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Kingsway Flats - Cambridge

Hello,

I was wondering what do you guys think of the Kingsway Flats in Cambridge?
I know it is a place with history but I have heard from a few people it has changed a lot for the better recently.
I am thinking of renting a one bedroom flat in there. Flat is very spacious and has a big balcony. Landlord wants £600 per calendar month. Seems like a good deal as the place is very well presented.

I have noticed there were few places for rent at Kingsway in 2012 and I believe four flats have also sold on the open market in there last year.

What do you think of it?

Cheers

Mark

Published by jones12380 at 9:19pm on Tue 14th January 2014. Viewed 13,221 times.

Well as you say it has a history. Plus they are usually a few flats to rent there for good reason. I've always heard the place is a drug addict addled hellhole that I would not poke a needle at. For 600 a month I thought you get something a lot nicer.

Published by bigmal at 10:18pm on Tue 14th January 2014.

A drug-addled hell-hole? Sounds like the ash housing coop.

Published by Boudicea Bambaataa at 1:17am on Wed 15th January 2014.

jones12380,

Do not listen to this yapping...
I have been living at Kingsway Flats for the last six years and definitely do not share the view that its a "hell hole". I have never had any problems with anyone. It is a very quiet residential area.
Few problems recently described in the Cambridge Evening News were actually caused by guys from Molewood Close...

Flats do rent very well. Last year alone I have seen a few advertised and the advert was not on for too long!. And you are right , about 3 or 4 of them have sold on the market in 2012 as well.

£600 a month for a flat is a very good price. You will not find stand alone flat for this money anywhere else in Cambridge. I believe Kingsway flats rented out for more last year. Social rent at the moment for 1- bed place is already £400!!. Flats are very nice and comfortable and have a big balcony.

If you have a look at Rightmove, places like Edgecombe for example (other CCC flats in the North Cambridge) do rent out for £800 (1-bed). I personally think Edgecombe is worse than Kingsway!

I have bought my 1-bed place at Kingsway from CCC under Right to Buy recently as I have received a massive discount (50% !) and living there for the last 6 years I have found no other reasons not to buy it.

Hope it helps!

Published by dragon0001 at 8:15am on Wed 15th January 2014.

I must admit I've never gone inside Kingsway Flats, but whenever I've walked past then they have tended to loom threateningly on the top of the hill, almost exactly like castle Dracula in a Hammer Horror film. This is purely due to the stories I've heard.

They might be quite nice if you actually go inside, which I've never actually done.

Published by Silent Rob at 8:51am on Wed 15th January 2014.

I must say comparing those flats to a Dracula castle is an utter nonsense.
I am a Cambridge City Council tenant and have a flat at Kingsway. I have not encountered any problems while being there and just to say I have been living there for 5 years now!

Dragon0001

I am thinking of buying my place as well under Right to Buy as I qualify for that now.
Could you tell me how much has the CCC valued Your property at Kingsway for?
Do you need any deposit when buying a place from a council given that you receive a discount?

Published by HowlettNicky at 1:13pm on Wed 15th January 2014.

I said that the flats seem like a dracula castle just because of how people go on about them. I also said that I've never been inside, and they might be quite nice if you actually do.

Living in a Dracula Castle seems like a good thing to me anyway, I aspire to live in one one day. :p

Published by Silent Rob at 2:20pm on Wed 15th January 2014.

You'd be a brilliant count Dracula, SR :-)

Published by Boudicea Bambaataa at 2:27pm on Wed 15th January 2014.

You'd be a brilliant count Dracula, SR :-)

Indeed, I think I would be rather splendid. Waaa Huuu Haaa Huuuuua! *twirls cape*

Published by Silent Rob at 2:43pm on Wed 15th January 2014.

apart from the political issues the problem with buying a social housing flat can be that you are charged for repair works to the whole block that you may not feel are needed. So if you buy make sure it is after renovation works on the block carried out although that may increase the price.

Published by marcosthebubble at 4:12pm on Wed 15th January 2014.

I live in Arbury and i'd not live in Kingsway. Pretty much the only bit I wouldn't. I've been in and it's very depressing. Mal's a bit melodramatic (and he does live in a place where syringes have been found in the communal area), but there's a grain of truth there. Interesting how dragon001 has registered their account today and only posted on this thread. I smell a rat (or is it Kings Way Kebabs?)...

Published by SB___ at 7:45pm on Wed 15th January 2014.

Nicky,

My place was valued by CCC in November 2011 at £104k.
I received 50% discount therefore only paid £52k. Luckily I did not need to have any deposit as many banks on the High Street treat the discount you receive as if it was Your own deposit (i.e Santander, Nationwide, Halifax). Therefore Your Loan to Value is automatically 50% and you qualify for a good rate. Mine is only 2.19% with Santander fixed for three years. Quite a good deal I think.
My mortgage is much lower than the rent I used to pay to CCC!!

I would definitely advice You to buy it. I think now they would value it around 120k (for one bed flat) as the prices crept up a bit in Cambridge since 2011. So 60k discount :-)

You can also buy the place and let it out straight away. Then sell the place in 5 years time when you will not loose any on the discount initially received.

And the prices are going up so You will make Yourself a small fortune!

Hope it helps!

Published by dragon0001 at 10:28pm on Wed 15th January 2014.

You'd have to pay for repairs to the whole block in any leasehold flat (and they are pretty much all leasehold which is only a glorified rental) marcosthebubble not just council housing. In fact as long the council is still the freeholder you are probably going to get a better price for most of the work than from a management company of private freehold owned flats.

Published by Cmouse at 10:35pm on Wed 15th January 2014.

Quite a good deal I think.[/]

Too good.

Published by Rocket Dog at 10:38pm on Wed 15th January 2014.

Cambridge City Council is indeed a Freeholder.

Before the purchase transaction of my flat was finalized they had to tell me what sort of extra cost I will encounter as a leaseholder over the next five years. They said just £1000 for external redecoration. This can not be changed now. If they do anything more in the further future this will also increase the value of the flat.

The Lease itself is 125 years from the day the first flat was bought on the Kingsway Estate. That was exactly 25 years ago therefore anybody buying the flat now will get a lease for 100 years

Published by dragon0001 at 11:07pm on Wed 15th January 2014.

I've been in and it's very depressing.

So have I. Dark and dingy, and home to some pretty unsavoury types.

Interesting how dragon001 has registered their account today and only posted on this thread.

So has HowlettNicky, and they share an interesting tendency to capitalise certain letters, too. Hmm.

Published by Wrongfellow at 7:13am on Thu 16th January 2014.
This reply has been edited, last edit at 7:13am on Thu 16th January 2014.

I live in Arbury, around the corner from Kingsway - but I wouldn't live there either.

Published by Three Headed Lizard at 9:02am on Mon 20th January 2014.

I have decided to try it out as it is very close to where I work and I would not get a whole flat anywhere else in Cambridge for that money.
Flat is very nicely decorated and has a central heating with a new boiler.

I have to say that flat is on the first floor with direct access from outside so I will not have to walk the corridors that could have been a bit cleaner really....

Cheers

Published by jones12380 at 12:52pm on Mon 20th January 2014.

That would be 78% profit made on one bedroom flat with a very good stable rental income, throughout the investment time, on top of that!!!

http://houseprices.landregistry.gov.uk/price-paid-record/19291968/26+k...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=42644...

Published by dragon0001 at 11:27am on Sun 30th March 2014.

I lived near the flats for last five years and have not noticed anything bad about it
also have a friend leaving there and he is happy ; very comfortable spacious flats. I have been to his place many times

I know there are 42 out of 130 flats private there ,many of which were bought from council only recently ; they come for rent on the market rarely that suggests people are happy leaving there surely... if they come on the market they are not cheap as they go for around £800-900 a month !

And they sell well too.....only this year some went for £190k allowing lucky leaseolders to pocket good cash

see here
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detail.html?country=england&lo...

others kingsway type dwellings in CB2 go for a liitle fortune too in excess of £300k !.....

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=43667...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=44525...

Published by hawk2014 at 11:39am on Fri 16th June 2017.

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