Great house right near horrible estate

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I wouldn’t normally ask strangers, but this is going to be a house bought with divorce money, can only afford to move once, so unless I downsize at some point, this is it! There’s a lot riding on me making the right decision.

Great house, good price, but it’s 200 m or so from a notoriously lousy housing estate. It’s Council (which isn’t the problem) but it’s one of the really old, unloved Council estates where there is just no money spent on it, the whole thing is really dingy and horrible tbh.
The Estate Agent has said the houses affordability is because it’s by the Estate, which I do agree with.

Im in two minds, I really like it, and it isn’t like I can see it out of my window, but it is literally at the end of the road and if that troubles me then I guess it will trouble anyone else if I ever try to sell it. They have already apparently rejected two offers around what I would have offered, so I would have to offer more than I had planned to, but it’s so nice!! It ticks nearly all my boxes.

So I’m a bit torn.

You need to check it out during the day and at night. If there is a lot of anti social behaviour or you don’t feel safe, the. Drop it. We did buy a house like this one many years ago. It was one of those notorious estates. But we had heard that the estate was going to be regenerated and rebuilt, which it was - in stages - over a period of nearly 8 years. It became mixed owner occupied, council and housing association and became much better and very popular. Any rumours of similar plans?

What are the chances of the estate being knocked down and rebuilt in the future? Could the estate be added to and houses built closer to the one you are looking at?

NO, it’s cheap for a reason !

Location, location, location. Personally I wouldn't buy it

Are you going to feel safe living there on your own? Do the current owners have a burglar alarm and cctv? What are the crime statistics for the street?
Sit outside in the car on a Saturday night and see what the street is like.

I'd be a no too. I rented a nice flat in a pretty nice area but a few minutes walk from a rough estate. Needless to say, after my car got broken into twice I decided I needed to move.

No, this is a mistake you can't afford to make.

The reason you can afford a nicer house is because of its bad location. Don't be fooled into just looking at the house. Location is everything.

No way, buy a smaller house on a better area

Definitely don't buy. You might end up with lots of crime or if not crime then people hanging around late at night if it's a dodgy area

I don't think you will ever feel safe there and if you're on your own that's would be important. I'd also wait a few months as prices will come down now- if you can.

Ask the neighbours. My first house was very cheap but large and a nice garden, ex council - but at the right end of the street not the worst bit or the cul de sac off it with the reputation. I had the best ever neighbours.

No.
when I separated I moved and one of the things that is so nice about my new house is that I feel very safe alone with kids. About half the size of FMH but that probably makes it feel safer too!

Nope. Don't buy it. Speaking from experience, you will wish you hadn't!

I wouldn’t and think you would regret buying it. I genuinely think crime and asb will increase as living conditions get worse. I’d rather a smaller home in a better area.

We bought a fabulous house adjacent to a council estate.

Sold it 4 years later for the asking price and had people knocking on the door to leave their names in case the sale fell through.

It was a tremendous house though.

This is exactly what I did after people rolled there eyes at me when I moved down.
literally different times of the day (and night) for a week or so.
Ended up moving there no problems.

Thanks for the replies.

it’s in our current area, but as Estates go round here, it’s enormous. It’s not got loads of trouble as such, but there’s a few boarded up houses, quite a lot of houses that are totally overgrown and neglected, there’s a huge pub that was a magnet for trouble, which is now shut and got massive security fences round it which is potentially being developed into houses.
The Estate itself is a bit weird, there’s a whole section painted in pastel colours, a few private (which then don’t sell, there’s been one sat on for 8 months now), some that are quite normal and some that are just not maintained at all. This house is at the “worser” end. There’s also a lot of flats.
Prior to divorce I would have avoided that bit, but finances now mean I can be so fussy.

I probably wouldn’t go walking through it.

The house is also adjoined by 5 Council garages, so they are literally attached to the side.

Its so upsetting because we love it 😞

It would be a nope from me.

I would avoid given you're already aware there are some issues. The extra space is not worth the risk imo.

Don’t do it.

It’s a no from me

We went for the nicer house in the rougher area and regret it

No, you always buy the worst house in the best street. You can do up the house over time, you'll never improve the area.

Don’t do it.

There was a thread really recently from someone regretting buying their house because of council estate issues.
DM had issues where she lived & it made life miserable. It’s not worth buying a great house in a bad area, better a less than perfect house in a better area.

I wouldn’t.