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Original poster

Upsides / downsides of living in a gated community

41 replies

Loueytb3 · 13/11/2017 12:29

Saw a house at the weekend which is on a private road of 7 houses with electronically controlled gates. Obviously security is good but what happens if someone turns up with a delivery and you are not in to let them in? Are there any other downsides to being in a gated road?

OP posts:

heron98 · 15/11/2017 15:10

This would be my idea of hell. The word "committee" sends shivers down my spine. DP and I deliberately discounted any streets where the wheelie bins were too orderly as we felt the neighbours would be too "proper"!

Kursk · 15/11/2017 15:16

The big downside will be the committee. If you are happy with the rules fine. Otherwise it would be a real pain in the ass.

ohhelpohnoitsa · 15/11/2017 15:40

I hated the gate but loved the house. Now I love the gate. Children can play freely with no fear of the nearby main road. The neighbours so far, are all pleasant. The service fee for us is £25 a month to pay for street lights (minimal cost led lights), weeding and resealing the paving occasionally, building up a bank for emergencies). I like the feeling of being remote, I don't see it as exclusive but nor do I think it's poncey, as I did before we lived here. So far thw developer runs the service charge account - he will want someone to take it over in May 2018. Time will tell if anyone is awkward.....

Kazzyhoward · 16/11/2017 12:21

so it'd be impossible for the poor milkman

Not a problem. The codes are usually made known to the regular delivery people. I used to have a paper round and we knew the entry codes to several "sheltered" accommodation blocks. The milkmen also knew them. Same applies for the bin wagons, post men, etc.
These days, you usually have a field on online order forms to enter that kind of thing, i.e. "additional delivery information". The codes are certainly not a secret. It's all about protection from opportunists etc.

Original poster

Loueytb3 · 16/11/2017 14:56

I'm glad there are at least some of you who don't hate it! I realise that being concerned about deliveries is such a first world problem, but it would irritate me if it was difficult to get things delivered easily. I do virtually all my shopping online.

I know that there are other families there so there is the potential for the children to play safely together. I also have one DC with SN. He is not such a flight risk as he was when he was younger but the gates would provide an additional level of security.

I will question carefully about costs. Its a pretty small road but I guess the downside to that is that the costs are only shared between 7 houses.

OP posts:

MiraiDevant · 16/12/2017 22:06

I have lived in one for twenty years. Fantastic place to bring up kids, Safe to play, sense of community, (we all sweep the leaves/ shovel the snow/ keep an eye out for each other)
Never been a burglary.
Limited traffic. Opportunities for parties/social events too and I have the use of a huge garden that if it were private would cost me millions.

Downsides - yes a lack of privacy but to me it has been worth it for the security.

As for being cut off from the rest of the community = ridiculous. It is not a rich "estate" - mostly two-bed houses. No more cut off than any street.

Nyx1 · 16/12/2017 22:14

Ive never lived in one but I have a question

I'm surprised to hear about door codes. We live in a block of flats, in a not great area, and the door code worries me because everyone gives it to everyone! So how is a gated community safer if everyone's doing the same?

MiraiDevant · 16/12/2017 22:15

Our charges are £40 per month. Not bad for easy parking, a huge garden and a feeling of safety.

Rules are really just a question of consideration. Generally they don't need to be enforced because people respect their neighbours in a small community.

If you are happy to live next door to someone who sublets to fourteen single men living on mattresses or a man who has a bonfire in his garden every day from 10 in the morning or someone who rents out the parking in the road to all sorts then you will be fine in a place without rules.

Each to his own though OP - but for kids, (and one of mine has difficulties), it can be great.

MiraiDevant · 16/12/2017 22:19

With our door the pedestrian gate was open from 8 - 12 every day. Postmen, milkmen, deliveries on foot, callers - all could come in in the morning. That was fine as there were people around. No vehicles unless they buzzed a particular door and no-one at night. Easy

Nyx1 · 17/12/2017 10:09

we have rules in our block about subletting and air b and b and so on and which is good.

It's interesting because on the bus to work, I see gated closes etc and I wonder if it's really that useful if the gate has set hours for being open. Then again, I suppose a determined burglar can get in anywhere.

RockPaperCut · 17/12/2017 17:42

There’s always one twat.

Yes absolutely. I’ve lived on a private road not gated but similar set up. Executive homes, everyone knows your business, 30k bill to replace private road. And the committee was awful... It was run by a guy who was the first to buy into the development, he’d make unilateral decisions and force the rest of the neighbours to foot the bill. Awful place never again will I share amenities, breeds all sorts of resentments.

MiraiDevant · 18/12/2017 00:40

I suppose you get twats everywhere. The number of hedge and parking threads on here bears witness to that. If you have a proper committee in place with a legal voting structure then one person cannot force things through.

I agree though that if it isn't for you, it isn't for you. For us it is truly worth it - I am very happy here

MiraiDevant · 18/12/2017 00:42

I am likely moving - downsizing/financial - and will look for another gated community

Pixiedust1973 · 19/12/2017 19:08

Did you offer on the house in the end @Loueytb3

Original poster

Loueytb3 · 21/12/2017 10:18

We did offer on the house in the end and after some haggling we had an offer accepted. Survey just completed and mortgage offer through so bar any unforseen issues we should be buying it.

Although a gated road would never had been my first choice, the house was too good to turn down. Houses of that size only come up maybe 2-3 times per year and there is always a compromise somewhere. For this one, it's the gate.

The road was until recently managed by a management company but the residents have stopped that because they were getting fed up for paying for essentially a rubbish service. They are now managing it themselves and have an email group set up. Effectively if something needs doing then all houses will contribute equally to the cost. I know there was an issue with two houses where the entry system wasn't working properly and I have been told that everyone is contributing to the cost of fixing them, even though they are not their houses. I will find out more when the information from the vendor and the searches come back.

The estate agent spoke to one of the other residents who moved into the road at the start of the year. She was very happy with the setup -
they also have small children and really want another family to move in.

OP posts:

Pixiedust1973 · 21/12/2017 23:49

Great news @Loueytb3. We are hoping to buy a house in a gated community too, but unfortunately our chain collapsed so we are having to remarket our house again. Our vendors are currently waiting for us, but who knows for how long? We love this house & will be gutted if we lose it. The only offers we've had so far are 55k under asking price & 20k below what we could proceed at!

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