Would you buy this house?

[MediumOrchid]

We found a house we liked last week, put an offer in and had it accepted. It ticks a lot of boxes, reasonably spacious, good price, close to good schools, close to a playground.

We went to have a look around the area this afternoon, which generally seems nice. As we came back to where we'd parked by the house, we could hear loud, bangy music coming from the house two down from the one we are buying, also shouting, swearing and people leaning over the wall smoking watching us get back in our car. The music was of a volume that it would be very audible in the garden of the house we wanted. I would imagine it would be impossible to have a nice relaxing summer afternoon in the garden with the children with that sort of noise so close.

Searching online, Zoopla only has previous sold prices for 5 of the house in the street of 30+ houses, does this mean that the rest, including the noisy one, are housing association? This wouldn't have bothered me, but I'm wondering if it's better or worse for this noisy house to be HA - at least if it is, we can complain about the neighbours!

Anyway, we're really disappointed by this and are considering withdrawing our offer.

What would others do in this situation?

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

Tricky. It might be a one-off event or the residents of that house might be permanently outside shouting & swearing.

I think you need to visit again.

[HeadDreamer]

Do you know the neighbourhood well? If not and you doubt this is a one off 18th birthday party kind of things, then I don't think I would buy it.

[LynetteScavo]

Hmmmm......it would bother me but then I'm very fussy and once didn't buy a house because I didn't like the next door neighbours front garden.

I was unsure about buying this house because I didn't like the next door neighbours shirt. He's very nice though, and has improved his wardrobe considerably recently.

[HeadDreamer]

Definitely go back for few different times and get a feel for the neighbourhood.

[wowfudge]

Definitely go back at other times before making a decision based on this one incident. Can you talk with the NDNs?

[MyPelvicFloorTrainsItself]

I would not care at all about HA but wouldn't buy it if there was a party house a couple of doors down, private or HA.

[MediumOrchid]

Didn't feel like a party, more just a family afternoon with no consideration for the neighbours.

We might go back again, try to spy on them!

I don't know the neighbourhood at all.

I could talk to the neighbours, but what would I say?! Wouldn't it seem a bit strange to say ' what are your neighbours like? '

[thehousewife]

Don't buy it. We have 2 houses close to us who do something very similar. It's hell!! I love my house but they ruin it continually with there, shouting, swearing, kids out till all hours. I paid a lot of money for this house and they ruin it. Even though they are HA, nothing ever gets done about them. ????

[jevoudrais]

Look on Street Check. It's a website that shows info from the last census like the percentage of council housing etc by postcode. What kind of employment people are in etc. might make you feel better or help you come to a conclusion.

We are buying an 'ugly' house in a great area instead of nice houses in less nice areas. We found it hard to avoid areas very high with council tenants and HA tenants. I just worry about how frequently the neighbours could change more than anything. I prefer areas where homes are owned not rented too,may bad as it sounds. With the market as it is we consider we might get stuck for a while so want it to be as OK as possible.

[Hellionandfriends]

You need to park up outside the property at random hours

[CrapBag]

It would definitely put me off but I am highly intolerant to other people's noise.

I love my house and it's not enough to put me off as luckily it's not too, often, but my neighbour seems to like BBQs in the summer and they make a lot of noise out in the garden (them and their friends) and they seem to blast the music sometimes. DS can't sleep when they do as his bedroom faces the back. It could be far worse but it is very irritating when they do this.

With a family like that OP, I would assume that they were like this a lot given they were out shouting and swearing. People like that don't tend to be like it as a one off. There is a house up the road that, if it had been for sale a year ago, I probably would have bought. But the current owners have only been there 2 years and the house 2 doors up recently sold. I was speaking to my friend who has lived around here all of her life and she said the neighbour is an alcoholic who has a vicious dog and spends her time screaming and shouting. So glad it wasn't for sale then. Not a coincidence that both houses either side have just sold.

Which ones had sold on Zoopla? We're they recent and near this other house? How long has your vendor been there?

[MediumOrchid]

jevoudrais - thanks, that's a really useful site. In this area, 65% social housing.

I parked outside their house again this evening, about 9pm, still noisy, shouting voices, not angry, just loud.

It's not looking good...

[ouryve]

Visit again, another evening. It was A-level results, this week.

Few entries on Zoopla can be good - it sometimes means that people move there and stay. We've been here 12 years and the only houses in our block of 16 that have changed hands in that time have all done so because previous owners have got very old and died.

[ouryve]

OK crossposted with your catchup. it really isn't looking good.

[PlainHunting]

It would put me off but I hate noise.

[CityDweller]

Don't do it if you think it might bother you even a tiny bit. Having lived next door to a noisy psycho neighbour - it was awful. The noise was almost constant and she was a horrible person who made us feel uncomfortable in our own home. We sold within 18 months.

[CityDweller]

And feel grateful you discovered this before you exchanged or moved in. We didn't discover the noise issue until the morning after we moved in and that feeling of our hearts sinking and knowing that you can't return a flat like another purchase was absolutely awful. Makes me shudder/ want to cry remembering it.

[Pipbin]

Good job you found this out now. I wouldn't entertain it.

[MrsReiver]

Don't buy it. We lived with neighbours like that, and it literally made me ill. We moved out 8 months ago - to an ugly house in a fab area - and I am still panic when I hear the slightest noise.

[sebsmummy1]

I wouldn't buy it either.

I have lived next door to a nightmare family and they made me want to top myself. Funnily enough he ended up accidentally topping himself with an accidental drug overdose. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke.

[Lagoonablue]

Councîl or HA doesn't make a difference tbh. An arsehole is an arsehole.

We bought a very nice house in a very nice area and everyone is owner occupied. Unfortunately NDN is a twat. Noisy, offensive language.

[Pipbin]

Councîl or HA doesn't make a difference tbh. An arsehole is an arsehole.

This.^

Where we lived before was mainly private rent and owner occupied, we had a very noisy neighbour and it turned out that the man we sold the house to was one too.
We now live on a mainly private estate but in a pocket of council houses. We have had very little problem with noise here.

If I was being very blunt, privately rented would put me off much more than council.

[JonSnowKnowsSomeThings]

Nope. Avoid bad neighbours at all costs. They can ruin dream homes worse than rising damp. Steer well clear and learn from my experience.

[MrsUltracrepidarian]

Don't buy. Or at least, pop by on a few more warm evenings. You can look up the occupants names on 192.com and then look them up on facebook - might be illuminating - might see lots of pics of drunken parties at theirs...

[scarlets]

Go back a couple more times. maybe they have family staying. A.Level results etc.