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 live in a council flat. I've just got back from work!

I come from a nice middle class background. My parents own their homes. I've never had a party here, I don't play loud music, my daughter isn't feral, my dog is a well behaved little thing and I don't have people coming and going at all hours.
I get up for work at 5.20 am.
Maybe I should give my flat back to the council as I'm clearly not doing poor right.

NC as I am going to get flamed.

I work in a contact centre for a large Housing Association. I get shouted at, screamed at, sworn at and insulted on a daily basis. I am reduced to tears on a daily basis. I ALWAYS do my best to help and many of our callers are lovely people who I am sure are great neighbours. Others, however are nasty, abusive bullies.

I wouldn't buy that house if my life depended on it.

I wouldn't. I live next to one and found out to my cost this year that they are basically uninsured. Would really make me think twice about buying in the same situation again.

Er, why would we not have a vested interest in our properties? Many of us council tenants will live in these homes for the rest of our lives. I certainly have a vested interest in mine!

To be fair, that's more of an argument against being a hairdresser. Or having windows.

Go visit the street a few times at different times of day and evening. Get a feel for the place.
Some of us HA home plebs are really quite civilised you know. My husband almost always wears his best boxers when he's sitting on the sofa in the front garden.

The ones with only 2 holes and a small skid mark.

The snobbery and judging on this thread is abhorrent.

OP you get good and bad everywhere. My DSis found to her peril when a loaded drug dealer moved next door to her on her expensive ‘nice’ private estate and her windows were put out in a case of mistaken identity, just one of the many issues. I’ve had good and bad in both.

If I was you I would pop round to speak to them, let them know that you’re thinking of buying the house next door and ask what they think about living there. I did that with four houses where I live now and get on with all my neighbours.
There literally are no guarantees.

oh no

My only concern with a new build would be how good the soundproofing is when you are likely to be always living next door to a family. I'd probably try to view it at a weekend to get a feel for the noise levels.

Living next to a council house isn't a concern though, neighbours are luck of the draw wherever, we're next to a council house (great neighbours, take parcels in, amenable when we have building work, lovely to the kids). I know someone who lives on a super fancy street, I'm really envious of her massive detached beautiful home, however I learned recently that her kids can't play outside properly as the (mostly older, retired, super house proud neighbours) glare our of the windows at the kids if they're anywhere near their cars, get irked about footballs going over fences, complain about noise etc.

@Beezknees exactly, I've just decorated mine throughout! People talk some shite.

Sorry shouldn't say ISN'T a concern!

I'm really sorry to hear that, nobody should put up with abuse. But HAs are notorious for not fixing issues and it's frustrating. The front doors on my building have been broken for months and it's a security issue, and yet still they haven't been fixed.

I'm not excusing people abusing you but we're paying service charges and getting shit service.

Take the council house aspect out of this. There is a chance of noisy neighbours from all walks of life. Depending where you live, I'd see what you can get for detached. Doesn't guarantee absolute silence but you will avoid the potential dreaded party wall

Exactly, not to mention most of us have to buy our own carpets as they come with no flooring a lot of the time.

I didn't say that. I'm saying it's a risk and consideration that has to be weighed, and you have to be comfortable with the odds before you make an investment.

Going by most of the shit/crazy/problematic neighbour threads on MN I would say the majority seem to be homeowners...

Hmmm, but that's a consideration before moving in to any property anywhere, which has neighbours.

I would be concerned too, because I have lived in a property attached to a housing association property. The tenants aren’t the problem, the associations are, they are generally very badly run and refuse to do maintenance that is their responsibility which obviously can have an impact on your property. In my case I ended up having to bring a legal case against the HA because of issues with their property that were causing damage to mine (not the tenants’ fault) but they refused responsibility, it went on for about eight years and cost a lot of money. They also had scaffolding on the house for about 5 years, with no work being done.

The tenants themselves were lovely, good neighbours, and I really really felt for them, none of it was their fault and they were having to live in it. But HAs are not good neighbours in general and a poorly maintained property attached to yours can cause major problems for the building.

Too late now if you've committed already. Just get on with it and see what they are like? Have them round for a bbq?

Drive around the neighbourhood at different times of day. Early morning (just a few dog walkers or drunks rolling home from a lock in), morning commute time (quiet or is it a rat run between to main roads), mid day (lots of seniors doing another dog walk), late afternoon (rat run again or lots of kids being walked home from school (ok not this week)), evening (peace and quiet, a couple of bbqs or head banging music and dealers dropping off their wares). And 3 am if you can - parties still going or just a couple of foxes trying to figure out how to get in someone's bin?

And actually I'd recommend this to anyone.

As for the semi - go and stand in the quiet house that you are buying and listen carefully at the joint wall. Hear anything? Either no one is home or it's a good sound proof wall. Do this on each floor including the loft.

People shouldn't be abusive of course but bad attitudes go both ways.

I got a letter from my housing association when the rent increased telling me to set up a direct debit and warning me my tenancy would potentially be at risk if I didn't pay.

I keep my rent paid up 6 weeks ahead at all times. Always have.

So I phoned them and asked if there was a problem. Really snotty woman said "no, you're one of the good ones".

I can't adequately describe the way she said good ones. It was simply dripping with contempt for the 'not good' ones with a side serving of patronising me.

I imagine if someone rang up with problems and was met with that sort of attitude they might end up feeling very angry too.

No I wouldn't.

I guess it's okay to call women bitches then... Nice.

Exactly this - but that’s why the OP shouldn’t buy the house! It’s nothing to do with not wanting to live next door to renters, or renters not doing proper maintenance, it’s that the big maintenance that will affect OP’s house is the responsibility of the owner/landlord. And HAs are shit landlords, as you say…

This was us until about a year ago. If your neighbour is anything like ours was, OP - GOOD LUCK.

It's been a year now since we sold and moved and boy am I grateful. You have every right to be concerned.

Whether some want to hear it or not, council estates don't have a good rep. Is it everyone? NO, but the bunch who are disgusting spoils it for everyone.