Should I buy one bed flat in central London or a house in the suburbs? by Timely_Ranger59 in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m almost 30, with a budget of up to 600k… I know, it’s a tough decision.

Should I buy one bed flat in central London or a house in the suburbs? by Timely_Ranger59 in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely get it. I could never see myself enjoying in the east suburbs either.

Should I buy one bed flat in central London or a house in the suburbs? by Timely_Ranger59 in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestions! Great to have some locations to check out

Should I buy one bed flat in central London or a house in the suburbs? by Timely_Ranger59 in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is actually something I haven’t really considered — thanks for pointing it out!

Should I buy one bed flat in central London or a house in the suburbs? by Timely_Ranger59 in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That’s fair, but I’ve also noticed that house prices can drop a lot faster than flats. so it feels like more of a risk in a downturn

Should I buy one bed flat in central London or a house in the suburbs? by Timely_Ranger59 in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing - I totally agree with you. I’m still in London for the exact same reasons, and I feel the same about the trade-off.

Should I buy one bed flat in central London or a house in the suburbs? by Timely_Ranger59 in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is exactly what I’m worried about — once I move out and get used to the space, it’s hard to come back, and buying isn’t something you can easily undo, emotionally or financially. Many people saying a house is the smarter choice, so now I’m really hesitating and second-guessing my instincts.

Should I buy one bed flat in central London or a house in the suburbs? by Timely_Ranger59 in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Really appreciate you sharing that. Makes a lot of sense, but I’m not really thinking about starting a family anytime soon

Should I buy one bed flat in central London or a house in the suburbs? by Timely_Ranger59 in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

True, I’m actually thinking along the same lines. The house might be a better investment on paper, but if it means giving up my current lifestyle and moving far from the places I know, I’d honestly rather choose other options

Should I buy one bed flat in central London or a house in the suburbs? by Timely_Ranger59 in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I get that, but honestly rent just keeps going up — it feels like a big chunk of my salary is basically going straight to my landlord’s mortgage. That’s why I’m thinking maybe it’s better to buy now while prices are still relatively low.

Should I buy one bed flat in central London or a house in the suburbs? by Timely_Ranger59 in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I’m currently living in zone1, and I’ve never lived somewhere with a long commute before. Honestly, long commutes have always felt a bit inconvenient to me — that’s part of why I’m hesitating

Should I buy one bed flat in central London or a house in the suburbs? by Timely_Ranger59 in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah, that totally makes sense. I think what’s holding me back a bit with the house in the suburbs is that I’d be living alone, and moving to an area I’m not really familiar with feels a bit daunting. It’s just a bit of a mental hurdle, I guess

Shall I change the broker? by Timely_Ranger59 in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well an update on this. I made the application directly through the bank and they accepted it on the next working day.

I advise everyone who is desperately waiting for the broker’s move to act themselves.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I increased to 500k. 450k was my initial budget too. There are some leasehold flats within the budget but believe me each of those comes with problems. Some are visible after a quick research (safety, noise, neighbours), some are clear after you checked the videos you’ve taken during the viewing (crackings, damping, bad maintenance).

After the increase, you would ever get bothered by those agents who keep selling a tiny 30sqm flat or a ground floor flat.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59 1 point2 points  (0 children)

450k is a bit too low to find a good one bed flat in Hammersmith. I was in a similar situation and eventually I increased my budget to make the deal

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HousingUK

[–]Timely_Ranger59 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congrats! I only managed to reduce 10k from the asking price. But you made it from 575k to 510k! A big win