Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Would you buy a house directly opposite a 5G mast?

78 replies

starshideyourfires · 03/11/2019 19:35

Hello
We have found a house we absolutely love - by far the best we've seen and we've been looking for a while. And it is within our budget. I'm wondering if there is a reason it's in budget as we haven't seen anything else that compares for the same price.

Anyway, directly opposite is 5G mast. We think it's been there for a while but in May this year was upgraded to 5G. There are no other houses behind it, or on the other side facing it. Our potential house is directly opposite about 15 meters away. There are no other houses which fall directly into it's beam!

I've read many of the for and against arguments. We are wary. Obviously for health reasons, but also, with the outrage that surrounds some of these masts, we are thinking about resale value. Even if they are proved safe in the future, there may always be people unwilling to live near one.

I suppose it wouldn't bother us so much if we were a 100m away or so, it's just the proximity that is concerning us. My husband has done some research about how they work.

I suppose my question is simply - would you? Just so I can hear some stories, or just gauge peoples' opinions.

Thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
starshideyourfires · 06/11/2019 11:40

@johnd2 thanks - I’ll investigate that if I can.

OP posts:
GladAllOver · 06/11/2019 13:15

The compromise with 5g is higher speeds, but they drop off considerably faster with distance (shorter wavelength) compared to 3g and 4g. In fact some people are estimating that to get the best speeds, you need to be within 500m of a transmitter.
That's wrong. The 5g being installed now uses the same frequency bands as 3g and 4g.
There are plans to use much higher frequencies at some future date, but nothing is agreed yet.

Dinosauraddict · 07/11/2019 12:24

I wouldn't be concerned about health risks with being so close (but I'm fairly chilled about these things - would happily buy in a radon area, something's going to kill me or give me cancer, might as well be in an area I like). However, I wouldn't buy the house you're considering because of the resale value/risk. It would vary, however, depending on whether this is your 'forever home' and you expect to be there 40 years, or whether you'd be expecting to move in 5-10...?

HmmmSuspicious1 · 07/11/2019 13:10

@HmmmSuspicious1 you don't think the government are capable of doing something that might be harmful to people - id open your eyes if I were you!

Oh I believe they don't give a toss generally, especially where money is involved but I do think they'd draw the line if birds were literally falling out of the sky (long term cancer rates increasing not so much).

user1471505356 · 07/11/2019 16:39

There is more micro radiation from your mobile phone.

GladAllOver · 08/11/2019 10:00

There is more micro radiation from your mobile phone.
Correct. And the closer you are to the mast, the less radiation it has to use to connect with it.

user1487194234 · 09/11/2019 12:00

I wouldn't Err on side of caution

FlamingoAndJohn · 09/11/2019 12:04

I assume all the people frightened of 5g also don’t have microwaves, radios and televisions.

GladAllOver · 09/11/2019 16:27

Or go on plane flights where they are subject to cosmic radiation.

strawberry2017 · 09/11/2019 16:38

I wouldn't, masts are ugly and it will really limit your resale options.
I wouldn't want to look outside every day and see one.

user1471505356 · 10/11/2019 08:05

There just been an item on the BBC Click reassuring.

TrickOrTreaty · 10/11/2019 08:17

What does science tell us about 5G? I don't like fear mongering. How do you find out if there is a 5G mast near your house?

Do people really switch off their WIFI at night out of fear of radiation? Confused

FlamingoAndJohn · 10/11/2019 08:46

Science tells us not to be silly and it’s all fine.
Other people tell us we need to put our tin foil hats on.
There was a poster on another thread who said she would turn off the WiFi at night because it kept her awake.
Don’t forget to make sure all empty plug sockets are turned off because otherwise the electricity will leak out overnight.

peteneras · 10/11/2019 09:26

If it's opinion you want, here's mine:

Not in a million years would I live near one or such like. My, and my family's health is absolutely paramount - others and science can say what they like. . .

PollyShelby · 10/11/2019 09:31

Absolutely definitely not.

I have small children and wouldn't risk it.

CottonSock · 10/11/2019 09:32

I would, but only for the right price.

scrumptiousbears · 10/11/2019 09:43

Didn't bother me. I had one T the end of my garden for years. They decommissioned it a few years ago but left the mast. Not sure if anything is coming back. The worst thing about it is it's a bit ugly.

W0rriedMum · 10/11/2019 09:58

I wouldn't because it's ugly and may affect the resale value.
The more embarrassing reason is anecdotal - as a child I spent my very early years on an estate with a huge electricity mast. The evidence is that these are safe, yet several children born around that time went on to have awful cancers as young adults - much more than the stats in the general population would suggest. I know in my head it's unconnected but I have a 0.01% doubt so wouldn't risk it.

johnd2 · 10/11/2019 10:02

That CBS article, the tldr is basically loads of parents panicking and randomly blaming a nearby cell tower with no evidence, and the phone company moving it because it's cheaper than the bad pr.

GladAllOver · 10/11/2019 11:11

Not in a million years would I live near one or such like. My, and my family's health is absolutely paramount - others and science can say what they like

I take it you won't have typed that on a phone or tablet using a 3g/4g/WiFi signal either.

GladAllOver · 10/11/2019 11:16

The more embarrassing reason is anecdotal - as a child I spent my very early years on an estate with a huge electricity mast. The evidence is that these are safe, yet several children born around that time went on to have awful cancers as young adults - much more than the stats in the general population would suggest. I know in my head it's unconnected but I have a 0.01% doubt so wouldn't risk it.
You do understand that the tower is just a passive heap of steel?

It's the cables that carry the electricity, and if they were causing cancer they would be equally affecting everyone living under the entire length of the national grid.

ruralcat · 10/11/2019 12:08

No I wouldn't buy it. I'd be worried about re sale more than health implications. If it was a forever home then that's slightly different but if you know you'll definitely like to sell one day then I wouldn't.

W0rriedMum · 10/11/2019 12:13

Yes I know that @GladAllOver

This mast was more like a giant pylon with dozens of electricity lines going into it. The noise was significant. So in effect we all lived under or near all those cables that met there.

There was no local campaign to get rid of it. One day it was just relocated out to a remote location in the countryside.

peteneras · 10/11/2019 15:14

"I take it you won't have typed that on a phone or tablet using a 3g/4g/WiFi signal either."

As a matter of fact, I like doing all my typing on my desktop which is hard-wired with a long cable from a BT landline/router - done by myself the first thing I moved in here; just like before in my last dwelling. Admittedly, there are modern day gadgets that I use e.g. mobile phone PAYG £10 last me about a year, and tablets when I'm in bed. Yes, it's bad enough with these little gadgets and I don't need a great big tall mast or a gigantic pylon facing me 25 hours a day, every day; 8 days a week, every week; year after year.

I'd like to think my house is where I and my family relax and wind down in our own time and not to worry about invisible waves that may be slowly cooking me from inside. . .