Need to make a decision ASAP new build plot! Help

[MakeADecision]

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.

Sorry I should have read the other replies first!

We were the same as you with the dilemma as we were moving from an established estate with pretty much all owned houses as was built way before the new guidelines which insists on a certain percentage of social housing and I am no way being snobby about things.
We knew there were compromises we would have to make in order to get the number of bedrooms and size of rooms that we needed as we didn’t have an unlimited budget.
our garden is north west facing and so far doesn’t get much sun but this wasn’t a deal breaker for us. It’s just a case of weighing up pros and cons

Thanks highstep, they are not housing association but affordable/shared ownership. I’ve been told by the site manager that those eligible must be in paid work, I’m just thinking.. in 10 years or so what will become of those houses but then like a poster said earlier probably overthinking it!

We would probably live in this home until retirement, there is an outstanding high school 5 min walk away which is again another factor for wanting to move,

We live on pretty much an identical plot and have done for the last 7 years.
The social houses are not really a problem where we are. They do anecdotally have more police call outs and ambulances though, not sure why this would be. They are however very small and are often occupied by multiple family members, this is only a problem when it comes to parking as one house can have up to 4 cars. As their access to their gardens can be tricky some in our development leave their bins out all week which does look a bit unsightly. As this is all at the back of my house it doesn't massively bother me.
My concern for your plot is, if the family to the right of you (looking at your plan) park on the block paved areas. It will make the access to yours tight. This happens on ours and wasn't nipped in the bud early on and has become a real bug bear. This is relevant too when it comes to the upkeep of the block paved areas.
Our green out the front is great for our children but yes we do get football games, and kids tearing around on their bikes etc.
All of these things being said I'd still buy the plot again as ours has shot up in value and is a great community in a beautiful area.

Oh and I found lots of links like this helpful when reading up about north facing gardens

gives lots of advice about what will grow well etc

help.gardeningexpress.co.uk/knowledge-base/how-to-make-the-most-of-a-north-facing-garden/

@MakeADecision they're no different from any other house on the market, they're still being bought by people who can afford a mortgage and pass credit checks; the inhabitants will either sell them on to others who go through the same process, or they staircase to own the property and it becomes just like yours. I really wouldn't assume there would be any more antisocial behaviour in those than the ones more directly on your street.

Our street is 25% affordable houses. 10 out of 40. All our neighbours are lovely!

We privately rent a new build opposite 3 new build shared ownership coachhouses. All 3 of our neighbours are lovely. All work and best neighbours we've had and we've moved several times. We've all lived here nearly 2 years.

At least 4 houses will be able to see into your back garden and house.

The houses below/south look better from a privacy point of view.

The location from the front looks really nice.

We live on estate mixed with large expensive houses, shared ownership and affordable rent. It’s no issue at all. I like the fact there’s a huge range of people and jobs (plenty of trades people in the big houses too) - always someone who can help with something.

But we do have lots of gardens close together. It does feel very close and noisy sometimes, and I regretted that a bit the first summer, but didn’t think about it the second summer.

It is a generalization of course but often when I walk through a new build estate I can usually tell which houses are not privately owned. They seem to have lots of kids stuff, damaged plants, litter outside of them as well as looking shabby and unkempt. I don't know how this happens and I'm sure it's a case of one or two bad eggs and the rest are looking after their property but that is just my observation. That's not to say that nice people don't have an odd bike outside their front door of course.

In fact the other week I was walking through an estate of Redrow houses built about 2011 and I had decided that this must have been before the housebuilder had to allocate a certain percentage to affordable homes. I decided this because I had never seen an unkempt or messy house on the estate. Then one day I wondered down a side bit that I had never been down before and bam a row of terraced shabby houses. You could see they were the same style as the other redrow houses but these ones were untidy, needing maintenance and just had an air of neglect. The housebuilder had obviously managed to tuck them away where they couldn't be seen so readily as I had missed them up to this point.

My advice would be to not buy near the affordable homes. Sorry! It might be absolutely fine but it might not and I think everyone buying in the future will be put off. Private owners can of course be horrible, noisy, messy, neighbours too but I think your chance of problems is higher near the affordable homes.

I live in a new build (no affordable homes as too early for that rule) and when I bought mine I was annoyed that mine had no outlook really and was quite overlooked at front and back with houses. I was quite jealous of the houses which overlooked the big circular green part of the estate. Then I realised my part was quiet and the big circular green had kids screaming, playing, kicking balls in gardens and I was glad not to be at that end with the outlook over the green. There is also bins up there which pong in summer with the dog poo. Of course these houses do absolutely have a nice open outlook whereas I have blinds of my windows because I feel overlooked. So I suppose you pick your poison.

It's a difficult one. I wish you luck whatever you choose

I’m in a 1 of 4 shared ownership houses on a new build, and the only trouble so far has come from people who own outright. Those houses worth £500k+ ours £375k+
Ours and our neighbours houses are better kept than those who own outright.

we have a mortgage we also pay part rent for the 25% we don’t own. We owned a flat outright this was the only way to get a house with a garden. We both work full time and I’d like to think are decent neighbours. Even if we were in a housing association house what makes it right for people to judge.

The snobbery of this whole thread is ridiculous.

So sounds like I am getting confused. Affordable homes - is it people who own part and rent part (because they sound fine as neighbours just perhaps not able to afford to buy the whole thing in one go but obviously working their way up). Or is it housing association - rented out to potentially problem families (in which case avoid). Or maybe it's both. Affordable homes - some good neighbours who part own and some sold to housing associations who might rent to more problematic neighbours. I think you need to find out which one applies and if housing association then I would avoid just because risk of problems is higher.

I wouldn't worry about being close to the shared ownership houses - we lived close in our previous new build estate and had no issues at all. They were nurses, teachers etc.

I would be wary of how overlooked you'll feel though at the back, this is why we ended up moving (to an older house) as I never quite felt like we had our own private place. It's a shame as it looks lovely at the front.

There is a big green in front of my house. Yes it's used for dog walking (including mine) but everyone picks up. We're fairly rural though - one village pub and no night buses. So I think that generally attracts people who enjoy a quieter life style

You don't own a view. What if, 12 months down the line, that turn that green in front of the house into 2 plots? That would be very claustrophobic.

Just having a quick browse of local newish Rightmove properties - all of these are in the region of £480K - £530K and all with multiple houses overlooking gardens. 😐

I wouldn't be as concerned by being overlooked. But then I've lived in terraced houses for a long time and you just don't get the privacy. It doesn't bother everyone. My current detached house is overlooked by a couple of houses. Really doesn't bother me. I would be worried about parking and the service charge. My last house had a service charge and it was not good value. I know my old neighbours are currently disputing some of the work.

Parking in new build estates is often in very short supply. The lovely leafy green picture you have on the plans in reality is likely to be covered in cars.

Who’s responsible for the upkeep of that shared drive?

You really must not rush into this. Especially if you have kids. You're not overthinking at all, it's a big decision that will either change your life for better or worse. There are several red flags here. You need some trustworthy advice and this forum isn't it. I'd recommend contacting Citizens Advice Bureau for help with who to contact re housing advice.

We got on the property ladder through shared ownership years ago, as many professionals do. I don’t think this needs to be a problem but I wouldn’t want so many gardens / houses overlooking my property regardless of who owns them. I’d also be wary of the access road getting blocked by visitors.

Unless you live secluded or have a very big budget it's going to be difficult to find a house with no one overlooking at all. Perhaps it's area dependent but I'd be looking at £700+ to have no one overlooking as a requirement in my town on Rightmove, and I live in a cheap area.

Living in a dense development you will always have the risk of your neighbours being arseholes, no matter how they own their houses. It's totally pot luck.

Are you on glue? CAB does not help people with hypothetical concerns about hypothetical neighbours in a housing development that she hasn't bought and hasn't been built yet.

I agree with you that you can get any neighbours in any house and it's always a risk.

But the actual position with relation to those at back wouldn't bother me. You have both gardens and I assume a wall or fence? And their front opens up onto a road that goes completely in the opposite direction to you.

The only reservation I'd have is that there is a green in front of yours.

It won't matter who your neighbours are or aren't it'll attract people.

Having said that we have a park opposite my house on a new build and it's never really cause an issue due to the position of the street.