Would you buy a house....

[LovingTheSunshine]

...that ticks most of your boxes but is frowned upon b/c it is on a large development? We have viewed a house that could tick most of our requirements (wish the garden was a bit bigger) but I have heard snobbery from friends that it is a large development. I have a few friends who live on the developments & they are very happy & it is a nice place for children & in the catchment area for good schools. It is a bit further away from town than where we are now & is probaly a 25 minutes walk, which I do not think is too bad. Would you consider it? DH & I are confused b/c of the snobbery we have heard!! Thanks

[LovingTheSunshine]

Had 2nd viewing today without our son in tow & got to have a good look round to see if the house would work for us. Unfortunately it is too small & too near an A road. We had though about converting the integral garage into a playroom but it is only 7'3" wide so would be too narrow once it had been plasterboarded etc. On with the search, don't know how much more I can take with the stress of house hunting!

[LovingTheSunshine]

We need to have a 2nd viewing before we can decide if the house is for us. TTYL

[PixiNanny]

If you like it, go with it, it's your house after all, not your friends!

I don't get snobbery of areas, however personally I dislike newer buildings in general (unless they are completely hi-tech themed!) as I really love old houses with character and all of that millarky (my explanation for my personal preferences against developments!) however some of them look like lovely places, and, as others have surely mentioned, everything should be in working order! Unlike what you will find in the older houses

Your friends sound like arses tbh, tell them where to stuff it if they complain, your house, not theres!

[nearlybeans]

have been snobby

[nearlybeans]

Some of my neighbours are snobby - they think that the word 'estate' holds negative connotations. They prefer 'development'. I think it's a bunch of houses all built at the same time on roads with associated names. So what.

The OP's friends would perhaps be snobby about my snobby neighbours, and about my modern house. The Victorian estate I lived on was very grand, and I'm fairly sure that none of the snobs would have been snobby about that. But someone would have snobby about it once, I'm sure, when it was new, and 'soulless', and a bit, well, brash?

So my point is, really, who cares?

[expatinscotland]

Winding up neighbours?! Oh, man, not only are we forever renters but also it's a FLAT.

haahahaahaaa.

Good thing this area isn't big on snob factor.

As if I'd give a flying fuck.

[nearlybeans]

I love winding up the neighbours by calling where we live an estate.

Most modern houses built to a plan are on some sort of 'estate'. A development smells as sweet by any other name.

And that smell is not milldew. Unless of course it's a Victorian estate (mushrooms grew in the hall, there, not the garden; but that was another life).

Modern all the way!

[IotasCat]

I live in a modern house on an estate.

It's very practical : warm, in good repair, low maintenance.

The children can play out safely with their friends, which is a big plus for me.

I'd like a bigger garden though in an ideal world.

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

Unless these friends are paying the mortgage it isn't any of their business.

They are probably jealous they can't live there.

[Laquitar]

The combination of cold and the smell makes it depressing for me

[expatinscotland]

I never found freezing half to death and literally burning money to keep half-way warm as charming in the least.

Being cold has no soul.

[LovingTheSunshine]

LOL Laquitar

[Laquitar]

'there is snobbery in uk re new houses'.

When my mum came here (from europe) we had to go to a friend's house to drop something for her ds. (this friend is erm wealthy and her victorian fab house in a good part of london cost nearly 1m).
We came out and mychavymum said: 'poor things. Can't they do a second job or something?'
Me: mum, they have a very good income.
Mum: then why do they live in an OLD house? did you see that fireplace? Is too old.

We don't have class in my family (we are foreigners)

[LovingTheSunshine]

We are going to go back for a 2nd viewing. I have butterflies in my stomach - is that a good sign? Yeah, it is as I am feeling excited

[brettgirl2]

I'd buy the house and kick the friends into touch.

All that matters is that you like it.

[LynetteScavo]

[HerHonesty]

was wysteria lane that bad???

[LynetteScavo]

Having lived on a modern estate - I couldn't get out quick enough. Funnily enough I moved there beciase it had a fab reputation - nice "executive homes" close to the country side, lots of young families.

I wish I hadn't listened to people who were and wanted to live there. Never been so miserable in my life, and people just couldn't undertand why I didn't love my "executive" detatched home.

Don't listen to anyone else!!! Live where you think will make you happy!

[Karam]

There's a very large development near where I am, that a lot of people are snobby about - they make stupid comments like 'its got no soul, no atmosphere' etc... but these are really dumb comments. I don't live there, but I know it has got a very thriving community. It is full of young families, the children go out to play in the street (full of cul de sacs), the houses are individual - not victorian clones. Personally, I'd buy a house there over and above the Rows of Victorian clone houses in the Old part of town, where the people only know their immediate neighbours and not the people up the street because they are long, impersonal streets, where there is no community and no atmosphere. Sorry, give me the modern estate any day.

[LovingTheSunshine]

I hear negative comments about all kinds of houses - we were considering a townhouse at one point & I was told that all the stairs would drive me mad. We have looked at houses in surrounding villages & I have been told by another friend they are a lot further away than you think. Huh? No, it is a 10 minute drive ffs & I know we can not walk if we want to come to the centre of town but that is the compromise we would make. One of my friends lives in a £750,000 house on a lovely road, is bang next door to excellent primary/secondary schools & is only a 10 minute walk into town. I think she expects me to get all of this on my lower budget, whereas I know full well we will not achieve that in my area. I would not dream of interfering with a friend's house search as I think it is a very personal thing. Ugh, I do not need this stress on top of the noraml stress of house hunting. I am going to ignore them all & do what we want as we need to chose a house that works for us. Thanks for letting me vent.

[expatinscotland]

No more freezing cold, damp (= smelly), falling apart place (a lot of the windows are stuck together and can't be opened).

[HerHonesty]

oh and meant to say, i wouldnt judge anyone for living on one either. its the person that counts not the house. get some new friends (harsh sorry...)

[HerHonesty]

sorry, soulless

[HerHonesty]

i hate large development, soulles legolands in my humble opinion BUT thats why i dont live on one, if you like it, and it ticks your boxes then go for it. what i or anyone else thinks doesnt matter!!!

[saramoon]

Agree expat, we rent in a lovely part of the country and near great schools. Lovely old house but in serious need of some 'doing up'. It is cheaper to rent than the average house around here because there is no central heating and not much double glazing. Both the bathroom and kitchen could do with some serious work too. When we went to look around places to buy here we couldn#t believe how shabby they all were inside. This is such an affluent area. When we eventually buy we will certainly not be ashamed about looking for a new place - or ex council