jamespetts

Hmm, interesting. The only ones that I can find available are this one bedroom flat: http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33275860 but it is more cramped inside than the Peckham pub conversion. and this tiny studio flat: http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33303756 The two bed in Norman Court would seem better value for space, though that 1 bed flat in Taymount Rise bears consideration (although it is single glazed, which is highly unfortunate). Thank you for that suggestion. Edit: Having found that the freeholder is a company by the name of Freshwater, there are some concerns. This was written about the company http://www.allagents.co.uk/review/55900/: "Well, I'm glad that's over. I've sold my flat in Taymount Grange now and will soon never have to deal with Freshwater again. Both in buying, leaseholding and finally in selling, my experience is that they are exceedingly slow, their bills are very very high in comparison to others and they are very difficult to work with. Having Freshwater or any of the other group companies associated with any property I wanted to deal with in future would put me off entirely. I would not recommend having anything to do with them in any way. Taymount Grange SE23 in Forest Hill for example, looked to have been neglected for many years with minimal maintenance performed poorly. Then, in the space of three years, (I assume because of the neglect) major works had to be performed at the cost of many hundreds of thousands. Fortunately these are now all complete... just as I sell off and run away. I lost track eventually, but over the three last years I think the excess service charges on my one (of about 100 flats in the block) were about ?25,000. On top of the annual ?1800 gouging. Avoid." Edit: On calling the agent this morning, I was told that this one was under offer in any event.

Well, there are compromises to be made. The more that I look, the more that it seems that what would really suit me is a nice inter-war private purpose built block (which might grandly be styled a "mansion block", but I am not sure the extent to which that term would strictly apply to places like Norman Court and Parklands in Peckham Rye), and this one seems quite spacious (indeed, more spacious than where I am renting now) and located in a rather pleasant part of the world, being East Dulwich. Apparently, the tenants (who can be given 2 months' notice, I am told) are causing problems with viewings, but it seems that this is definitely worth considering seriously despite the transportational drawbacks. It would still be just about cyclable from central London, and the trains from Forest Hill go to London Bridge, Victoria, Croydon and Highbury and Islington amongst other useful destinations. Although the trains do not run at night, the 176 I believe passes this area and runs 24 hours a day.

I e-mailed the agent this morning to ask whether the vendor knew anything about the enfranchisement process, and was told that it was now under offer.

I don't mind a bit of a walk, but when I have to go somewhere early, every few minutes extra in bed is to be coveted. It is interesting that, to some central London destinations, this place is worse on the railway than Catford (where one can buy an actual house for the same money) during the day, but, of course, much quicker on the 'bus at night. It is also cyclable from central London, which Catford is not, and is a more pleasant area. Then there is the dinky one bed flat in a converted pub in Peckham with the stud walls and fake fireplace. These decisions are decidedly challenging for those who have the misfortune of not being millionaires.

Saila Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > .. another dismissive, derogatory phrase for a > woman, with no equivalent for a man. yawn. boring > sexism at its best. May I suggest the male equivalent of "dishy daddy"?

I am very wary of this. A good friend of mine who has experience of highly questionable freeholders tells of how the situation became so unpleasant that she would rather have had a dental procedure than gone home every day. The value of the property in future is but one consideration; the quality of life in the meantime is also important, especially as acquiring the right to manage, like any legal process, can be extremely protracted and costly, and there is always the risk of it not succeeding. That, according to the Guardian article, one group of residents let off fireworks when they bought their property from an associated company gives some clue as to how arduous that the battle had been until then and how desperate that they must have been to win it. If it was just the level of the service charge, it would be a dispassionate mathematical calculus of financial cost to financial benefit, but I am very wary indeed of risking long-term quality of life.

A tart is a pie without a lid. A yummy mummy is that which gives birth to jelly babies.

One of the leaseholders in the block kindly PMed me this morning. Apparently, the block is owned by the much despised OM Property Management Limited (http://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/feb/12/peverel-property-management-tenant-rebellion) which seems to be a highly questionable outfit, to say the least. I am told that plans are afoot to purchase the freehold from them, but such a process can be lengthy and expensive, so, sadly, whilst charming, I shall have to avoid anything in this block unless and until the freehold buyout is completed.

KidKruger Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If I were looking for someone who lives there I > may go to the block itself as there's a good > chance that someone there lives there. That would seem a bit impertinent, really: I don't imagine that random people would like to be disturbed in that sort of way. It seems so impolite.

Where might I find such a person?

Thank you very much for your feedback: very helpful. It is such a shame, as it is a lovely block otherwise and the flats are quite spacious inside. I had loved the fact that the interiors were so original, but I suppose that this is consistent with very little maintenance work being done.

Thank you very much for that information: very helpful.

Thank you very much. It seems to me that it is worth a look, at least: the noisiness can easily be measured (I have a decibel meter app on my smartphone) and the garden can be inspected. At least the flats seem to be double glazed, which might well deal with the noise issue. I shall book viewings of the two flats that I have seen for sale there. As for the space: they have decidedly more space than the 1 bedroom converted pub that I am looking at in the alternative.

Interesting. I wonder why it is that people like period conversions so much? I am really not a fan of conversions at all: the fact that the thing is not being used for its intended purpose grates, and I always find that space is badly used and that trying to fit an entire dwelling in what was designed as half a dwelling is rather like trying to fit a quart into a pint pot. *Edit*: Norman Court is apparently owned by the Norman Court (Lordship Lane) Management Company Limited, according to the Land Registry, so seemingly not a local authority block after all, unless Southwark sold the freehold (but that is not, I understand, what tends to happen with local authority blocks).

Not quite East Dulwich, but very close to it: does anyone know anything of the low-rise "Parklands" block on Peckham Rye, opposite the common? I am looking to buy a 1 bedroom flat in the area, and there is one in that block that I viewed to-day which was rather good, but I am somewhat concerned about whether the freeholder is trustworthy or competent in light of the fact that there was a hole in the ceiling in one of the common parts (apparently cut on purpose owing to its straight sides) which seemed to be connected with leaks of some sort, as there was sacking material on the floor underneath (it has been dry lately and there was no obvious water). The lettering for the word "Parklands" above the main entrance is also partly missing. Further, the annual service charge seems a little on the high side at ?2,100. A friend who lived in a development in North London of about the same vintage tells ghastly tales of positively crooked managing agents who deliberately shirked their maintenance obligations and improperly imposed excessive charges with the aim of financial gain (she and her fiance have now bought a house in about zone 5). Does anyone here have experience with this particular block?