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Just wondering what other people's perspective is on this. Basically my question is as above, ex-council house on a small estate in a desirable (to us anyway) rural village, with very good primary school nearby, good but not outstanding secondary, large garden, much larger house than we would get for the same money in non ex LA properties. There are a handful of properties fitting that description available in our two target villages, some we'd be completely mortgage free, others would require a small mortgage. Thanks for reading!

Definitely. As long as the location is good! Ex council houses from the 1930s are generally well built properties and being mortgage free would be so liberating.

YES! As long as it's in a good location and is detached or has good neighbours.

As long as the location and schools were good, then yes, definitely. There seems to be a stigma attached to ex-council houses, but I don't really understand why if the area and surroundings are OK.

Thanks georgedawes. I agree on the well built aspect, plus the space is often good. Location is in two of the village(s) we're looking at, so I suppose that is a yes, it is good for us. STrangely though I wouldn't consider it in the third village we're looking at as the houses are much later, smaller and not as good build quality. And there's more of them.

Sounds fantastic: Go for it!

God yes, I'd bite their hand off.

Semi detached expat. I'd have to check out the neighbours, but chances are I'll know them (or know someone who does) so that is easily found out. NatashaBee - the stigma is why I was interested in views. The area is a very rural area, which is what we are after. Back to where I grew up, but commutable for DH.

Some of the most dedirable houses in our village are ex LA. They are the only ones with gardens and parking.

Find out! Semi is good, too, if you know the neighbours.

Yes, in fact I do, but it is not yet mortgage free. We just bought last year, and it is very well built and has bigger rooms than many of the new build houses nearby - which are sometimes 40% dearer.

I think we will find that ex LA houses become more sought after in the coming years, because people are having to go for the cheaper option because they can't afford the down payment otherwise.

A house is a house. I brought an ex council house, semi, with drive and massive 20m garden, I love it!

Thanks dash and monkey
I am a bit worried I'd miss character, but I'm sure I could fit woodburners and make it characterful

Yes. I'm waiting for an ex-council house to come up for sale in the area I want actually. I've spent a long time grumping about not wanting to live in 'that' sort of area but realised that actually its not bad and a good location, and I'll get a downstairs loo! I won't be mortgage free mind you, but we will have loads more space for not much more money. If I'm not crippled with a big mortgage then we can have a good quality of life.

My house is in my ideal village, not ex LA, but 80's build, which I prevously wouldn't gone for, do miss sash windows a bit, but the space I have for the price is so good. I rent, so can't fit a woodburner, but if I could it would be perfect. Extra space is such a luxury imo.

Yes yes yes. We do - not mortgage-free, nowhere near- but I love it. It is so solid and I never ever hear a peep from our attachex neihhnours. Massive plot, extendable and most of neighbours were born here and some have been here since houses were built In 1950.

wow - loads of positive responses. Cat keeps sitting on my keyboard and shutting computer down just as I am typing replies though.
YY to gardens and room sizes Ani and Cognac
Good to hear from those who have done it MmeLindor and TheBoy. The garden sizes are what's doing it for me as well. And the space Meglet and Wonderstuff, aaah the space squints to avoid seeing true extent of overstuffed 2 bed house and own emerging DC2 bump

If the garden was nice, I think it sounds like a great idea.

Thanks Narmada - sounds like where we're looking!
OK, so unless the ultimate forever house appears on the market under budget and with vendors desperate to take a low offer, then these are serious contenders... Like Meglet says - it is about quality of life. And nothing else in this world is getting any cheaper, so we should save where we can.
Thanks all for the input so far - it has been really helpful.

100% must do
bigger rooms, non paper walls and a larger garden.
we have this. go for it, chances are if you do a few things to it also you will increase the value also

Yes. We did this. Desirable (London) location, ex council wedged in between fab mansions, good nearby schools. Our mortgage is very small, and totally affordable. The house is a three bed end of terrace which has been extended both sideways (yet keeping the side entrance) and into the garden. We have a mahoosive garden. It has two sheds, a 25 m2 deck, a "grown up" area for sitting in nice surroundings, large lawn with both trampoline and a skating ramp. Plus we have a park in front.

We are also greater London - and also sandwiched in between mega-mansions. Hurray for ex-council houses.

I think I know exactly where you are quint. We're nearby, also ex-council, conservation area, lovely garden estate built in 1920s with allotments, greens, mature trees. Very sought-after and our little 3-bed has increased in value by 45% in 6 years.

I find it really strange that people would think ex-council was anything to be embarrassed about!

Yes. Particularly if it's a 1930s - 1950s ex council house. They are usually a really good size and have huge gardens.

I do. Been here over 15 years. Mortgage gone. Had lovely neighbours for a long time (until they died), then a brief spell of bad ones and now lovely ones again on the non-attached side, but perfect ones on the attached side, who I'm sure will all 'stick', one set hoping to buy as soon as they can. We all have massive long gardens that make it like a green oasis out the back!

Average but affordable location, near excellent schools.

Goodwordguide Sounds like you describe our neighbourhood. The development has a war related nick name due to the types of people who first moved in, and the nearby hospitals specialty.

We also live in ex council house, lovely neighbours who have all purchased their properties. Bigger bedrooms and a big kitchen compared to new build properties in the area.

It works for us

Not quite - I think from your other posts that you're a bit further west than us - we're on the estate of an old house and have that name (though we are also very close to the hospital that I think we both mean!).

We are about to move though as our small ex-council house is just a bit too small for us but we do love it here!

That place further west was a rented property while waiting for our tenants contracts to expire.... We would seem to be neighbours!

We do.
And we are.

THanks everyone - we wouldn't be in the middle of mansions, but would be in a beautiful rural area with great countryside to explore. Many of the other houses we can afford have pretty small or non-existent gardens so the extra outside space is really important. We've had appalling neighbours in other houses we've lived in including this one on one side , so you run that risk wherever you move.

Do it, we did

Not quite mortgage free sadly but we've never regretted buying this house.

We're on DHR in SW15 - I thought you were ES or B?

Excuse hijack as I pin down quint - we are moving soon so you won't bump into me (I'm sure I don't know anyone who lived near the Arctic circle in RL!)

If you don't want to. I will

See, that is where we are too!

We rented short term in B (just a week when we returned from Norway), then a year lease in ES, before returning home to SW15.

Would not live in any other area.

Are you going far? <Nosy>

Yes - in a heartbeat! My DDad always insisted that Council houses were built to higher specifications than those intended for private sale. Not sure about that, but they certainly have larger rooms and gardens! Round here anyway.

I wouldn't think twice about buying ex-LA in a nice village (in fact we have) .

We live in ex council in a fab area. Huge flat but are aware that it won't appreciate in the same way the other flats on the street will.

Your potential house sounds nice.

Yes, to Suffolk, where DH is from (outing myself here) - it's amazing what you can swap a London ex-council house for plus I really couldn't face going through the secondary schools hassle of SW15.

I'm on loads of the property threads, agonising over buying a big old house with big old problems.... Will definitely miss our small comfortable, well-built 1920s semi.

Not that far then! I dont know anybody from Suffolk, and you dont know anybody from the Arctic, shame!

As long as the area is good. Our house is ex National Coal Board - lots of land (all of these houses were built with decent South facing gardens so their tenants could grow their own veg), decent sized rooms and cheap mortgage which is almost paid off after 9 years. We looked at a couple of 1930s ex council houses when we looked for this one and the rooms were a really good size in one of them - we just decided against it because there was ongoing demolition and re-building work nearby and I was expecting DS1 and didn't think I could cope with the disruption.

You couldn't pay me to live on the estate I walk through to take the boys to school, though. Too much joy riding.

Not all of them, Pootle! My dad helped my sis and BIL build a loft extension in theirs. Their street was built on a shoestring in the 50s. The ceilings turned out to be a patchwork of different grades of plasterboard and the "solid" upstairs wall was just breezeblocks built straight onto unsupported floorboards

How is an ex council house different to any other house?

You'll find it a struggle getting a detached ex LA house, tbh... But you can find plenty semi-detached or terraced housing available! We live in an ex LA house and it's huge and we don't have large mortgage - plenty disposable income to do with as we please, compared to buying a new build.

Ours has lots of storage space, and the bedrooms are all large.

Trills, it's not about the house and its about the estate it's on surely?

Sorry, stray "and" in there!

Yes I would (and do).
The area probably isn't right for some - ex mining town, with some deprivation.
We live on a main road On the edge of the estate with mixed semis and detached. But i would live on the actual estate because it is full of hard working people, probably because the houses are mainly owner occupied. Our road is one of the most sort after in our town) it is near to family with beautiful countryside on our doorstep. With great transport links.

The schools in my town are all Good or Outstanding. And the Academy has been graded as good with Outstanding Management.

We have a big house and large garden, even with a conservatory on. Parking for two cars and a garage / utility.

I would love a more rural location but I am quite happy with our £72k mortgage.

I find most 1930s-1950s council houses quite beautiful. In some old pictures you can see them with the original crittal windows, which are lovely. They are just updated English vernacular cottages really. I truly think they will become a highly prized and desirable part of building history in another 50-100 years or so. Think of rows of sixteenth-to-eighteenth century terraced beamed cottages you find in the centres of many old villages - again, just solidly built dwellings for working people.

"How is an ex council house different to any other house? "

They tend to have larger bedrooms, more cupboard space. Well thought out, compared to new builds (well, the ones I've seen so far!).

yes. Ex council houses are often a lot bigger (bigger rooms anyway) than non-council new builds. Plus the rent you can get on them is no less than a different home ( I rent).

If we'd went for the same size of house but in the style of new build, we would be talking somewhere in the region of £250,000. Way out of our price league!

So... why would you not then?

An area can be a good or bad area regardless of whether it is ex-council or not.

A house is a good or bad house regardless of whether it is ex-council or not.

How does the "council" bit make a difference? Is this a snobbery thing? Are you asking MN "are you snobs and will you judge me for this?", is that the question?

Nothing wrong with the OP asking a reasonable question to others, really. Anyone with sense would choose a cheaper property if it meant they could have a less stressful life worrying about money all the time.

mines ex council.. massive gardens. solid brick walls. high ceilings and Victorian cast iron fireplaces. there are only two council terraces in the village so we stick out compared to the older farm terrace we're next to. but for the price of my mortgage I would not be able to live in the village and have such good standard if life..
compared to the brand new estate built on edge of village.. with their tiny room and driveways you can get a family size car on to. I'm happier where I am.

I was shocked at how tiny the 'master' bedroom was in a lot of the new builds when were were house hunting a few years ago....you get so much more for your money with ex-council housing!

Yes I would! ex council houses (that were built for the council) were built very well and are generally 'bomb proof' iyswim? you'll rarely find any problems with them structurally.

"you'll rarely find any problems with them structurally"

Very true, solo. They are built extremely well. I don't know many people in my circle of friends who live in a new build. Most prefer the ex council builds for they are structurally sound, as well as within most budget ranges for working families.

If we'd wanted a new build, I'd have had to go back to work earlier than I wanted to (no thanks).

Depends on area. My parents bought their council house which was lovely, on what was a nice estate, with some lovely neighbours. However the neighbours either died or oved on and the council houses were then rented out again........some of the new tenants were OK but lots werent't. Poor DM and DF found themselves on a worsening estate, with a growing crime rate and a drug dealer next door. They now can't sell their house.

Guess am just saying be careful. Location is the key as others have said.

We bought an ex council house (semi), three beds, 100ft back garden, extra downstairs toilet, drive and front garden for way less than a new build or non council house.

Had to sell as the walls were paper thin, you could hear everything next door - tv, radio, talking, even when they turned the light switch on and off on the party wall.

Would I buy ex council again? sadly not.

We've been lucky to have great neighbours where we live, so fortunately it has worked out well. True, there are rough areas (other side of our village is rough, we are apparently in the 'nice' part), but you'll get that in any town or village regardless of the type of house. Many housing associations are now built in the same vicinity as new build developments, so the LA residents and private residents are next to each other anyway.

Depends on the area. Property is an investment, particularly when you'd be buying it without a mortgage. I'd want to make sure it was easy to sell on if my circumstances changed.

"Had to sell as the walls were paper thin, you could hear everything next door - tv, radio, talking, even when they turned the light switch on and off on the party wall."

Same with a friend of mine who's in a new build (terraced). You can't win!

I moved from council into ex council.

I have a lovely little 1940s house with a 65' garden.

Loads of character if you like utility, civil engineering type character...and I do.


I live in East London and get this...I live round a green! A lovely big green that the kids can play on and the only cars that come in belong to residents.

The security is good because the gardens back on to the gardens of the houses behind and the houses face each other so your front door is in full view of several neighbours.

I know this street was known as the roughest in the area years ago. My friend wasn't allowed to play here. It is very quite now. It is a mix of owned, council and privately rented.

I had no idea which was which until the council did major refurbishment. Those who pretended to own their own house for years got caught out then

'It is a mix of owned, council and privately rented'

That's the other thing to look at, the ownership. If it's a mix then you'll find it easy enough to sell on - it's already attracted private landlords.

Ex council in aldbury is £650,000 so yes, of course.

No, I wouldn't. I probably am snobby but I grew up on council estates until I bought my first house at 21/22.

I find them ugly, and one or two bad families on an estate make it hideous for everyone. Same could be said for owned houses but it hasn't been my experience. I've never had to put up with some of the shit in my own houses that was common in the houses I grew up in.

I also like my own four walls and I've never seen a detached council house yet. (but have seen detached new-build HA homes).

Yes I live in one, built 1900s big rooms high ceiliings 2 gardens (back one 40ft).I love it, nice area and was one of only 2 where we are for some unknown reason.
Am not mortgage free though but you can't have it all I suppose.
As others have said it all depends on the actual property and area. I can't see why it matters who owned it previously tbh. Maybe the stigma comes from the idea of them being located on council estates that are traditionally in less well off areas?

"one or two bad families on an estate make it hideous for everyone."

Yes, was my experience growing up as well.

I actually live in an ex council flat on an estate now but I was very anxious about buying here for that exact reason.

Its only because I knew people on the estate who could reassure me about it, that I went for it in the end.

Having said that: our end of the estate is lovely. Real family atmosphere. I feel very positive about my children growing up here.

Hello,...
loads of positives, and just a few negative. To trills who asked if I was being a snob, it has nothing to do with who owns a property, just the location on an 'estate' and potentially the mix of people that could let such a property down. I wanted to gauge opinion as looking long term and resale can be a problem if you get it worng as nellyjelly said. I'm not talking about a standalone property that just happens to have been built by the council - those are exceptions to the rule I think. Thanks all for the input!

We move to an ex Council house next month. Quiet village location directly opposite a great wee primary school. We looked at 2 new builds in same area but we're getting 50% more sq ft with the Council one and a huge garden.

Also, we currently rent a new build and the next door neighbour and the ones 3 doors along are an absolute nightmare! Noisy, messy and police never away from one of the doors! So you can ger them regardless of where you end up.

Do you have any idea what percentage of the estate (and how many of your direct neighbours) are council tenants or own privately? If the latter, then, in many ways, its no different from living anywhere else as they're responsible for the upkeep, you can only deal with them directly if there are any problems (so you can't go to the council & make a complaint).
I lived in a series of ex-council properties in London (inc DHR which was my favourite) and found it quite a shock when I moved to a non ex-council one as the rooms were smaller, there was no garden and it just wasn't as solid.

Yes - our last house was ex-council and it was far better built than the 1970s house we have now. There used to be far stricter standards for council houses than for the shoddy rubbish developers managed to flog. It had lovely room sizes, loads of storage including big walk-in cupboards on every floor - I was very fond of that house.

I live in a council house - that's still a council house. It is one of a stand of four in the middle of nowhere, with a very scenic view of a lake (about twenty metres from our front garden). These days it would be prime, millionaires' row. No-one can ever overlook us. Two of us are still tenants and two owner occupiers - one of those was born in the house, and tenant of it for years. 100 foot gardens front and back. We have no intention of ever moving - neither do our neighbours.

When I was a home owner, I had a nice Victorian terrace with plenty of character. But neighbours who made our life such hell. This house lacks character but is in such a stunning location, and has such huge gardens, and lovely neighbours and that's the trade off. We do have coal fired central heating.

I live in the middle so one neighbour is a tenant, the other a home-owner. The previous home owners were dog rough, but the ones who live their now are lovely. Council tenant the other side is lovely. I've noticed in villages round here when an ex council house comes up for sale, it's fairly unusual. I can only recall one coming up in the nearest village in the past five years. But often the pretty picture postcard cottages come up for sale, and the following year, back up again. So there seems to be stability.

All this talk of neighbours...

When I lived in council I knew that if my council neighbours behaved really badly I could complain. If they were very racist towards us or otherwise abusive they would get a warning and could, in theory, be evicted.

When I moved out of council and into ex council I was really anxious about what would happen if my private neighbours turned out to be rotters.

Feck all as it happens. I am pretty sure that if next door was still council they wouldn't have got away with building and living in a house in the back garden.

Council did sod all when my parents were threatened and harrassed by the neighbours. The whole process of eviction for nuisance is long, hard and difficult to prove.

My current house is ex council. We modernised it for minimal cost and it went up by value of 20k in one year. Front and back garden, 3 double bedrooms etc...

2 ex council houses for sale in my mum's village have just been bought back by the council. Possible due to their being only about 10 council houses left out of an original 100.
I wish they would buy mum's neighbours house as they are 2 semi-detached very individual wooden houses. Beautiful with large rooms, built in the 1940's so have downstairs loos, a coal shed and a shed and a back kitchen built onto the house. Mums has just been modernised with a new roof, central heating and a new wood skin. Next door can't afford all that so no-one is willing to shell out £150,000 plus £100,000 in essential improvements. It has been empty now for about 6 years and he won't rent it out because he won't know who is living in his house. If it was big enough for us we would move there.

Definitely - in a village close to where we used to live the ex LA house go for £350k because of the desirability of the village. We couldn't afford to live there council house or not.

In a word, yes! My mum's house is ex-council. It's a really great house - built to last and in a nice private street close to the school I went to. I would happily live in it (again!)

You are right nelly but a lot of wankers are cowards and a letter off the council can shut them up.

Not all but some.

And there is the option.
It is also useful for barking dogs and dodgy building in the garden, crappy fences etc.
In the past it has been useful to be able to say 'you do realise that if you do not stop your kids from doing that the council can evict you, dont you?'

If someone owns their property there is nothing you can do.

We have lived in an ex council house for the past 20 years, loved it, big rooms, big gardens rural views, in a National park, next door to local primary school. BUT we want to move but can't sell it because it has a 3 year residency clause and any potential buyers can't find a lender to give them a mortgage. We aren't asking over the odds, infact 4 beds and a garage else where in the area would be £100 000 more. We want to sell to other locals which is the point of the clause but now we are stuck here with a house which is unsellable. A self defeating covenant and banks with lots of money but will take no risks.

before our current house, either could either go for a new build, with one decent double bedroom and a box room and a psotage stamp garden, or an ex-council with solid walls, 2 double bedrooms and a long garden. It was a no-brainer. Really well built with loads of space.

I live in a nice 1930s end terrace with a decent garden in one of the nicest areas of my city, in the catchment area for excellent schools, with nice shops nearby. The other houses are a mix of privately owned, council owned and sheltered accommodation for the elderly. In the same area, for a similar price, the main alternative would be a small terrace with a courtyard and tiny galley kitchen and yearly rotation of noisy student neighbours. I don't think that selling would be a problem given the number of estate agents who regularly approach us to try and sell our house.

When I was really ill about 12 years ago we sold our house so that dp could give up work to look after me for 2 years and bought an ex LA flat. One of the nicest places I have lived lovely neighbours and really good experience all round.