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Upper or lower flat?

amber1979
amber1979 Posts: 3,332 Forumite
in House buying, renting & selling
Does anybody have any preferences over this?

I'm looking at terranced flats and I'm wondering if there are any advantages/disadvantages to upstairs and downstairs flats?
Leftie and proud :beer:

Comments

  • Wobblydeb
    Wobblydeb Posts: 1,046 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Upper for less noise and sleeping above street level. Around here they typically have an extra bedroom too. You may also be able to extend into the attic if the lease allows and permission is granted.

    Lower for open access to yard / garden.

    Check the lease terms as to whether you split responsibility for foundations / roof or that is shared.
    I've got a plan so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel.
  • joolsybools
    joolsybools Posts: 1,595 Forumite
    Upper for warmer and less noise (no sounds of people walking around above you).
  • amber1979
    amber1979 Posts: 3,332 Forumite
    I'm a bit scared of the responsibility of the roof though. I've been to see an upper flat that I love but there is some potential roof problems.
    Leftie and proud :beer:
  • Wobblydeb
    Wobblydeb Posts: 1,046 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Ah but (dependent upon lease) you don't need worry about rising damp ;)
    I've got a plan so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel.
  • Werdnal
    Werdnal Posts: 3,780 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Flats are usually leasehold, and all leaseholders contribute to building maintenance/sinking fund. Just because you live upstairs, doesn't mean you are wholly responsible for the roof! Check the lease to see how repairs are dealt with.
  • chewmylegoff
    chewmylegoff Posts: 11,469 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    amber1979 wrote: »
    I'm a bit scared of the responsibility of the roof though. I've been to see an upper flat that I love but there is some potential roof problems.

    the roof is usually the responsibility of the freeholder, rather than the leaseholder of the upstairs flat (in practice this means the cost of any repairs is split evenly between the leaseholders).

    makes sense if you think about it - it isn't in the interests of the downstairs flat to have no roof on the upstairs!
  • Owain_Moneysaver
    Owain_Moneysaver Posts: 11,393 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Even though the roof is usually the financial responsibility of both flats, it's the upstairs one that gets wet first.

    Upstairs usually more secure as well, and usually (depending on the building layout) slightly bigger as the downstairs flat loses space to the close to the upstairs.
    A kind word lasts a minute, a skelped erse is sair for a day.
  • Ulfar
    Ulfar Posts: 1,309 Forumite
    Upper definitely due to noise of people walking around. Laminate flooring is the invention of the devil.

    Having owned a flat and been on both ends sides of the argument, I would never install laminate and would always take my shoes of when indoors.
  • Wobblydeb
    Wobblydeb Posts: 1,046 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Werdnal wrote: »
    Flats are usually leasehold, and all leaseholders contribute to building maintenance/sinking fund. Just because you live upstairs, doesn't mean you are wholly responsible for the roof! Check the lease to see how repairs are dealt with.
    chewmylegoff wrote: »
    the roof is usually the responsibility of the freeholder, rather than the leaseholder of the upstairs flat (in practice this means the cost of any repairs is split evenly between the leaseholders).

    makes sense if you think about it - it isn't in the interests of the downstairs flat to have no roof on the upstairs!
    Not necessarily true - there are thousands of flats on Tyneside that do not work this way. CHECK THE LEASE.
    I've got a plan so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel.
This discussion has been closed.
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