Buying An Apartment In Leeds

10 Ways to get it Right

Okay, so you’ve decided to buy a place of your own in Leeds… but just how well have you thought things through? After all, there is bound to be a fair amount of money involved in this and you certainly don’t want to make the wrong decision!
Here are 10 of the most important points to consider. And keeping these in mind will drastically improve your chances of finding the ideal flat or apartment for you!

1. Is it the Right Price?

This may seem pretty obvious… but it’s amazing just how many people find that they have bitten-off far more than they can chew! Of course, only you will know exactly how much you can afford to pay out each month so make a point of sitting down and doing some basic maths.

Write yourself an ‘Incomings/Outgoings’ list and see how it all weighs up. Take your time and try to make sure that you haven’t overlooked anything (TV license, electricity, broadband, cat food, etc, etc).

And once you have finished… go back over the whole thing to make sure!

2. Is it in a Convenient Location?

Choosing a property in the right location can end-up saving you a colossal amount in fuel, bus or train fares! You’d be amazed at how much it can cost to get to work and back each day, even when you are only travelling from one side of the city to the other…

You may not like the idea of living right next-door to your place of work, but at the same time it will be very handy if you are only a short distance away! Five minutes on foot or bicycle is an ideal situation.

3. What Facilities are Available?

Another very important factor to consider is what facilities are close to hand. How far away are the nearest shops? And is your potential property purchase on a bus route? This all needs looking into!

Of course, some apartment blocks will boast plenty of their own facilities; from shops and bars to gyms and swimming pools. And if that is the case, then how near things are on the outside of the building may not be quite as important…

4. Would you consider a ‘Shell’?

Something else to consider is a ‘shell’ apartment. As its name would imply, this basically means a living space that is totally devoid of fixtures, fittings and internal walls.

Of course, a ‘shell’ apartment will have a smaller price tag attached to it than a ‘normal’ apartment… but you will still have to ‘shell-out’ a substantial amount of money to get it all tickety-boo.

It’s time to do some maths again! Is it worth getting an apartment like this and finishing it off yourself???

5. What is the Area Like?

If you have found an appealing apartment, then it is always worth doing a little homework on the actual area it is in before making a final decision…

Is it quiet? Is it tidy? Is there a Heavy Metal nightclub next-door-but-one?

Keep an eye out for any obvious warning signs… broken windows, graffiti, burnt-out cars and scary-looking gangs of lads! And if you simply do not have enough time to go walking around in the immediate area, then Google Maps is always a great alternative!

Buying a property in a bad area can lead to all kinds of additional irritations; noise problems, security concerns, nuisance neighbours, etc. So when it comes to re-selling you may find yourself in a very tricky situation… especially if any prospective buyers have read this guide and followed the advice!!!

6. How Much Space do You Need?

You clearly don’t want to buy an apartment that is cramped and uncomfortable… but at the same time, you don’t want a place that is simply too big. On the whole, the larger a property is, the more expensive it will be so this all requires some careful thought.

Make a conscious decision about how much room you actually need and try your best to stick to it. After all, this could save you a great deal of money in the long run!

On the other hand, if you have any plans on extending your family, then this should also be kept in mind…

7. Do You Like the Style?

Neo-Classical, Post-Modernist or Baroque??? We all have our own definite tastes when it comes to architecture.

You may not be able to find an apartment that ranks at an exceptional 16 out of 10 on your personal ‘Visual-ometer’, but you certainly don’t have to settle for ‘second best’ either… After all, if you are buying your own apartment, then you will want it to be pleasing to the eye!

Fortunately Leeds is a city with a wonderful diversity of architecture and there are all manner of wonderful looking buildings to consider!

8. Is it a Good Investment?

When you buy your own flat or apartment, it doesn’t have to be for life! But if there is any chance of your putting it back on the market in a few years, it needs to be a worthwhile investment…

None of us can be sure of property prices in the years to come (unfortunately!). However, if you purchase an apartment in a particularly ‘hip’ or ‘up-and-coming’ area of Leeds, then it could result in a nice tidy profit!

9. Is There Somewhere to Park?

99.9% of people now have their own vehicle. So, bearing this in mind, a property with its own parking facilities is an absolute godsend!

Make a point of finding out where you will be able to park. When you are buying an apartment there are so many other things to think about that this can be completely overlooked…

10. Does it have its own Balcony or Garden?

Even if you are not terribly green-fingered it is still nice to have a bit of ‘the great outdoors’ on tap. However, the good news is that there are plenty of apartments in Leeds with their own little gardens or balconies!

Just enough space for a couple of chairs and a table… or you may even decide to grow your own tomatoes!!