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!

My house is worth almost £800k and is a former council house semi attached to a Housing Association house in a mixed close. Doesn't put people off buying here. All the HA Houses recently had new roofs so look better than many of the private ones, all with families as long standing tenants.

Sorry OP
This rant was not meant at you I'm just very sick of people that I have come across looking down their nose at me when they don't know my circumstances.

I think the OP is getting a lot of shit when she just asked a question based on where we all live.

I think the OP is getting a lot of shit when she just asked a question based on where we all live.

But it wasn't based on where we live, it was based on what class of people we are and making judgements about people.

Really Vanilla, a 50" Tv, council scum living up to stereotype there.

I live in a house owned by a HA. I don't feel overly offended by the OP because I have had crappy neighbours...the kind that make it onto those "Nightmare Next Door" shows. It was a bloody nightmare with drug dealing going on and police raids (twice) in the six months I was unlucky enough to be their neighbour. Thankfully I was lucky enough to be offered my current home in a cul de sac just 10 months after they moved in.

My current neighbours are fabulous, supportive and I appreciate them. They are all social housing tenants.

OP I don't blame you for being wary.
In your position I would be having a drive round the area after dark and at other times to try and get an idea of what the road is like at various times of the day. That should give you a pretty good idea of how the residents function. The neighbours could be long term tenants with no intention of moving. Or they could be shorter term tenants who move on....in our road there have been several new tenants although all thankfully nice people.

Meanwhile the awful neighbour who lived next door to me in the previous place has been in prison for a spell...I would think the rest of the neighbours breathed a sigh of relief when she was removed.

Not a chance. House is 400k but people next door get to live in the same for cheap rent. Fuck that right off.

Thays hardly their fault though is it?

I did. Lived there for ages very happily. Got more grief from the owner on the other side.

Why would the fact that next door pay less mean you'd not want to live there???!

OP, nightmare neighbours can come with all types of housing tenures. Our house adjoins a HA house, owner been there since 1955, fantastic neighbour. People over the road, owner occupiers. Prolific and serious drug dealers.

Many (not all) council homes are solid as a rock, spacious, with big gardens. Ours is like this.

It could go to a nightmare family if our lovely neighbour moves/ swaps/ dies but ... well, that is true of all houses and flats. No guarantees richer, more advantaged people are nicer and more neighbourly.

We live in a council house. We got it years ago when we were made homeless by our landlord selling up and DH was on a low wage.

DH earned around 50k this year. The home we live in is worth £400k. We can't buy because we can't get a big enough mortgage because we have 5dc, despite the huge deposit we have spent 15 years saving for. (Even with the massive discount we are entitled to)

We are considerate, hardworking and quiet neighbours. We keep a beautiful garden, we've fitted a new bathroom and plastered and redecorated the whole place. It was a dump when we moved in.

One of our neighbours is a drug dealer. Another down the road has a bunch of kids who cause a nuisance. Another is a fireman who buys drugs from the drug dealer. They all own their own homes.

Not a chance. House is 400k but people next door get to live in the same for cheap rent. Fuck that right off.

What about if someone had bought their house 15 years ago at half the price and were paying a much lower mortgage repayment.

Yes both of my neighbours pay less in their rent than I do in my mortgage but in 15 years I'll own my house outright. They never will.

Thanks so much for everyone who bothered to post.

This has been genuinely helpful.

To whoever was asking if I'd saved 400k from my salary. Makes me feel v proud (so thanks for that!) but yes - I got lucky a few years ago work-wise and earned really well for a few years / saved hard.

Anyway, in summary, I'm not put off buying it I don't think.

Yep, I could get unlucky & get shitty neighbours, but I could get this anywhere.

I think user123346 summed it up pretty well (you articulated it better than I was able to) in terms of my concerns.

I'm telling you now, though, if I had council tenants that were just decent, hardworking people I would be delighted! THEY would be on my wavelength totally.

I may not have explained myself / my concerns very well here, but for those of you outraged, be assured that my issues are not with people on low incomes (I have been there), or people who rent council houses (I have not been there), or people on benefits. My issue is that someone who is able to BUY a house worth 400k probably has to get up in the morning, go to work, sleep at a normal time and generally live a pattern similar to the one mine would have to be. That = harmony to me. There is a greater likelihood that someone who pays cheap rent to a LA may not have to do this to the same extent.
Obviously masses of exceptions etc etc. But I am talking general rules for the sake of trying to make sure my 400k investment is a wise one.

Love the idea of knocking on a few doors, going to do this.

Thanks all.

Out of interest, how much do you think Council houses rents are OP?

We bought beside a council house. Never knew it was one, it was a single council owned house (rescued from disrepair back in the day) in a street of owner occupied housing. The neighbours were lovely but I have to be honest, I was a bit concerned what would happen when the tenant died. She was well over 80 and it was a 5 bed house. My concern was, the next tenants would be a massive family to be entitled to a 5 bed house. The plots were small and gardens tiny so not much outside space for a really big family, so I was glad when we eventually moved. That was the only reason I was concerned.

You can tell council tenants who are settled and invested in their homes pretty easily IME.
Decent people with an on going interest in their home keep it nice. Council or owned.

So glad someone mentioned shameless - scattorrrrr 😂😂🙄🙄

Hmmm
I think op has had a rough ride here tbh

• and I say that as someone who grew up

in a council house I'm 44 and it's not how it used to be that's for sure When I was a child council house tenants Really looked after their houses and gardens...I have to say I don't see that so much now... Maybe it's due to most tenants rent being paid by HB? When I was a child every household on my street had one and sometimes both adults working FT I think if I were the op I would hesitate before spending £400k too If I were the op I would perhaps visit the area in different days and at different times to get more of a feeling for the area Door knocking is a good idea if you dare 😀 but that's advice I would give any buyer tbh Anyway, good luck My parents were idea tenants and neighbours so don't despair!

I live on a very large council estates. I know that those who have bought their own home sometimes have trouble selling. The reason is possibly that the exterior areas of some properties are not well maintained. Some Areas of my estate are dire. The thing is 90% of the Estate is privately owned and it is often these privately rented properties that present a poor exterior.

I would look at the whole street and check carefully that the property next door is well maintained. Is it clean, free from rubbish, are the gardens respectable. This will tell you a lot more about your neighbour than whether they responsible renters.

I think that you have more recourse with Council Tenants than with private landlords. Our council will always respond to problems with their own tenants. With private rented it is a case of 'first find your Landlord' and problems take ages to be resolved.

I don't think the OP is BU to ask. A dd's first house was an ex LA, and the one next door was still council owned. There was often a lot of very loud swearing and shouting from the house, and invariably rubbish dumped in the front garden. There were a couple of other houses nearby with similar tenants. And yes, I do know that all council tenants are certainly not guilty of such behaviour,
After a few years dd was very glad to move on.

If it were me looking to buy such a house, I would visit several times, at different times of day. If there were any signs of anti social behaviour, or rubbish dumped in the front garden, or the back garden, come to that, I would walk away.

Having said that, another dd recently bought an ex LA, where all the houses are well kept, and we've never seen or heard any anti social behaviour whatever. Ex LAs can be a very good buy, certainly compared to newbuilds, but although I think it's a great shame to have to say it, you do have to be a bit cautious.

Quite aside from any accusations of snobbery etc if yiu are having concerns about buying the house so could anyone else you want to sell to in the future

Awful snobbery OP. We rent a HA flat and have a combined salary of 70K.

My issue is that someone who is able to BUY a house worth 400k probably has to get up in the morning, go to work, sleep at a normal time and generally live a pattern similar to the one mine would have to be. That = harmony to me. There is a greater likelihood that someone who pays cheap rent to a LA may not have to do this to the same extent.

What utter shite you're sprouting. So you basically only want to live next to a 9-5 worker. In the case you've it a good chance of that with a council tenant. From what I've seen on here many people who can afford to own a 400k house do so because they're working all hours of the day and night.

I love the 'but anyone could move in' cry.
Like they can't in an owned or privately rented house.
Some privately rented houses are let to people on HB.
Like I said upthread my last house was owned by me. My neighbours owned and opposite were private rentals. No end of problems. We sold and the guy who bought our house has ended up in court for all his loud parties. His excuse was that he works nights and therefore he had every reason to be having a party at 3am