Buying a house next door to one converted into flats - would you do it?

lasci

As the title says, we have seen a house that is just about great for us in many ways, but looking at the sold prices we can see that next door has been converted into at least 2 flats (we think probably 3 as there are 3 doorbells).

We currently rent a flat in West London and part of the reason we want to buy a house is to get away from the noise and numbers of people living in the flats, so we have looked further West and have found a nice terraced house. Are we wrong to be put off by the fact that next door has been converted to flats? We are worried about the extra noise coming from many more people coming and going and just generally being there.

Would welcome any opinions on this, particularly from people who already live in this situation.

Cheers!

clutton_2

i think you have answered your own question - you dont like living next to flats - surely this cannot be the only property you can find that you like ?

chickmug

Sounds a bit dodgy and even more so if they are being rented out. If the latter, as clutton says, find somewhere else.

Pssst

No way Jose. Nor would i buy a flat in a converted block.

dippydog_2

It would not put me off personally, but you say you want to move to a quieter area so surely it is really a no-brainer? I would keep looking for something more suitable to be honest.

warehouse

Are they joined as in a semi-detached? If so then run a mile, it's going to be a noise fest. If not physically attached then it'll be much less of an issue.

lasci

Thanks for your comments guys. The house is a mid terrace (in a row of 4) and the one joint onto it is the one converted into 2 (or maybe 3) flats. I guess if the walls are good then we may not hear too much noise from next door, but these are the things you never quite know until you move in.

We are going to try and go and see it again to see what we think, but swaying more on the side of waiting for another one to come up right now.

Thanks again!

barnaby-bear

warehouse wrote: »

Are they joined as in a semi-detached? If so then run a mile, it's going to be a noise fest. If not physically attached then it'll be much less of an issue.

How is it joined? Bedroom to bedroom? Or are there two stairwells between.
What do you know about the block - sometimes problem tenants can be moved on easily if the LL/management good/sometimes 3 separate LLs all bad though. Is it owner occupied - this could change?
If there are two stairwells between and decent construction it could be fine - depending on the layouts of the flats the potentially noisy areas could be against your wall or actually very far away....

boswell99

I've lived next to terrace houses converted into two flats before and haven't found it any more noisey than a normal house and certainly never noticed noise from people coming in and out.

sidefx

barnaby-bear wrote: »

How is it joined? Bedroom to bedroom? Or are there two stairwells between.
What do you know about the block - sometimes problem tenants can be moved on easily if the LL/management good/sometimes 3 separate LLs all bad though. Is it owner occupied - this could change?
If there are two stairwells between and decent construction it could be fine - depending on the layouts of the flats the potentially noisy areas could be against your wall or actually very far away....

Not necessarily. I live in a terraced house and have the stairway of the next house at one side and the living rooms, bedrooms etc at the other side. I'd say the stairs cause me more annoyance noise-wise than the rooms.

lincroft1710

In some towns/cities nearly every Victorian/Edwardian house big enough has been converted into 2/3/4/5 flats. You can walk down some very desirable roads and find houses and flat conversions interspersed.

When I worked in Valuation Office Agency settling Council Tax bands, I don't ever recall a request for lower band on account of next door being converted to flats. Business being carried on, bus stop outside, new roundabout nearby and traffic lights reflecting in windows, but not flats.

It's entirely up to you. If it's something you don't think you would like next door, don't buy.