Would you buy a house near a prison?

[tintodeverano2]

I have seen a beautiful property that fits all our wants and is £50k below our budget. It doesn't need any work doing to it and you could move straight in. The only issue is the proximity to a prison. It's literally 300 yards away. That's why it's so cheap isn't it?

Definitely would put me off

It wouldn't bother me in the slightest

I did.
Our 1st house was in an estate of prison officers houses next to the prison (which had been brought under right to buy and were then being sold off).
And yes, that's why it was cheaper (to buy and when we sold).
No issues with the prison when we lived there.

I wouldn't mind at all.

Probably. If the area is otherwise fine I wouldn’t worry about it. MIL lived 250m from a prison for 20 years - she used say one of the pluses was that she never had power cuts as the prison was on the same electricity line and had emergency failsafes built in!

I would buy it

I'm about half a mile from our local jail (as the crow flies), have had no bother in about 20 years.

It wouldn't bother me at all.

Probably safest place as any escapees will run away, not to a prison.

I used to live next to Wandsworth, the only issue was the banging on the windows/bars at lights out. I wasn’t really worried about escapees.

On the bright side, in the event of a prisoner escaping, they will be looking to get as far away from the prison as possible.

I think it will be fine.

You will get uninterrupted utility supply and a very low crime rate. I'd go for it.

Absolutely. I have worked in most prisons in the country and live close to a prison and it's never even occurred to me that it might be an issue for people! Go for it and enjoy your new home!!

Depends if you can see the actual prison building from the house or garden? I wouldn't want a view of it personally.

Which prison? What part of the prisoners is nearest? ie the main gate, the visitors entrance, the accommodation blocks, the exercise yards, workshops etc.

Prisons are pretty secure - we've had two escapes the last year across England and Wales. data.justice.gov.uk/prisons/public-protection/escapes
And they don't tend to hang around the area if they escape!

There are other issues though of noise from blocks - loud music etc, but it's a very secure location, lots of perimeter patrols by the prison officers and prison dogs.

My mother lives on a old prison estate and doesn't have any problems except that the prison is very ugly and the bright lights are on all night. She brought it because it was big and cheap.

Personally I wouldn't buy a house near a prison but it depends on what you can afford

No way, I used to work in a prison. There are always shady types hanging round waiting to throw things over the wall and these days drones.

How often do you hear about somebody escaping from prison? How often are they found in the garden of the house 300 yards away, rather than as fat way as they can possibly get?

Unless this is San Pedro prison in Bolivia then I really wouldn’t discount it.

Honestly no

@Shehasadiamondinthesky they are hardly there 24/7 or the officers and cameras are doing a piss poor job 🤣 I work in prisons and its really nothing like that. Yes, there are of course throwovers and so on, but it's hardly a daily occurrence even in the most central establishments. And drones are sent in from a distance, not outside of the perimeter fence.
Where the heck did you work?

What category is it? I’d feel safer closer to a closed prison than open.

@Clymene

You will get uninterrupted utility supply and a very low crime rate. I'd go for it.

I've got vague memories of someone once telling me that the crime rate round Strangeways went up on visiting days

@DobbyTheHouseElk

Probably safest place as any escapees will run away, not to a prison.

I knew someone who lived very close to a prison and they pretty much said the same. That it was probably the safest place to live as there were so many staff, police would descend in minutes if there was an escape and that escapees would leg it as far as they could not hang around in the local area.

Is it an open prison though op?

Randomly the prison near where I live impacts my insurance premiums, crimes stat reported to the Police and not dealt within the prison in-house can raise or lower my house and car insurance. Insurers just tend to look at the postcode. I live in a village which has virtually no crime, it’s always the prison.

Wouldn't bother me at all. Probably a positive long term as at least it's unlikely to be turned into more houses, putting pressure on local schools, doctors etc.