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Original poster

200 houses... WWYD?

53 replies

cloudchaos · 22/03/2018 08:49

So, we have been trying to move now for about 2-3 years. Struggling to find the right house and then when we did the chain fell apart. We are a growing family and have really outgrown the current house so that one child doesn't have a room or even space for a chest of drawers. We are tripping over everything and each other and it's making us miserable.

We managed to get into the position of being able to buy without selling our current house as we thought this would make things quicker and simpler.

We found a house we love. It's beautiful but came with compromises. Surveyor says we are paying top price for the property. It's also in a location that's not great. Not awful but not where we were looking and means changing children's schools, a longer commute, plus the road is just not that pretty. Loads of mis matched houses from different eras and the one we are buying stands out as being very different to the rest. There's no wow driving down the road but the house is very pretty and unique - developed by an architect so we wouldn't find anything similar.

We were also keen as there is no chain so we thought it would be quick to move in and we had mentally planned my sons birthday party there in the summer etc. And unfortunately allowed everyone to get very excited.

Now we've found out that on the fields directly behind the house they plan to build 200-350 houses. And we don't know what to do. We feel desperate to move so I feel like ignoring it and worrying about it later. The searches suggested it could be 11 years before this happens but we are pretty sure it will happen as it has council backing and is council owned now. It would mean living with a building site behind us, with no idea what we will back onto and may impact saleability in the future and we are paying top whack at the moment.

We aren't sure what to do. Would you proceed or are we just acting as desperately as we feel?

I just can't work out why we can never buy a house even when we feel we have put ourselves in a really good position. I feel a bit jinxed tbh. Maybe all houses have compromises like this?

OP posts:
BubblesBuddy · 22/03/2018 19:19

I’m confused about the planning permission for the new houses. Firstly, is this field zoned for development in the neighbourhood plan or the Local Plan agreed by the District Council? If it is, but does not have planning permission, then development could be a while away. 11 years away is extreme though! Councils do not develop land. They are not allowed to, so has it been sold to a developer? What else is planned to mitigate the development? A new road, school places, doctors etc? What do any plans say will be provided for the area? If it has pp, they should start building within 3 years.

You are clearly limiting your search if you are chain averse. I would rent and be ready to offer from a position of strength, having sold. I wouldn’t buy a house I didn’t love and you could probably do better.

PickAChew · 22/03/2018 19:22

I wouldn't want to overpay for a house in an area I'm already not overwhelmingly keen on knowing about such a big development in its back yard.

Agree that you need to get over your wariness of being in a chain because it's limiting your options to a ridiculous extent and even vacant possession isn't a guarantee that there won't be issues delaying exchange.

NeverTwerkNaked · 22/03/2018 19:51

bubbles councils most certainly can develop land! (Well, either that or I have been imagining the last 10 years of my career Wink )

TheNoseyProject · 22/03/2018 19:55

It seems the only think you actually like about this house is the physical building and the lack of chain. I think the other factors are much more important esp the area being ‘not that nice’ and having to move the kids’ schools and lengthen the commute. Those are all things you’ll feel every day if you move there.

Picklesandcheese1 · 22/03/2018 19:58

We looked at a house in Goring that ticked all the boxes but it abutted land owned by the council slated for a huge development of houses. This house was downhill from the development and the risk of subsidence and flooding was too much for me. And it will knock down the price of the house especially if the new builds are of similar size. It's a big investment. It would be a firm no from me.

AnnieAnoniMouse · 22/03/2018 20:04

Not a cat in hells I’d buy it

You’re understandably fed up of looking, it’s been a long winter indoors, blah blah

...but after waiting so long, you’ll massively regret buying this, because you’re buying it to escape not because it’s right.

buckeejit · 22/03/2018 20:07

Sorry I wouldnt

KittyKK · 22/03/2018 20:09

I would walk away. It sounds like you’re eager to move and like the house, but not the location!! It isn’t worth the risk of potentially hating the area once you move in and then being stuck with a house you can’t sell, as it is backing onto a major development site

IMBU · 22/03/2018 20:09

I would pull out too. And I would bet this is the reason why the vendors are selling.

SubtitlesOn · 22/03/2018 20:29

How long is your garden?

If it is quite long then could you grow trees along the bottom to block out the houses from view?

SubtitlesOn · 22/03/2018 20:37

Do you have anyone who you can use their garage or loft or spare unused rooms to store your excess in?

Obviously you could rent a storage unit but they become expensive after initial offer runs out

The other option is selling the stuff but that isn't an option would other ideas help you to enjoy your house again and give you space to breathe

Even if it was just winter clothes and half toys so then toys could be swapped over each month (great way to reignite interest in your cos it is like they are new again iyswim)

If you got some of your "stuff" out of your house would it feel better?

That way not so much pressure to leave it

BettyBooJustDoinTheDoo · 22/03/2018 20:51

Well if having houses behind you bothers you will have to find a house with your own land around it, a few acres probably. Any house with fields behind it runs the risk of being built on. It sounds so dramatic when you say there will be 350 houses being built behind you, in reality those 350 houses won’t be looking at you hanging out your washing, there will only be a a few in you eyeline/vicinity. Most houses in the uk will have houses attached to them, behind them, in front of them, it’s totally normal! Granted the building work might be a pain but you will only be affected by the ones being built close to your house.

Original poster
cloudchaos · 22/03/2018 21:48

Well obviously Betty. But it's the building works we are worried about and the fact we don't even know what they will be planning to put behind us.

OP posts:
Original poster
cloudchaos · 22/03/2018 21:58

Bubbles, the town is a designated growth town and the location is one of a few they are considering building on to meet their target of building 3,000 houses in the town. It’s considered a quick win from the documents I’ve been reading and yes it’s in the neighbourhood plan. It was highlighted on our search as pretty much definitely going ahead and it having a negative impact. I found a document stating it would happen in the next 6 or so years and another saying 11 so I think this is still up in the air. But that’s more of a worry really as if we had a planning application to look at we would know exactly what would be at the back of the house and when it would be happening but instead it all feels like a risky unknown. We planned to stay for 5-10 years so it might make it impossible to sell which is another worry.

They don’t have too many requirements for the development to be able to go ahead apart from a worry about the roads they seem to think it’s a good quick strategic place to build. I’m certain it will happen, just don’t know when.

OP posts:
Original poster
cloudchaos · 22/03/2018 22:28

I know you're all right, it's too risky. I guess we are back to the drawing board Sad

OP posts:
llangennith · 22/03/2018 22:53

I haven’t RTFT but if it’s in the Vale of Glamorgan don’t buy it! Every bit of greenfield site round here is having huge housing estates built on them but no new roads. Gridlock beckons.

BettyBooJustDoinTheDoo · 22/03/2018 23:23

You do know what they are building, houses obviously, unless they have sneaked in a nuclear power plant and your searches have not picked it up......

BubblesBuddy · 23/03/2018 10:27

There has been an almighty fuss recently because councils are not allowed to build council houses. Housing associations build social homes for rent. Councils cannot. They can hold land and commission others to build. There are no new “Council” houses built by councils or Council labour.

However, if the housing development is in the plan, it will happen. It will depend on how quickly and easily this site can be developed. If it’s very easy, it might be quite quickly. Planning permission for the exact layout and type of property can take forever and even longer. Everyone argues to the nth degree about teaching, drainage and layout.

We know people need homes, but we just don’t want them near us!

BubblesBuddy · 23/03/2018 10:28

Teaching?? argues about traffic ....

Original poster
cloudchaos · 23/03/2018 11:04

Thanks Bubbles

I know people need houses and I don't mind them being near me. I just don't want to pay extra for a view that will be disappearing and be unable to use my garden for years due to noise and dust. One of the biggest selling points was the big garden for my children to play in as they don't have that now and are really excited. I would just rather the houses were already there.

OP posts:
Original poster
cloudchaos · 23/03/2018 11:11

And Betty no, I don't know what will be built behind this house as other things come with building houses Hmm For example I might end up with a busy road running along the back of the house which would then become a risk for my cats.

As there's no planning application yet they presumably could still decide to build a block of flats which could make me uncomfortable to use the garden.

They might build 5 bed executive homes behind me, I might back onto a garden, I might back onto social housing, it might end up being a car park or block of garages or perhaps a playground... perhaps they need to install a pylon to power the houses or something similar.

So no it's not just houses and I'd rather know what I was signing up for. It's the fear of not knowing that is worse than if they had a planning application in and I could see exactly what the impact was likely to be.

OP posts:
Ebeneser · 23/03/2018 11:20

I'd pull out. I've lived in my house for years, and about 5 years ago the old bowling green opposite was sold for housing. It was a PITA. At one point they would work into the early hours of the morning. Having to listen to them build concrete foundations at 1:30am was not fun. I'm pretty sure they probably weren't allowed to do this either, but they were not a big developer so probably got away with a lot more than they should have. Now my view has been blocked by "affordable housing" - ugly breeze block houses and in the summer the chavs go out in the gardens until all hours playing loud music and drinking. There isn't enough car parking spaces either.

beyondthesky · 23/03/2018 11:24

llangennith Very true - we are sandwiched between that and the new houses being built all along Llantrisant Road Sad

3luckystars · 23/03/2018 11:28

There is more wrong than right. Pull out.

Don't jump into something because you are desperate. Keep looking, start again and find something you are excited about. Good luck.

BettyBooJustDoinTheDoo · 23/03/2018 11:46

I think you are wise to pull out then if you are worried, I did say they might have sneaked something through you might not be aware of, though mure likely a pylon than a a nuclear power plant!, I was just trying to say it probably won’t be as bad as you think, good luck with finding the right house.

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