AIBU to be worried about social housing?

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Have found our dream home on a new estate - looks out over green to the front. Lovely lay out, super excited. However, we went to look at the one we wanted to reserve (80% finished) to find that half the garden backs onto a small row of 3 social rent houses. I feel awful to be worried abou this but I am! The other houses it backs onto are small private houses. I now don’t know what to do. I don’t want to make the wrong choice for our family. What if there’s trouble? It’s seriously making me reconsider. There isn’t much social housing on the estate (minimum amount I guess) does anyone have any experience?

Looks fine to me OP. You can never tell what your neighbours will be like, it's always a bit of a gamble. As I said previously the worst neighbours I ever had owned their house.

A garden backing on to the gardens of social housing tenants wouldn't put me off buying a property.

Thank you so much for the honest answer. This is a big deal for us! We live in an amazing house in an amazing area but it is just too small. They are due to build on the fields behind our house immenently anyway so may still be in the same position if we stay! We really really really love this house!

Nice attitude op. Maybe they don't want you as their neighbour, I certainly wouldn't.

I cannot believe how sanctimonious you all are. The OP has some understandable reservations - she's making an important investment. And the policeman who commented earlier is right because he'll see the arse end of things whilst you social justice warriors are on Mumsnet. There's no saying what the council/ha tenants will be like but you're more likely to get shit tenants than shit owners. It's just a matter of probability.

Neighbors can be shit from all types of housing. Yabu.

OP this is where I live, my house is circled & the houses shown in white are ‘social housing’. As I said in previous post we love it here, excellent community spirit & very safe with beautifully kept shared spaces

I prefer plot 1, same house style but south facing garden and better position overall. Not sure if I’m missing the point though!

Any new build that is next to social housing is usually priced at £10k less than the same house exclusively in a private area. Sad but true (round here anyway). Resale values are affected a bit and you’d have a few potential buyers put off (just like you are). I think the gardens adjoining is viewed as less risky than if the properties were adjoining though.

Shared ownership is a completely different product and doesn’t have the same neighbourhood risks as the rented properties as the occupant has a stake in the property and it benefits them to maintain it.

Actually Came just for the comments.... Was not disappointed hahaha

Plot 1 is already sold! In front of our house is a woodland and balancing pond. To the side is a large hawthawn hedge so out front the only houses. Plot one is just opening out onto the main road but I see what you mean!

Plot 20?
What’s the white building next to “yours”?

I have seen the social housing people on your future estate. Luckily I managed to take a photo of them.
I hope you manage to avoid them.

I grew up in a council house and my DP’s still live in it now - they’ve probably bought the house 5 times over with what they’ve spent over the years on decor, furnishings and keeping the garden nice. They even put their own kitchen in themselves because they’re very house proud and look after/appreciate everything they have. If the council visit for maintenance/upgrade checks, they always comment on how well it is kept. Their house is located near the local university and their neighbours are a mix of social housing, students and owner occupiers who bought their houses from the council. In the 30 years they’ve lived there, they’ve had equal amounts of bother from the social housing and student lets, all for different reasons (they’ve not had any issues with owner occupiers simply because they live much further down the street).

I was a private tenant before buying my own house and I’ve had arsehole neighbours next door that were also privately renting! One particular set trashed the house and garden to the point the landlord decided to sell up (that was after he had to put new fencing up, re turf the garden after clearing up all the dog shit left behind and redecorate throughout, including all new flooring)! At the same house, we also had an older couple move in next door who didn’t even last 3 months before being evicted due to them causing so much trouble over parking on people’s property that the police were involved! They kindly stole all the landlords fixtures and fittings before they left too (white goods, light fittings etc).

Anyone can be an arsehole, whatever type of housing they may live in - it’s just pot luck whether you get good or bad neighbours!

I'll probably get flamed for this but I bought my first flat on a new build estate a little block of four, other three owned, no issues at all, single man in one, woman in the other and a couple with a baby in the bigger one, block next door of eight flats shared carpark communal bins etc but a shared entrance. It was all social housing, one woman and her young son were lovely, the rest were a nightmare, police called all times of day and night, would throw rubbish out of the windows including dirty nappies, loud music, kids playing football in the carpark rather than on the green at the front, one man nicknamed Stella man as he was regularly seen with a carrier bag full of Stella cans kicked their communal door in three times and on one occasion having been thrown out by partner yet again threw a can across the carpark which guy my car and covered me in beer as I'd just locked it, kids kicking holes in the communal fences, guess who got the repairs added to their service charge? It was the social housing tenants who paid a nominal amount. I was really open minded going to live there, but never ever again.

Come on now op. Be logical and pragmatic. If you don want to abut social housing, look at the price for not doing so and assess the cost benefit analysis. FWIW many people I have met who have been brought up in or who live in social housong have been head and shoulders above a bunch of pooters in the context of niceness and basic decency.

The one next to plot 25 is a large 5 bed house. The hedge is next to that, then a bridle way the other side and a toddler park. We are spending £450000 on this house, double what we bought our current one for (due to being 50 mins direct from Euston, thanks London buyers!) and it’s a massive consideration for my family. I have to get it right. It’s a lot of money to us.

Plot 20 has a garden half the size, but it is a consideration.

I spend most of my spare time pottering, decorating, gardening and cleaning and threads like this make me feel really... ashamed. And cringing

Pookie please do not feel ashamed. It is the OP who should be ashamed of being such a judgemental mofo.

The MAJORITY of people regardless of social housing, private renting, owning, all look after their homes and WANT to live somewhere they like.

Twats are twats regardless of their renting/private renting/home owning status.

Unfortunately, you find them wherever you live and that minority spoil it.

Hence OP thinking people in social housing are going to be scumbags.

The only reason we don't hear about scumbags in private rent/ownership is because the media like to demonise people who need a fucking hand in life. For that. This country should be absolutely ashamed. Not you!!!!

It is not sanctimonious when I am the type of person she is talking about! Its ok for me to feel offended that living in SH must mean you are unemployed, drink Stella at 9am and collect car parts in your garden

Grew up on a council estate that was nothing like everyone is going on about.
Once upon a time when I owned a house in a cul de sac a few other owner neighbours were fucking horrible and there is no one to complain to about that.
I then lived in private rent for 10 years and it was awful with private rent neighbours who don’t care, leave rubbish everywhere, make all kinds of noise day and night

You never know whether your NDN will rent their house out to a family from hell, or be hideous themselves and you have no control over that either

That is a lot of money. Why don't you use the nearby social housing as a bargaining tool, work on reducing the price?

I used to live in social housing. I don't have two heads. I do know how to behave like a reasonable human being. Hell, I even held down a responsible job looking after terminal ill and life limited children. Nice to know I am also a second class citizen.

Watch yourself, it is a very small step from homeownership to social housing. Who knows, one day you might find yourself judged too.

Yes I see what you mean about the garden being smaller.

I wouldn’t go for this house due to the likely northerly aspect, the amenities nearby (playground etc that older kids might hang around), balancing pond (are there any water ways nearby? Drainage issues?). Social housing does on average have a greater risk of neighbourhood issues than private housing; the risk of getting truly awful neighbours is still pretty low so it’s up to you how willing you are to take the risk. There is quite a lot of social housing all grouped together behind your garden though (social rented housing all in the same area causes more friction between tenants than spreading it out). Are they definitely rented and not shared ownership?

Also look really carefully at the parking - is there enough? Sometimes the social rented properties only get 1 space. You could easily get tenants parking both sides of the road you’re driving in and out of the estate on, or parking near your house and using the bridleway to cut through to their house?

Given the value of the purchase it would be a no for me. I'd not risk that much money.

If you own a house that's worth that much the chancs are you will look after it as it's a huge commitment and asset. No incentive too if just renting and it can take months to evict tenants.

I’m not finding that the OP is coming across as judgemental. I think she’s asking the right questions, given she’s about to lay almost half a million on this one purchase. Of course the majority of social rent tenants are good neighbours. just as the majority of the population are good neighbours. But, the risk of getting antisocial behaviour from a social rented property is higher than your average privately owned estate.

Parking is usually allocated on house size of bedrooms.
I wouldn’t live near a park if I had a choice it’s noisy (posh rich kids make noise too

Oh ffs. Yes there are loads of people such as yourself who are lovely gainfully employed pillars of society and that's wonderful. Nobody's saying that people in social housing are all antisocial layabouts. It's just that social housing has more antisocial layabouts than non social housing.

And this is a bloody fact for god's sake!