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Original poster

Need to make a decision ASAP new build plot! Help

115 replies

MakeADecision · 13/03/2023 16:36

We have been wanting to move house for years.

A new build has come up locally, the house price, size and frontage is perfect. In fact everything is apart from the fact that there will be numerous shared ownership properties directly behind the house.

I know new builds have smaller gardens and most now have a certain number of homes as affordable housing, that’s fair enough. What I am worried about is seeing into peoples bedrooms from the back of the house although the main bedroom will be at the front opposite a nice green area.

Garden will be 36 feet deep and the garden of the smaller properties will be 26 feet, therefore from back window to back window it’ll be around 62 feet. Is that a decent distance?

Ive also heard of house builders selling shared ownership properties to the council, I’m worried about nuisance neighbours but then I could have one next door?! Am I overthinking this?

It’s plot 12.

Need to make a decision ASAP new build plot! Help
OP posts:
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5
VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji · 13/03/2023 16:40

Are they town houses at the back?
Personally, I think your over thinking shared ownership and council etc.
i bought a new build and had far more issue with the builders and their anti social behaviour (like fencing off all the houses so no one could get home on a Friday night, or you were stuck in). The social housing was also finished first so you could get a feel for the place first.

Kinneddar · 13/03/2023 16:47

Ive also heard of house builders selling shared ownership properties to the council, I’m worried about nuisance neighbours

I hate this attitude. I really do

I live in a 4 in a block ex council house. The other 3 are council tenants. Nicer people you couldn't meet. The gardens are immaculate, I never have any problems. They'd do anything for you

My previous flat was in a new build flat in what's considered one of the nicest areas around here.The couple across the road regularly had domestics in the street.
Further down from there Police found a cannabis factory & in one of the other blocks a sex offender got arrested for trying to abduct a child.

There's been several neighbour disputes reported in the media involving people owning houses in excess of £500k whos neighbours have made their life a misery, yet its always council tenants people worry about 🙄

Original poster
MakeADecision · 13/03/2023 16:48

Thank you for replying vegetables, they are not townhouses just normal 2 story ones.

Also shared ownership rather than housing association- they are also Phase 2 so will be built after we were to move in

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Original poster
MakeADecision · 13/03/2023 16:48

To be honest Kinnedar that’s what I need to hear!

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GasPanic · 13/03/2023 17:27

Are the small houses three story ? It is common to make up the area by building 3 floors.

I am like this - smaller 3 floor house backing onto larger two floor properties.

The 3 floor houses dominate the area in terms of views. I can look into all the gardens of the richer properties if I want, but generally don't. They would have to grow awfully high trees to stop this, and would shut off the sun to their own space in the process. A loft extension on my 3 story place would be epic in terms of views. If they are 3 story then anyone in those houses will have a full view of any of the larger houses, gardens and house interior.

I also think if that is a North orientated map you will not get much sun in your garden.

GasPanic · 13/03/2023 17:29

Edit - oh I see two story only. Probably OK then - but you get the noise exposure obviously - in the respect that it will only take one of those houses to have noisy lifestyles and you will get the dubious benefit of that.

Still - it is very expensive to get completely away from other people.

donttellmehesalive · 13/03/2023 17:43

I wouldn't buy a house next to shared ownership properties. It's not snobbery, it's life experience. I grew up in one and all of the social problems in our town were centred on our street. A family member bought a new build with shared ownership properties clustered together, and that is again where all of the anti social behaviour occurs. I realise that not everyone who lives in a shared ownership or council property exhibits anti social behaviour (my family didn't) but a greater percentage do in my experience.

TheClash2023 · 13/03/2023 17:55

I worked in social housing. The shared ownership properties were great. I'd have no concerns about living near them at all. What is the green at the front of the plot all about? I'd be checking that out score going ahead

GasPanic · 13/03/2023 17:58

donttellmehesalive · 13/03/2023 17:43

I wouldn't buy a house next to shared ownership properties. It's not snobbery, it's life experience. I grew up in one and all of the social problems in our town were centred on our street. A family member bought a new build with shared ownership properties clustered together, and that is again where all of the anti social behaviour occurs. I realise that not everyone who lives in a shared ownership or council property exhibits anti social behaviour (my family didn't) but a greater percentage do in my experience.

It's actually quite hard in new build because the modern plan is to mix housing up so that you get the cheaper and more expensive houses next to each other rather than large areas of cheap and large areas of expensive housing. I think it does actually work.

The "family with an alternative lifestyle" is in one of the more expensive houses that back onto mine. They aren't too bad, but they do barbecue in the summer and let their kids scream - literally scream full on until 2 oclock in the morning - why anyone would think this is acceptable and how the kids manage to do it without destroying their vocal cords is a complete mystery to me. The adults generally run out of steam at about 4, ending in some sort of fight. It only happens about once or twice a year max though and I have good double glazing which shuts out all of the noise if I bother to close the windows.

Original poster
MakeADecision · 13/03/2023 18:02

I was of this train of thought too however all the new builds round here have shared ownership properties in the vicinity, house builders are having to allocate a certain percentage to them.

Mostly they put all the shared ownership properties together on one side however it’s inevitable some homes are going to be next to them - in essence there are £500K+ houses next to shared ownership.

I guess the trade off with this plot is that there is nothing directly in front.

Gas panic - not bothered about the north facing garden, definitely not a sun worshipper

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Original poster
MakeADecision · 13/03/2023 18:02

It is just a small green area, nothing going on it

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Rollercoaster1920 · 13/03/2023 18:05

Some things to think about (assuming the map is north aligned):

  • The alleyway to shared gardens. Might get overgrown, vermin, or have antisocial behaviour in. Is there a locked gate?
  • Although 2 story now, those houses will probably start getting loft extensions in the coming years. That will affect the privacy of your garden, especially if they are fitted with glass walls and Juliet balconies.
  • for privacy you will want screening trees at the back of the garden. They will block the sun to the rear neighbours' gardens so won't be popular. Could the builders put them in from new? Be prepared for neighbours to complain when they have grown enough to get privacy.
  • The plot has a north east garden so you'll not get evening sun near the house for a BBQ - just at the back right corner.
  • How would you feel about lots of kids playing on the green opposite? It seems the only open space. Skateboarding outside your house?

I'm being pessimistic - but worth considering!

pawz · 13/03/2023 18:05

I personally wouldn't (partly from experience) but also because instead of having what would be two houses at the back overlooking you, there's 8!

That would definitely put me off a lot. 8 overlooking houses, 8 families / couples producing noise etc behind you rather than just 2 - 8 different groups with pets / children etc would be a no from me.

RhymingGuitars · 13/03/2023 18:06

I wouldn't buy it. Not because of the affordable/social housing (even though 3 gardens back in to yours.....you'll never have any peace and your garden will always be full of balls).

It's the green at the front I'd be concerned about. There is a good chance that it will be one the local football/cricket pitch/dog exercise area. Fine if you don't mind that, but not everyone is happy with constant noise.

There will also be a service charge to maintain the green/shared space. That can put some people off when you want to sell.

evemillbank · 13/03/2023 18:16

I also would not want to buy that plot solely because of the big grassy area in front. Nothing to do with shared ownership.

evemillbank · 13/03/2023 18:18

I'd be thinking that's where any antisocial behaviour might be focused.

Original poster
MakeADecision · 13/03/2023 18:23

pawz · 13/03/2023 18:05

I personally wouldn't (partly from experience) but also because instead of having what would be two houses at the back overlooking you, there's 8!

That would definitely put me off a lot. 8 overlooking houses, 8 families / couples producing noise etc behind you rather than just 2 - 8 different groups with pets / children etc would be a no from me.

And that doesn’t include the 2 properties either side…!

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Original poster
MakeADecision · 13/03/2023 18:24

I like the idea of a green area at the front… to put into context we are currently in an Edwardian property on a busy and fast main road and I long to get away from it.

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GasPanic · 13/03/2023 18:42

The problem is if everyone else decides "the green" is a universal dog toilet.

Even if they pick up the crap after themselves it's still not great for kids to play on.

I have a useless piece of land I have ownership over. It's not used as a dog toilet but it gets its fair share of cat shit. Fortunately it is gravel covered and planted with fairly dense trees so it doesn't really matter that much.

Also is there a non accessible boundary to the left ? if there isn't it's OK, but if there is it could become a cut through.

Sorryyoufeelthatway · 13/03/2023 18:52

What is the service charge? I’d be more concerned who is responsible for the upkeep of the green and paths and how much that will cost.

QuillBill · 13/03/2023 18:53

How many cars can you get on the drive? Parking is always a problem on new build estates but more so where there is no actual road to park on. Every time someone comes to visit you have to talk about where they should park.

RM2013 · 13/03/2023 19:17

We considered this a lot before we moved house as we moved into a 4 bed 3 storey townhouse and behind us are some social housing properties. We really wanted a more modern house and came to the conclusion that any new build or recently constructed estates would have a percentage of social housing.
Yes some of the houses look a little scruffy but mostly well kept and we’ve had no issues so far. This will be our first summer here so maybe noise levels will be different then. We aren’t massively overlooked as we have a large garden wall at the back of our house.
to give a comparison we previously lived on an estate built in the 1970’s where we had huge gardens and driveways - most of these houses were privately owned apart from the odd one rented.

I couldn’t sit on our patio in the summer without the awful stench of dog poo (and weed!!) coming from next door as they never picked up the dog poo and in summer it really wasn’t pleasant 🤣
we traded the big garden and parking for a much bigger house that better suited our needs - eg bigger bedrooms and a location which suits us much better.
So personally I wouldn’t rule out a house located by social housing if it ticked all the other boxes

Original poster
MakeADecision · 13/03/2023 19:22

Appreciate all of the replies lots to think about

House will have two allocated spaces as it comes with a double garage.

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Original poster
MakeADecision · 13/03/2023 19:26

You’ve just reiterated what my sister has said RM2013 - the affordable housing at the rear is the only thing niggling at me

Anybody know if silver birch will grow nicely in a NE garden?

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highstep · 13/03/2023 19:31

I think it looks fine, less overlooked than many who will have homes to the side as well, what about parking, how many parking spaces do you all have?

Are you sure what the houses behind are? If their shared ownership it just means they will be sold to people with smaller incomes, it doesn't mean the council are renting them out, or do you mean affordable housing? (Even then I'm not sure exactly if that means SO or council/LA)