Positive:
It's a good value for size and location. I cohabit with my partner and we have enough space. The extra room, be it a study/small bedroom/studio, is a very nice addition to the property (we use it as a music studio) as well as the balcony.
Although the kitchen and living room are in the same area, a small step and nice open wall gives the two rooms a sense of individuality.
Shops and transportation routes are very close by as well as a few lovely pubs. It takes no more than 5 minutes to get into the north laines and about 10 to get on the high-street
Negatives:
Unfortunately.. there is a few.
First and foremost the Landlord, he's a nice person but as with most landlords the aspect of financial greed really brings the renting experience down. He is rather unresponsive and will always look for the cheapest route. If its broken, it's probably been ""fixed"" with sticky tape like the balcony door is.
The time to get things fixed is unbelievably slow, so slow that everything that has broke since I lived here I had repaired myself just to save myself the hassle of waiting weeks(bigger things such as a broken toilet was paid for). The only thing I hadn't fixed was the balcony door, unfortunately sticky tape (much to my landlords surprise) doesn't hold up during a storm. The wood was water damaged enough over the years that it just crumbled and the glass pane fell out and smashed. I think it was about 8months I lived with a makeshift wooden barricade filling the missing glass on the door.
Some quick-fire negatives:
- Mould
- Water pressure is very low
- Hot water only lasts a few minutes
- Hot water is incredibly hot in the shower, the moment you mix it with cold water its freezing.
- The biggest window being the balcony door is single glazed
- Poor insulation
- Busy road, loud cars and bikes as well as lorries, busses, and emergency vehicles are very frequent.
- Foot traffic is quite high, mostly at peak times (before/after school hours, weekend nights)
I'm quite easy going so the negatives honestly didn't bother me to much, the worst being the water pressure and mould.
Advice for next tenants:
This place is okay at best. The price is decent for the area but ofc it is cheap for a reason. It's a good place for one person and comfortably holds two. Be prepared to take a lot into your own hands if you don't want to wait a long time for the landlord to fix things. If you are on a budget this flat is fine, if you are happy to spend an extra 100 I would advise it. It did me well when I was getting on my feet after finishing uni and only had junior salary.