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Original poster

Dream house, not so dream neighbours

17 replies

Lunaboo · 24/02/2020 10:45

DP and I are FTB and have viewed a house that we absolutely love. It's a dream house and I truly had my heart set on it. We knew that the owners had a previous sale fall through and they have their eyes on a house they'd really like.

So, we put an offer in and the estate told us that the reason the sale fell through was because the next door neighbours' son is currently on probation for possession of indecent images of children. He was put out of the town he lived in, moved back in with his elderly parents, and their house was attacked back in October. He has since moved out and there has been no trouble since.

This has obviously thrown a huge spanner in the works and I'd just like to hear people's opinions on how they'd proceed.

We don't have kids and probably won't be having them at all, but we do have young nephews who visit.

It's a beautiful house and there are already other bids above the asking price.

What would you do in this situation?

OP posts:

PrettyyGood · 24/02/2020 10:54

It wouldn't put me off from a point of view of having children over. Better to know actually. It would put me off from the point of view of potential attacks on the home so for that reason, I'd probably pull out

Depends on when it was and if he's likely to come back and how well known the case is though

Original poster

Lunaboo · 24/02/2020 10:59

Yeah, that's what puts me off the most to be honest.

As far as I know it's unlikely he will be back, according to other neighbours.
I have searched for their address and can't find anything in the news about it so it wasn't very well publicised.

OP posts:

PleaseGiveMeAShake · 24/02/2020 11:06

I personally would pull out for a few reasons.
My main one is I would be worried my house was mistaken for theirs and could be attacked/ vandalised.
My parents went to put an offer on a house and heard the nextdoor neighbours where drug dealers so they had a change of heart.
Months down the line, a rival gang put put a hit on this dealer. Unfortunately they got the wrong house and they shot all killed the owners of the family that put in the offer after my parents.
Thankfully these incidents are rare but it could happen so I think I would struggle to feel at ease in the house.
Yes is peaceful just now bit he could move back at anytime and then the attacks start again.

Zarara · 24/02/2020 11:15

Same as pp the potential attack/vandalism on the house and mistaken identity would put me off. Also if they are elderly he may come back to help look after them or maybe move back if he inherits the house. Saying all that it would also depend if it’s attached or detached. If it was detached I would be more likely to consider as any vandalism would less likely impact on the house.

Original poster

Lunaboo · 24/02/2020 11:15

Yes, this is a big worry.

Should probably be noted that this is in NI and incidents like this are not quite so rare.

OP posts:

steppemum · 24/02/2020 11:17

I think PleaseGiveMeAShake 's example is pretty extreme, and is more to do with drugs and gangs which is not the case here.

I think it sounds as if it is unlikely for the attacks to restart, given that he has left and they have all stopped now.

2 things to consider

will your life be effected
resale of the house

I don't think your life would be effected really, he has moved on. Even if he comes back, it wouldn't effect visitors to YOUR house. It is highly likely (sadly) that many of us live next door to people who have downloaded inappropriate images. We keep are kids safe by looking after them well, so as long as your nephews don't go next door to play! Many people have neighbours who are not necessarily people they would trust. try asking on here if your neighbours have a key ot your house and you will get all the horror stories. Neighbours don't need to become close friends for you to live next door in a civilized way.

resale of the house

What I would consider is how long you plan to be there? If you are looking at 2-5 years and then selling on, then this may still be a live issue and stop sales. If you are looking at 5-10 years, then by then it is an old issue, because this only matters when he is likely to be living next door

I would buy

steppemum · 24/02/2020 11:19

our kids, not are kids....

Missed your last post, what do you mean by attakcs being more common, attack specifically on sex offenders, or attacks in general?

Original poster

Lunaboo · 24/02/2020 11:24

I do find myself going back and forth!

From a safeguarding POV, there are lots of children in the street and of course my nephews wouldn't be going to their house, so I don't think it would ever be an issue in that regard.

I can see it from all angles. It's semi detached and it's the house attached. We would be living there for a very long time, probably over ten years.

I also suppose that if we buy a different house, there'd be nothing stopping someone else with a very questionable criminal background from moving in next door.

OP posts:

Original poster

Lunaboo · 24/02/2020 11:25

@steppemum attacks in general, but it is more to do with drugs and the like. Sex offenders are usually given swift orders to relocate

OP posts:

Patch23042 · 24/02/2020 11:34

My initial reaction was that he’s unlikely to return but then a PP referred to his inheriting the house potentially, which changed my mind a little bit. That said, it’s unusual for inheritors to move in - they tend to sell, especially if they have siblings.

steppemum · 24/02/2020 11:37

Hmm, I think a pp point about him inheriting or coming back to look after elderly relatives is a good one.
But bearing in mind, my parents are 80 and not in need of help, or about to pop their clogs (and my grandparents lived til their 90s) and when they die, there are 3 of us to inherit, so if his parents are 60 ish, they may have 30 odd more years, and he may never inherit, so don't be overly cautious on that front.

LonginesPrime · 24/02/2020 11:43

I would pull out, personally.

The house is still in the family and without meaning to sound heartless, the parents are elderly, so if they pass away or one of them needs care, he could well be back.

I'd also be worried about mistaken identity and the parents still being there.

We used to have a convicted paedophile living next door to our local primary school - there was nothing the school or police could do to get him out as he owned his home. On the plus side, the police made everyone aware and people would know him by sight and stay away (or shout abuse in the street if they saw him). His house still looked out onto the school playing field though.

sunshinesupermum · 24/02/2020 11:45

OP - there is always another house. There are already bids above the asking price? Don't get yourself into a bidding war would be my advice to any first-time buyer.

Seventyone72seventy3 · 24/02/2020 11:48

I think you should go with your instinct. We went to view a house and the owners kept going on about how all the windows were bullet-proof glass which freaked me out a bit. A few weeks later I walked past it and there was a bullet hole in one of the windows!

jay55 · 24/02/2020 12:12

You should feel safe in your home. It sounds like you'd always have a niggle of worry.

earsup · 24/02/2020 23:40

my next door neighbour is a convicted paedo...served prison time many years ago...he lives abroad now but sometimes visits and stays with the wife....no publicity about the case so nobody knows and never had any issues ...not sure what would happen tho if everyone knew....??

Sneezer · 25/02/2020 08:52

That'd be a no from me..

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