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?

I am in a social housing, a single Mum who had no choice after leaving an abusive relationship. I work and I am also a part time student and we have never caused anybody any issues and look after our house and garden and to be honest so does everyone else on our estate. We have been in our new build for 6 months now and I can honestly say there have been no issues at all. I find it so offensive and upsetting the way that people talk about social housing and its sad as its such a small minority causing issues for people.

And yes to be on my estate we had to be working and be background checked for no asb issues in the past etc. So I imagine what the estate agent told you will be true.

I can't work out if this is satirical, so for those who might take it seriously please read.

You can tell which ones on our estate are owned and which are rented… rented, gardens overgrown windows filthy,doors kick in,bins tipped over etc etc etc…

As I said, the only reason I shot up to the top banding is because my son is disabled. Before that, I was in a private rental and had no chance either.

But clearly, looking at posts on here, it’s not a ‘minority’. Seems to be a common theme. Whether you’re offended or not, a lot of people in housing association new builds are not the best neighbours. I’ve rented privately in the past, and have received hostility and distrust from neighbours who own their properties, so I do appreciate how unfair it all seems, but it is what it is. Renters who are caring and considerate neighbours take the flack unfortunately for the majority of those who are horrors.

It is amazing just how many mumsnetters are faced with this terrible dilemma, the number of near-identical threads is remarkable.

It isn't the case for all areas though. I live in SH myself, surrounded largely by other SH and the majority aren't 'horrors' at all.

Yes including from the housing associations themselves. They also seem to love lumping tenants together as one big homogenous mass

Probability Theory. Is it more probable than not you will have social issues? The honest feedback gives you the answer.
Run don't walk from this unbelievable bargain!

My HA flat allowed me to rebuild a life, my neighbours are the nicest people I've ever met and I'm the happiest I've ever been. But then it's a nice estate in a nice town and a large proportion of properties are privately owned through right to buy so there's a good mix. Antisocial behaviour gets reported, we have a good relationship with the local police and are kind but firm with new arrivals.

New estates are basically ghettoised with small clusters of easily identified homes which will never be bought and have a high chance of high-need tenants due to the awful shortage of affordable housing. When I lived in Lower Cambourne back in the New Labour days the legal requirement was 40% - a mix of shared ownership, keyworker and social rent properties interspersed amongst privately owned detached homes. Since then developers have found multiple loopholes allowing them to minimise their requirement to nearer 10% and we end up with the current shitshow, loads of problem families crammed in to tiny new build properties.

We live on an estate of HA homes (houses & a small block of flats). We built our house on land at the end of the estate, as did the people opposite. All the HA tenants are lovely, old, young, different nationalities.
The day we moved in the woman next door knocked to give us a card and a delicious chocolate cake. They all look out for each other (and us). We all exchange Christmas cards and our children would play in each other’s houses.
The couple opposite were awful, parking random cars for sale across our driveway, loud parties (especially through Covid). When they were building they would start a 8am on a Sunday morning, when my DH asked them not to he was threatened and sworn at. Awful people who thankfully disappeared one night and the people who bought it are lovely thank goodness. We have teachers, a police officer, a nurse, retirees, a driving instructor, a lollipop man crossing patrol person, shop workers and some are unemployed.

They all look out for each other (and us). We all exchange Christmas cards and our children would play in each other’s houses.

Having previously been an owner-occupier with a good career, I had no idea of this side of social housing until I ended up in it.

I'm not in the best area and I only moved from private rental at the start of last year. My previous neighbour owned their house, now they were horrors to the point the police were involved.

I got this house which is a new build after only 1 month as I was straight to band A so would definitely be considered a 'high need' tenant. My son is disabled and the private rental was deemed to be unsuitable for his needs. The neighbours are lovely including the children and I'm a minority in that I don't work.

It's actually much nicer than where I lived in my private rental even though it isn't far away.

I agree. A minority who live in nice areas, and by sheer luck are surrounded by equally decent tenants, do exist. But unfortunately these are the exception rather than the norm. Your situation though could change in the blink of an eye. All it would take is for one of your nice neighbours to move out and be replaced by the tenant from hell, and the whole dynamic of your road could change, just like that.

Sorry I wasn't meaning to cast shade on 'high need' tenants, I was one of them! Poor wording on my part, I'm glad it's not all new builds having issues, I can only say what I see locally.

We live adjacent to a cluster of the affordable homes on our estate and those families are lovely people, no issues at all. Two doors in the other direction in the is a family who are just awful. The woman drinks too much and the police have called on us to ask if we’ve witnessed the domestic abuse she inflicts on her husband. She plays loud music in the garden “Alexa! Play something from the 80s!” or she’s shouting at her son. It’s not about home ownership, it’s about social decency and it’s impossible to know who you’ll be living near to.

I live in a deprived area. No one would consider it to be particularly nice.

I had issues when I lived in a private rental and my neighbours were a mixture of private renters and home owners. My worse neighbour was a home owner and the police had to be involved.

That is the case no matter where you live. Things became a bit better at my old place when the worse neighbour sold their house and moved.

Bought a house on a new build estate costing well over half a mil.
One road over was the social housing, which completed about 6 months after our houses. The estate immediately changed once they moved in. I grew up in a council estate, I’m not judgey. However, I am absolutely gutted that I’ve worked my ass off to afford a house away from the life I grew up in, that I now hate because of the police, drugs, fights in the street, nasty kids bullying my children.
Stay away and protect your peace.

The nauseatingly prejudiced seem to have become so brazen these days.

Why has this house not sold as yet?
There must be a reason.

I think that there have been many comments already bout Social Housing good and bad. True wnd False.

However, I l were you.l would be careful about some of the people who have bought these so called new build des res houses.

Such as. These houses that may be let by absent and overseas Landlords. Bought as investments. They dont know or coulnt t care less who lloved in them. As long as the overpriced rent is paid on time

Peope who buy them as potential Air B&Bs. Or pack the with mutiple tenants and short term lets.

Anyway whatever you decide.
I hope you will find a good, happy home.😻

Don't do it, they will be filled with at least some tricky people, that's why this house is cheap no one wants to live next to the social housing.

the irony of you patronising her spelling and grammar while criticising her for 'looking down on' people isn't lost on us.. And she has what sound like valid complaints rgds antisocial behaviour, that isn't 'looking down' on people

You are very naive to believe what you read online vs what actually goes on.

If you have the money stay away from the riff raff. Buy the area not the home. Of course there will be lovely people but it sounds far too high a risk. Anti social behaviour will be a guarantee from a significant portion of social housing. It’s simple facts you can’t hide from. I’m from council property myself, and I also work day to day with people in the social housing sector and I’ve heard stories far worse than mentioned in this thread. Avoid avoid avoid!

I've had neighbours from hell move in next door to me , five awful years and they bought the house . I felt such relief when they moved . I've also lived in social housing and I'm now in the later stages of my life and mortgage free with lovely neighbours. I just want to say where has respect gone , where is the pride in manners and consideration . Where has decency gone . What's happened to Britain and some people to be such just awful human beings