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.

Yes. As I clearly stated earlier.

A 4 bed semi next to a privately owned 4 bed semi would also create noise. What makes you think people who live in HA would create MORE noise? Or are you just juxtaposing your ability to buy a house with the scum that you think might live next door?

NC as I know I’ll get flamed.

We bought an ex council house that an attached to a house still council owned. It’s now worth not much less than they one you’re buying and although our property is lovely, I find the street depressing and hate how little my neighbours tend to their homes. I realised from pretty much as soon as we moved in that buying the house was a mistake. I’ve been miserable since moving in and can’t wait to be rid.

Don’t buy that house.

My sister lives in a semi where the other half is council owned. Her neighbours are lovely. They fed her cat when she was on holiday. They put her bin out for her too. Their children are grown up now but visit sometimes with dgc. My sister has lived next to her neighbour for years and they have become good friends. When my sister was ill with Covid a couple of years ago her neighbour brought her toilet rolls and paracetamol which were so hard to get hold of at the time. It's not like nice people live on private houses and nasty people live in housing association/council houses OP. There are good and bad in both.

In my local authority, there is such a limited amount of properties, especially ones 3 bed plus, compared to those on the waiting list that the only people housed are those with significant vulnerabilities/complexities (physical limitations, mental health difficulties, addictions etc). Everyone else is signposted to privately rent with a UC top up as there aren't any properties.

That doesn't mean that those who are housed would cause you any issues at all, but it's certainly something to consider.

Has your solicitor checked if there have been any neighbour issues between the existing owner and the neighbour? Any complaints made to the housing officr etc? Also, why is the current owner moving - that's important to understand in case it is due to any neighbour issues. I would be carefully checking this whether it was a council tenant or owner occupier though.

Also, are you going past it to check the general area at different times? Again I would be doing this regardless of the status of next door.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I would say no. 5 years ago I would have been 'but of course, what on earth do you mean' whilst knowing perfectly well what you mean like a lot on this thread. But my current neighbours have changed my attitude.

Yes you can get fab neighbours in HA houses, my best friend is one. And yes you can get arsehole neighbours in not HA houses and I've had those too. But weighing up risk - I would say no.

Shouldn't there be a policy in place for verbal abuse against staff? Aren't they enforced even if the tenant was on the phone? They should be receiving a warning letter and subsequent action if repeated.

I don't know how it works though so genuinely wondering why you have to go through that daily, as you said.

Is it part ownership or rented through the housing association?

If it's the former then I wouldn't worry. The latter you are perhaps more likely to get a higher turn over of neighbours though not necessarily.

I live next door to temporary council housing (it's not very temporary, some stay years). We've had everything from lovely to nightmare, though thankfully they didn't last long.

It is quite likely it will be a larger family and concerns over additional noise are valid.

I am from a council house background and live in an ex council house now. It gives me much more than I could afford otherwise.

Would I sink half a million into one? Probably not unless it was spectacularly better than any other option. At that kind of budget it is likely to affect resale.

Families with issues would definitely be my concern, @mumyes .
One “ Problem family “ can really affect a street adversely- and the family know it.

Surely you can buy a house where it’s “ Safer”?

My in laws moved from social housing as soon as they could- they saw conditions deteriorate massively where they were living.

They were much happier in a small detached house where everyone around owned their home.

Rough XL type Bully dogs, rough people, noise
mess, dumped three piece suites, mattresses- who needs it.

DS bought a former council house, the street is mixed but more council than private. It's a great house for the money, big rooms, well proportioned and solidly built.
He's single and it doesn't worry him but the area has a definite run down feel.

Arseholes manage to get mortgages too you know

I mean the list is endless tbh

My guess would be private homeowners are probably far more likely than HA tenants to engage in land grabs and go postal over petty fence, border and parking disputes.

There is something about "owning your own space" that seems to bring down the red mist in some people.

@EhrlicheFrau
Yes well my point exactly. We were the lowly council house tenants and they were the home owners. However according to this thread, council tenants are the ones to watch and be careful of.

But a single person could buy the 4 bed where as the council would only give it to a large family. That’s where noise can come in.

There’s no option but a large family unless the person living there now is an empty nester who really should be down sizing to free up the large council house.

Never mind that it is social housing the fact is it is likely to be occupied by a family. A family equals noise. Go for a 3bed detached instead. I have lived in flats and semis at various times and detached is bliss.

Agree with others that a 4-bed semi will always come with a degree of noise. But presumably the stairs are not on the party wall side, so it isn't as bad as a terraced house arguably.

One thing I'd want to establish is whether the houses are built to a high standard. Did the council cut corners when it came to thickness of walls, for example, or are they actually better built than some private equivalents?

I would also visit at various times to find out what sort of community it is - chances are everyone is friendly, but I'd want to speak to a few people to see how they like living there (as with any new area).

If you do end up with ASB issues in the future, my understanding is that you may actually be better off, since the HA will have enforcement powers I would think, whereas with a private house you're pretty much on your own.

Go with your instincts, and don't feel guilty about asking questions - it's a big commitment and you want to make sure your family will be happy there.

I own but my neighbours either side are council tenants as are a couple of houses over the road and a couple more on my side. My attached neighbours are no trouble and the same for next door the other side. But, and I hate to say it, the other council houses are messy. Front gardens full of junk, mum out in the back garden swearing at her kids, gardens over grown, two households fighting in the street and the police being called.
I don’t judge people for living in council houses, I really don’t but out of the 6 council houses around me they are the only ones that cause any kind of trouble.

That said it’s the owned houses on the other side that play loud music in the garden.

I live in a 550k 4 bed ex-council terrace. Both of my neighbours have disabled children. Most people on the street have lived here for many years. It's not easy to get a suitable house that large in what must be a nice, fairly affluent area, so people value that.

@Thehonestybox Please could you define what working class "made good " is as I want to know if I "fit in" to that category. If I have done enough . Also could you give us working class punters some times on "making good" for those starting on ,and hoping for on the up. Thanking you kindly, (curtsey).

Absolutely this .

Tricky one OP. Could be like living somewhere from a Channel 4 poverty porn show or next to someone like an old school friend of mine who had wealthy parents, went to an independent boarding school, equestrian clubs etc etc and was rehoused, after leaving a domestic violence shelter with her DC. She most certainly isn’t loud, obnoxious or rude.

*tips

🤐and I live in HA house.

Is their house falling apart? Could it potentially affect the value of yours?
Can you do a covert drive by at different times of the day (over a few days) to see if you can spot any trouble?
If the house is nice and you think you would be happy there, then go for it!