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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Electrical Sub-Station (to buy or not to buy)

12 replies

greenerpastures2022 · 23/07/2023 11:56

Posting for traffic - TIA.

Hello All,

I am getting divorced and therefore selling my beautiful family home and trying to remain in the same, very expensive area where I live, with my share of the proceeds which I am sure you can appreciate is tough.

I have seen a property that fits the bill, lovely road, close to family, schools, same social network for kids etc.

However, close by there is an electrical sub-station which I can only assume is the reason this property is affordable to me, it's been reduced heavily although I know this could also be due to the high mortgage rates etc, other more expensive properties haven't sold in many weeks.

Anyway, the substation is not directly next to my property, it's next to the neighbours (rear of garden) but the access road to it is next to the property. I've attached a picture. Would this location bother you, what are your views?

For clarity, I'd be buying the house with the solar panels and you can see the access road between this house and that of the neighbours - this access road belongs to a third party, not either property and there is a gate at the top of the access road between the two drives with one of those "danger signs" so definitely hinders keen appeal in that respect.

Electrical Sub-Station (to buy or not to buy)

OP posts:

Cramlington567 · 23/07/2023 12:23

What are you worried about exactly? The risks to health/cancer? I think that has been widely dismissed.

In terms of kerb appeal with the danger sign and having that path then yes it's something that might mean it is priced a bit lower so factor that in to any offer and accept reselling will mean a lower sale price.

andpeggy1 · 23/07/2023 12:27

I live right next to one. Have done for 5 years, it's never caused us any issues. No noise, gives additional parking for when we have people over so they don't annoy neighbours, and we got a larger garden because we get the land behind it. It made no difference to our mortgage. So I say go for it if the rest of the house is great

rebeccachoc · 23/07/2023 13:19

About 20 years ago there was a TV programme about an area (not named but I lived near by and I'm sure it was Sidmouth), that had one of those sub station and a crazy high incident rate of rare cancers in kids along the same street. I didn't catch if you had kids or not but please do your research on this before deciding.

Serena73 · 23/07/2023 13:22

I wouldn’t but I am overly cautious about that sort of thing and would just worry about it all the time which would prevent me from enjoying the house.

maslinpan · 23/07/2023 13:45

I decided not to buy a house as it was so close to a pylon, but a substation wouldn't bother me.

cptartapp · 23/07/2023 14:01

I grew up with one right next to our childhood garden and ironically my adult house backs directly onto one too. We've screened it with conifers. No issues whatsoever.

PinkFootstool · 23/07/2023 14:03

Can you or your kids hear the hum? I am 42 and can hear substations humming, same for pylons.

For that reason alone, I'd be out. Might be worth a trip back to listen.

MillWood85 · 23/07/2023 14:06

When I met DH he had a very large substation at the bottom of the garden. My Mum was horrified and really tried to talk me out of moving in with him. It could be and probably is co-incidence but our 2nd baby was stillborn and I refused to have any more DC there so thankfully we moved.

I would never live near another. I've got hypersensitive hearing and could hear the hum of the electricity... drove me absolutely mad and I could never sleep without a fan on. It was also prone to needing maintenance overnight and that meant floodlights and lots of shouting workmen.

Elphame · 23/07/2023 14:23

We lived "next door but one" to a substation which was clearly visible as you turned into the road.

It didn't affect our decision to buy and we resold 7 or 8 years later with no problem and no effect on the price. We never heard it nor did we ever see anyone working on it.

Very different from a pylon. I would never buy a property with one close by.

Frabbits · 23/07/2023 14:28

It wouldn't bother me at all, and there is absolutely no solid evidence that living near to one has health risks.

It probably will reduce the value of the property though, whether this worries you or not is up to you.

AlfietheSchnauzer · 23/07/2023 18:03

cptartapp · 23/07/2023 14:01

I grew up with one right next to our childhood garden and ironically my adult house backs directly onto one too. We've screened it with conifers. No issues whatsoever.

*coincidentally. Def not irony

Katy123g · 23/07/2023 18:08

We have one behind our garden.

It has genuinely never crossed my mind that there is an issue with this.

I've also never heard any noise.

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