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M is for Maisonette
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Deriving from the French for 'little house', a maisonette is self-contained living accommodation often occupying two floors of a larger house that has its own entrance to the outside.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Arriving on our streets in the 1960s and 70s (before apartment blocks were as common as they are today), they were introduced to encourage higher-density living in the suburbs, mainly over shops, garages or other maisonettes.
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So, you get your own front door and the privacy that comes with it plus a little more space than a flat without the price tag of a house. But are there cons to buying or living in a maisonette?
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Well yes, a few. Firstly, maisonettes don't benefit from Permitted Development Rights as houses do. If you want to extend, you'd need to go down the planning permission route before carrying out any works.
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Secondly, if the exterior of the property needs some TLC, you'll need to convince your upstairs/downstairs neighbour to pitch in and help. Not financially, (the financial burdens of exterior work are divvied up from the get go) but from a 'get your paintbrush out' perspective.
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Thirdly, many maisonettes are situated above businesses - some noisier and smellier than others! So be sure to do your research before signing on the dotted line!
About this article — written by the Agreed team. We publish honest, hands-on guides on UK property based on what our associates and developer partners are actually doing day-to-day. Spot something out of date or wrong? Tell us via the contact page.