We have a wind farm being built very close to us, how off putting is this to potential purchasers?

[NewEraNewMindset]

I am pretty concerned.

We bought our home last year and no mention of the wind farm was made by either the vendor or the estate agents and the development looks to have fallen just outside of the search parameter. Both the vendor and the estate agents knew about the development being approved and within a few months of us living in the house we had a letter from the wind farm company telling us building work was imminent. Until this letter arrived we had no clue anything was happening at all.

We live in a village pretty close to a busy A road and this road is kind of a valley where we are in the hill on one side and the wind turbines are being built on the hill on the other side. Because if this (I have now found out) it feels as though we have these turbines a stones throw away.

Only one pillar so far has been built, it is so huge I am shocked. When it has it's turbine in place on the top it is going to be monstrous. There will be six of them. They won't be visible from our back garden I don't think but are extremely visible from most places in the village. In terms of any noise I have no idea yet, I don't think we will be close enough to hear humming but until they are switched on I can't say for definite.

So with all this said, if we want to sell our house in the future do you think we are going to struggle? I was feeling ok about it but now I see the size of them I feel pretty sick about it

[chockbic]

I think it will affect some people and not others. It wouldn't concern me, for instance.

Would have been nice to be informed about it though. Maybe you have legal recourse?

[NewEraNewMindset]

Thanks chocbic. We have gone to the ombudsman about it and are awaiting their decision. We were going to try and sue the vendor initially but we would have to prove loss of value of the property and give a figure. When we looked into it it was going to be pretty difficult to prove loss of value, although once the wind farm is finished it might be easier to get someone in to revalue the property.

[specialsubject]

I'm afraid it would concern me - noise, flicker and they blow up if it gets too windy. And of course as energy generation they are useless because you need backup anyway - so they don't replace any other power stations. They only happen because of subsidies and backhanders.

sorry. Your hope is that they have a limited life and it is possible that at the next election the policy will change. And of course quite a lot of the time it isn't windy.

objecting would have done no good, it never does.

the lesson for anyone else - ask around, read local papers, look on local websites and facebook pages about proposed developments which may not yet have planning approval.

[BackforGood]

It's the same as most things - will bother some people more than others. They wouldn't bother me, tbh.

[NewEraNewMindset]

Special, from our point of view our attention was on another proposed development altogether (a huge road bypass/widening project) that was next door to us. So we spent a lot of time researching the effects of this project on the village. The village itself has a website that I trawled through and no mention of a wind farm at all!! Apparently there was no protest about it bar a few individuals. It seems as though it just went under the radar as it was far enough away to fall outside of searches and probably far enough away to be outside of the village and residents probably thought it wasn't a problem. I bet now it's going up people are shitting themselves.

[Seeline]

It's probably less likely to bother people once it's actually there and running, than if it was still at the planning stage. Things like this can grow out of all proportion in peoples minds - in reality, a lot of people probably won't be concerned.

[NewEraNewMindset]

Thanks Back. I appreciate some soothing words right now.

They are almost monstrously beautiful. I feel like I'm in War of the Worlds and any moment they will rise up and laser the house

[specialsubject]

'under the radar' - yes, that happens a lot. The developers would have seen a great opportunity not to be noticed.

so sorry.

[SolomanDaisy]

They wouldn't bother me. I actually find them quite attractive and watching them spin is hypnotic. I think it will put off some people, but probably not to many. If you're not planning to move for a long time then I don't think it will have much effect on you.

[Redtartanshoes]

"They blow up if it gets too windy"

Dear lord that's rubbish.

[NewEraNewMindset]

On the plus side this is not an area of outstanding beauty hollow laugh and houses are selling all around me pretty quickly. I think there's a chance I might be able to see the tip of one of the sails from an upstairs window when they are erected but as we are surrounded by tall trees you can only see green from the garden. The vendor blatantly lied on his paperwork though and we we're pretty pissed off about it. If the ombudsman rules in our favour we could get some compensation but I am not holding my breath.

[LL12]

With more and more people interested in alternative energy, I don't think it would be as hard as you might think to sell.
Of course if they were right next door it would be a different matter.

[specialsubject]

boring old facts again, redtartanshoes

www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2011/12/why-did-a-wind-turbine-self-co.html

OP - vendor lying on the sales documents does mean you can sue their arse. Do so.

[specialsubject]

ps...wind advocates, here is the excellent National Grid dashboard:

www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

as you see today wind is generating about 11% of our needs. It is quite windy in most of the UK, but also mild. So that is about the best we can expect.

it would be interesting to take another look later when everyone gets home to make tea.

[TooMuchRain]

Wouldn't bother me, much better than a power station nearby!

[burnishedsilver]

I quite like them. There is something majestic about them. I wouldn't put me off buying.

I have heard people complain that there is a humming noise off them but there are a few near mils house and I've never noticed a noise.

[WestEast]

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest.
Admittedly I live down wind from a land fill. So a wind farm would be preferable to me!

[RogueV]

Wouldn't bother me either!

[meadowquark]

Wouldn't bother me either. Quite romantic even.

[TsukuruTazaki]

It wouldn't bother me

Lot of nonsense about wind power on the thread

[VivaLeBeaver]

Wouldn't bother me visually. So as long as no hum I wouldn't be put off.

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

Another one not bothered by them

[specialsubject]

sorry for those who can't cope with facts.

but good news for the OP.

BTW wind generation the same tonight, interestingly demand has gone down!

[burnishedsilver]

Who can't cope with facts?

[DoctorTwo]

I lived near a wind farm I thought it looked lovely. When the wind was deemed too strong they locked the blades (I only know 'cos I went and asked an engineer). I'd rather live near wind or solar generation because a wind spill=kite flying weather, a solar spill=a nice day, oil spill=massive environmental damage taking years to clean up and radiation spill=massive environmental damage whose significance might not become apparent for years.