Flats - would a strange building put you off?

Sandtree

I think our building is slightly odd...

Flats 2-12 - duplex/maisonette split over ground and 1st with large balconies on 1st, 2 bed. Ground floor is half the depth of the building as the carpark takes up the rest

Flats 13-24 - single floor flats on 2nd floor with small balconies, 2 bed, originally housing association/affordable housing

Flats 25-36 - duplex over 3rd and 4th, 2 bed, with upper floor being half the depth of the building but private roof terrace on the other half

Flat 1 - unique in the building being 1 bed and on the 1st floor over the communal hallway with a small balcony

Whilst I think there is room for improvement... the intercom on the main door comes up "error" if you try to enter 2-12 as they have their own front doors instead and that confuses some delivery people etc but its not a major issue. When we looked at the property (one of the flats in the first group) we didn't go beyond the communal lobby to even know what the rest of the building's layout was as would never use it (even if having to contribute towards the lift).

A friend round the other day and asked where flat 1 was as the first door number you see is 2. Explained the layout and that it had take a bit to find flat 1 the first time we got a message to say a parcel had been left with them. They then asked weren't we concerned people would be put off because the rest of the building is strange when we come to sell? I hadn't even considered that anyone would care about the rest of the layout other than in relation to service charge/condition. Would you be bothered about an odd layout if you liked the unit you were looking to buy?

spoovy

I personally wouldn't buy a number 1. I rented a number 1 for a while and every single delivery guy seemed to treat me as the concierge. If anyone in any of the other 80-odd flats were out it they would ring my bell instead to take the parcel for them. Working from home I would be disturbed multiple times per day and my hall was regularly full of other people's junk.

MEM62

Strange = unusual wouldn't put me off.  I like things like that.  Strange = wierd might be more of an issue for me.  

Sandtree

spoovy said:

I personally wouldn't buy a number 1. I rented a number 1 for a while and every single delivery guy seemed to treat me as the concierge. If anyone in any of the other 80-odd flats were out it they would ring my bell instead to take the parcel for them. Working from home I would be disturbed multiple times per day and my hall was regularly full of other people's junk.

I suspect number 2 gets it worse because they are by the main door.

I struggled to find number 1 because they are the only thing on level 1 accessible from the main stairs but there is just an unmarked door which if you go through its a box space with their front door to the left with the "1" on it there. The intermediary door has a thumbscrew lock and there are coat hooks in the room so I am guessing they have somewhat claimed it as their own (though the outer door has been unlocked when I've gone up. 

eddddy

I'm not sure if I've understood your concern correctly, but maybe ask the management company to put up some signage.

For example,
- A small sign beside the intercom saying "Intercom for flat 1 and flats 13 to 36"
- And maybe another sign in a suitable place saying "Flats 2 to 12" with an arrow pointing visitors in the right direction.

Sandtree

eddddy said:

I'm not sure if I've understood your concern correctly, but maybe ask the management company to put up some signage.

For example,
- A small sign beside the intercom saying "Intercom for flat 1 and flats 13 to 36"
- And maybe another sign in a suitable place saying "Flats 2 to 12" with an arrow pointing visitors in the right direction.

My question was just a straw poll on if people would generally care about the rest of the building beyond what condition it is in or if my friend was right and potential buyers could be put off because its slightly odd.

On the practical issues of the doors... most get it anyway because they generally are going past doors 12-2 to get to the main door. To be honest what tends to be the bigger issue is that the building number 594 is only written at the far end of it by the carpark entrance and its written "5 Nine 4" for some reason unknown to anyone. Its the other reason why most go past the ground floor units because they're looking for the building number find it near the carpark and then have to walk back to the other end to get to the main entrance 

Drawingaline

In our town one of the developments is in an old hospital (like Victorian old). Having worked in a few of the properties I would never live there. They are oddly laid out, both flats and the terrace houses, the rooms are wierd shapes with very high ceilings, and the whole place has an odd feel to it!

Ramouth

Your situation doesn’t sound that unusual.  Many apartment blocks have confusing numbering often due to the units being numbered on a plan from left to right with no regard to staircases such that you get for example one entrance with flats 1-4, 17-20, and 33-36 and another with 5-8, 21-24, 37-40 etc. It’s a pain for delivery people but I’m not sure that this is high on the list of priorities for many buyers.

Slinky

I've just realised the neighbouring street is wierdly numbered. There's 2, then a large gap to 6, then 27 with 26 opposite, which are the last houses in the bisecting street. Then it's 8, 10 and 12 and finally it peters into a little lane where you eventually find number 4.

Where we used to live was a street with 1-22 consecutively down one side, then 23 onwards on the other side where 23 was opposite number 1.  1-22 were built many years before the others.