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Original poster

Lovely house -crap area ( and possibly crapper)

90 replies

TheRemotePart · 30/12/2021 19:58

I just need to confirm that this is a daft purchase

We don’t have a huge mortgage available to us and a small deposit, but we’re hoping to get on the property ladder for our forever home( or at least 10 years!)

We can afford a small flat in the nicer part of the city, but want a home with a garden/ space for our family - so we’ve been looking at areas close to us, but a bit “rougher” than we’re used to.

We found a lovely big home ,in its own new estate( a few streets really) , a little away from the direct rough part and DH in particular ,loves it. No work needed. Perfect.

BUT

Theres 2 large blocks of flats going up, practically on top of the street and it’s social housing

Now, the hippy leftist knows how important social housing is BUT in my city, a lot of these estates and blocks are like the Wild West

Should we risk it ? See if any half decent people move in?
Or no chance: if it becomes rough you’ll sell at a loss

Anyone done similar?

OP posts:
Original poster
TheRemotePart · 30/12/2021 20:00
  • and I can’t help but wonder if this is why the Seller is leaving …
OP posts:
Danikm151 · 30/12/2021 20:09

Social housing isn’t just for “riff raff” if it’s new social housing chances are some of them will be partial ownership.

Home is what you make it. Once you close the door the outside isn’t coming in. If it’s a chance to buy a home then do it.

ZenNudist · 30/12/2021 20:12

Wow. Just wow. Is the area even bad? Or are you just hopelessly ignorant?

I wouldn't buy a tiny flat for a family and I wouldn't live in s dangerous area tolive in a bigger house. There's got to be a happy medium.

Original poster
TheRemotePart · 30/12/2021 20:13

@Danikm151 oh I know,and usually I agree with you. I grew up in a council house ( but not estate) and just unfortunately, in THIS city, they tend to be a bit wild.
I’m just afraid we ll regret it and then have to stay or sell at a loss.

House is bloody lovely, though ..Sad

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 30/12/2021 20:16

Nope
And don’t listen to any virtue signallers who criticise you not wanting to live near a load of social housing and accuse you of snobbery.
We naively did it , thinking any reservations were just Mc angst and that it would be fine. Yes the majority of people just wanted to get on with their lives but it only takes a few problem residents (or the council using some of the houses as temporary accommodation for families evicted from elsewhere for anti social behaviour in our case) and it can be a bloody nightmare.

Hoppinggreen · 30/12/2021 20:18

@Danikm151

Social housing isn’t just for “riff raff” if it’s new social housing chances are some of them will be partial ownership.

Home is what you make it. Once you close the door the outside isn’t coming in. If it’s a chance to buy a home then do it.

No but it can come into your garden and onto your driveway to wreck your car. You can hear the screaming across the road and you can see the drug dealer smash up a rivals car with a sledgehammer
Original poster
TheRemotePart · 30/12/2021 20:19

@ZenNudist you can’t call someone hopelessly ignorant for not wanting to the risk of 200 potential junkies living on top of them ? Good grief!

Thanks for the input Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
TheRemotePart · 30/12/2021 20:21

*I just point out , it should read “ the hippy leftist IN ME”

OP posts:
Russell19 · 30/12/2021 20:24

I wouldn't..... but I understand that's really unreasonable of me. If it was houses instead of flats wouldn't bother me so much. Although how many flats are there?

ChristmasRobins · 30/12/2021 20:26

Sorry but if you think of social housing tenants as “potential drug addicts” and private tenants/owners as not, you’re extremely ignorant and prejudiced. It’s not about being a “hippy leftist”- I have Tory friends who would be horrified by what you’ve posted here.

Anyway, sounds like you’d be happier in the smaller flat so do that.

Original poster
TheRemotePart · 30/12/2021 20:32

@Hoppinggreen yes this is exact what I’m afraid of

OP posts:
stripetop · 30/12/2021 20:36

@ChristmasRobins but it's not social housing op is asking about, it's huge blocks of flats social housing. Now I can understand the question. Here, those are often used as temporary accommodation only, which is very different to a street of long term tenancies.

Op it actually wouldn't put me off, because the space would be more important and the step, but I understand why you are asking. Can council give more info on its intended long term use.

myyellowcar · 30/12/2021 20:40

I wouldn’t OP, follow your instincts on this one

Missushbb · 30/12/2021 20:43

@ChristmasRobins

Sorry but if you think of social housing tenants as “potential drug addicts” and private tenants/owners as not, you’re extremely ignorant and prejudiced. It’s not about being a “hippy leftist”- I have Tory friends who would be horrified by what you’ve posted here.

Anyway, sounds like you’d be happier in the smaller flat so do that.

totally agree with this. hippy leftist is so ignorant it's unbelievable. 200 junkies? of course no one wants to live in a a bad area, but 200 junkies is just ignorant
TheYearOfSmallThings · 30/12/2021 20:49

You would be better off buying in a stable area that you are happy with. It doesn't have to be a desirable area as such, just settled and pleasant.

I wouldn't buy next to a big future development because you just don't know how it will go.

ChristmasRobins · 30/12/2021 20:50

@stripetop I’m not arguing that she should live in one place or another and obviously a lot of new development is a factor in choosing where to live. But characterising social housing tenants as “200 potential drug addicts” is really grim.

Nevilleneville · 30/12/2021 20:51

I live opposite a small social housing block of flats. Didn’t occur to me that it might be an issue when we brought our lovely house. I know lots of fab people in social housing.

We might just be unlucky but there are 2 very unsubtle drug dealers (cars stopping outside all day and night, obvious drug addicts hanging about on our drive) and a very antisocial family who play loud music day and night and burn a lot of garden waste. It’s not temp housing, these people have been there the whole 4 years we have and the police are not interested in any of their criminal exploits. Also neighbouring home owners don’t report issues these days as it causes issues when selling. We haven’t as I know we want to move ASAP. I’m sad we brought the house now and think we were being very naive.

caringcarer · 30/12/2021 20:54

You will get not so nice person in a good areas just as in not so good areas. We live in a nice area but 1 new resident is making life hell for their neighbours and this couple have screaming fights in the street. It is so loud it is hard to ignore. We have always had such nice neighbours in cul des sac before. Nothing we can do but hope they move. I have a friend who lives in much tougher area but when we came back to her place with masses of shopping a local lad she knew offered to help us carry it in because we were struggling and dropping it. I would go for the house over flat. Over time you may be able to save and trade up.

pastypirate · 30/12/2021 20:57

So many variables. Is it going to be housing association rented flats or are they going to be shared ownership?

If it's housing association what are their other developments like? Where I live this make a vast difference.

When you say blocks of flats how big? More than 3 stories?

megletthesecond · 30/12/2021 20:59

I live in an ex council estate. I hate 75% of my neighbours Grin. Grotty anti social buggers.

The police turn a blind eye to the drug dealers because why would you care about a skanky estate and want to make it nicer.

momofthr33 · 30/12/2021 21:01

@TheRemotePart Usually when its new build housing association or council they chose people with jobs

TheCreamCaker · 30/12/2021 21:02

I think it's more important to live in a better area, if at all possible, and to find a place that perhaps needs doing up.

A friend of my husband's lives in a lovely house (10 years old) in a very rough street. Drugs, vandalism, drunken rows, cars being burnt out, etc., all happen on that street.

crazycrofter · 30/12/2021 21:02

Another one advising against. We bought a brand new detached house for what seemed like a bargain price - we’d never have been able to afford the same house in our mixed but ok suburb of a major city. The new house was the other side of the city in an area we didn’t know, a handful of new houses built on the edge of a council estate.

We later discovered that the council estate was in the most deprived 5% nationally. It was a difficult experience living there for 7 years, most people were fine but there were drug dealers, loud domestic arguments and people burning waste all day so that our house filled with smoke. The worst thing though, was that when we came to sell, it took 18 months and we lost 20% of the value.

RobinPenguins · 30/12/2021 21:03

I wouldn’t. I’m sure that makes me a prejudiced snob/terrible person but my home is more important.

PeggyGa · 30/12/2021 21:05

We need a link