Flat conversion - Heating and kitchens

[RockyBalboa]

Doing a first time flat conversion and the smaller flats are between 32 and 38 sq.m. (1 person decent sized bedroom, 1 bath, lounge/kitchen).

Gas/Elec?

Is it worth the capital outlay to install gas (everything is back to brick) and having gas central heating for such sized flats?

I know generally people prefer to have gas installed as electrical heating of old (storage heaters) are expensive. Is this still the case?

Are there any simple and efficient wall mounted thermostatic heaters these days?

How does one heat water for say doing the dishes if there is no gas boiler?

Kitchens

I will be requiring some small kitchens - does anyone have experience of pre-built compact kitchens such as Elfin or Tiny Kitchens?

[Trevor450]

I wouldn't entertain storage heaters these days. I think you will find that you will sell a lot faster if you put combi boilers in all the flats. The alternative is storage heaters and a tank with an emersion heater which takes up valuable sellable space. I'm not an expert, but as a professional investor, I would generally ignore a property without gas. Can't help on tiny kitchens.

[RockyBalboa]

The flats will be long term lets.

Are there any electric alternatives to storage heaters?

[Trevor450]

I think my comment stands if you were letting as well. You can get electric central heating that runs on Economy 7 but it is a PITA and expensive.

http://www.heatraesadia.com/electric_central_heati...

[ecs]

I've just replaced all my storage heaters with these: http://www.electrorad.co.uk/digi-line-radiators/

Will find out after the winter whether they're cheaper to run or not, but so far so good.

[forest07]

There are many options for electric heating, unfortunately none are cheap to run in comparison to natural gas. Even against older inefficient gas systems.
Some of the running costs I've seen from electric heating are frightening.

[RockyBalboa]

I've planned for gas but when I'm now seeing the flat size/layout (32 sq.m over two floors - lounge/kitchen on the ground and shower/bed on the first floor), the boiler will take up a bit of room and really it would only need 2 radiators (1 down, 1 up) and perhaps a small towel rad in the shower room. Hence, I wondered if the £1.5k to £2k outlay is worth it in this instance.

[Trevor450]

forest07 said:

There are many options for electric heating, unfortunately none are cheap to run in comparison to natural gas. Even against older inefficient gas systems.
Some of the running costs I've seen from electric heating are frightening.

The last place my dad rented had electric central heating and it cost roughly £500 per quarter to heat a small, modern, 3 bed semi detached cottage.

[guitarcarfanatic]

Why not fit a communal boiler and get the individual flats to pay a set amount towards the gas? Then just set it on a suitable timer and let them use the rads to control their heat?

Might make things easier, cheaper and less faff! Just makes it harder to sell if that's an end goal.

[RockyBalboa]

guitarcarfanatic said:

Why not fit a communal boiler and get the individual flats to pay a set amount towards the gas? Then just set it on a suitable timer and let them use the rads to control their heat?

Might make things easier, cheaper and less faff! Just makes it harder to sell if that's an end goal.

I'd like to keep the flats self-contained just in case of a future sell-off.

At the moment, it just doesn't seem worth it to spend the outlay on such a small flat for a gas boiler for 2 radiators and a towel rail, hence, I'm thinking of saving that cost and fitting one electric panel heater in the lounge/kitchen, one in the bedroom and an electric towel rail in the shower room. The only other thing I have to then take care of is hot water for the kitchen and bathroom sink for which I was thinking of something like this:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/triton-t30i-bq3a3034i-ha...