Park Hill and Urban Splash Megathread

[chem1st]

you're just getting hysterical now.

 

I haven't even been to the offy, or fired up my pipe yet, today's Friday thread could be a hoot!

[Sithee]

Looks to me that these are really high quality flats and when the housing market completely tanks, next year, they will be eminently squatable.

 

Meanwhile, big up for chem1st's contribution. I'd agree with every word, but only if those words were rearranged in the correct order.

 

(That joke courtesy of Eric Morecambe).

[tom_fordo]

Hey Up, Pinkywash, I've pm'd you

[Plain Talker]

I seem to remember there was free under floor heating in my mums flat on Park Hill but it wasn't very warm. If you wanted any direct heat you needed to turn on these massive electric radiators. I can't be 100% sure though. I was probably 8 years old and the inner workings of a flat weren't my #1 priority.

 

The meter in my flat on Norfolk Park must have been broken, in a bad way. I would buy some heating tokens and switch the heating on and all you hear was a loud 'tick, tick,tick,tick'. It drove me in wild state of paranoia. I was scared crapless of how much money it was using!

 

It wasn't underfloor heating. It wasn't free.

 

The "electric radiators" were actually "powered" by the rubbish being burnt in the original on-site incinerator, and then, later, a little further away at the Bernard Road incinerator. (the Hyde Park and Kelvin flats had the same system, but Kelvin had their own incinerator at the far-end of the complex , HPF was close enough to PHF to make use of the Incinerator there.)

 

The tenants paid a weekly district-heating charge, just like we did, in my parents' maisonette on Gleadless Valley. (there are other districts which have communal heating to this day)

 

I remember my grandma's flat on Norwich Row as being very warm indeed, and a blast of warmth, on a bitter-cold day, hitting you as you opened the front door to go into gran's flat. I remember the thick towel rail in the bathroom which was perfect for drying one's clothes, overnight, if I stopped over at Gran's.

 

I agree, there were many flaws in the communal system that was put in at Norfolk Park. Not least of which was the council locking themselves into a contract which meant they were still paying for the district heating facility for years after the flats had been demolished.

[brian1941]

brilliant - in years to come i bet people living there will be envied and the flat prices will go up, or are they called 'apartments' now like films are called 'movies' etc haha

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yes some are apartments selling from £ 90,000

http://www.urbansplash.co.uk. check this.

 

i'd be very cautious, remember neighbours with loud music ?

[Jim Hardie]

Beware, urban splash can only give you an estimate of the service charges. This is most likely to be on the optimistic side and will rise rapidly over the first few years. They will give you an optimistic figure as it makes the apartment look more attractive, there is absolutely nothing legally binding about the estimate.

 

Being a complex listed building this will be extremely expensive to maintain and you will be in for a nasty shock a few years down the line when the service charge goes through the roof.

 

Please go in with eyes (and wallet) open.

 

That said, the apartments do look beautiful, but perhaps a little cold with the bare concrete walls.

 

Timeshare companies use the same tactic. The service charge rises year on year, the time slot is almost impossible to sell, people stop paying the service charge and the time slot then reverts back to the company to be sold to the next mug.

[amanda holl]

i loved our flat on park hill early 90 they are in a really good place parking not that good though and once someone stole our whole windscreen from our car! that was one to remember.. we was at the top too near clay flats

[Paul2412]

hmm further to my last post i jsut saw http://www.urbansplash.co.uk/park-hill/23-long-henry-street/buy

 

so its about 120k leasehold + service charges for a 2 bed flat . that sort of money ill stick to a semi detached 3 bed free hold house

 

For £120K, you're house will likely be on an estate overrun with chav's burning your car, threatening you in the street, breaking your windows and intimidating you.

 

It'll have a small garden, and have poor transport links. It won't have secure parking.

 

For £120K, you get a spacious flat over 2 levels in an excellent location for working in town or commuting. Your front door entrance will be closed off to the general public and you'll get a secure car parking space.

 

I'd rather have the flat.

[Pablo1966]

Its a listed building, so maybe you are restricted on what you can or cant do.

 

the flats look great and start at 90K, I'd be tempted if I could afford a mortgage

[theripsaw]

For £120K, you're house will likely be on an estate overrun with chav's burning your car, threatening you in the street, breaking your windows and intimidating you.

 

It'll have a small garden, and have poor transport links. It won't have secure parking.

 

For £120K, you get a spacious flat over 2 levels in an excellent location for working in town or commuting. Your front door entrance will be closed off to the general public and you'll get a secure car parking space.

 

I'd rather have the flat.

 

Are some of the flats over two levels??