Would you buy a house with a Substation in the back garden?

[Justgemm]

We've just sold our house and are on the hunt for our new home. There's a really lovely house we've seen, only problem is there is a small electrical substation in the garden. Just wondering whether this would put people off or not?

There's a substation behind our garden. We can't see it due to hedging. I've never heard a hum or buzz. We had a survey done and the EMF levels at the hedge were lower than from a mobile phone.
We got a gorgeous house at an affordable price. Go for it

No. Safety aside, the buzzing would drive me to distraction.

Oh I remembered reading that even if EMF from a substation may not not a problem, underground cables distributing electricity could be. You never know where they go and they may be crossing your garden. I read once that someone got a high EMF readings from the ground going accross his garden and obviously there was no way to block this off.

The underground cables surely aren't just in the vicinity of a substation though?

It gets less of the cables as they distribute to further houses.

Very similar to NigellasDealer. We had a substation at the bottom my childhood home's garden...my mum died young from Leukaemia. Could be totally unrelated but it's not a risk I'd take.

Having said that I never noticed any humming in the 14 years we lived there.

no, there's one that I pass when I take the dog out, & it drones, rather than hums. It would drive me mad! That said there's some sort of phone cabinet thingy (sorry for the vague wording) on another walk that hums as well.

Well if it is in your garden then there might be some kind of covenant to say that the power company have 24/7 access which would put me off, possibly you need professional advice on what rights the power company have on your (potential) land.

I wouldn't even think of it, even if it were 100% cast iron guaranteed no risk, but then I have an innate hatred of electrical evidence particularly pylons. I won't even go and view a house if you can see pylons in the area.
Shame really as we once had details for the house of our dreams but there was a pylon looming about 30m from the front door, so that was the end of that.

What are the health risks if the sub station is approx 35m from the house?

there are no proven health risks. E-fields in your house much stronger, they are no proven risk to health either.

again, anyone that bothered would not have wi-fi or use a computer. Or even have electricity in the house.

No, I didn't and wouldn't. However, I have no idea why really, just some vague notion about it being likely to cause bad vibes. Or something.

'vague notion' is unfortunately the extent of the scientific knowledge of all too many people. Not sure if it is a generation of bad teaching, too much hair flicking in schools when people should be listening, the undervaluing of scientists and engineers or the perception that anyone with scientific knowledge is a 'geek'.

the hum from a substation would be a pain if audible. And they aren't pretty. But if you want electricity...

Does the location of sub station show up in local searches? It wasn't mentioned in my report but I could see one walking down the next street.