New build on a new estate and social housing. I expect I’ll get torn to shreds but can I have your experiences please?

[ohwhats]

We are looking at buying the last house on a street that backs on to an area of the new estate that will be 50 plus houses owned by a housing association.
The house will be a real bargain, they are throwing all sorts of incentives in as I’m sure they want it sold asap as it will be ready in about 6 weeks time.
The sales advisor explained that the tenants will all be working and they won’t be misbehaving as they will lose their tenancy if they do.
DH thinks it will be fine and we should take a chance but I’m really not sure. Had anyone bought next to AH on a new build estate?

There's a reason why it's a bargain with incentives and not sold as yet...

Yeah, anyone who lives in social housing is a feckless fucking knob* especially the nurse, massage therapist and assisted living support workers I know.

*here lies judgemental sarcasm

Ha ha ha.
yeah I was told tenants would be removed if any misbehaving too.

so far this year we’ve had 6 police letters asking for residents to literally keep a diary of antisocial behaviour.. and about 20 letters from the actual housing association/developers with acknowledgements of such behaviour.

it’s fucking hideous being in a new build. It’s absolutely horrendous being stuck in an estate with absolutely savage people who couldn’t give a flying pigs arse of their surroundings because their shits handed to them on a plate.

honestly, don’t do it. We brought one of the houses that’s ‘away’ from the riffraff, infact we have beautiful views from the front with no houses infront of us.. yet it’s where all the horrible little shitfaced children like to ride their bikes, smash up the trees and hedging, shout and swear until silly o.clock, walk into people’s houses/gardens and on people’s driveways, throw stones at cars/eachother.

trust me, you will absolutely regret it, bargain or not.

buy the area, not the house.. as in.. don’t think about the house as the main event, you can pick the house you want to live in, but you cannot pick your neighbours

Quite true for my estate. Very small estate and every single one of them are grim.

I’m a social housing tenant who was offered a house on a new build estate. I was over the moon and so excited to move in… I lasted 3 years and by that stage my mental health was shot to pieces, I honestly couldn’t have taken another 6 months, that’s how horrendous it was. The house was beautiful, but the antisocial behaviour was off the scale, and there were times when I was genuinely frightened in my own home. I certainly wouldn’t buy a property anywhere near a SH new build estate.

I grew up in a council house and don’t think social housing automatically makes you a problem tenant but my friend lives in a new build social housing area and honestly, it’s bedlam. People are ruder and more entitled than when I was wee. They’re up all hours because they don’t work and playing music, sitting out talking. I absolutely couldn’t not live there.

I live on a council estate (and I work) and most of my neighbours are lovely - they have jobs and nice children and are friendly.

But there's a few who are awful. And they have friends who are the same and are always hanging around because they're waiting for dealers and smoking in the stairwell etc.

It's not new, it's a 1960s estate, so I don't know if a new build would be any better. But I wouldn't live here if I could afford somewhere else.

What on earth is the relevance of whether they’re working or not?! I live in a housing association new build, I’m severely disabled and unable to work (very slowly dying, sadly though technically not terminal as of yet) and my house is kept tidy, presentable and my front garden is suitably weed-free. My child and I are quiet and keep ourselves to ourselves. No wild parties or outdoor-arguments. All of the above applies to every single one of the HA properties on our street. We’re all decent people who look after our homes and seemingly enjoy living there.
One of owned houses between us on the other hand (and yes, definitely owned by the woman who lives there as she’s been moaning about not being able to sell it for the last year - I wonder why!): rubbish strewn everywhere. Weeds 2ft tall. Music in the garden every day and runs a business from her summerhouse.

Please don’t be so snobby and judgmental. These homes were put here to end council estate culture. Many of us quite literally have zero choice but to live in social housing. How would you feel if your DH died, then you suddenly got diagnosed with a life-limiting disorder and lost your DH before you had chance to build any equity in your home, leaving you with zero choice but to fall back on state housing - only for people to tar you with the same brush as troublemakers?

I know a 3rd year junior/resident doctor who’s just got a council flat. It’s not just for ‘the poors ’ you know?!

Don’t do it. My mums in a new build SH estate and it’s wild

Check the LA planning portal to see what tenure the development was given permission as. The sales advisor could be talking shit in saying that the properties will be for working people, or it could be that they are for market rent or intermediate rent rather than social rent, or key worker homes.

Honestly, no I wouldn’t buy right next to social housing. I worked in the social housing sector for years. The majority of residents are ordinary decent people doing their best, but the hardcore minority who don’t give a shit about how their behaviour affects anyone, or are too mentally unwell to be able to do anything about it, will destroy your wellbeing if they end up being the ones you live right beside.

My last house was social housing on a new build estate, we had drug dealers one side and gob almighty the other side, got on with both sides but it was eye opening, trouble with new houses is lack of established trees/plants so sound really travels whether owned or social, you're not going to have a quiet summer - I was so grateful to have a home away from domestic abuse it didn't bother me but if I was buying I would choose an older house I think, new estates tend to be a bit nanny state, whatsapp groups etc..

I live on a small road where one side are privately owned or rented and the other side are HA. Apart from some grotty / overgrown front gardens on the HA side (and not everyone wants to garden), there are zero ‘grim’ residents. Nice young family with kids, multi generational family, single mums etc.

I really dislike housing ownership (or lack thereof) being used as a social marker.

They're throwing incentives at you for a reason.... depends if you'd be happy to throw incentives at someone you're trying to potentially sell it to in a couple of years.

It’s quite funny that you’re looking down on people and grouping all ‘poor people’ into one category, whilst using the word “brought” to describe buying something. Google works as a dictionary, you know.

We didn't have a new build but had a house which backed onto HA houses. Looking out the back bedroom window you could see scrappy gardens and riots with no curtains. When we were decorating our back bedroom the kids thought throwing mud and stones at the windows from their gardens was great sport.
I wouldn't do it. Just my experience of course.

I really dislike housing ownership (or lack thereof) being used as a social marker.

You may well dislike it but it is a social marker, it always has been and will always be so in the UK.

I knew this would be an emotive subject. These will be fully owned by Trivallis and rented out to their tenants. I asked if it was shared ownership or key worker discount but it’s a no, they are being bought by a HA.
I have absolutely no doubt that the large majority will be good people just trying to live their lives but I’m worried that there will be a minority that will bring trouble. We could be landing ourselves with quite the problem in future if this part of the estate becomes notorious and we can’t sell.

Honestly I wouldn’t, not because I think every person who lives in these houses is trouble, of course they aren’t, but unfortunately it doesn’t take many of them to be trouble for it to have a big impact on your life (and your ability to sell your house in future).

They're just people you know. Most will have jobs and be just like you.
Drug dealers and twats also buy houses

I had a friend who was interested in a new build. He visited the estate once, all fine. Went back a second time and the SH tenants had moved in- the gardens were already full of shit and music blaring/ kids screaming. He walked away having dodged a massive bullet.

So sad to hear all these negative experiences of social housing . Homelessness is being addressed by providing people with a new build home and there are all these problems.What has gone wrong here and how can any government hope to fix this . Guess you have your answer OP as regard buying this property. Is there any chance to can visit and see the neighbourhood. Maybe there are older residents or just young working families there .

The houses aren’t finished yet. This phase is in the process. They will all be occupied from September onwards. I think we have to walk away from this one unfortunately

I live on a high rise development where one of the blocks is social housing. We have issues with kids throwing water balloons from the windows in summer. And there was a murder. But I accept men of all walks of life murder their wives, as this bastard did.

Otherwise you’d really not know.

@MyCottageGardenI don't think anyone is tarring everyone with the same brush or being snobby, we're just advising about our experiences and if you're lucky enough to have a choice about where you live then why would you choose a potentially anti social neighbourhood? I grew up on a council estate as did most of my friends I'm no snob.