Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask would you buy a fab house in a crap area?

166 replies

BebeRainbow · 22/09/2018 23:08

Or would you rather buy an average house in a naice area ? Just looking for the General consensus really

Looking at moving house, as ours is too small and I don’t like the area, it really is a shit hole. if we move to a better area we won’t get much at all for our money

But in areas that are ... less nice (but probably slightly better than where we are) you can get something pretty special fairly affordably.

We are in the midlands

OP posts:
Shadow1986 · 22/09/2018 23:28

No, area is more important to me. We bought a smaller house in a nice area, and then and extended it when we could afford to.

MollyHuaCha · 22/09/2018 23:28

Location

Jent13c · 22/09/2018 23:29

I did that, biggest flat we could afford and it was ready to walk in toand we have loved it for 6 years, as soon as you pass the door it’s perfect.

In reality though, it’s been on the market for a month with 0 viewings because no one wants to live here. I’m the only person who bothers with communal maintenance and I regularly witness people letting their dog crap anywhere. My downstairs neighbour doesn’t live in her flat full time, she just uses it to entertain middle aged men 4/5 times a day and keeps her crack pipe hidden in a vent in the garden.

When I moved here I was the inverse snob who jumped on everyone who dared comment on how bad an area it is but 6 years on I’m desperate to get out.

Original poster
BebeRainbow · 22/09/2018 23:32

Awww Jent that sounds crap !!

😱 at your neighbour “entertaining” men and the crack pipe

We’ve got slightly dodgy neighbours too so this thread is prob pie in the sky anyway as no bugger will prob want to buy our house anyway 😩😆

OP posts:
JacintaJones · 22/09/2018 23:33

I have a nice house in an average area.
Its not great but its nice enough and going against the grain I'd rather my impressive victorian villa than a more modest three bed in a 'desirable' postcode.
Having said all of that I live a stones throw from the 'posh' area so its not 'rough' by any means.

Rumi2018 · 22/09/2018 23:34

Crap house in best area I can afford every time! Location is more important than the house, you can change your house, you can't change the area, not overnight anyway... Though we're having some trouble on the high street of our 'naice' area which is out of our way but because it is a nice area, the police are on it already... Honestly, it makes a huge difference having peace of mind in a better area but a smaller house than the opposite...

Airaforce · 22/09/2018 23:35

Average house in good area is quicker to sell and will increase in value over time. A fabulous house in a rubbish area will take longer to sell as people might be put off by the area.

BobLemon · 22/09/2018 23:39

Hello OP! I’m also a Midlander looking at moving soon, as we regret the area we picked. We THOUGHT we’d picked an okay area, but I now realise why the really quite lovely house was so reasonably priced.

We still can’t afford to move to... rhymes with Smesht Smidgford... but are racking our brains for how to improve area without taking a step back in house quality.

Bumblebee321 · 22/09/2018 23:39

I would buy a house in a descent area. I grew up in a rough area in a big house and hated it (had racist comments shouted at me on a regular basis). I now live in the most expesive area in our city and have the most stuck up shitty neighbours! My mum on the other hand has always lived in a area which is not the best but is decent with lots working families. She has always had fab neighbours.

Dollymixture22 · 22/09/2018 23:40

Go for the neighbourhood. You can improve th house

Jackietheduck · 22/09/2018 23:44

Area over house. Every time.

tracymars · 22/09/2018 23:45

I live in an area that is not desired after. I feel safe here and there are a good range of local shops and the bus service is good. It's just not a popular area for moving to. When I was looking. I looked at the area I would have preferred to live in. But it was very popular. All the affordable places were in terrible condition. Most places were out of our price range. And the non crap places that were withing the price range were snapped up incredibly fast. When you say "crap area" I think as long as you feel safe there and have access to what you need then it's fine.

But You have to remember that you can make improvements to a house. But you're stuck in the area.

WhispersOfWickedness · 22/09/2018 23:46

Like a PP says, it really does depend what you mean by crap. We live in a village very much looked down upon by surrounding areas as it has had a bad reputation in the past (house prices are about half the price per sq foot of the ones in the next village), people can be very snobby about it. In reality, it's a great area, it's really young, great for families, lovely community feel and half the crime rate of the surrounding villages (mostly because there are virtually no break ins, I think burglars must think we don't have anything worth stealing here Grin), but you'd never know all this until you actually gave the village a chance.

Enko · 22/09/2018 23:46

Depends here actually..

We bought the crap house in the naice area.. Moved on about 8 years later got a lovely house in a less nice area but still an ok area..

The lovely house was 100% the right way to go.

We now live in the same area. Not seen as an ideal place to live however for us it has been full of community feel. Our children have blossomed and grown up feeling a part of the community. We moved from an area thats regular in the top 10 best places to live to an area thats likely not in the top 100.. However crime statistics are similar and really for us it made our life experience much better.

I would not have moved to an area I felt was unsafe though. 2 very different things.

Original poster
BebeRainbow · 22/09/2018 23:51

See I grew up in a “posh” area but the neighbours were snobby twats, id hate that

Where we are now is one of those areas that’s always a bad rep but since living here I’ve found out that’s quite Unfair. it’s improved a lot in the last ten years thanks to a big regeneration project. but generally people are decent I’ve got a lot of friends here as have the kids

I just want a big house dammit

OP posts:
GoldenBuns · 22/09/2018 23:51

No. We made that mistake 10 years ago. Dream house in terrible area. It took us a while to get our heads round the fact that if we wanted great schools, shops, nice environment for kids, etc we would have to compromise on the house face palm.

Movablefeast · 22/09/2018 23:52

Be very careful because the location is where you will be spending years of your life and your children will be socializing in. A nice house can blind you to the fact that the world surrounding your house is not one you are going to enjoy as much as other areas. Try not to let stress and fear make you jump the gun, take your time and find something that has enough of a balance between location and the house itself.

NutElla5x · 22/09/2018 23:55

Average house in a nice area,no contest.

JayDot500 · 22/09/2018 23:58

I grew up in the roughest parts of North London, and would happily live there except genetrifuckingcation means I can't afford it any longer. People are forever turning their noses up at places until it becomes acceptable enough. Fuck that... we bought a house 4 years ago in a dive area of Essex because it's all we could afford. Except now the area is 'desirable' and our house is worth 100k+ more Confused #gameofhomes

Rebecca36 · 22/09/2018 23:58

No point in buying a fabulous house if it is regularly burgled, vandalised and you're afraid to walk out at night on your own.

I'd prefer a more modest house in an area in which I feel comfortable.

anothernameagain000 · 22/09/2018 23:59

Depends whether you mean safe or nice. I have just moved to a super “naice” area from one that had a less nice postcode. While it’s lovely in terms of private road, ultra lovely houses etc - i actually likes where i was previously better. It actually had some sort of community, and I actually felt safer as well

RomanyRoots · 23/09/2018 00:05

NO

user1492863869 · 23/09/2018 00:05

The compromise is to find an up and coming area, as Phil and Kirsty would say. These are generally the outer reaches of London where the march of gentrification continues unchecked. But it might be worth researching local developments, improving schools etc.
There is a spectrum between crap (high crime and antisocial behaviour) and an affluent established middle class area. The trick is to find the one on the move up with houses that can be made big. Renting may be a way to go to see if you are comfortable in the community.

Gwenhwyfar · 23/09/2018 00:06

"If it is unsafe, that is a instant deal-breaker."

I feel safer in my deprived area than in the posh parts of town. In the richer areas the houses are all set away from the streets. There are lots of hedges and bushes and nobody drives after about 7pm whereas in my shitty area the people are rough and ready, but I won't be walking home along completely dark scary streets even at midnight so going for safety doesn't mean going for the 'nice' area.

Gwenhwyfar · 23/09/2018 00:07

"No point in buying a fabulous house if it is regularly burgled, vandalised and you're afraid to walk out at night on your own."

Burglaries aren't that common in the poorer areas. Richer areas are more likely to be targeted.