
It takes more effort to go out to the garden in the winter.
What is required of you to repair the roof, gutters and fascias and drains?
Lease definitely needs sorting.
If it's a downstairs maisonette you have no stairs to climb.
Parking can be an issue anywhere.
Neighbours can cause problems anywhere, whether it be downstairs/upstairs or in the house next door or across the road. The only way to assure that you'll have no problems with neighbours is to buy a detached property - and with a lot of land surrounding it at that.
Both upstairs and downstairs owners are responsible for the whole building. So roof, gutters, brickwork, fencing, gate, frontage, drains etc which need repairs are paid for 50/50 by all owners. Some co-owners pay a small amount each month into a fund to cover these costs.0 -
I'm confused: you said the maisonette has a 78 year lease, and then said you have a share of the freehold? It's either one or the other.
As for the location of the property, houses/flats/maisonettes can all be next to a main road. Location is incidental to your problem surely?
By the way, buying a freehols property does not give you carte blanche to do as you wish on the land your property is built on - you'll still need planning permission if you wish to build or extend. Having said that, some houses are so small and pokey, like little rabbit hutches with gardens the size of postage stamps that you probably couldn't erect a garden shed in it!
Re leasehold: that's what the agent told me. First - that it is a share of freehold with 6 other neighbours. Then - that it is a leasehold of 78 years (with the neighbours still standing as having a share).
I would never buy a small and pokey house (although I rented a small and pokey flat) - we have been saving for a while to get a decent property so are in no rush of buying just for the sake of it. Will keep looking for one that feels like home.0 -
There is no issue of parking - it even has a garage and a place on the driveway.0
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Re leasehold: that's what the agent told me. First - that it is a share of freehold with 6 other neighbours. Then - that it is a leasehold of 78 years (with the neighbours still standing as having a share).
I would never buy a small and pokey house (although I rented a small and pokey flat) - we have been saving for a while to get a decent property so are in no rush of buying just for the sake of it. Will keep looking for one that feels like home.
It's either freehold or leasehold - it can't be both!0 -
It's either freehold or leasehold - it can't be both!
Thanks for this!
I spoke to the EA today. She said that it is a share of freehold, but because there are 6 other properties involved, the term of lease still applies - and it is 78 years long.
Could it be that she doesn't know what she is talking about?0 -
Have a look at this thread:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2560195
Thermidor is not entirely correct - it can be leasehold but at the same time have a share of the freehold.0 -
ET1976 is right (but I didn't check his/her link).
I own a maisonette. There are two maisonettes in the building. The freehold is jointly owned by myself together with the owner of the other maisonette in the building (in other words we each own a share of the freehold). Acting together as freeholders we grant each other an lease to occupy our own respective maisonettes. I therefore have a lease for my maisonette (and she has a lease for hers).0
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