LONDON PROPERTY TIPS - LONDON PROPERTIES YOU WANT TO AVOID

London property tips - Pt1

There are certain properties that I advise clients to avoid. Of course we all have different preferences, but there are certain golden rules that you should follow.

London property tips: Lower Ground Floor Apartments

These tend to be the cheapest flats in a building. This is because they tend to be dark. They are also more likely to be affected by damp than any other part of the building. They are more at risk of flooding from flash downpours. The dustbins for the whole building will probably be kept in the vaults at the front of the property outside the front window of the basement flat. There are security issues and many lower ground floor flats have metal grilles on the windows.

London property tips: Flats On The Top Floors Without A Lift

Again you tend to be able to buy more for your money if you buy an apartment above the first floor without a lift: The higher the floor, the cheaper the flat. The problem is that not many people want to hike up two or three flights of stairs to reach their home. If you are returning from work this may not seem like a problem if you are fit, but what if you have bags of shopping or are returning from holiday with suitcases? Second floor apartments without a lift tend to be reasonably easy to sell, but any higher than this and you need to be careful.

London property tips: Properties On Busy Roads

I would avoid any roads that have lots of traffic especially bus routes and lorries. Apart from the pollution, the simple fact is that the noise is irritating and the property will be hard to resell. There are obvious exceptions to this rule like Park Lane and Grosvenor Square.

London property tips: Houses & Flats That Are “Tube Or Train Affected”

You need to spend five or ten minutes in a prospective property to check that it is not affected by a tube line running nearby. You will be able to tell by a faint (or not so faint rumble). It may also manifest itself by glasses or bottles rattling in the drinks’ cabinet. This is undesirable for obvious reasons including the fact that it will probably happen every five minutes between 6:30pm and midnight. There are a number of streets throughout London that are affected by this, so you need to be careful.

London property tips: Properties Above Or Next To Commercial Premises

Absolutely avoid any home above, opposite or next to a restaurant. There will be noise and smell from extractor fans etc. Personally I avoid all homes near commercial properties. However, you may decide that living above an antiques’ shop or art gallery is not a problem.

London property tips: Properties Near Pubs

It is a well documented fact that people tend to be slightly louder after a few drinks. This can have an effect on the enjoyment of your home and will disparage prospective buyers. Obviously not every pub has screaming teenagers outside, but why run the risk of it turning into such a pub if the management changes. Equally it could be turned into a gastro pub and then you have the issue with smell, extractor fans etc.

London property tips: "Awkward Homes"

By awkward i mean properties that have a strange layout or awkwardly shaped rooms. Although these may hold a certain charm one has to take into account how easy they are to live in. If you think you will have to edge around pieces of furniture to navigate a room, because of its shape, then it is probably a property to avoid. This is not a problem if it is only one or two rooms in a large house. However, I know of two houses that are only 9 feet wide, for example. How many people will want to buy these?

Of course there are exceptions to these rules. There is the occasional lower ground floor apartment that is exceptional. If a house is on a busy road, but has direct access to a fantastic communal garden then you might consider it. Ultimately it will depend on what compromise you are comfortable with. However, you must always take into account how easy it will be to resell a property.

These properties tend to be cheaper for a reason. You may be able to find a buyer for them reasonably quickly in a strong market, but if the market is slow, some of these properties can almost be impossible to sell.
The one time you may not worry about these rules is if you are buying an investment. Ultimately only the numbers matter. If it is a property that can be rented out easily (people tend to be less particular about where they are renting compared to when they are buying) and provides a return with which you are happy, it could be a great investment.

Otherwise stick to the old mantra: Location, Location, Location.

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