Hotshot-Tottenham
Michael Carrick
Hi chaps and chapesses,
So, after a long road my divorce will be finalized in May this year and I’ll be moving out of the marital home with a lump sum from the settlement that I can use as a deposit on a new place.
I’ve seen a few and there are two on my shortlist, both 2-bed flats:
1. Asking price has been reduced by £10k recently, older building but with a good EPC energy rating, off street parking, nice high ceilings, feels spacious, bay windows, some nice touches like tasteful paneling on the main bedroom wall. Kitchen is small-ish but totally fine. On the first floor of 3. No direct outside space but access to a nice shared garden.
Combi-boiler. Overall in good condition, some minor decorative bits to do, eg chipped kitchen cupboard door, chipped bathroom unit door. Walk-in wardrobe off the main bedroom, could be converted to an en-suite.
It’s set back from the road a bit, nothing really walkable in the area. Plenty of trees on the plot so some greenery around.
Or,
2. Asking price also reduced by £10k and been on the market since last summer (why??), but £20k cheaper than option 1.
Roughly option 2 would be £2-3k cheaper per year to run (lower council tax, service charge, lower mortgage).
Kitchen-diner rather than separate, smaller by 144 square feet than option 1. Electric heating, not gas. Newer build, not particularly pretty from the outside but has parking and garage.
On the top floor of a four-storey block, and has a lovely square balcony / terrace (12 sq metres) that overlooks the harbour and the hills beyond with trees this side - would be LOVELY on summer evenings.
Bathroom is fine but I would want to replace it. Second bedroom is a bit boxy - would be my home office.
It’s on a no-through road with lots of greenery, and is close to a really nice area with local shops, restaurants and bars, totally walkable.
-
I’m torn. Both are affordable but obviously one is cheaper than the other.
Option 1 has a nicer feel inside and is unarguably nicer looking and bigger, and the overall layout is better.
Option 2 would be fine, and has that balcony… Just lovely outside space. Feels like there would be compromises on a couple of points but would be the practical / conservative choice perhaps.
So, head or heart? Somewhere bigger with a nicer look and feel but costs more, or somewhere cheaper (so I can better over pay on the mortgage to try to chip it down quicker) but with the balcony trump-card??
I’m finding it tough to decide, and all the time there’s the anxiety that someone else will make an offer. (I already lost out one place that I loveddd because the timing didn’t work)
I’m second-guessing myself, and because it’s only me now there’s no-one to bounce off, no-one to sense check with, so here I am
Help!!
So, after a long road my divorce will be finalized in May this year and I’ll be moving out of the marital home with a lump sum from the settlement that I can use as a deposit on a new place.
I’ve seen a few and there are two on my shortlist, both 2-bed flats:
1. Asking price has been reduced by £10k recently, older building but with a good EPC energy rating, off street parking, nice high ceilings, feels spacious, bay windows, some nice touches like tasteful paneling on the main bedroom wall. Kitchen is small-ish but totally fine. On the first floor of 3. No direct outside space but access to a nice shared garden.
Combi-boiler. Overall in good condition, some minor decorative bits to do, eg chipped kitchen cupboard door, chipped bathroom unit door. Walk-in wardrobe off the main bedroom, could be converted to an en-suite.
It’s set back from the road a bit, nothing really walkable in the area. Plenty of trees on the plot so some greenery around.
Or,
2. Asking price also reduced by £10k and been on the market since last summer (why??), but £20k cheaper than option 1.
Roughly option 2 would be £2-3k cheaper per year to run (lower council tax, service charge, lower mortgage).
Kitchen-diner rather than separate, smaller by 144 square feet than option 1. Electric heating, not gas. Newer build, not particularly pretty from the outside but has parking and garage.
On the top floor of a four-storey block, and has a lovely square balcony / terrace (12 sq metres) that overlooks the harbour and the hills beyond with trees this side - would be LOVELY on summer evenings.
Bathroom is fine but I would want to replace it. Second bedroom is a bit boxy - would be my home office.
It’s on a no-through road with lots of greenery, and is close to a really nice area with local shops, restaurants and bars, totally walkable.
-
I’m torn. Both are affordable but obviously one is cheaper than the other.
Option 1 has a nicer feel inside and is unarguably nicer looking and bigger, and the overall layout is better.
Option 2 would be fine, and has that balcony… Just lovely outside space. Feels like there would be compromises on a couple of points but would be the practical / conservative choice perhaps.
So, head or heart? Somewhere bigger with a nicer look and feel but costs more, or somewhere cheaper (so I can better over pay on the mortgage to try to chip it down quicker) but with the balcony trump-card??
I’m finding it tough to decide, and all the time there’s the anxiety that someone else will make an offer. (I already lost out one place that I loveddd because the timing didn’t work)
I’m second-guessing myself, and because it’s only me now there’s no-one to bounce off, no-one to sense check with, so here I am
Help!!
