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Original poster

Would you live next to an electricity sub station?

39 replies

Mountainsided · 05/10/2018 15:36

Electricity sub station is 50ft from the house I’m interested in buying. Is it anything I need to worry about? Or is that only something that people used to worry about and the evidence is it is safe? More power from people’s wifi signal now etc. Will it affect us selling in the future-would it our you off as a future buyer?

OP posts:

AnnieAnoniMouse · 05/10/2018 15:39

I wouldn’t.

I have NO idea whether they’re actually bad for you or not, but I feel like they are so I’d rather not do it. Plenty of other houses IMO

Leafyhouse · 05/10/2018 15:45

I have a degree in Electronic Engineering. Would I live near a sub-station? No. I know that there have been several studies disproving a link between Leukaemia clusters and non-ionising radiation (which is what power lines are), but I still wouldn't trust it. It also depends on the voltage. An 11,000 volt substation - maybe. A 40,000 volt substation - no way. If you can hear the power lines crackling and buzzing, that's ozone being generated above your house, and that's not good for you. However, I have to admit that it's more suspicion than empirical evidence that would stop me from living there - all the evidence suggests that it'll do you no harm. So if the house is really nice, it may be worth going for. Just my 2 cents' worth.

Topseyt · 05/10/2018 15:46

It wouldn't attract me as a potential buyer. I just think they are so ugly. I don't want them as an outlook.

The one that serves our small town is right out in the middle of fields. No houses particularly close to it that I can think of. The driveway up to it (for engineers' vans) is part of a public footpath into the fields where I have often walked my dogs. That is the reason I know where it is and how ugly it is.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 05/10/2018 15:46

I would buy a property next to one if it was a tiny small one. Depends a bit on whether I could hear the hum (I can hear hums from the huge industrial pylons). I wouldn't buy next to a large sub station.

On the whole they can look a bit run down, gather rubbish and could be targets for vandals. I think it might put people off in terms of resale, so it depends a bit if this is a short term house purchase.

AngelsWithSilverWings · 05/10/2018 16:16

We rejected a house for this reason.

I didn't personally have a problem with the sub station - the house we were moving from had one at the back of the garden. It was the fact that I knew it could put off future buyers and I didn't want to buy a house that I may have difficulty selling in the future.

Asterado · 05/10/2018 16:20

No.

And this is a bit woo but....

Just walking near them makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I can hear them humming and cracking even when other people can’t. It sets me right on edge. I’m sure I would go mad

BarbaraofSevillle · 05/10/2018 16:20

I've done lots of assessments of the exposure around substations and the electromagnetic field levels, even very close to them, is about the same as next to household appliances like fridges and vacuum cleaners.

Therefore, unless you are living in a totally off grid and not near any electricity source at all, there is no reason to avoid them on safety grounds.

However, as this thread attests, it is an issue that people are unable to consider rationally so may affect future saleability.

BeachCrow · 05/10/2018 16:26

No, the sound they make would massively put me off and health risks, although I'm not sure what they actually are.

However, my DH used to have a house near a small tucked away one and had no problem selling it so I suppose how big/ noisy/ visible it is makes a difference.

bigbluebus · 05/10/2018 16:41

The builders at the bottom of our road are presumably confident that a sub station won't put people off buying a house as they are currently building 2 out of 13 houses right next to the sub station that serves our estate!

Original poster

Mountainsided · 05/10/2018 16:44

It’s a small one on the side of a road rather than the big type serving a town with pylons etc. Hmm, I think even if we had no problem with it, future buyers might

OP posts:

Tattletale · 05/10/2018 16:46

We have a small sub station at the back of our garden and never give it a thought. We can't hear it and its surrounded by trees and bushes so you can't really see it. It didn't put us off when we bought the house 12 years ago.

spaceraidersrock · 05/10/2018 16:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

glintandglide · 05/10/2018 16:47

It’s the ugliness and off putting of future buyers that would get me. Although a substation a street away from my parents exploded once and it felt like a small earthquake in our house so god knows what it felt like for the house next door

MyCatIsBonkers · 05/10/2018 16:50

I have done. Doesn't bother me or industrial scientist DH in the slightest.

Racecardriver · 05/10/2018 16:51

Not if it makes noise. Humming noises drive me mental.

Chewbecca · 05/10/2018 16:53

Yes.

On our (1930s) estate, there is a small sub station every few hundred metres so it is pretty hard to live that far away from one. Ours is around 100ft from our house, can't see it or hear it.

CramptonHodnet · 05/10/2018 16:59

It would be the potential difficulties in selling it in the future that would put me off mainly. Then the constant humming sound could be annoying and risks of vandalism.

A work colleague, years ago, blamed her son's leukaemia on having lived next to a substation when he was young. I don't know. But, if it's known or rumoured that they might be a problem, then it all leads back to possible resale difficulties. You could be stuck with it or have to sell at much less than its true value.

Original poster

Mountainsided · 05/10/2018 16:59

It’s quite small. Haven’t gone to visit properly yet to assess the noise from it. Although probably drowned out by the busy dual carriage way 250ft away!

Would you live next to an electricity sub station?

OP posts:

Chottie · 05/10/2018 17:00

No.

glintandglide · 05/10/2018 17:01

Oh! I thought you meant like on your property! No I wouldn’t worry too much about that one

Original poster

Mountainsided · 05/10/2018 17:01

Well I think it’s tiny and they are everywhere? But can’t work out if the house is cheap because of that or the main road.

OP posts:

Original poster

Mountainsided · 05/10/2018 17:02

The edge of the house is just out of shot on the right by a few more feet. House on the edge of the land. Our bedroom and bathroom by this side, kids bedrooms are on the other sides.

OP posts:

MyCatIsBonkers · 05/10/2018 17:03

I'd think the road was more of a problem.

MsHomeSlice · 05/10/2018 17:04

I wouldn't...like other pp I can hear and feel the electricity, I know that sounds woo and weirdy, but it's true.

I can also predict thunderstorms with reasonable accuracy!

Also I'd be concerned about developments/improvement/expansion of any such site, it might be small now, but pretty sure the electricity folks have carte blanche to do as they please if they want to upgrade their equipment

Original poster

Mountainsided · 05/10/2018 19:41

Thanks. I’ll go and have a look and see what the noise/road noise is like. Before I would have said absolutely no way, but now I’m not so sure

OP posts:

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