Would you buy a house right next to a council house?

[nappyrat]

When I say right next door, it's one half of a semi. The other half is the council house. Most in the (small) avenue seem to have been sold off to private ownership, but the one attached to the one I like, has not (I don't think).

It's £400k FFS!

[WilburWeathervane]

Well, this thread has been an eye-opener. I think I had better pop round to my home owning next door neighbour and look down my council house nose at her as my monthly rent is more than her mortgage and my house is beautiful outside and in whereas hers is very badly in need of tarting up a bit.

Disclaimer - my neighbour is bloody lovely and would never dream of looking down on us.

Bloody hell OP!

[OneWithTheForce]

I'm really interested in hearing what job OP has that she can save £400k from her salary.

[TeaCake5]

The snobbery of some people on this thread is disgusting.

[Lemonnaise]

OMG . Please don't move next door to the council tenant. I can just tell you will make their lives a misery.

[HemanOrSheRa]

Oh dear! I'm a council tenant AND a Housing Officer. What does that make me . I agree with pps that is much easier to get any issues with council tenant neighbours sorted out. The biggest problems we've had in the 16 years living here are with our nearest homeowner neighbours. Which we can't do a thing about!

[Gallavich]

My neighbours own their house (I privately rent)
The lot who sold to the current owners had been there for years. A nastier pair of racist bastards you would look miles to meet.

[stitchglitched]

I live in a HA property and when we transferred to a new house last year we had to have an affordability check to prove that we had enough income to cover the rent!

Reasons for renting social housing over private- we have a secure tenancy, we are left in peace with no inspections, can decorate, no massive rent hikes, no hefty deposits, fees etc, no moving with 2 months notice if landlord decides to sell.

Where I am is a mixture of HA and privately owned and you can't tell who is what.

[Janey50]

Nah I wouldn't if I were you. Common as muck us council tennants.

[WilburWeathervane]

Most in the (small) avenue seem to have been sold off to private ownership

You do realise that if this statement is true that most of the 'homeowners' in your street (avenue) are EX council house tenants who could have possibly bought their houses cash from the criminal activity that all council house tenants are engaged in.

Step away from the avenue OP for the sake of your wavelength.

[scoobydoo1971]

I bought a beautiful house ten years ago which was mean't to be the 'forever family' home. I should have known the price was too good, as it turned out the cast of Shameless lived next door in a Housing Association property. They were unemployed, drunk, noisy and dirty. They threatened us, had my husband followed by a gang of yobs and I had to get the police involved when the male tenant threatened to stab my husband for refusing to go around their house and do the gardening for them. I had optimistically expected the Housing Association manager to take a reasonable approach as other neighbours were complaining about them too, but he was always defending them and refusing to take action on their drug dealing, they were often drunk and passed out in front garden with kids running around barefoot day and night. I had to threaten the Housing Association with legal action in the end as their response was disgraceful. The male tenant drove through his front garden wall smashed out of his skull, and that was the straw on the camel's back as I was pregnant and had a toddler at home. We decided to sell up and move on quietly, but felt bad for the couple that bought our house. I thought we would never get rid of that house because of the state of next doors front garden...I have no idea how it sold! Many social housing tenants are respectful people, but if you get a bad neighbour (private or social) it can ruin your life and take thousands off the price of your home. Why don't you knock on a few doors in the street and ask around about what its like to live there? That is what I do now when I am buying.

[user123346]

You would be playing Russian roulette. Yes, you can get neighbours from hell from all walks of society but you certainly aren't trying to avoid it by moving anywhere near council tennants. There is a stigma for a reason. Offenders in and out of jail have to live somewhere. Same with drug addicts at the worst end of the spectrum then you have the jobless that will never work, those with loud, undisciplined kids ( regardless of parents having a job), loud parties and or no consideration of noise levels. Undesirable friends hanging outside your house, cars being revved up. A gobby mouth you can't reason with. And if they keep the outside of the house untidy, it will impact on the value of yours. These are the worst case senerios, however you would be naive to think, it's not a possible reality now or in the future, if you move there. And you aren't a renter, you can't just move. Not worth the extra savings.

[Eastpoint]

Family homes in our road sell for c£3M and there are council flats in the road. I wouldn't worry at all, people are people, you can have considerate neighbours who are rich or poor.

[MrsJayy]

Im assuming the house you are looking at was once a council house my whole street is a mix of bought and rented but i wouldnt if i were you council might rub off on you

[TeaCake5]

those with loud, undisciplined kids ( regardless of parents having a job)

Hmm certainly not restricted to council housing judging by what I see regularly in a supposedly "naice" area that I live in.

[OnHold]

I lived on a lovely street of fancy all owned houses once. My NDN got 10 years in prison for drug and firearms offences.

[StoorieHoose]

I'm in an ex council house and in our terrace 3 are owned and one is council. Guess which ones are the best neighbours - yep the council tenants. Other neighbours are hell on earth, noisy, anti social and a complete fucking nightmare

[dalmatianmad]

Ones Dalmatians are quite happy in their housing association property

My rent is a little cheaper than private, I pay £390 per month for a large 3 bed semi and that includes the services of a Gardner (he maintains the front gardens). We overlook fields, very lovely area and I appreciate how lucky I am living here and have no intention of giving my property up!!

I love the security of not being asked to leave, I can do almost anything without asking permission, just had a new posh shower fitted and naice internal doors.....

Most of my neighbours are hard working people.

I wouldn't buy next to a council house op, the tenants deserve someone better

[WhiskeySourpuss]

Why would someone rent a council house if they could afford to rent a private landlord ?

1. more secure - LA/HA properties don't come with a 6 month lease like private rentals do & it's unlikely that the LA/HA will decide to sell up one day
   
   
2. lower rent - why would someone pay £200-400 more each month than they had to?
   
   
3. houses are generally in a better state of repair than private rentals & repairs are more likely to be done in a timely fashion
   
   
4. you can decorate as you wish - most private rentals are magnolia in every room
   
   For the record OP I live in a new build HA property within a large scale development of HA/LA & privately owned properties. There is never any disturbance, noise, mess etc from my neighbours & every single one that I've met in the 6 months I've been here is in employment - even the single mum with 7 (very well behaved) kids 2 doors down.
   
   Unless the house next door to Hyacinth Bucket is for sale I'm not sure you'll find a neighbour on your wavelength!

[user123346]

"Why would you assume council tenants have different values? confused Its not like shameless you know, most work"

I believe council housing should be for those who genuinely need it. You know like the homeless and disabled etc. Not for those who hold onto a council place for life and have two incomes and good careers. Yes, private rent is a lot, yes it's difficult to save for a house, get on the property ladder. Everyone else has to suck it up, don't they? This self-entitled attitude is not one of my values. I couldn't deprive someone who genuinely needed a house.

[PseudoBadger]

"We have Dalmatians ffs"

[OnHold]

Its not self entitled to want live in a secure affordable house. It's common sense.