You're reading a sample report on a real £350k flat.Get this for your own flat
The Flatscope verdict
82out of 100

Skip

Reconsider

Caveats apply

Reasonable buy

Strong buy

Strong buy

Neckinger Estate

Neckinger Estate, Bermondsey, SE16 3QA

Asking

£375,000

Beds
2
Baths
1
Size
58 sqm
Tenure
Leasehold
105 yrs left
Service charge
£1,838/yr
Council tax
Band A
EPC
C
The bottom line

If you can stretch to £375k, this is the best-value flat we have seen in zone 2 this month. Two genuine double bedrooms, Band A council tax (so about £1,100 a year cheaper than equivalents in SE1), and the lease has 105 years left so it is a non-issue for the next 25 years of your ownership. No cladding, no EWS1 form to chase, standard mortgage lending applies. The seller has already reduced and is now asking £15,000 below what the flat sold for in 2016, which strongly suggests they want a quick exchange. Two soft caveats: it has only one bathroom and the Environment Agency map flags flood risk, so confirm insurance availability before exchange.

The decision

Keep going.

No red flags in this report.

3 more worth checking, including the flood and ground records, and 3 cleared
  1. 1
    Worth checkingThe agent

    1 bathroom only (vs 2 in some comparable SE1 listings)

    Clears when ask the agent, then confirm with your solicitor.

  2. 2
    Worth checkingYou

    Identified flood risk. Check insurance availability and premiums

    Clears when you have read the official record for this address.

  3. 3
    Worth checkingThe agent

    70% social-rented tenure in the immediate area may affect resale to certain buyer segments

    Clears when ask the agent, then confirm with your solicitor.

  4. 4
    ClearedYou

    Energy rating C, at the efficient end of the scale.

    Still worth confirming you have checked the certificate on the EPC register.

  5. 5
    ClearedYour solicitor

    Lease of 105 years remaining, above the marriage-value threshold.

    Still worth confirming the remaining term is confirmed from the lease or title.

  6. 6
    ClearedYour lender or broker

    No lender red flags on lease length, ground rent or flood from the records we read.

    Still worth confirming your lender or broker has confirmed they will lend on this.

The full picture

Property Overview

A 2-bedroom (both double) flat on Neckinger Estate, Bermondsey SE16. Listed at £375,000 (recently reduced), Leasehold with 105 years remaining, service charge £1,838/year, ground rent £10/year, council tax Band A, EPC rating C (82). Stunning condition per listing, permit parking available. Managed by Southwark Council via Dexters Canada Water.

Pros

  • Two double bedrooms. Significantly more space than Wapping/SE1 alternatives at this price
  • Lowest council tax (Band A) of any property in this comparison. About £1,100/yr
  • Annual running-cost saving of about £2,856 vs SE1 alternatives over 5 years recoups any price premium
  • No cladding remediation. Standard mortgage availability, no EWS1 complications
  • Outstanding-rated schools within 0.3 miles: Harris Academy Bermondsey, St Michael's Catholic College
  • Currently listed £15k below its 2016 sale price of £390k. Genuine buying opportunity
  • Bermondsey resident-review score 8.3/10 across 17 reviews (CrystalRoof)

Cons

  • 1 bathroom only (vs 2 in some comparable SE1 listings)
  • Identified flood risk. Check insurance availability and premiums
  • 70% social-rented tenure in the immediate area may affect resale to certain buyer segments

Ask Flatscope about this flat

It has read the full report. Ask about the lease, the running costs, or what to raise at the viewing.

Where you have leverage

Angles to use when you put in an offer. Each one is grounded in the records this report cites.

  • Seller is already below the 2016 price

    Asking £375k versus a 2016 sale at £390k. The seller has accepted that they will not break even in nominal terms. An offer at £360k to £365k is in line with that direction of travel and worth testing.

  • Flood-zone flag will narrow the buyer pool

    The Environment Agency flood-risk map flags SE16 3QA. Many buyers will walk away at this point. If your survey and insurance quote come back clean, you have leverage to ask for £5k to £10k off as a goodwill discount.

  • Single bathroom keeps family buyers away

    Two-bed flats with two bathrooms in SE16 sit around £400k to £420k. The single-bath layout is why this is priced lower. Frame any offer as a reflection of that, not a discount on the location.

Before you exchange, 16 things to settle

Named asks for named people, each one raised by a gap or a flag in this report. Take screenshots, the agent will not have all the answers on the day.

Your solicitor

9
  1. 1

    Ask for the last three years of certified service charge accounts.

    Leasehold with a stated service charge of £1,838

  2. 2

    Ask for the current year's service charge budget.

    Leasehold with a stated service charge of £1,838

  3. 3

    Ask for the reserve fund balance.

    Leasehold with a stated service charge of £1,838

6 more for your solicitor, from the estate and block split to the LPE1 pack
  1. 4

    Ask how the service charge splits between the estate and the block.

    Leasehold with a stated service charge of £1,838

  2. 5

    Ask what major works are planned and whether any Section 20 notices have been served.

    Leasehold with a stated service charge of £1,838

  3. 6

    Ask for the buildings insurance schedule.

    Leasehold with a stated service charge of £1,838

  4. 7

    Ask whether there are any arrears on the service charge account.

    Leasehold with a stated service charge of £1,838

  5. 8

    Ask whether there are any disputes with leaseholders.

    Leasehold with a stated service charge of £1,838

  6. 9

    Request the LPE1 leasehold information pack from the freeholder or managing agent.

    Leasehold with a stated service charge of £1,838

The seller or agent

3
  1. 1

    Ask for twelve months of energy and heating bills.

    Energy and water are not in the report's monthly running cost figure

  2. 2

    Ask whether the heating is communal (a heat network), and if so for twelve months of statements and who owns the heat interface unit.

    The report does not record the heating type

  3. 3

    Ask for the latest service charge demand and any Section 20 letters received.

    Leasehold with a stated service charge of £1,838

At the viewing

4
  1. 1

    Can I see the management pack including any Section 20 notices issued or threatened in the last five years?

    Backed by a data point in this report

  2. 2

    What is the building insurance premium and is flood cover included as standard given the SE16 flood-zone flag?

    Backed by a data point in this report

  3. 3

    Has the seller already had any offers on the property, and what was the original 2016 purchase price versus today's asking?

    Backed by a data point in this report

1 more for the viewing, a second visit
  1. 4

    Visit twice at different times of day and stand on the balcony or by the main window for ten minutes.

    The report cannot measure noise or light at the flat, only you can

Not covered by this report, check yourself. Managing agent and resident reviews, communal heating tariffs and nearby construction phases.

Will a lender lend on this? Likely lender-friendly

Will a lender lend on this?

Likely lender-friendly

No lender red flags on lease length, ground rent or flood from the records we read.

How a typical UK lender is likely to see this, read from public records. A screening signal, not a mortgage decision. Confirm with a broker before you rely on it.

Generated .

Now check the place you're actually looking at

Paste a Rightmove or Zoopla link and you'll get this exact report on your flat in a few minutes. Free, no card, first run needs no signup.

Free to start. No card required. For-sale and to-rent links both work.

Not viewing places yet? Save this for when you are

One email, no password. Your free reports will be ready whenever a place turns up.

Free account, no card. Three reports a month whenever you need them.