Council house looks like council house

[OdiesMum]

Why do councils insist on making their properties look like council properties?
I’m referring to a council estate in my city. It’s a terrible estate, bad reputation, horrible place to live (I used to live there). Anyway they pulled down the high rise flats and the crappy 70s council houses on the main road going through the estate and started building new houses. They looked lovely, modern new builds, you would never have known they were council ... really improved the look of the area. Once they were finished guess what the council did? They stuck bright blue tacky cladding all down the sides of them that just screamed out “council”. Ruined the look immediately. Why do they do this? Why put crappy cladding all over everything?? Why do they insist on council properties LOOKING like council properties?

Pics to show what is meant by council house please? what do you mean with blue cladding? I live in a council flat and only just realised quite a few in the block are bought flats. No difference at all.

I live in a 1950 ex council house. It is really ugly to look at . It was all we could afford as we have bought in an amazing location were prices are v high.
The windows have mean proportions. Ive done it up , as much as can afford ,in the era it was built . Ercol furniture and will do.mid century colour walls when can afford it.

Ive planted the garden like a flowing cottage garden and people stand and stare at that not the house. Things can be done, and personality injected. However, it will never hold my heart like my fantastic victiorian terrace i had to give up to get here.

You can always spot social housing where I live. Random little roofs over doorways (often flat) instead of a porch. The edges of the windows often run right to the roof line & lack any decorative trim, even a row of vertical bricks below the sill. Felted roofs. Never ever detached. Often have white signs on walls saying the local authority name or things like "no ball games"

I always think its stupid and completely defeats the point of mixed tenure if the social housing is completely obvious/vaguely inferior in terms of the finish.

The village I live in only has 2 council houses now, we are in one of them, the other 2 are bought but look like ours so you can’t tell at all. Lovely and spacious inside compared the new ones built in the next town along they are tiny match box identikit houses

Council housing is wonderful. I wish it were still available to all who need it.

Council housing is wonderful. I wish it were still available to all who need it.

^* agreed I live in a lovey area that would cost twice as much private rent. I'm very fortunate to have social housing. I think everyone should be able to find secure affordable housing.

Even the early council housing has a distinct look. They all have a flat front. Private developers in the 1930s based the classic 3 bed semi layout on earlier council housing designs (the type that is still sometimes referred to as ‘parlour style’ ie 2 reception rooms) but every privately built semi will have a bay window to differentiate it.

I used to own an ex council house, it was massive, 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms, utility room, big kitchen, the majority had been bought & upgraded. I lived in a council house on a council estate after I got divorced, 5 minuted from where I owned & it was totally different, I'm in a flat now, which is lovely on the inside, but outside looks awful.

I'm just glad they're being built.

I think some of it has come from tenant feedback where they requested bright and cheerful instead of the drab old-look of the buildings... I know before cladding became a thing the residents in an area my mum worked in regeneration in would choose bright red brick for everything consulted on because it was a change from the council-done grey brick everywhere from the time they were built.

A few years ago we had to rent for 4 months whilst work was being completed on our own house. We had a nightmare trying to find a suitable place and in the end rented from a HA but it was not social housing, it was for private rental at market rates. It was a brand new house, everything was new and lovely, loo downstairs, ensuite, patio, driveway etc. There were income requirements, think you had to earn a min of £29k to rent.

I have no idea why there is such uniformity in making social housing obvious and so basic. A family member moved into one and it was OK but they all had the exact same front door, windows etc and kitchen. I'm sure using different styles, colours etc wouldn't cost too much more?

@CoffeeWithCheese

I think some of it has come from tenant feedback where they requested bright and cheerful instead of the drab old-look of the buildings... I know before cladding became a thing the residents in an area my mum worked in regeneration in would choose bright red brick for everything consulted on because it was a change from the council-done grey brick everywhere from the time they were built.

Bet you grey would be chosen now as it’s in fashion! 😂

@dworky

Agreed. I love my council house. It’s big and the garden is literally massive, loads of green areas too but no denying you can clearly tell this is a Council/ex council estate. Years ago it had a rep so most folk avoid. The result for us is very quiet roads (hard to come by in this city) ample parking and green spaces, and the majority of these houses have now been bought. The ones in a state are the tenants who ended up buying and haven’t kept up with the maintenance of their homes (maybe elderly). You can tell the council houses round here though as ironically they look the best due to new roofs etc!

They’re all semi detached, and our neighbours who have bought are lovely. Tbh we feel like it’s a little bit of a hidden gem.

I can spot a council house a mile off. Probably because I spent the first 20 years of my life in one. Personally I don't have a problem with them. All the ones we lived in were solidly built with decent sized gardens, unlike our second marital home which appeared to be made largely of cardboard.

Our council insist on developers paying a sum into a pot for every ten houses they build a sum to build a council house has to go into a pot or the developer gives them one property. This has gone on for years with developers handing over monies. Not one council house has been built in all this time, god knows where the money has gone.

Hilarious mnetters pretending they’ve never noticed the difference between normal houses and council estates and believing everyone is equal so it doesn’t matter and no one judges... back in the real world, the stereotype of solid but box-like council houses with no big gardens and front gardens with a mattress/broken washing machine etc still are a regular occurrence that I don’t see in non council house areas.

It’s true that some are better than others but they’re always £50k less than the equivalent size home to purchase and last to sell. I have friends who bought council houses and look after them but when I visit a get called a “fucking snob with my posh car!” - I drive a 9 year old Ford ffs. Those who shout the abuse do not own and are HA tenants.

Clearly, most HA tenants are normal lovely people but the loud, aggressive, nasty ones stand out and everyone is tarred with the same brush.

If you make them look as nice as everywhere else then people would choose to live in them even though they can afford private accommodation...

@SonnyWinds

If you make them look as nice as everywhere else then people would choose to live in them even though they can afford private accommodation...

Have you seen the lists for council accommodation in most LAs?

Hahaha as if people have a chance of being able to get social housing unless desperate in some way.

In London many people would do anything to get an assured tenancy at a reasonable rent. No one offered social housing would quibble about the look.

Nasty sentiment, too.

I was born in a council house in 1942,, they were built in 1939,, for the purpose of people moving into the area, because of jobs in the war years. It was a lovely house, and the estate was just a short walk to get into the countryside. We had very large gardens, mainly for growing our own food in the food shortages,and two small areas of garden at the front of the house. The only thing that was missing,was heating, just coal fires.

Over the years, the council have put in central heating, and installed new windows and doors etc, most of the houses have now been bought by people, who have made changes inside etc.most of the people have now removed the hedges from the front of the houses, to make a run in for a car etc.

I often look on google instant street views, and I can see my old street,and house, and everything looks good still. The houses were quite solidly built, and look much better than some new build places now. lots of them don't seem to have much garden these days.

Love my council flat, bloody cheap rent, most repairs are free, double glazing out in a few years ago free, utilities are cheap. I don’t care if the block of flats look like council it is what it is

All the council houses here had new roofs within the last few years, if you was wooden clad you are now plastic clad, pebble dash houses had this massive foam insulation put on the outside making the windows and doors look sunken, a majority have solar panels, all have the same doors just a choice of four colours same as the cladding options.

You look at a terrace row and you can pin point what’s private and what’s council housing a mile away.

I live in a ha house and I hate inside as its plain white crappy tiles in kitchen and bathrooms , kitchens that are only replaced every 30 years now
Ok the outside it doesn't look like council other than the crappy door which differs to private houses .
But as soon as someone comes on its clear its a council/ ha house

And we are not allowed to improve it ourself

@UpTheJunktion That's exactly my point.... You've just completely agreed with me and then called me "nasty" because you have poor comprehension skills

"Same with the interiors - sometimes they deliberately choose fittings or finishes that are ugly for the HA (even if they cost the same as the ones that look better) so the private purchasers will feel they are getting a much better deal."

That really made me laugh. It's usually someone in housing choosing the kitchens, etc and we have limited choice compared to a private buyer. This is because we need to be able to match the units and tiles in 5 years time if the current tenant leaves and there is damage. Its nothing to do with making the private occupiers feel good.
I always try to choose what I would want in my own kitchen but there is never going to be a massive choice or the option of navy blue shaker with copper handles.