aibu to buy a terraced house

[mattsmadmum]

Living with family with 2 dc. Will have enough to buy a house with no mortgage by april. Happy to live anywhere but dsis and dm are furious I will consider a mid terraced as think I will have terrible problems with neighbour's. Cant afford anything else as sp could borrow but dont want to.a . Something at the back of my mind thinks they could be right, aibu to ignore this and stick to a v tight budget

[Tommy]

you might have terrible problems with the neighbours but then you could have terrible neighbours wherever you live.
Or you might have lovely neighbours
You never know!!

[NinjaBunny]

You could have problems with neighbours anywhere..!

I'd ignore them.

[ShabbyChic8]

You're the one who has to live there not them. Your neighbours might be lovely. We bought an ex council house much to my FIL's disgust, he was also concerned about neighbours as some houses are still council owned. We have the loveliest neighbours, some council and some private.

[MrsLettuce]

YANBU to buy whatever house you like within the budget. Neighbors are always a risk and the more there are, the more chance you get a 'bad' one.

That said, it would be wise to seriously consider taking a small mortgage for a slightly larger property / property in better condition / place with fewer neighbours. You may well decide against it after weighing up the pros and cons, but it'd be daft not to consider all the options.

[MrsLettuce]

arg

the more chance you get a 'bad' one or a 'good' one.

[TrinnyandSatsuma]

My first house was a terrace and I still miss it! I personally found it cosy and reassuring to know there were others nearby, but once I shut my front door, my house was my little nest.

It was an old terrace though, Victorian I think, so walls nice and thick to smother much of the noise from other side!

[BrianTheMole]

I'd probably get a small mortgage and try to get something bigger. But I am biased, having lived in terraced neighbour hell for years.

[Preferthedogtothekids]

I lurk on a site called Gardenlaw and from what I can see terraced houses do seem to attract lots of issues over 'Rights of Way' as they do generally have them as a burden or a benefit :-/. The problems seem to happen when a neighbour changes and the ROW system isn't understood fully.

I would check out carefully what's in place in any terrace I bought.

[collarsandcuffs]

I live in a terrace and my next door neighbours are wonderful. When he clears his gutter, he knocks on and asks if I want mine doing. He takes any old wooden furniture or pieces from decorating for his allotments. He even write down the registration of my contractors van when he saw him walking around the outside of my house and looking over the wall...just in case! He is also very good at getting rid of spiders and when I had a suspected chemical leak into my drain they put me up and fed me! My neighbours are the thing I will really miss when I leave my terrace and I am worrying about what kind I will get in my semi.

[bochead]

Check out the neighbours before you put in an offer on a terrace and enjoy life mortgage free! I'm currently house hunting, and part of that is checking out the area at different times of day, saying hi to the potential neighbours over the garden fence etc, etc.

FFS - you have to be VERY unlucky to end up living next to a bunch of smack heads, and most people in this country live in flats or terraced homes! We'd all love to live in a detached property within an acre of our own private grounds - BUT back in the real world........... It's nice having neighbours to feed the cats, keep an eye on things when you go away for the weekend.

Given the state of the economy, life with no mortgage if you have the option sounds like a no-brainer to me just for the peace of mind. In fact I've sold up in London to move to a cheaper part of the country for the mortgage free life!

As a single parent the idea of having a home that is never going to be at risk of repossession for my child to grow up in was incredibly attractive. Too many people nowadays are slipping through the cracks in the benefits system into the abyss and illness or serious accident could strike anyone at any time. If no disaster strikes, the money that would have gone on a mortgage can go towards a pension - this time with compound interest working FOR rather than against me.

Keeping up with the Jones has got too many families into trouble in recent years. Don't fall into the same trap because of other people's snobbery. At some point soon, interest rates WILL go up (- think back to the 1980's). Banks are being very cautious about lending at the moment as they know the financial sector's troubles aren't done just yet.

Jobs are not as secure and %housing costs v income are higher than they were for those now retired. We also have to consider provision for our pensions in a way that many now retired didn't have to consider in the days of jobs for life. Baby boomers will start to sell up an downsize in the next decade or so. When they do, there will be a ripple effect at the top end of the housing market.

[collarsandcuffs]

wrote*

[TOADfan]

Im actively looking for a terrace to rent as you get your neighbours heat through the walls..less cash for oil

[mattsmadmum]

Thanks so much for support.will look into the idea of a tiny mortgage and be v careful

[MrsBW]

I lived in a mid terrace.

Neighbours were ace, although with children, I'd have worried about my kid's noise travelling (ironically, neighbour had two kids with him every weekend and never heard a peep out of them).

Best bit was bills... They were tiny (£50 a month for gas and elec)

Neighbours can be a problem anywhere. I'd just check the walls were thick and makes sure your solicitor checks everything to do with access).

Good luck!

[IBelieveInPink]

As someone who lives in a terraced house, and is currently in the process of moving to a detached for that very reason, I would think carefully. We have one very lovely neighbour who is no trouble, and one horrific one!
If it is what you can afford and where you want to live, go for it. But perhaps before you buy you could pop round and chat to the neighbours? I wish I had done this before I bought- I wouldn't live where I live now if I had.

[Pobblewhohasnotoes]

We bought a terraced house about a year ago and our neighbours are lovely.

[bunchoffives]

I live in an ex council terrace. Double whammy!

My neighbours are fine. But we would be very close if any were awful.

Just check out neighbours carefully. Lurk at times when you are likely to see them such as Sat/Sun am

[hiccupgirl]

We live in a 60s terrace though it's technically a semi downstairs as they were built with passageways between. We have the best neighbours on both sides - all retired and really look out for us and treat out DS like an extra grandchild. Sometimes I think it would be nice to not be quite so on top of each other but I like the security of other people nearby.

But obviously if you don't get on with your neighbours they are much closer to you in a terrace than in a detached house.

[cosikitty]

I live in a semi, in a very middle class are, and we hate our neighbour! I have always lived in terraced houses prior to this and the neighbours there were lovely!

[BMW6]

I live in a mid terrace Victorian house. My neighbours are lovely (and I turn the CH off at 6pm cos they all come home from work and turn theirs on )

My Dsis bought a new detached house for nearly £200,000 more than mine, and has neighbours from hell.....

When you go to view a house check out the neighbours houses - are they well kept, no rubbish laying around, gardens/communal areas tidy & clean.
Go to the street at 11pm on a Saturday night, park up and look/listen.

It's not the houses per se that make a "good" neighbourhood - it's the people in them.

[cozietoesie]

I live in a Victorian terraced house. Thick walls, roomy but warmer than a detached, and the security of people close at hand if needed. The neighbours are fine: we're none of us bosom buddies but that's no bad thing if you're there for any length of time. Courtesy and consideration is all that's needed, really.

I'd do a little bit of research but probably go for it. You can have just as bad 'falling-outs' in a detached house as you can in somewhere that's built next to someone else. And with interest rates looking as if they might go up, the thought of a low/no mortgage is a serious consideration.

[mumblechum1]

If it is a solidly built terrace eg victorian or edwardian with good thick walls you'll be fine. Many modern houses are built out of flimsy stuff so you can hear their kids crying.
We're detached but hear an awful lot of noise outside from the neighbours' kids and dogs making a racket so noguarantee a derached would be that much better

[matildamatilda]

Some tips that have helped me get used to mid-terrace life:

1. Get to know neighbours however possible, bring treats, invite them round. When I know and like my neighbours the occasional loud music doesn't bother me as much. Also smoothes the way for potential negotiations around rights of way, etc.

1. Learn how to stand up for yourself when needed. I made a council report around a Crazy Lady who was using the whole backside of the terrace as a dog run/dog toilet. Everyone else was afraid of her. She gives me the stink eye every time I'm out but I no longer have the feral dogs digging up my herb garden.

[Purplepoodle]

I live in terrace as do my parents. If your noise sensitive then it's pretty awful even with good neighbours. My neighbour plays music in the adjoining bedroom and can hear it clearly in my bedroom when house is quiet.

If I had the choice I would go detached or end terrace.