Would this put you off buying a house? Please be honest

[ButIGetUpAgain]

Hello

I say "please be honest", because this could potentially be seen as a bit snobby or even elitist, but I'd still really appreciate honesty under the circumstances.

So we've (hopefully 🤞) sold our house after a long time on the market. It's been tough, as we've been desperate to move for 18 months!

Anyway, location was top of our list and we've found somewhere almost perfect, in a nice local village, 4 bed, end of terrace,
large living room and large kitchen/diner. However, at the back of this road, there are several large blocks of flats and I can't lie, it's giving me second thoughts on putting in an offer, which we were almost certainly going to do. At best, it's an eye sore, at worst, it's SH for ex offenders etc. I don't know how/if I can find this out.

I desperately don't want to offend anyone and I know how this could sound. Overall, I don't think I have a problem with it. I have driven round that road several times and I haven't seen anything worrying. I think I'm concerned more about selling it on, as this is a 3-5 year house, ideally, which is why I'm asking the question, would this put you off?...Honestly.

TIA

Nope, I wouldn’t

To be honest, I think it depends where you live. In many parts of the country it would be inevitable you’ll he near flats and you won’t hear a peep from them. In others it could be an issue. How well do you know the area? I feel like I could easily guess this for all the areas I’ve brought houses in with fair accuracy

There is no reason to think several blocks of flats would be for sex offenders though

I wouldn't go near it !

Plus it's more than likely that the flats are rented, I personally wouldn't live somewhere where I was surrounded by renters.

Do people really think like this?

@Carpathian2 sadly yes. When we were renting our neighbours treated us like scum. They told us they didn’t want to have anything to do with tenants. It was fine. We just kept all of the balls that came over the fence and refused to take in their parcels.

In what world does a block of flats get automatically associated with sex offenders? They might even be renting too! . I wouldn't want to be overlooked, but as a terrace you are in very close proximity to others anyway who actually might be sex offenders. This isn't snobby or elitist, it is downright odd.

If “those sort of flats” mean you’re worried about crime, have a look on the local police website for the crime stats. It will tell you the type of crime reported and how much crime has been reported. Then you’ll be able to make a decision that is actually informed.

I wouldnt buy it, too much money to be takin a risk and you could end up not being able to sell in 3-5 years..

Um, I think the OP said "ex" offenders, not "sex" offenders.

Really shocked at some people's answers!

@Passthecherrycoke, I said EX, not sex

I do know the area quite well. I have spoken to people on the road with the house we're
considering today and straight out asked if it was an issue and everyone said no. They only had positive things to say about the community, including how quiet it was. The road only has 10-15 houses and apparently everyone on the road is very close and friendly.

It wouldn't put me off, but then in the village where we used to live, the ex offenders were housed in four bed family homes, in a sought after private estate, right opposite a play park. I kid you not. It only came to light when they moved a dangerous sex offender in, and one of the other chaps felt so uncomfortable with it (despite himself having done time for armed robbery) that he "let it slip" to the parish council

I personally wouldn't live somewhere where I was surrounded by renters

What's the problem with renters?

I personally wouldn't live somewhere where I was surrounded by renters

I knew you'd get pelters for that, OP!
It's not that renters are bad people obviously but more that the properties might not be well looked after (bad landlords?) or might be Air BnBs!

Yes it'd put me off. I don't want to live near social housing.

Yes I know that makes me sound snobby but you asked for the truth.

Mrs. Your post made me laugh, some people really live in a bubble don't they?

So how overlooked are you going to be, in reality? You can see the flats at the front of the house, but to the side?

Wouldn't put me off.

But then again I am clearly an undesirable because I do live in a block of flats.

What a horrible thread.

@KenzoBaby....but I didn't say that. It was another poster

If there is washing hanging over the balconies and junk piled up, and people yelling at each other at a sufficient volume for you to hear from the garden it would be an issue.

Would parking be a problem? Overflow from the flats.

You can find out a lot from a dedicated search on Google, but it takes a while to find it all sometimes.

Why wouldn't you want to live somewhere surrounded by renters?! There's only about three owned houses on our street (including ours) everyone else is students or rented professionals/families. There's no issues at all.

OP, sorry. But whoever said it, I knew they would get pelters!

I would be put off the following:

Ugly exterior of neighbouring buildings inc houses/flats
Rubbish piled up outside
Lots of renters (if I was buying a flat as there are more issues/costs for the management company if people aren't invested in caring for their property)
Abandoned cars or bikes chained up with missing parts
Lots of graffiti
Takeaway or park within view/earshot where people might congregate and be noisy or leave litter

For me it wouldn't be about flats per se but more what I would see/hear/smell every day coming home and being in my garden.

No!! I haven't said this! Of course I don't have a problem with that!