Substation 50ft (20m) away at the back of the neighbor's garden... too close, right?

[littlecrystal]

I just pulled out of the purchase of otherwise good house due to the substation at the back of the neighbor's garden, which I did not see when viewing the house. My parents (physicists) say that EMF would be close to zero at such distance, but then there is possibility of hum (I could not hear it during the viewing) and resale trouble if it ever comes to selling. My prospect now is to sell my house and go into rental, as there are no other houses for sale. I will lose my good mortgage deal, early redemption fee, at least 6 months rent and relocation twice cost.

So perhaps I should be more positive about the substation and buy this house? Yes or no?

Wherever you live, except perhaps on a hill farm with no services , there will be electricity.

The field from your TV and lighting will be more detectable than from that substation.

If you think there is some reason to be concerned about it, I suppose you can look for some good evidence, or study sheep-farming.

Bump!

what PJ said, and what your parents are telling you. There is no evidence that the substation is harmful.

you use the internet, so you use electricity, so you clearly aren't worried.

check for humming noise by all means but if you can't hear it, buy the house and plant something to screen the view of the substation.

you may have some resale trouble but only to idiots with no scientific knowledge. Sadly that is quite a chunk of the population, but there are intelligent ones out there and they buy houses too.

If I read other threads on mumsnet the majority would say No to the house near substation.
I am surprised to hear so far two positive opinions.

yes, well, there is a lot of scientific ignorance around. Witness the number who think they will only get sunburnt if it is hot outside. And all those who worry about 'chemicals'.

I would worry about it due to the noise. There is a substation further down our road and I can hear it as I walk closer to it.

I also would worry about who owns the land that the substation is on. The land is possibly leased from the electricity company who own that bit of land and could build other electrical structures on it if they wanted.

When it comes to selling you need as many people interested as possible, alarmist or not, a sub-station will put significant numbers of people off.

frankie4 does raise good points which need to be clarified. Also check access routes.

if you like the house, go for it - but subject to the above, negotiate the idiot discount that you may need when it comes to selling.

Far more people are killed by dihydrogen monoxide than by electromagnetic fields.

We are 10metres from a biggish substation. When we looked around the house it was really spacious and had been on the market for over a year (but we later found out they had overpriced it for most of that time).
We were concerned about the noise too (it is not audible in the house at all, and only in the garden when there is no traffic/air/train noise: we're in London so you only get true quiet in the wee hours!) strangely it's more audible when it is humid. But the important thing is the noise is a low frequency (100mhz) so it's a low non irritating hum.

Within a few days of moving in we couldn't notice anything even with the windows open.

And we found the original planning permission records which contained EMF readings, they were absolutely miniscule: standing near the microwave/fridge would g

Give you higher exposure!

So basically if you plan to be there for 5 years plus then go for it. If you want to flog it quick within a week next year, maybe not as it might take longer to shift. We are (hopefully) here long term, it's a great house and the space is absolute bliss.....

I already withdrew my offer - just instantly said No! Perhaps it was gut reaction. But I could always swallow my dignity and go back and ask for an idiot's discount.
The house is lovely but I think overpriced and has some other negatives so perhaps too much to compromise with...

Go back and offer the idiots discount, see what they say.

I'm a bit confused you didn't notice it or hear it on viewing the property, your parents physicists (not idiots who don't know a EMF from a DVD) said its absolutely fine, you'll loose your good mortgage deal, early redemption fee, have to pay rent for at least 6 months, pack up and move twice in a short period of time (we've just done it, it's expensive and stressful I wouldn't inflict on my enemy) and it is in your view a "good house" and you pulled out!
There's only one thing to say; why?

schoolnurse it is not straight at the back of the garden, but on the back of neighbouring garden, and it was dark during the viewing and I guess there was some bush in between. On top of that my kids were making so much noise that sure I would not have heard if there was a hum!

The house itself is good inside, but it is very much on the border of the desired school catchment and also has triangular garden (makes a small triangle at the back and + another triangle on the side). I am quite Ok with the odd-shaped garden, but this may be another put-off for future buyers.
These were two drawbacks I was compromising with and offered over the odds just to make the move and not to lose my buyer. The house was not even on the market yet, and it seems to me that the agency "adjusted" the asking price knowing my generous budget as they felt I am desperate to buy something. I withdrew my offer 6 days ago and the house it is still not on the market. I suspect it will go on the market for less than I offered.

When I went to walk around later, I saw the substation and it was instant "Oh no!" and even if I might be OK with EMF, many people will be like Sunnyshores --> "When it comes to selling you need as many people interested as possible, alarmist or not, a sub-station will put significant numbers of people off".

I think I have to pass on this one. Yes I will lose up to 10k by renting, but I will in a better bargaining power.

On top of that, last year I disregarded an identical house, with a good size rectangular garden, in the definite school catchment area and with substation at the back of the garden because of the substation.
The hum was obvious in the garden and that was enough.

So I don't feel I can justify enough buying this one, even though the substation is not straight at the back.

A few years ago I passed up on a house with a substation next to the garden. I was one of those "idiots". Having done more research I would still reject the property but only because I think it would be more difficult to sell on rather than there being a danger from the sub station.

We've got a small substation on the corner of our land/garden. I never even considered it an issue and there was a lot of other interest in the house. The electricity company pay us a small amount each yr for having it on our land. It doesn't make any noise at all. It is screened by shrubs and trees so you don't really know its there.

Now I am really torn as the house is officially on the market (from today) and I went to look around again. I can hear the substation 5m away; I can hear (or imagine) that I hear 10 meters away, but not beyond.

Now even if I re-offer again, I will stand in the queue of all other viewers and the vendor has a right not to trust me again. So I don't feel like I am in a position of bargaining for idiot's discount!

Now I am torn between this not ideal house and potential moving into rental. My gut feeling is to wait out and hopefully the right house will come with no drawbacks.
I hope I am not making a mistake.

if there are other issues that mean the property isn't right for you, that's fair enough. Or even if you feel it will be too difficult to sell because of the substation, that's also fair enough.

if it was just the substation, negotiate a discount because of all the fools who will go 'OMG, dangerous' - but if it isn't right for you, tell the sellers and walk away.