First purchase - go for flat or stretch to a house?

TDH_91

getmore4less said:

TDH_91 said:

hazyjo said:

Not sure you're comparing like for like though. That part of Chingford around the estates of Friday Hill isn't a patch on North Chingford or most of Highams Park.

Are there other areas you are considering? Do you work in London and what's the station/ area you need to get to?

Liverpool street area so hoping to go on the overground line right there. 
What do you mean not comparing like for like?
Preferably to stay in the chingford/highams park area - that's the goal

What is your commute limit  time/price
quite a lot 30mins from Liverpool street station.
http://www.commutefrom.com/

Whats driving the max lending deposit or salary?
£420k looks to be not enough to get  decent houses in those areas.

how close to a station do you need to be?
Do you want walking to amenities/social
Do you need work from home space?

about 50 mins door to door i think id be fine with
I am also limited as family live around the area so would like to stay nearby or <20min drive
salary is limiting factor
happy to be a mile from the station
not bothered about walking to amenities/social
nothing but a desk

TDH_91

hazyjo said:

TDH_91 said:

hazyjo said:

Not sure you're comparing like for like though. That part of Chingford around the estates of Friday Hill isn't a patch on North Chingford or most of Highams Park.

Are there other areas you are considering? Do you work in London and what's the station/ area you need to get to?

Liverpool street area so hoping to go on the overground line right there. 
What do you mean not comparing like for like?
Preferably to stay in the chingford/highams park area - that's the goal

I've lived in both areas, but some parts aren't as nice as others. Just wondered if there were other areas you'd consider or if you needed to be in E4. Or do you live around Friday Hill already?

Happy to consider other areas around 20 min drive from chingford/highams as thats where family/i currently live. Is the friday hill area that poor?

hannah2283

I've recently had a current decision. Buy a flat in south London (Croydon) or a house in Portsmouth (where I grew up, still commutable a few days a week). The London flat would be more expensive mortgage wise, more of a hassle with leasehold, shared repairs, any other costs etc, the house also comes with repair costs but they're largely up to me, and have to factor the cost of commuting in. I went with the house in Portsmouth in the end (I say went, am in the process of buying) as a garden was really important to me, so was the cheaper mortgage (almost £400 per month) although there will be a reasonable repair bill when I move in. Also I'll be able to stay in the house for longer (space for a potential partner and kid) so it just seemed more worth it.

[Deleted User]

100% house !!
urgh service charges, lease rules, ground rent, diminishing lease, having to ask permission for lots of stuff, neighbours above, below and to the sides possibly - urgh
Communal smells in the hallways - urgh
Restrictions on pets ..... or neighbours having pets 

I hate flats. Always have. 

House !

hazyjo

TDH_91 said:

hazyjo said:

TDH_91 said:

hazyjo said:

Not sure you're comparing like for like though. That part of Chingford around the estates of Friday Hill isn't a patch on North Chingford or most of Highams Park.

Are there other areas you are considering? Do you work in London and what's the station/ area you need to get to?

Liverpool street area so hoping to go on the overground line right there. 
What do you mean not comparing like for like?
Preferably to stay in the chingford/highams park area - that's the goal

I've lived in both areas, but some parts aren't as nice as others. Just wondered if there were other areas you'd consider or if you needed to be in E4. Or do you live around Friday Hill already?

Happy to consider other areas around 20 min drive from chingford/highams as thats where family/i currently live. Is the friday hill area that poor?

You might want to ask on a local Facebook group or something. It's probably more crimes like anti social behaviour rather than violent or threatening ones. Depends on what sort of place you're happy to live in. I'm sure for many it would be a vast improvement. But I've always been incredibly fussy on area/ location over size.

zippygeorgeandben

WOuld you not consider around Buckhurst hill, Woodford all the way into Wanstead?  All nice areas.  I would skip the 'up and coming' of Leyton/Leytonstone though.  We all know what up and coming means!

joshiesaunt

You would get better value for money in South East London.  Plumstead Common etc on Thameslink and SE trains and lovely 2/3 bed victorian houses are circa £375K.  Or the Shooters Hill SE18 area.  More potential as well with Crossrail coming.  I would go for a house as you can eventually extend into the loft to add value or get lodgers to help pay the rent.

Scotbot

Freehold over leasehold every time for me. Go for a 2 bed house.

RelievedSheff

holyrottweiler said:

blue_max_3 said:

Living on a new estate where everyone is competing to have the newest car in the drive, is my idea of purgatory.

This is so true. These people always live in new house build estate and most likely have cars on finance. That and a duck lip job.

This made me chuckle 

We certainly don't fit into that category with my 2005 Nissan Almera and 2015 Hyundai I30 sat on the drive of our new build but there are certainly several that do.

DCFC79

A house for me but it all depends what your comfortable with. You can extend a house but a flat you can't. A house has a garden which you can easily access, a flat you can't if you 10/15 floors up and especially during lockdown being in a flat would annoy me.