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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To buy a house next to housing association properties?

328 replies

Brightskiesahead · 13/01/2021 20:55

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).

OP posts:
Unsure33 · 13/01/2021 22:37

Tbh you might be lucky you might be unlucky

My relative is a HA tenant you would love . Quiet . House proud . Etc.

Her neighbour is also HA and the neighbours from hell . Noisy , arguing , park on her drive , argue in the street .

She wishes she had never moved.

Llmmnn · 13/01/2021 22:39

What a nasty thread.

namechangetheworld · 13/01/2021 22:42

I would avoid it like the plague, and I don't care how unpopular that is. When I worked at an estate agents one of the most common questions we were asked on viewings was whether there were any housing association properties in the area.

nyenc · 13/01/2021 22:43

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TableFlowerss · 13/01/2021 22:45

I’m intrigued to know how you would even know which houses are set aside for HA?

I know that some developers have to (when starting a new build scheme) allocate a certain percentage of them to the HA as affordable housing.

I assume it’s because they are the least expensive’ properties so you figure it must be the HA? Could that be wrong though?

Not that it should matter either way because let’s be honest, if you’ve got 4 bed detached house or a 2 bed terrace, chances are the ones buying the smaller house have less income. That’s probably because they’re younger and you have to start somewhere

nyenc · 13/01/2021 22:45

And I say that as someone who owns my own home in the middle of a council estate. Never had more lovely, caring neighbours.

Covine · 13/01/2021 22:48

I live on a new build estate which obviously has a share of ha properties and really the problematic neighbours are the ones who rent privately because they're more transient. They're the ones who tend to be noisy and also leave their shit everywhere, especially when they move out (as happens quite often). The HA tenants are all long term so behave the same as owner occupiers. So a mix of ha and owner occupied is fine but if it's marketed at investors I would be wary.

EveryoneHasLostTheGame · 13/01/2021 22:48

But whenever a thread class comes up there's loads of people saying it's not a thing and doesn't exist anymore. This is about the fourth thread I've seen today with very judgemental undertones towards those on lower incomes. The house you're buying isn't small either.

I grew up on a council estate. The most antisocial thing to happen was the occasional row about parking or a kid being cheeky to an adult in which case the parents were told and they'd be told off. I'd live back there with those people over owning my own and living among people who look down their noses on others.

I mean this kindly, enjoy your home, make a new life for you and your kids and I'm genuinely pleased for you that you have that choice.

summerstorms · 13/01/2021 22:49

I live on a council estate. It's the most supportive community I've ever lived in, and I grew up somewhere really posh

vodkaredbullgirl · 13/01/2021 22:52

I've been a HA tenant for 22 years, in current home 18 yrs. Luckly everyone else are HA too.

flowers12 · 13/01/2021 22:53

No way would I buy it. You also need to think about if you wanted to sell in the future and how that would be affected.

ShalomToYouJackie · 13/01/2021 22:54

I moved earlier this year from a ex-council house that I rented privately. Didn't know the area before I moved there, all the other houses were council houses. I had neighbours that smoked weed all the time, a neighbour who played loud music constantly and a neighbour who was a drug dealer.

I left and moved to a posh, affluent city and privately rent again and all my neighbours privately rent (flats in Georgian townhouses) and yet again I have a aggressive neighbour who plays loud music constantly and refuses to turn it off and a neighbour who's daughter smokes weed and chucks her joints into our garden. I don't think whether the house was provided by a housing association makes a difference, you'll get arseholes anywhere.

Catty1720 · 13/01/2021 22:54

I have not trouble with the HA block opposite my apartment block but my brother does. However that said I don’t think it has anything to do with it being HA it’s just the people you could own the house and still be an inconsiderate idiot.
It’s pot luck with neighbours.

DianaT1969 · 13/01/2021 22:56

You'll need to get metal security grilles installed, get a matching staffie, and carry a taser gun at all times. 6 HA tenants. Clutching my pearls.

Ihatesnoring · 13/01/2021 22:59

Been there, done it, got the T-shirt. Absolutely wouldn't do it again.

Vinceypie · 13/01/2021 23:00

I'm a ha tenant. I used to private rent but my partner became unwell so I had to quit work to look after her and our son.. fell behind on rent. Ended up homeless and in emergency accommodation. We were fortunate enough to be offered a council flat 2 years later and we are now living in a council estate and we couldn't be happier! The neighbours are all lovely and so down to earth and would do anything for anyone. However... the neighbours in my rented flat were just awful!! So that's my answer... people will be bad neighbours if they're horrible people or nice neighbours if they're nice. Money and class has nothing to do with it

earsup · 13/01/2021 23:01

Sounds ok to me...a few houses and your house sounds great...I had a lovely HA flat years ago....it was a small block only for teachers and doctors ...i gave it back years ago when i bought a house.

Backbee · 13/01/2021 23:01

You can have rubbish neighbours either way, I grew up on a council estate and it was rough as arseholes, but that was 100+ flats in a small area so not really the same. In terms of buying, those views your family have aired are shared by others, so it could affect the value in the future. DH had a lovely house when we met between 2 HA properties, he got much less than market value because people seemed to think it brought the area down (rolls eyes into oblivion).

formerbabe · 13/01/2021 23:08

Our house backs onto a housing association estate....never had any issues. It's quiet and actually it's quite nice because it's mainly families living there and theres a small play area and my ds knows a few of the kids and in pre covid times would walk round there and play sometimes.

LilMidge01 · 13/01/2021 23:12

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Shadowboy · 13/01/2021 23:14

I wouldn’t. We used to own a gorgeous semi that was attached to a council house and there were no end of problems- constant weed smells, dumped cars, loud BBQs, scruffy gardens with random stuff outside(mannequin, old tyres, cooker and sofa have all been stuff dumped) I didn’t think anything of it when we bought but my experience means I’d never do it again.

smarty4 · 13/01/2021 23:16

I was in similar position to you OP in that getting divorced, one young dc but my divorce / change in circumstances meant I could no longer afford a full mortgage on my own. I had to change jobs, move, lost all my savings and leave my lovely home (mortgaged but privately owned) behind me. I bought a shared ownership which was half mortgage and half rent with a HA. I work full time in a very respectable area that requires a degree and post grad qualification. I'd hate to think just because my house is part HA that I would be looked down on by others in my new build estate.

My new build is in a new development in what is considered a nice area. Houses next to me are HA rented and other side are privately owned. If anything had more trouble from privately owned with their late night parties than from me or my HA neighbours.

Vickypollardyeahbutnobut · 13/01/2021 23:16

I’m a HA tenant. We have private owned joined to us. They are a nightmare. The noise mainly. However, there is HA the other side of us and at the back and they are also twats. We are not perfect I will admit our garden is a bloody mess but we cause no trouble. Having lived in HA I would never buy where there were several HA properties. They are mostly fine - like us and you can get twat neighbours anyway. But even being HA myself I will say you’re more likely to get a certain “type”. Sorry

LilMidge01 · 13/01/2021 23:18

@TableFlowerss

I’m intrigued to know how you would even know which houses are set aside for HA?

I know that some developers have to (when starting a new build scheme) allocate a certain percentage of them to the HA as affordable housing.

I assume it’s because they are the least expensive’ properties so you figure it must be the HA? Could that be wrong though?

Not that it should matter either way because let’s be honest, if you’ve got 4 bed detached house or a 2 bed terrace, chances are the ones buying the smaller house have less income. That’s probably because they’re younger and you have to start somewhere

It's a new build. The details of the planning permission will be available online. This will clearly show the different tenures of the different blocks.

Developers don't just agree a % of affordable tenures and then decide later which ones it will be. It has to be factored in to the design as they will be managed by a different company (clue is in the title.. Housing Association, or other Registered Provider of social housing)

EveryoneHasLostTheGame · 13/01/2021 23:18

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

You do realise sex offenders live in affluent areas too? Every single house on the fucking planet could have sex offender in. You wouldn't know the past convictions of your neighbours. You don't know what secrets anyone is hiding.

I was raped at 12 by a man who had a gorgeous big home on a naice street, who then returned to that naice street when he left prison. My friend was raped and forced into sex work by a wealthy man who also returned to his naice home and wife after her raped her or took one of his posh mates to rape her.

How do you know you aren't living near people like that now?

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