Flat on the Ground floor

LouLouHelen

To anyone who has experience in renting/letting out property...

I have the option to purchase the one remaining flat in a new apartment block. I am confident about the area and 'rentability'. Its new build so nicely decorated etc.

I have heard different things - is a ground floor flat less or more appealling to potential tenants?

Any info/advice much appreciated?

alared

The ground floor is more appealling to the elderly.
Then on ther other hand it is seen as less secure.
Can`t see it makes much difference but don`t forget a lease-hold flat has the added cost of ground rent plus an uncontrolable "service charge"

strawberrylane

We are currently renting a ground floor apartment. The big advantage to us of ground floor is the ease of moving items in and out at the start/end of the tenancy. Plus, being on the ground floor we can walk/sit outside when the mood (and weather) allows us. I think you should regard ground floor as an advantage for letting out.

lilyann1

We lived in a ground floor flat for many years and we loved it. We sold it easily as we had young people wanting it and the elderly.You could say the upper floor flats are more secure but what do people do when they move into a house they have a ground floor there too.
The only burglaries we had in the block where we lived were 1st or second floor ones where the doors were concealed and so no one could see people entering,much easier to do than on aground floor where people risk someone walking past them i feel.

ginger_nuts

I own a ground floor flat and I could hear the neighbours above walking across the floor .I prefer top floor flats .

LouLouHelen

ginger_nuts wrote:

I own a ground floor flat and I could hear the neighbours above walking across the floor. I prefer top floor flats .

Hi Ginger - is it a new flat/building or an older building?

tomstickland

I'm sitting in my ground floor flat right now and I'd say ground floor is a bonus.
It makes moving things in/out easier; I can reach my rubbish bag and washing through the window when I go into the garden rather than traipsing up and down stairs with it. Cleaning the windows is easier too.
The only neg is for those who feel more secure higher up.

Alleycat

How many bedrooms does the flat have and is there any outside space? I ask as if it is more than one bedroom it would suit a young family as lugging a buggy, plus shopping up flights of stairs would be a nightmare. We are moving to London next year and will be looking at ground floor flats, preferably with a garden but if not then definately some outside space/grass etc for our daughter.

seven-day-weekend

We had a ground floor BTL flat....much easier for getting furniture in and out and it had a patio door open to the communal gardens, which the upper floor flats hadn't got (obviously).

When we came to sell, the EA said on the whole people preferred the upper flats because of security. I could never see this as houses have a ground floor and bungalows only a single floor; plus the ground floor is easier to spot if someone is trying to force the door, you can't see this on an upper floor flat when it's hidden away.

Had no trouble renting or selling it, it sold the same day we put it on the market.

seven-day-weekend

Just meant to say, ours was a large two-bed flat with a garage,in a purpose-built three storey sixties/seventies block, don't know whether this makes any difference to desirability.

CrustyMcMuffin

We had a ground floor flat and when we rented it out the only thing that put some folk off was that the second bedroom was right next to the main front door for the block. They were concerned about being kept awake by the door slamming through the night. We ended up letting it within a couple of weeks.