To buy a house next to housing association properties?

[Brightskiesahead]

I need some advice/opinions please.

Soon to be divorced and left with some equity to buy a small house for me and 2 primary age DC.

One has come up on a new build development which is great on paper. Detached, 3 bed, garage, 2 parking spaces and west facing garden. It's in budget. I can't stretch to the next house type up. But the house types I'm looking at are next to housing association properties. The immediate neighbour is a disabled property then its 5 terraced houses of HA.

Would you buy it?

I can't investigate the area as it's not complete yet. The general neighbour hood is lovely (I live close by currently).

Wtaf. Shitty attitude

I'm going to speak as someone in a HA property with the (large) estate next to the new builds. If you only have six houses it will probably be fine. If it had been any larger I would say no. The government don't let the council buy new properties but still allow the houses they own to be bought by Tennant's. This means houses in nice areas are snapped up and council estates seem to end up being confined to rough areas. I can't speak for outside here but that seems the way our HA has gone. I live in the estate, and I see the issues here. Last year before Xmas I ordered some presents for the kids from Amazon. The Amazon delivery driver mixed them up and I received a parcel for the new owner occupied estate directly behind where I live. . I managed to get in touch with her and arranged to drop it off next day. She was very thankful and we stood chatting for a bit socially distanced with masks. She asked where I lived and I told her. She seemed genuinely stunned that I would bring the parcel back despite living on the estate. Living here I can't blame her for that. There are a lot of good people here, and in HA, and a lot of the distrust is thanks to the Tory media over the past twelve years. But there are shit heads who ruin what would have been a nice area with nice ordinary people. It's a real shame. But like everything the knackers ruin it for everyone else. So I dunno maybe drive by at night to see what it's like, or talk to locals. Not saying every HA is like this, btw. Just off my own experience. The difference is I'm on a large estate. 6 houses doesn't sound like a problem to me, and even if there is one family well you get that everywhere

We're not all scum, you know!

What gets me is OP could well have been in a position to need a HA property herself had she not had the luck of being able to afford her home via whatever means. Divorce and single parents mean that some can’t afford to buy. Doesn’t make them a bad, scruffy down and out who you snobby sods look down your noses at.

OP you really need to get your head out of your arse and see the situation you’re in is so close to some of these potential neighbours.

I lived on a street with mixed HA and owned.
My old neighbours were a complete nightmare. I have never lived next to more disgusting people. The problem was, they were owners, so there was sod all we could do apart from wait for them to move (we had a street party when they did).

My daughter has just sold her house which has HA houses behind. The two closest spend their days sitting on their front in their dressing gowns shouting to each other and calling their children cunts. She couldn’t have her windows open last summer while working from home. When she had viewings she hoped for rain. Obviously you could be lucky.

Neighbours are pot luck anyway. The worst neighbour I've ever had was a millionaire home owner who was selfish and liked to throw his weight around.
Some social housing tenants live lifestyles which affect their neighbours, some HA's are effective at dealing with that... But you could say that about private rented too. Actually HA landlords usually have more tools to manage anti-social behaviour than private landlords. If it's small and the area is nice the risk is minimal.

I would not want to live near an HMO or accommodation for sex offenders- and a HA may have such tenants in its accommodation.

Because people who own their houses are never criminals?

@Brightskiesahead

I appreciate I sound like an utter snob but these aren't my views. Views of others giving me their opinions.

Sorry, it is a small house to me as I'm leaving a 5 bed. But I'm so grateful to be able to get a home. I don't mean to sound judgemental, I'm just worried I'll make a wrong decision.

Sounds like you need to find yourself some more open-minded and less judgemental friends, OP. And maybe start valuing your own opinion a bit more.

People are desperate for HA properties. There are strict tenancy rules in place so any tenant would be a fool to risk breaking the rules and losing their tenancy.

I have lived in a HA property for ten years - block of 12 flats. In this time, we have had one troublesome tenant who was evicted. Everyone else is just grateful to have an affordable roof over their heads and wouldn’t risk eviction.

I learn so much from mumsnet.

Dogs who have humans that live in owned properties don’t shit 😲

People who smoke week only live in local authority houses 😲

Don’t be such a snob

@AnxiousSM I lived here for 4 years before the HA houses were filled. I never came across any dog poo on the pavements. Since the HA houses were filled it is everywhere and signs have had to be put up asking people to please pick it up but I’ve seen plenty of times myself where those residents have just walked on. You now have to look down when you walk anywhere. I’m just sharing my own experience and giving my own personal opinion on what I would do in op opinion. Others have shared positive and negative views which is no doubt what op started post to see.

As an outsider it is non of my business, but I often see these threads on MN and wonder:
Are you afraid to catch poor? or a lower IQ? Or 'bad morals'?
Are you afraid of living to close to your amazon delivery driver?

What makes people living in single family houses mostly owned by banks so superior?

I wouldn't OP. You'll get the professionally outraged along sneering at you but in your shoes it's not worth any potential hassle. It might be fine, it might not. There's plenty of good people with HA tenancies and there's some who are anti social nightmares. If you are unlucky, it'll cost you money and stress you out. Would you gamble your largest assert on something that you have no control over? I wouldn't and I'm not alone. With a new build you can't get a vibe of the street. If it was an established area you could suss it out. All these people calling you a snob won't have to endure shitty neighbours if you are unlucky. Happy to be a raging snob if it gives me a better chance of finding a peaceful home.

Nope!! We escaped from our property 3 years ago after 4 years of living hell of living next to HA.

Never ever again.

Erm... I was in exactly the same situation as you are some years ago, I decided not to go for the new build next to several HA homes not because they were HA but because I found a better option elsewhere.

I often go to an office in the area and every time I thank the universe I didn’t get it, the place is loud and aggressive and the gardens are full of rubbish with cars (and broken cars) parked on the pavements.

I have lived in an council home area without that kind of problems so my advice as a single mum would be that if you have the option, always go for a established neighbourhood, with well cared for gardens (mostly owned by people who are retired or care about their surroundings), one that looks like a good enough environment to raise kids alone. That is more important than a new or bigger house, besides, new builds lose a good percentage of their value during the first five years... in fact, I have seen new builds that only matched the value they were initially sold for after 15 years.

I live in a HA property both me and my husband work full time, have 3 children and we were simply in a predicament where we couldn't afford private rent after our landlord decided to sell our previous home and no way we can afford to save a deposit to buy. Many others nowdays are in the same boat it's not all dole dossers!!

One side of my street is private, the other side HA - it's really not a problem

DD lives on a new rural estate, that is mainly private but has a section of HA properties and she lives in one of the HA properties that thankfully they just rent and haven't done a part buy on.

Out of 14 houses in her part, she's got 2 sets of really great neighbours. The others are horrific. Most have been moved from the local city into a rural area where it's felt they will be "less" trouble. Couldn't be further from the truth. Honestly, it worries me sick and we're seriously considering a mortgage for her so they can move.

And before anyone screams snob, I grew up in council housing in the same village.

To be honest looking at the site development plan you are aren't overlooking to the front or rear the HA properties so not sure why you are bothered? I'd say the fact they are are a pair of semi detached and a terrace of 3 in your local vicinity means they are more likely to be shared ownership or low cost units designated for local people wanting to buy and stay in the area

It's the big long terrace to the left which is likely to be social rent units

There is more than one type of housing association property you know!

And you could end up living next door to a privately renting tenant or owner occupier who is a total Arsehole anyway 🤷‍♀️

If you don't want to risk it then suggest you buy a property on its own well away from ANY one else or don't buy a new build

What are your other options OP?

or accommodation for sex offenders- and a HA may have such tenants in its accommodation

Because obviously sex offenders NEVER buy their own homes do they

No don't do it. One of my friends bought a new build near HA, developers lied through teeth, had lots of problems with anti social behaviour, police etc and sold for a loss.