How to decide area to buy a flat in London?

AlexMac

Hi First timer
thanks For the updates!

Let us know if you get the flat… no hurry..

and for what it’s worth, our house, a mile  up the hill, is also within75m of a school playground. Across from our front door. With double glazing I hear nothing, as I sleep at the front but live mostly at the rear… but if I go out the front at playtime I find the noisy babble delightful and refreshing!

Nickfirsttimebuyer

@hazyjo @AlexMac thanks a lot for your messages & sorry for the reply. So I am still looking because my offer was not accepted in the flat in Maze Hill. So I am about to give an offer tomorrow to a Victorian conversion maisonette in South Woodford. The flat holds share of the freehold, no service charges, no ground rent & 990 years lease. The flat is refurbished & has a lovely garden. My only concerns are:
1. Insulation is bad because I could heat people walking above
2. EPC rating is D
What is your opinion on Victorian conversion flats? What do you think about South Woodford? Which option is better - period conversion flats or purpose flats?

Many thanks

lika_86

Nickfirsttimebuyer said:

@hazyjo @AlexMac thanks a lot for your messages & sorry for the reply. So I am still looking because my offer was not accepted in the flat in Maze Hill. So I am about to give an offer tomorrow to a Victorian conversion maisonette in South Woodford. The flat holds share of the freehold, no service charges, no ground rent & 990 years lease. The flat is refurbished & has a lovely garden. My only concerns are:
1. Insulation is bad because I could heat people walking above
2. EPC rating is D
What is your opinion on Victorian conversion flats? What do you think about South Woodford? Which option is better - period conversion flats or purpose flats?

Many thanks

I'd go for a top floor flat in a conversion if you can. Fewer sound issues and likely warmer too due to heat rising. 

Period conversions and purpose built flats all have their own advantages and disadvantages. It just depends what you want from a property.

user1977

lika_86 said:

Nickfirsttimebuyer said:

@hazyjo @AlexMac thanks a lot for your messages & sorry for the reply. So I am still looking because my offer was not accepted in the flat in Maze Hill. So I am about to give an offer tomorrow to a Victorian conversion maisonette in South Woodford. The flat holds share of the freehold, no service charges, no ground rent & 990 years lease. The flat is refurbished & has a lovely garden. My only concerns are:
1. Insulation is bad because I could heat people walking above
2. EPC rating is D
What is your opinion on Victorian conversion flats? What do you think about South Woodford? Which option is better - period conversion flats or purpose flats?

Many thanks

I'd go for a top floor flat in a conversion if you can. Fewer sound issues and likely warmer too due to heat rising. 

Possibly poorer insulation though (I'm in a top floor conversion with a flat roof, and not much scope for adding insulation without us reroofing). Not sure that's counteracted by any heat I steal from downstairs! Plus hotter in the summer...

Nickfirsttimebuyer

@user1977 I know! On the one hand, the period conversions are lovely BUT they have very poor insulation & are not energy efficient. The new builts however have expensive service charges BUT they are energy efficient & built maybe with much better insulation? 

hazyjo

Personal taste, really. They tend to hold their value well. I lived upstairs in a conversion (1 flat below) and still got noise from below - wasn't very soundproofed. Ground is obviously better if you'll make use of a garden.

South Woodford is fine, I have lots of friends in that general direction. It's very busy / buzzy. Left of the railway line is generally considered nicer than the right.

I prefer Wanstead/HP/North Chingford, but each to their own

Nickfirsttimebuyer

Really good news everyone! 
I am very happy that an offer has been accepted & I have just started the process. I end up buying a lovely 1 bed flat in Higham Park in a low raise building on the top 3rd floor. Any tips/ recommendations/ suggestions troughout the process are more than welcome please. I am a first time buyer therefore I really appreciate your help.
Shall I complete an independent survey on the building? 

Filo25

A very belated response as I only just saw the thread, but congrats on having the offer accepted, I've lived in HP for about 8 years now and never regretted moving here, I hope you have a similar experience!

Nickfirsttimebuyer

@Filo25 @Alexm @hazyjo
@EssexHebridean @silvercar @MacPingu1986
I ended up buying a LOVELY 1 bed leasehold flat in April. The flat is in Highams Park, Zone 4 & 23 minutes by overground from Liverpool Street where I work now. I am still going through the conveyancing sadly because the property management company, FirstPort, is delaying everything since they do not reply to solicitors inquiries (or when they do they do not give satisfactory answers). I read their reviews in Trustpilot & they are ALL horibble. I am very stressed & even considering pulling out because if FP create such issues now, I'm not sure what happens once I'll be in their leasehold. Let me know your thoughts.

silvercar

Nickfirsttimebuyer said:

@Filo25 @Alexm @hazyjo
@EssexHebridean @silvercar @MacPingu1986
I ended up buying a LOVELY 1 bed leasehold flat in April. The flat is in Highams Park, Zone 4 & 23 minutes by overground from Liverpool Street where I work now. I am still going through the conveyancing sadly because the property management company, FirstPort, is delaying everything since they do not reply to solicitors inquiries (or when they do they do not give satisfactory answers). I read their reviews in Trustpilot & they are ALL horibble. I am very stressed & even considering pulling out because if FP create such issues now, I'm not sure what happens once I'll be in their leasehold. Let me know your thoughts.

If you want it, buy it. You won't need much contact with FP once you own the flat, other than paying bills.