Garden vs No Garden

wessexw

Thanks everyone for the replies, I guess yes I would really like a garden but for the moment I'm more leaning towards lees post, that the place I buy will only be for 5 years or so and won't be 'THE' place, I can upgrade later. At the moment I live in an upstairs flat with no garden and although I'd like a garden when I think about it, my current living situation isn't killing me and any place I did eventually buy would certainly be an upgrade from my current rented flat anyway.

Plus the cheaper price is really attractive for me, my job isn't terribly stable at the moment so I have a horror of getting in to a mortgage that I might not be able to handle in 2 years time. However in 5 years due to the nature of my job, I'll have a much much better idea of how things would stand for me financially and I'd have a more confident idea of whether I'd be able to afford to upgrade or not.

sunshinetours

wessexw wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the replies, I guess yes I would really like a garden but for the moment I'm more leaning towards lees post, that the place I buy will only be for 5 years or so and won't be 'THE' place, I can upgrade later. At the moment I live in an upstairs flat with no garden and although I'd like a garden when I think about it, my current living situation isn't killing me and any place I did eventually buy would certainly be an upgrade from my current rented flat anyway.

Plus the cheaper price is really attractive for me, my job isn't terribly stable at the moment so I have a horror of getting in to a mortgage that I might not be able to handle in 2 years time. However in 5 years due to the nature of my job, I'll have a much much better idea of how things would stand for me financially and I'd have a more confident idea of whether I'd be able to afford to upgrade or not.

I would personally hold out until you find out about yourjob and save more money towards a nice garden flat. No outside space is incomprehensible to me (regardless of whether I had kids or not). There is a certain something looking out even when its wet and rainy, on your own outside space.

on the 3 sunny days a year we seem to get (!) its alos nice to just be outside having a BBQ or beer with your mates - don't discount it.
you can make a garden easy mainteneance but you cannot create a garden where there isn't one

wessexw

I can't wait to find out about my job as I'm a contractor looking to go permanant some day in the next year or two, but I have to take the mortgage while I'm still contracting as I won't qualifying for one any more if I go permanant. The whole up in the air bit is the transition from contracting to permanant and that should be done and dusted in 5 years but there will be a dodgy year or two while it settles in.

tiny_tear

you can go for the option of a communal garden.

i lived in a 1st floor flat - with a communal garden.

One of the neighbours took really good care of it (we gave him some cash out of the management fund) and everyone used it to sit, have a drink, have a bbq...

i liked to pop out with a picnic rug and it was close enough to the flat to be able to use my laptop

(if you are looking for a 1-bed place mine is still for sale and it's lovely!)

Now I have a balcony where we are growing strawberries and stuff in pots but we have a rogue squirrel who comes up on the 4th floor and eats our stuff...:mad:

Leaseholder49

wessexw wrote: »

I can't wait to find out about my job as I'm a contractor looking to go permanant some day in the next year or two, but I have to take the mortgage while I'm still contracting as I won't qualifying for one any more if I go permanant. The whole up in the air bit is the transition from contracting to permanant and that should be done and dusted in 5 years but there will be a dodgy year or two while it settles in.

Clearly I don't know anything about your situation, but this sounds a bit back to front. Usually it's easier to get a mortgage as a permanent employee than as a contractor.

From what you've said, it sounds as though you'd be better waiting for a few years and buying a bit further up the ladder rather than buying something you don't really want right now, when you might struggle with finances shortly, and then have the hassle and expense of moving again.

lee636

kmmr wrote: »

You don't want henpecked's garden though... we all know what is in there!

:rotfl: :rotfl:

gnimia

A fair proportion of the flats I looked at in London had terraces (some very small, but lovely still) which I felt were at least the benefit of some outside space, but wthout the trauma of lots of grass to cut/nasty expanses of concrete. The place I'm buying has a lovely roof terrace, if slightly overlooked - I really discounted almost everything that had nothing outside. But that was my preference!