Hi there - I've been renting in central London for a while now and am starting to think its about time to buy.. The problem is that the only flats I can afford are above sex shops or 'saunas'!
The area (Kings Cross) is being 'regenerated' but I'm not sure how successful this will really be - and its going to take years!

Does anyone think its a good idea for me to buy this kind of flat cheap in the hope that things will improve in the next few years?

Well, I would suppose it all depends on the type of sex shop it is and whether you are comfortable living there

are there different types?

Well, two friends of mine live above a sex shop. They don't mind it at all, but she was hideously embarrassed when her grandma came to visit to the extent that they went to all sorts of lengths to stop the grandma noticing it...

Thanks for your replies..

"Well, I would suppose it all depends on the type of sex shop it is and whether you are comfortable living there"

I would be okay with it - I think! At first I thought it was a gay sauna and I was absolutely fine with that (esp. as a hetero woman) - but its just a generic 'adult shop' with a massage bit and I'm a little less fine with that for some reason..

Does anyone else live in Kings Cross or an area with a similar reputation?

To be honest, I think I'd have a bit of a problem with it. The area is likely to be a little seedy, plus I'm not sure I'd want to come home and night and fight my way through the punters to the front door

Plus, not to over-generalise, but where there's prostitutes, there's normally drugs and so god knows what you'd get hanging around.

Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable with it, but it's up to you. Why not have a look at a few places to see what you think about the area and if you feel comfortable? Plus go back late at night as well, on a Friday or Saturday to see what it's like.

Flats over shops are generally more difficult to get mortgages on, so this one sounds as if it could be declined by a lender...

As a conveyancing solicitor I believe the information given in the post to be useful but I accept no liability except to fee-paying clients.

A friend's advice is "Follow the pink pound". In other words, buy into an area which is currently newly in favour with the gay community - apparently (so I'm told!) they have an instinctive eye for areas which are currently cheap but have loads of potential, and whole areas get massively improved and subsequently rise dramatically in price.

I have heard this about the so-called 'pink pound' too! I wonder how true it is...?

Hmm - its not just a sex shop.. Its a 'massage parlour' - ew.
And its open til 1am so probably not a good idea - and I probably couldn't get a mortgage if I wanted to..

I'd say its a definite yes to the pink pound thing.. Its a absolute cliche but gay couples often don't have kids and therefore higher disposable income to plough into their homes, and a greater interest in more 'adult' facilities that make an area great - good cafes, delicatessans, pubs, clubs and little independent stores..

I doubt a sex shop would present any problems, and I doubt a gay sauna would either.
However if it's a "sauna" which is basically a brothel, then I would be reluctant - that's a dangerous business and you'd be living over a place with some very dangerous people running it and some very exploited women.
The less seedy the sex shop the better - some of them are really old-style sleazy ones, some are more modern and bright.
The best thing to do is simply to go there, day and night (take a friend and be careful) and just pick up the vibe - you'll know if it feels unsafe.

Move somewhere else!
Best bet by far!
King's Cross is UGH!

For years they have been saying the King's cross area is being regenerated.

TBH apart from a lot of road works I haven't seen much in the way of (positive) result of all the millions of pounds supposedly spent on it.

clementinelemon, have you come to some sort of decision?