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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to buy a new house next to social housing?

151 replies

plentyofsoap · 09/06/2013 22:18

I had a casual conversation about a house we are looking to buy with a group of friends today. One who is a friend of a friend said it sounded lovely, but we would be mad to buy near those in social housing?! I once had a neighbour who caused me huge problems and she owned her house therefore it makes no difference to me. This was ignored by her. Am I missing something or is she just being a snob?

OP posts:
CelticPixie · 10/06/2013 16:50

Crowler, please don't talk crap. People don't get approved for mortgages for all sorts of reasons. Number one being that they can't afford it. As house prices increase along with the need for a hefty deposit it's becoming more and more common for people to go into rental accommodation rather than buying, and most of them end up in private rental now because there is such a shortage of SH. And what happens with private rental is that there is a high turn over of tennants with families rarely staying in one place for very long - mainly due to private landlords being money grabbing tossers. There should be MORE social housing!

MoodyDidIt · 10/06/2013 16:52

no dont do it op

i live in social housing and me dh and our dcs are right wrong uns

Hmm
usualsuspect · 10/06/2013 16:54

You think professionals don't take drugs or have parties?

You think they don't have teenage children who have free houses when their parents are away? And invite all their mates round?

Boomba · 10/06/2013 16:55

Hahahaha

usualsuspect · 10/06/2013 16:56

,

Shall we sit out the front on the sofa?>

Dahlen · 10/06/2013 16:56

Paradise - that's a bit of an over-simplification. It's not about having a mortgage or not, in the same way it's not about benefits or income or anything. It's simply about emotional/time/practical/financial investment in the house.

There is a link between how long someone remains in a property, their roots in their community and how well they maintain their house. They have a vested interest. People who buy rather than rent (BTL excepted), tend to have longer occupancies than tenants. Long-term HA tenants also have that vested interest. On established estates many of the elderly tenants remain from the days when it was the norm for all but the well off to live in council-owned property, when there was no stigma attached.

Many new builds simply don't have that investment of commitment because they have no history, so they rely on people's investment in the property. Those who qualify for HA tenancies these days usually have a significant 'need' in a way that wasn't the case years ago. Drug addicts, for example, will be prioritised over a couple with no dependents. If you get the single mother or couple who has been patiently waiting for a 2-bed house, you'll be on a winner. If you get the drug-addict who likes to move regularly to escape the bailiffs, you might feel differently.

There are no hard and fast rules. Every tenant/owner is an individual just as every estate is unique, but there are trends.

I would never buy a house on a new estate, whereas I'd happily buy from an established community. I don't give a damn about whether people own/rent work/claim benefits. I do care about crime and anti-social behaviour.

CelticPixie · 10/06/2013 16:57

usualsuspect. I have relatives who would be considered professional. They own their own home in an area that is considered VERY desirable and yet their son still ended up in prison for drugs offences.... So indeed you are correct.

squidworth · 10/06/2013 17:01

What this thread does show you that if you did need to sell the pool of potential buyers is reduced by how they view SH.

usualsuspect · 10/06/2013 17:02

My sister lives on one of the most expensive streets in my city.

She lives opposite a notorious drug dealer.

Nice MC drug dealers are just the same as SH drug dealers.

Boomba · 10/06/2013 17:04

For those advising OP take a look at the area first....shes BUYING A HOUSE!!

I reckon she's had a look at it, don't you

MoodyDidIt · 10/06/2013 17:04

ha usual :o

Boomba · 10/06/2013 17:18

S'funny, poor people 'sit out front' and its common and distasteful. MC folk sit outside and its a laaverly community

Blueskiesandbuttercups · 10/06/2013 17:31

I think you'd be utterly bonkers.

Where we live there has been a new estate built with social housing amongst a range of properties(some not cheap)all fine and dandy except the council have been moving problem families from elsewhere into the social housing.Some have dreadful problems and other residents are suffering.

Unfortunately when you sell you have to declare any neighbour disputes so some are going to experience a drop in value.

In the name of pc obviously we'd all say it wouldn't bother us but really unless you're loaded and can cope with losing money and stress I wouldn't take the risk.Also if I was to spend £350 k on a house I'd kind of like to have a peaceful life.

I have a friend a few streets down who was in social housing with neighbours from hell,the council were utterly pants so they had to go into private rental even though they couldn't afford it.

TheReverseStitch · 10/06/2013 17:40

Blueskies Our council was useless with the problems on our street too, I doubt that is a rare problem sadly.

Unfortunatelyanxious · 10/06/2013 17:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lighthousekeeping · 10/06/2013 17:44

What can they do when there's gangs roaming the streets of the estates? The police are no better. I think some people on here are viewing council estates through rose tinted specs or else they are very lucky not to live opposite one of the roughest ones in London. I bet the helicopters don't keep them awake on a night.

usualsuspect · 10/06/2013 17:48

OP is not talking about London.

Not everyone on MN lives in London.

CelticPixie · 10/06/2013 17:56

Usual, for a lot of Southerners, the UK ends on the outskirts of London don't you know? ;)

TheReverseStitch · 10/06/2013 17:58

Lighthouse Yes, that's what I think too about rose tinted specs. Anyone who won't acknowledge that there are some awful people and families in SH have never lived where I was living.

I know awful, aggressive, antisocial, criminal neighbours can be found even in the nicest areas but you are far more likely to find a concentration of them in SH than in a privately owned area, that is just the reality of it.

When we lived there it was stress, violence and threats daily. The children were feral and the adults were usually under the influence. It was quiet in the mornings, but they were out in the streets until very late and nights were scary at times. By that I mean scary for all the non-scummy residents, both in SH and in privately owned, we were all equally scared.

Justfornowitwilldo · 10/06/2013 17:59

New builds are more vulnerable because they're a blank canvas. You have no idea what kind of community will develop. You can go to an existing estate and see what the place is like, but you have no idea what a place that is currently a building site and will become 300 homes will be like.

The issue with the council deciding to use one location to rehouse known problem tenants is serious. Everyone has the odd bad neighbour but ending up with a cluster of them moved in next door because they were bad neighbours is unique to social housing.

TheReverseStitch · 10/06/2013 18:01

YY to this

"The issue with the council deciding to use one location to rehouse known problem tenants is serious. Everyone has the odd bad neighbour but ending up with a cluster of them moved in next door because they were bad neighbours is unique to social housing"

They move them to another area and they just continue to cause all the same problems in their new area and everyone else suffers for it.

usualsuspect · 10/06/2013 18:03

If a problem family are evicted from SH for anti social behaviour, they usually end up in a private let.

So to say they are all housed together on one estate is bollocks.

pipsqueakz · 10/06/2013 18:03

Unfortunately you get anti social behaviour anywhere you go. Whether people are in social housing or not. It can be frustrating too. I was in social housing but was a responsible tenant. The people around me neighbours drove me out and now private rent. There are two social housing rents in our cul-de-sac but there no trouble single mums who work full time. Just research the area before you take any decisions.

TheReverseStitch · 10/06/2013 18:06

Usual No, not all trouble families are in SH, some get rehomed in private or even in B&Bs, but there is a concentration of them in SH areas compared to non-SH areas. I don't see how you can deny that really.

I have lived on 3 different council estates, in 2 different cities and this has been true of all of them.

Justfornowitwilldo · 10/06/2013 18:09

Often when they build new build estates they're building them on greenbelt on the outskirts of a town. They're often not in an area that people want to be in, close to family and friends, close to public transport, walking distance to shops, close to primary schools etc so the social housing in them isn't considered very desirable. The HA still have to fill it. It tends to be 3 bed minimum and nowadays commonly spread over 3 stories, so you're ruling out older people and young families.