Choosing a house AIBU?

[Viletta]

Hello, DH and I are planning to take a mortgage, we’ve found a really lovely house, all being recently renovated, pretty very is great. The only thing that puts me off is that the street it’s in only has council houses in it and ours will stand alone. It also looks very different from the others. AIBU?

Depends what the street is like as a whole. There are some bad streets on council estates and bad streets with no council houses on.

Number 1 rule in property: location, location, location.

That's because you can do loads to change the fabric of your house but you can never do anything about location.

Are any of the council houses now privately owned?? My house is ex council as are all the houses on our street!

My PIL live in an ex-council house. You would never guess. It's been built to Parker Morris standards, and the internal space and layout and fittings are absolutely superb. The road is lovely- tree-lined, with grass verges. The estate was designed to house workers for a nuclear power plant, and the upper middle class academics were supposed to live right next to the lower middle class clerks, without social distinctions. Seems like a utopian idea now, but this was the thinking at the time. All of the houses are now privately owned, and are highly desirable, selling for £350kish.

My point is that "council housing" covers a huge range of types of housing, much of which has now passed into private hands. It's really not that easy from your post to get the nuances of what this road is like, and whether it represents an estate where there is still significant poverty and social issues, or an estate which is actually very nice indeed.

Most tenants of council housing/housing association properties are lovely.

It really is all about location. What do you know and think of the area? If you're not happy with the location now then you never will be. A friend recently bought a house in an area that she didn't like because she loved the house. However she's made no friends, won't send her children to the local school and is miserable. It's not worth it for a nice kitchen.

I agree. I've lived in ex council houses in lovely roads that are now worth over 500k!!! However if it's the only sparkly house in a run down area of run down houses then yep, sounds like a bad idea.

Thank you for your replies! The area itself is not bad but this particular street and two next to it s owned by Cornerstone and they let it to people with lower income. If you look at stats more than 70% live rent free. Mostly are elderly, but families and single people as well. The house was on the market since sprung time.. feels like something is not quite right. You are right location is most important!

Council houses or ex council houses? Would be my first question. If it's excouncil it may not look very nice but is not as likely to put off future buyers when you eventually sell. Second question would be price and budget-is the price compared to other similar properties nearby but on prettier streets lower? If not then you are paying a bit too much. Regarding your budget-assuming that the price is lower does buying this house mean that you are able to buy a better house than you otherwise would be able.

Does it really matter if it's ex council house or current council house?

You sound very judgey.

Ultimately though, only you know if you're content / happy with the location. As others have said, you can do a lot about the house, you can't do a lot about the location.

I live in a council estate. The first council estate I lived on was horrible. Full of young people causing trouble - very stereotypical.
I now live on another council estate. Many houses are still council. A handful a bought. It is lovely.
The advice I was given was to go around the area, walk up and down the road on a Saturday afternoon.
If you have a car, go and sit in the car on a Saturday/Friday Night. You will find out what kind of people are about, whether it is noisy, and you will know if you feel safe or not.

If you look at stats more than 70% live rent free.

That seems a strange thing to say.

I was watching a Jeeves and Wooster last night, and I was struck by the casual racism of it (black face) and the way that wasn't even questioned.

I like to think it might be the same with middle class snobbery in another 20 years.

It wouldn't bother me but it might bother the possible future people you might sell your house on to. I'd always aim to not have the 'best' or the 'worst' property on a street. It protects your investment and helps ensure there's good demand for your property when you're looking to rent/sell it.

Depends on how much of a snob you are. I would never consider living in that sort of neighbourhood but then it annoys me if people don't keep their front gardens immaculate etc.

Have a read of this thread.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/3104382-Seller-of-new-home-LIED-about-various-things

Do your homework wherever you buy. As PP has said get to know the area at all times of the day and night - call the council / HA to find out of there are any asbos - and google the local street names and court hearings to see what is happening.

Thanks for all your advise! I do not want to be a snob but house is an investment.

What are these stats you've been looking at? 70% doesn't sound normal at all.

I wouldn't buy a 'fine up' house because you don't know what issues are underneath

Would you beable to sell on? What's the local area plans - train links new schools - local shops are they full and varied or full of charity shops and £1 lands? This will tell you of the area is improving and with investing in!

Have you been in the area at night time? Does it feel safe?

Is there a local pub? Sit outside at closing in Friday night

If you’re looking for an investment than you should be looking at houses that need work in good areas. This is the complete opposite.

It sounds like a house it would be easy to pay too much for. I'm not saying rule it out, but be very careful you're not overpaying.