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!

[OneWithTheForce]

That an entirely different thread user

[Cupcakey]

You can end up with bad neighbours anywhere council house or not. We don't live in a council house but after 2 years of bliss with lovely neighbours they sold to a pair of stuck up idiots who think they are better than the whole street and behave like arrogant twits so no house is a dead cert.... unless in the middle of a field in the middle of nowhere!

[Spudlet]

My mum grew up in a council house op. You certainly wouldn't hold the same values as she does. She's a nurse you see, so believes in compassion, respect, empathy, and caring for others. How awful for you, should you end up living beside such a person.

[HemanOrSheRa]

That an entirely different thread user**

I agree One

[damngina]

In my mid-20s, I chose to spend all my savings and get myself mortgaged up to the hilt on a house precisely because it was in a street that was a mix of private and social housing - more SH actually, c.1:4 PH/SH ratio.

My feel on it is that a diverse community is a rich one.

Been here for years and now that I can move on, I can't think of anywhere that would be a move 'up' - love my hood.

But you're not me - it's your house, your home.

You do you OP, you do you.

[phoenixtherabbit]

I would.

Just because someone doesn't own a house, or is a council tenant doesn't make them a bad person, or not a nice person, or someone who is undesirable to live next door to.

Just the same as buying a house doesn't make you a nice person, or a good neighbour.

I own my house, so do my next door neighbours. They're still arseholes.

[tygr]

Just to say that my grandparents were in a council house for many years and I think my parents might've started off in one too so I actively chose to buy ex local authority to be with people on my 'wavelength' - respectable hard working people for the most part.

Even though I owned mine, I definitely wasn't the most house proud on the estate - not by a long way!

[Matchstickbox]

Nope.
We did, first council tenet dingle mum left her baby to scream from seven pm till past when I went to bed ever night. Upset me as her little girl was 3m old little older than my dd.
Next single mother plays loud music late and her three children jump off beds, run around screaming at any given hour.
But to be honest any one can be a pain in arse.

[OneWithTheForce]

What does the fact they were single mums have to do with anything? You get single mums in private rental and privately owned houses. That's nothing to do with being a council house.

[thegoodnameshadgone]

I live in a council house and I will do until I get the right to buy on this house. I've put so much work into it. Re done the garden at a great expense. Replastered all of the rooms and every room had to be gutted from the walls to the floors. Rented or bought I think you run the same risk.

[IvyLeagueUnderTheSea]

I live in a 'desirable' estate. Houses here are affordable, popular and sell within a week.

When we bought our house I did discover that our house was ex council (it looks the same as the rest of the estate, standard 3 bed semi). Our house and 8 others near by are were the only council houses on the estate, bought by the council just after the war.
I will confess that it did make me pause for a while when I realised.

However, our neighbours both sides and opposite are council tenants. We have never had any serious problems other than one house being rather scruffy.
My last house was privately owned by us and all the houses in the street were privately owned or rented. We had lots of short term tenants in the flat opposite.
Problems there included drugs, prostitution, gang fights, arson, car vandalism, very very loud music, parties late into the night, threats of violence.

I would much sooner live next to council houses that would be let to families that next to a private rental that is a house of multiple occupancy.

If your immediate neighbours should happen to be a problem then you can contact the council. If it's the privately owned house then you stand no chance.

[OccasionalNachos]

As an aside, how does everyone know the tenancy situation of random people on their street? I have literally no idea whether my neighbours rent, own on a mortgage, own outright... How does it come up in conversation?

[thegoodnameshadgone]

OP, Council housing is not jut for people who can't rent on their own. It's an opportunity to not throw dead money at something you will never own. Yes the rent is slightly cheaper but I earn enough to private rent or buy but my circumstances are such that this was the best option for me long term and I took it.

[wannabestressfree]

Where I live there is a huge difference between private rents and ch/ha. I have a good job and have just been moved from cat C to cat A due to severe medical need. I will be housed asap... I am on the short list (top 5) for four houses. Three of these are in a new development which cost a lot and is a mixture of home owners/ part share and housing association. I just hope they don't turn me down due to my needs. I haven't even thought about the neighbours!

[IvyLeagueUnderTheSea]

As an aside, how does everyone know the tenancy situation of random people on their street? I have literally no idea whether my neighbours rent, own on a mortgage, own outright... How does it come up in conversation?

Well I knew that my house was ex-council. When I got all the information for my house I found out that my house and its pair, along with 4 other pairs were all bought from the builders by the council in 1947. I found that most of the others are still council owned when the council came out and repaired everyone's roofs, repointed, painted their front gates (including one that is technically 50% mine!), repaired everyone's back gates and front walls.

Thank goodness my council neighbours insist on throwing rubbish into their front garden or my house would look the scruffiest.

[INeedNewShoes]

I bought an ex-local flat in a block where 70% of the flats were still council owned. Well-built property with decent sound proofing and a council phone line to deal with any maintenance requests for the block. Pretty good really.

I can't have been too traumatised by living in close proximity to council tenants; my current property is an ex-local house with a row of four HA houses opposite.

I like living here. People look out for each other, say hello to each other and there's a good mix of different folk here.

Given the awful impression you have of people that happen to live in LA properties, I'd suggest you steer clear. You'll get so worked up by every small noise, example of untidiness etc. from the neighbours and attributing it to their councilness that it's unlikely to end well.

[MsAwesomeDragon]

On our street it's obvious who is in a council house, they're the ones with the brown windows and new rooves. The first thing people did when they bought their council houses (not us, I think we're the Thurs owners since this one was bought) was replace the windows as the brown ones are not great. The council is replacing all their rooves this year because they are old and staying to leak which causes damage to the houses. Those of us who own our homes are saving up to be able to replace our roof.

You can probably guess that yes I'd buy a house next to a council house. My street is approx half and half owned, one next door is owned, the other is council (we're the middle of 3 houses all attached). Tbh the previous owners (current owners are lovely) of the non-council house caused more problems than the retired couple who have lived in their council house for decades. They're moving soon, swapping for a 1 bed place as soon as one is available, and I assume the new tenants will be just as nice. Why wouldn't they be nice?

[HiDBandSIL]

I grew up in a council house, the first flat I bought was next to a council house, my mum lives in one, my PIL live in an ex-council house. My neighbours now all privately own.

Based on my own experience, I wouldn't. You are more likely to have troublesome neighbours. It's (genuinely) nice that there are so many people on here expressing horror at the very thought of avoiding that situation but I'd imagine a lot of them are doing so from their comfy middle class homes that are a million miles away from a council house.

[WigglyWooWorm]

That's funny. We paid extra to have the brown upvc when we updated our double glazing as white was cheaper but we didn't want to send out.

Council came and redid all their tenants white so now it's v identifiable which as re council as they're white!

[TheFirstMrsDV]

What a ludicrous thread.

People worrying about buying a house next to a council property ffs.
I live in an area that was previously deemed rough and common. Lots of council properties in my street. You can't tell which are private and which are rented though.
In the last few years people who would have turned their noses up are falling over each other to buy in my area. They even have Open House viewings and closed bids. People are desperate to get their hands on houses regardless of how close the awful council dwellers are.

It is such bollocks. Those naice sensibilities go out the window when somewhere becomes a hotspot and the middle classes decide it desirable.

[TomHardysBeardWax]

but I'd imagine a lot of them are doing so from their comfy middle class homes that are a million miles away from a council house.

[TheFirstMrsDV]

Don't be so ridiculous HiD

[FlappyRose]

I think some of the responses have been unnecessarily harsh on the OP. Buying a house is a massive commitment and she's only trying to ensure it isn't one she could come to regret.

Of course most people who rent council houses are hardworking and pay their rent. Or they may not be able to work due to personal circumstances. Obviously that doesn't make them bad people or nightmare neighbours. Having said that, however much MN likes to deny it, there are people who could work and have no intention of doing so. People who may take drugs, or have all night parties on a Monday because they don't have to worry about going to work the next day. And these people aren't likely to be able to afford to buy a house and therefore are more likely to be in social housing. It happens.

For what it's worth, I live a couple of doors away from a council house and have no issues whatsoever. The woman who lives there is a long term tenant (now elderly) and the property is well maintained by the council. I would suggest having a look around at different times of the day so, if any problems do exist with any of your neighbours, you can spot them before you make an offer.

[ItsNachoCheese]

I live in a council rented property and my next door neighbour owns his property but that doesnt make him any better than me because he owns his home and i dont. He is a lovely man and dotes on my ds and my dog and will give them each a digestive when he sees them. He also doesnt mind about my dog barking when i go out (he has seperation anxiety that im trying to control) he really is the best neighbour i could ask for after 2 hellish neighbours in the places i stayed before