To be worried about buying a semi attached to a council owned house?

[mumyes]

I'm about to spend nearly £500k on a semi that is attached to a 4-bed house owned by a housing-association...the one I'm buying used to be a council house.

I'm nervous. The little estate it's on is still partly (maybe 50/50) 'council' owned.

Should I be worried?

The house I'm buying is lovely, and well kept. Next door less so...but not as bad as some.

I lived next door to a council property a while back. They were good, honest people, as I expected, but they didn’t make great neighbours. It was large family (2 parents, 5 kids) and naturally there was a lot of noise.

I would happily live next to a small council house in the future, but not a three or four bedroom one.

Agreed - if we don't laugh we will need to cry.

Bullshit. Many of my colleagues (at work) live in council properties. And they aren't loud, don't have parties or make/tolerate mess. They aren't bitter about other people's bank balances, either. They're too busy just being regular people.

Should probs also head to A&E NOW! - just incase…

Would there not be a lot of noise if they owned their house then? I loved next door to a family who owned their house and had kids and funnily enough there was noise from them too.

that’s nothing to do with them having a council property, that’s just having kids!

honestly.

I live in an ex-council house and it was recently valued at £525K. South East, mind, but there is council housing in expensive areas and in catchment of very sought-after schools - hence the price. A "culture clash" does not figure here

You can't catch 'poor' from next door ...

How do people even find out which neighbours are HA or not? What’s the difference between HA & council??

We live in a neighbourhood that I believe was once all council properties (the houses are/were originally all the same floor plan). I only found out our house was the ‘council end’ of the street after we’d moved out (lived there 5 years). Now we’re on the other side of the neighbourhood and for all I know our next door neighbours (lived here 40 years ish) are council tenants too. How would I know?? Just bizarre. I know the other side bought as they moved in after us. Anyway. I would never presume people are council tenants because of the way they behave and I’m not exactly going to ask people so how can anyone know who is a council tenant or not? I guess they’re just making assumptions? Most odd.

But OP, 4 bed house probably means at least 2 kids, council tenants or not, and with that comes noise so that’s all I’d consider really.

Uh oh, OP. Brace yourself. This is not really the place to get sensible and thoughtful answers to a question like this.

Are you on glue?! A&E is where these council families go for a day out!

Most people who live in council houses are normal and keep themselves to themselves in case you didn’t know in your privileged world 😃 The majority aren’t like benefits street! I grew up in council houses and not a single one of my neighbours ever had loud parties 😂

Living in rented accommodation doesn't necessarily mean 'poor' nowadays anyway, in financial terms at least, plus there are other ways to view 'poor' (judgemental, rude, unkind, unneighbourly, unfriendly and so on).

I wouldn't. In my area council housing is now only allocated only to the most vulnerable people in our community who often have multiple and complex needs. And while this doesn't mean they will be definitely be challenging neighbours, it certainly increases the risk they will be. Often through no fault of their own, but nevertheless no easier to live next to. This is not snobbery, nor is it stereotyping all SH tenants. I was one. Its a realistic risk assessment.. As much as I'd want to view myself as inclusive, I'd not be throwing half a million quid into the ring to prove it.

BINGO - meet the neighbours in a social setting too 💁🏻‍♀️

@Woahtherehoney yes potentially, if it’s a large family they will be noisy neighbours no matter how they came to be there. But the difference is that I currently live in a four bed semi with quiet retired couples each side. That would be unlikely (but not impossible) in council properties because larger houses tend to go to larger families on the basis of need. Basically I would prefer to have privately owned houses on each side as there is more chance that they will be under occupied.

That said, I'd go for a detached house if there were ever a time in my life I could afford it.

The question is - broadly - being treated with the contempt it deserves IMO.

There have been several sensible answers, a couple of very judgmental answers, and quite a few of us shocked at how judgemental/privileged some replies have been.

I'm sure everyone else will tell you that you are an awful person for even asking the question, but I would also have serious concerns and would in all likelihood not buy it. Not every council tennent will be a nightmare but there are plenty of stories that would make me very wary

I think you are asking the impossible 😂

Jesus stereotype much! I know someone who lives in a council flat who grew up with multi-millionaire parents and went to private school, but she pissed all her money away on drugs.
People who live in council properties are normal people you know! Jobs,hobbies,kids you know human beings - also some of the kindest people I have ever met

Yes, I noticed some sensible responses. I was thinking on balance there will likely be more responses essentially mocking the OP than anything else.

This thread is comedy gold ! 😂

Anyone can be a nightmare neighbour, regardless of income/class/whatever. It's horrible when it happens to you, it really is. But it's not because they haven't got a mortgage.

I know right 🤣🤣🤣🤣