Thank you. I am torn between feeling as you say, and then reading people online saying that buyers who pull out at The last minute should be sent to prison. People really hate buyers who do this. I know I am not legally bound to go through with this but I feel so bad about having wasted the seller's time.

Plus I'm still torn. I love the flat and think it has amazing potential, and the issues with it seem fixable to me. But the solicitor seems to think that the fact that a building (a 1920s block) needs any work doing on it at all should be enough to put me off. I asked why and she said 'well I have a property in a block and it's pristine' as if that is in any way relevant. Plus my parents keep telling me I'm ruining my life. I think they are deluded about the London market though. And they've said a bunch of stuff that's just plain wrong when we've been discussing it. I just feel like I can't get competent advice from anyone.