Comments re young family buying house

[Vintagejazzing]

My friend, who is single and doesn't have children, has just sold her late elderly mother's house.. The buyers are a couple with 2 young children. She has been taken aback by the number of neighbours who have made comments like 'Oh it's great a young family are moving in'. 'Oh that will be good for the area'. 'Ah that's good. I was hoping it would be a couple with kids'.
There is a good mix of age groups in the area, including couples with small children. These comments have upset her a bit a) because it's as if they're saying her mother as an elderly widow wouldn't have been their choice of neighbour and b) because as she herself is single with no children she wouldn't have been someone they wanted to buy the house.

AIBU to think she has a point?

its just general conversation
Shes probably not thinking straight and is reading too much into it
its no refection on her or her mum

Nope think it’s just something polite people say, instead of ‘oh no not a family with children making lots of noise’.

Think she is being a bit sensitive due to the sad circumstances. It is just one of those things people say - doesn't sound like your friend was planning on living there, so not something they could comment on. In terms of the mother not being their choice of neighbour, that sounds like a stretch tbh, the mother is sadly not there any more so they are welcoming in new families to the community, doesn't mean they didn't like your friends mother

Oh it's just general conversation, not to be taken personally.

People like children in the neighbourhood- it keeps the schools and parks open and gives the impression of an ongoing community!

It's ridiculous to be upset. We have an aging population, a lot of areas are losing their young. It's normal that people are happy to have new neighbours with children, it's a sign of a living, thriving community.

Please tell you me friend not to take it to heart. As others have said it's just general chit chat and polite conversation. If your friend had said it's a retired couple I guarantee the responses would be "oh that's lovely, it's a nice area and very quiet so sure they'll fit right in" or whatever.

Honestly people are just being polite. It's like talking about the weather.

They weren’t meaning anything detrimental to the friends late DM or that they wouldn’t be pleased for herself to live there, it’s just something to say. Better than ‘oh no, not a family!’
It new life to the street. There will be more comings and goings and the sound of children playing. It’s nice watching the little ones grow over the years. I always think ‘ahhh, look at the little ones that have moved in’ as it makes me reminisce about when my DC was small. It just makes me think lots of happy memories so I suppose that’s why it’s nice when a young family moves in.

General chit chat if an old person would of bought it the response would of been nice just like the last person there

it’s a stock response

Well at least she isn't being given a hard time for selling to an Indian family like I was when I sold my mums house after she died. The neighbours (all white British Middle class) showed their true colours then.

We had comments like this when we bought our house and it was primarily that neighbours didn't want another BTL or HMO. It has nothing to do with our age or the fact we had kids.

I bet you they're all worried about the noise but they're too polite to say, so they just mumble something about how it will be nice to have kids around.

I think it just reflects people being happy it’s likely to be a long term move, invested in the community with schools, not a rental or childfree couple having parties. All assumptions and stereotyping of course

It is good to have families with children in a neighbourhood. Our neighbourhood is rather dominated by elderly people and we all (of all ages) agree that it would be preferable to have some new families in the area to keep more of a community feel. Parent's with preschoolers are around during the day often which is good for security and older kids can do physical jobs for elderly neighbours. Single professionals have, until very recently, tended to be away at their jobs most of the time, leaving the place feeling quite empty. Although with wfh this is changing.

Yes, I've said to her it's just one of those stock things people say, without really thinking about it. If she'd decided to move in herself they'd probably be saying 'oh it's lovely there'll still be a Smith living in the house'.

It’s a comment people make, we loved having a young family near us and watch their family grow, they brought life and energy into the street. They’ve moved now and an even younger couple have moved in so I babies may come along soon.

I think what was upsetting my friend was that there was already a good mix of age groups on the road, including plenty of children.

Anyhow, hopefully she realises people were just trying to say something positive, knowing it was a difficult time for her.

I’d take an older person over a young family any day. But then again I’d probably take a crack den over screaming toddlers.

This

Polite chit chat. Not worthy of overthinking.

Exactly this - just trying to be polite and say something nice.

I've said it to people before. It's not meant as an insult to your friend, but it's nice to see a family house go to a family rather than a single person not really using the whole house. I've also said it when I mean thank goodness it's not been sold to developers.

Sounds like they were going to say something positive no matter who was moving. They’re hardly going to say “I’m disappointed with a young family as they will be noisy.”

You both sounds like you’re reading for too much into polite small talk.

To be honest, I think her neighbours are mainly relieved that the couple has just moved straight in and not spent a year turning the road into a building site while they completely rebuild the house. That seems to be what most people on older roads dread nowadays.

It's just chit chat. They probably mean they're pleased it's not a student house share.

I think it’s another way of saying “thank god it’s not a scumbag buy to rent landlord”