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Anyone here live in a flat ?
I am downsizing
I really don't have any interest in gardens or feeding the birds
I will have to turn down the volume on the sabbath for old Bert downstairs in number 4 but apart from that I can't see any big drawbacks ?
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SLUDGE FACTORY
I am downsizing
I really don't have any interest in gardens or feeding the birds
I will have to turn down the volume on the sabbath for old Bert downstairs in number 4 but apart from that I can't see any big drawbacks ?
No, but when I moved recently I asked the same question and the drawbacks I heard were: difficulty in drying your laundry and having to carry your shopping up a few flights of stairs. Isn't there also that maintenance fee you have to pay?
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
Bluebirdman Of Alcathays
No, but when I moved recently I asked the same question and the drawbacks I heard were: difficulty in drying your laundry and having to carry your shopping up a few flights of stairs. Isn't there also that maintenance fee you have to pay?
There is a communal garden with washing lines
Yes , mine includes a house insurance contribution
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
I live abroad. Everyone lives in flats over here. So do I. Have done for the last 13 years.
In terms of living, I feel as comfortable in an apartment as in a house.
The only thing I hate about it is the communal stuff. Basically, in Spain, you have to vote on every communal decision and your M2 corresponds to the percentage your vote is worth.
At the moment , we are voting on putting a lift in and the price of things has just spiralled. Thing is, if you have a certain number of people who are happy to get into massive debts to get the job done, you have no option but to follow.
I don't know how communal issues are sorted out in apartment blocks in Wales, but I'd say the likelihood of falling out with your neighbours is generally a bit higher than if you live in a detached house.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Divine Wright
I live abroad. Everyone lives in flats over here. So do I. Have done for the last 13 years.
In terms of living, I feel as comfortable in an apartment as in a house.
The only thing I hate about it is the communal stuff. Basically, in Spain, you have to vote on every communal decision and your M2 corresponds to the percentage your vote is worth.
At the moment , we are voting on putting a lift in and the price of things has just spiralled. Thing is, if you have a certain number of people who are happy to get into massive debts to get the job done, you have no option but to follow.
I don't know how communal issues are sorted out in apartment blocks in Wales, but I'd say the likelihood of falling out with your neighbours is generally a bit higher than if you live in a detached house.
I think we could reduce some of our housing problems if we built more flats
I don't know wether any decisions on major cost issues can be made within a typical management group over here
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Being merely a freeholder and not being in control of maintenance expenses isn't appealing.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
Taunton Blue Genie
Being merely a freeholder and not being in control of maintenance expenses isn't appealing.
What about being a leaseholder and in the same position ?
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SLUDGE FACTORY
What about being a leaseholder and in the same position ?
Sorry, I meant leaseholder.
Oh, and the duration of the lease will probably reduce as the years tick by.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SLUDGE FACTORY
I think we could reduce some of our housing problems if we built more flats
I don't know wether any decisions on major cost issues can be made within a typical management group over here
Most modern blocks have a management company. Decisions are made are made and residents have to comply. Much, much easier in the case of repairs, anti-social behaviour, etc. My son lives in a converted house and basically paid for some repairs to the roof himself as it was so hard to get the others to agree.
Bear in mind that if it is a newer block (this may apply also to converted houses, I don't know) there will be a service charge. This can be pretty hefty so check it out.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Robin Friday's Ghost
Most modern blocks have a management company. Decisions are made are made and residents have to comply. Much, much easier in the case of repairs, anti-social behaviour, etc. My son lives in a converted house and basically paid for some repairs to the roof himself as it was so hard to get the others to agree.
Bear in mind that if it is a newer block (this may apply also to converted houses, I don't know) there will be a service charge. This can be pretty hefty so check it out.
I don't know if people remember, but when I moved five years ago, I was all set to buy the leasehold of a flat in deepest Beddau. I'd agreed a price and was all set to move in, but delays in selling my house in Cardiff meant that I was able to do the research into the leasehold and what it entailed that I should have done earlier and, in the event, I backed out because the more I learned, the worse it sounded. This meant I was back to square one in effect because the proposed buyer of my house did the same once he heard of my decision.
Still, it was all very much for the best, as I ended with a place I own which cost me the same as the leasehold (it wasn't a full leasehold only about a third of one) on that flat would have done and I don't have to pay the annual service and maintenance charges on top every year which ran into four figures on the flat I almost got.
I'm not saying don't ever get a leasehold, but it might be worth getting a solicitor to look through the one you're after - looking back at it now, I had a very lucky escape.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
Taunton Blue Genie
Sorry, I meant leaseholder.
Oh, and the duration of the lease will probably reduce as the years tick by.
It's a 999 year lease which began in 1965
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Robin Friday's Ghost
Most modern blocks have a management company. Decisions are made are made and residents have to comply. Much, much easier in the case of repairs, anti-social behaviour, etc. My son lives in a converted house and basically paid for some repairs to the roof himself as it was so hard to get the others to agree.
Bear in mind that if it is a newer block (this may apply also to converted houses, I don't know) there will be a service charge. This can be pretty hefty so check it out.
The place was built in 1965 and has a 999 year lease from that date
Yearly service charge is 1200 which includes buildings insurance
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SLUDGE FACTORY
The place was built in 1965 and has a 999 year lease from that date
Yearly service charge is 1200 which includes buildings insurance
That is reasonable. Forgot to mention the lease. We extended ours last year. It might be worth contacting the management company to check if there are any major repairs or other expenses planned in the near future.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Robin Friday's Ghost
That is reasonable. Forgot to mention the lease. We extended ours last year. It might be worth contacting the management company to check if there are any major repairs or other expenses planned in the near future.
It's a dirty business
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Divine Wright
I live abroad. Everyone lives in flats over here. So do I. Have done for the last 13 years.
In terms of living, I feel as comfortable in an apartment as in a house.
The only thing I hate about it is the communal stuff. Basically, in Spain, you have to vote on every communal decision and your M2 corresponds to the percentage your vote is worth.
At the moment , we are voting on putting a lift in and the price of things has just spiralled. Thing is, if you have a certain number of people who are happy to get into massive debts to get the job done, you have no option but to follow.
I don't know how communal issues are sorted out in apartment blocks in Wales, but I'd say the likelihood of falling out with your neighbours is generally a bit higher than if you live in a detached house.
Same in Barcelona, but we are 1 apartment 1 vote.
I'm 1st floor so lift maintenance isn't my top priority :hehe:, but hundreds of other issues and agree some people here seem to have bottomless pockets, constantly wanting to reform and changes shit. We had a fire/arson attack new years day 2021 luckily nobody hurt but it actually brought the small community closer together as we all stood on the street in our PJ's.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
OurManFlint II
Same in Barcelona, but we are 1 apartment 1 vote.
I'm 1st floor so lift maintenance isn't my top priority :hehe:, but hundreds of other issues and agree some people here seem to have bottomless pockets, constantly wanting to reform and changes shit. We had a fire/arson attack new years day 2021 luckily nobody hurt but it actually brought the small community closer together as we all stood on the street in our PJ's.
Germany , France , Holland , Spain ....seems far more people live in apartments and also rent than they do here .....
I think that's great personally , I don't need a family home but very few two bed houses seem to be built these days so it's flats or apartments
How hot does it get in Spain in those flats in high summer ?
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SLUDGE FACTORY
Germany , France , Holland , Spain ....seems far more people live in apartments and also rent than they do here .....
I think that's great personally , I don't need a family home but very few two bed houses seem to be built these days so it's flats or apartments
How hot does it get in Spain in those flats in high summer ?
flats and apartments here tend to be very small as well
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
Rjk
flats and apartments here tend to be very small as well
That's very true
I need somewhere to store my fishing tackle and metal t shirts
You have to know what's important
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
When I was buying a flat in Cardiff many years ago, apart from having to pay ground rent (wasn't much) I also had to pay maintenance costs to the management company.
The flats were built in 1965 and had a problematic flat roof (damp).
The management company had contractors build a pitched roof. At the same time, the area around the basement garages was in need of repair... all of this work (roof & tarmac) came out of a reserve fund that had accrued over the years.
All the maintenance costs each year were audited and sent to each resident. It was as transparent as could have reasonably been hoped for, therefore we weren't faced with a sudden huge bill.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
Rock_Flock_of_Five
When I was buying a flat in Cardiff many years ago, apart from having to pay ground rent (wasn't much) I also had to pay maintenance costs to the management company.
The flats were built in 1965 and had a problematic flat roof (damp).
The management company had contractors build a pitched roof. At the same time, the area around the basement garages was in need of repair... all of this work (roof & tarmac) came out of a reserve fund that had accrued over the years.
All the maintenance costs each year were audited and sent to each resident. It was as transparent as could have reasonably been hoped for, therefore we weren't faced with a sudden huge bill.
You can't ask for anything more than that really
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Obviously ground rent and service charge are the first things to be considered as additional costs.
I think my biggest concern would be nuisance “neighbours” in a house you may have none, 1 or 2 but it only takes one idiot living either side of you or above you to make it hell.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
2b2bdoo
Obviously ground rent and service charge are the first things to be considered as additional costs.
I think my biggest concern would be nuisance “neighbours” in a house you may have none, 1 or 2 but it only takes one idiot living either side of you or above you to make it hell.
Some elderly folks have the TV on very loud , it's not their awkwardness they just struggle with hearing
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SLUDGE FACTORY
Germany , France , Holland , Spain ....seems far more people live in apartments and also rent than they do here .....
I think that's great personally , I don't need a family home but very few two bed houses seem to be built these days so it's flats or apartments
How hot does it get in Spain in those flats in high summer ?
Germany is much better than Spain for the rental agreement, nobody owns a home in Germany.
Too hot, and what i was amazed at, is how cold it gets in winter as well lol. We have direct sun from about 2pm till 6pm, so not so bad. Keep the windows closed so the warm air doesn't come in and shutters down for those hours to totally block it out.
We are a small building so only 17 apartments.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
OurManFlint II
Germany is much better than Spain for the rental agreement, nobody owns a home in Germany.
Too hot, and what i was amazed at, is how cold it gets in winter as well lol. We have direct sun from about 2pm till 6pm, so not so bad. Keep the windows closed so the warm air doesn't come in and shutters down for those hours to totally block it out.
We are a small building so only 17 apartments.
Sounds lovely
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rock_Flock_of_Five
When I was buying a flat in Cardiff many years ago, apart from having to pay ground rent (wasn't much) I also had to pay maintenance costs to the management company.
The flats were built in 1965 and had a problematic flat roof (damp).
The management company had contractors build a pitched roof. At the same time, the area around the basement garages was in need of repair... all of this work (roof & tarmac) came out of a reserve fund that had accrued over the years.
All the maintenance costs each year were audited and sent to each resident. It was as transparent as could have reasonably been hoped for, therefore we weren't faced with a sudden huge bill.
Same as ours, company manages everything, we have meetings and vote on decisions, but most of the hardcore maintenance is driven by the building inspections you get. They take care of the cleaning, insurance, inspections etc. I think all property management companies in Barcelona are registered lawyers but not all building need to have a company. I've seen horror stories of people running off with the money when people were self organized.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
OurManFlint II
Same as ours, company manages everything, we have meetings and vote on decisions, but most of the hardcore maintenance is driven by the building inspections you get. They take care of the cleaning, insurance, inspections etc. I think all property management companies in Barcelona are registered lawyers but not all building need to have a company. I've seen horror stories of people running off with the money when people were self organized.
Crikey
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SLUDGE FACTORY
Some elderly folks have the TV on very loud , it's not their awkwardness they just struggle with hearing
They will be glad of that when you move in and crank up Iron Man.....
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
Taunton Blue Genie
They will be glad of that when you move in and crank up Iron Man.....
I have mellowed with regard to my volume controls to be fair
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
2b2bdoo
Obviously ground rent and service charge are the first things to be considered as additional costs.
I think my biggest concern would be nuisance “neighbours” in a house you may have none, 1 or 2 but it only takes one idiot living either side of you or above you to make it hell.
And how much they are allowed to rise year by year.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
Taunton Blue Genie
And how much they are allowed to rise year by year.
A very good point - it was frightening when I got to see some of the rises there’d been in the previous two or three years.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
OurManFlint II
Germany is much better than Spain for the rental agreement, nobody owns a home in Germany.
Too hot, and what i was amazed at, is how cold it gets in winter as well lol. We have direct sun from about 2pm till 6pm, so not so bad. Keep the windows closed so the warm air doesn't come in and shutters down for those hours to totally block it out.
We are a small building so only 17 apartments.
Most of my German friends do. As do aroung 45% of the population, I understand.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
Taunton Blue Genie
Most of my German friends do. As do aroung 45% of the population, I understand.
Sure I was being flippant, very very low in comparison to the top end though.
Spent some time between Mannheim and Basel for a few years whilst working, was surprised to learn of the low appetite from professional people interested in getting on the property ladder in those countries.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
OurManFlint II
Sure I was being flippant, very very low in comparison to the top end though.
Spent some time between Mannheim and Basel for a few years whilst working, was surprised to learn of the low appetite from professional people interested in getting on the property ladder in those countries.
How dare you be flippant on a message board, old fruit! Perish the thought! Heaven forfend!
By the way, a lot of German houses are more expensive than they need to be due to their having cellars.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
I’ve mentioned on here before that my daughter bought a new build on the site of the former Wharf pub over the bay.
She’s got to pay a monthly management fee on top of all her usual bills but if she wanted a parking space she would have to pay an additional £6000 a year
That’s £115 per week
If ever she wants the use of a car she borrows mine
Visitors are allowed parking and there’s a One Stop shop (Tesco) opened up in the opposite block about five months ago.
There’s lift access to all floors and she’s got a lovely wrap around balcony overlooking the water on the front
It’s in the perfect spot about ten minutes walk away from town or the bay.
We’ve already said if ever she wants a bigger place (hers is two bedrooms) we’ll happily do a swap 😀
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
Sunnysideup
I’ve mentioned on here before that my daughter bought a new build on the site of the former Wharf pub over the bay.
She’s got to pay a monthly management fee on top of all her usual bills but if she wanted a parking space she would have to pay an additional £6000 a year
That’s £115 per week
If ever she wants the use of a car she borrows mine
Visitors are allowed parking and there’s a One Stop shop (Tesco) opened up in the opposite block about five months ago.
There’s lift access to all floors and she’s got a lovely wrap around balcony overlooking the water on the front
It’s in the perfect spot about ten minutes walk away from town or the bay.
We’ve already said if ever she wants a bigger place (hers is two bedrooms) we’ll happily do a swap 😀
I couldn't live without a car
Fishing , going to west Wales outside of the main towns
I think if you could find a way of chilling down the bay 365 , 247 it might work
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
She only needs the car when she takes my little grandson to soft play or if she’s visiting friends or family.
Online shopping gets delivered or I’ll pick her up bits and pieces when I go if she needs anything.
There’s always fishermen all around the water outside hers - I think it’s called the old Roath dock?
I’ve chatted to a few
Private angling club
There’s some really big fish in there
Between hers and the Holiday inn there’s a shallow square of water they’re not allowed to fish
Looking down and with the sun shining you can see them just gathering together
Some of them spiral up and out of the water and they make a hell of a splash
Lots I’ve been told are upwards of thirty to forty pounds but the one fish everyone wants to catch is nicknamed “Ebenezer”
He’s weighing in at eighty pounds
I’ve spent many an hour chilling on her balcony with a glass of red watching the world go by 🍷
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sunnysideup
She only needs the car when she takes my little grandson to soft play or if she’s visiting friends or family.
Online shopping gets delivered or I’ll pick her up bits and pieces when I go if she needs anything.
There’s always fishermen all around the water outside hers - I think it’s called the old Roath dock?
I’ve chatted to a few
Private angling club
There’s some really big fish in there
Between hers and the Holiday inn there’s a shallow square of water they’re not allowed to fish
Looking down and with the sun shining you can see them just gathering together
Some of them spiral up and out of the water and they make a hell of a splash
Lots I’ve been told are upwards of thirty to forty pounds but the one fish everyone wants to catch is nicknamed “Ebenezer”
He’s weighing in at eighty pounds
I’ve spent many an hour chilling on her balcony with a glass of red watching the world go by
my brother lives down by there, he says there's a Chinese guy who's always fishing there at like 4am, who takes the fish home to eat
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
The fishermen are out there day and night
Some don’t go home for several days
Rain wind freezing cold
I think they’re all mad but they’re obviously doing something they love
I haven’t seen a Chinese guy but they’ll eat anything
Supposed to be catch and release fishing 🎣
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
Rjk
my brother lives down by there, he says there's a Chinese guy who's always fishing there at like 4am, who takes the fish home to eat
Do you mean the East dock where the Wharf Fishing Club operates? We have a flat down there.
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Re: Anyone here live in a flat ?
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Originally Posted by
Robin Friday's Ghost
Do you mean the East dock where the Wharf Fishing Club operates? We have a flat down there.
That's where I think he means
It most certainly is a catch and return water
Carp , pike , bream , tench , roach , rudd etc all grow to huge sizes in there
I am surprised anyone is getting away with catching and killing fish there as it covered with cctv and the anglers themselves come from all over the UK to fish it and pay good money to do so