New build housing development and affordable home allocation

[Bowsandbangles24]

We are in the early stages of buying a property on a new build development, when we first went to look we were told there would be affordable housing on the development, but it was sold to us that it would be 25% of the development and that it would be subsidised buying and rental schemes…we have learnt this week that this is not the case and it will be social housing and it will be 50% of the development now with the number houses going up.

I know it sounds snobby but this is a really serious consideration we need to make. All the house types to buy are over £500,000 bar one so it is a considerable investment.

We have a young family and the other council housing schemes in the same town have constant problems with drugs, violence, and anti social behaviour (all of which the skeleton police force in the town are completely unwilling/unable to deal with) and people with backgrounds you wouldn’t want your young children living near.

What are people’s experience of these new build developments?

I lived in one as a social housing tenant if you'll trust my point of view (it was fine).

They usually put a minority of social housing tenants on these estates, mixed in with other people to minimise anti social behaviour. Maybe 10% social housing. If it was 50% social housing it would be a no from me. Especially because they are big houses so you’re probably going to get “career mums” with five kids and no job.

Absolutely. I would not consider that estate

I live on a nice estate with 4 bed detached houses that are all private owned. One is rented out ( knowing the owner it will be a private deal, cash in hand) and that is the troubled house. So being on a fully private owned estate is no guarantee.

It would be a no from me too. Someone at my work is in a new build with a drug dealer across the road, endless trouble and police raids 😬 other anti social behaviour too ( shouting/screaming on the streets etc)

The people I know who are on social housing lists for family sized houses are generally working people who just don't earn enough to rent big houses privately. A lot of the women are care workers and their partners are tradies. Some of them are in 2 bed places they've outgrown, some living with parents. They just want their kids of opposite sexes and/or big age gaps not to have to share a bedroom and they didn't realise before having kids just how badly private landlords in our area were going to start gouging people for this privilege. But sure, "career mums". FFS.

I live in one as asocial housing tenant. No issues here. It’s quiet, peaceful.

It's a no from me purely for the fact it's a new-build estate. They take years to bed-in with greenery etc and my dm had horrible issues with snagging in her house.

I think it depends, we've been in our estate over 20 years. There is a part that is affordable/social housing but it's not the same type if houses. Smaller semis/terraces and flats and a couple of disability bungalows. That part of the estate is pretty separate tbh and we don't really hear or see anything. My friend has lived in it since new and in the main, most if the tenants are pretty stable long term people who just want to get on with their lives. They occasionally get the odd troublemaker but they tend to not be around long.

I have a relative in a different city who lives in a beautiful flat that was built as affordable/social rent in amongst blocks of the same flats which can sell up to 500k. The block is specifically for over 60s though so there is no bother either.

I think you'd need to do a bit of research before buying.

OP, I think you’ve answered your own question really:

We have a young family and the other council housing schemes in the same town have constant problems with drugs, violence, and anti social behaviour (all of which the skeleton police force in the town are completely unwilling/unable to deal with) and people with backgrounds you wouldn’t want your young children living near.

You need to start house hunting again.

I live on a 3 year old new build estate which is about 25% social housing (it's not a big estate - the social housing is 6 houses in total).

I live in one of the social housing rental properties and take great pride in my home and garden. Every other family/occupant of the social housing properties are working families or retired pensioners apart from one - the people next door to me and yes, they are a nightmare! Neither work, are home all day and have the police at their door/have domestics a lot. It doesn't help that the guys voice is like a foghorn, we've had to close our windows and patio doors just for some peace because all you can hear is him shouting at his partner, kids or tv!

However the huge expensive homes in our estate are home to some nasty people.. constantly fighting over boundaries on their plots and access routes through the street. Parking wars, you name it!

So moral of the story, there's always gonna be one who spoils it for everyone else whether or not they rent or own!

I think this is too big a gamble as spend 500k on a house. Theres too many unknowns.

The large part of the estate that's social housing could be absolutely fine with lots of families or retired people.
Or it could be a nightmare to live next too.

If it's the latter will your 500k house remain worth 500k if you had to sell it and move?

You can get a lot for 500k

It wouldn't be for me but not because of social housing but simply a 500k newbuild is unlikely to remain at 500k and they typically decrease in value. Add in they tend to have long snagging lists and continual building work.

With that sort of budget I would be looking at other options.

Thanks everyone. I’ve looked again and it’s 30% social housing with 15% adapted bungalows.

Just so frustrating as we’ve been looking for so long, it it is a big gamble.

Interesting you say that @Scottishskifun there is a resale from the first phase for sale at the moment it is just over a yr old and under offer, it went quickly and was on for 22% more than they paid for it from the developer.

Nonsense, only in very rare and specific situations would they decrease.

Yeah, it's not a car.

It’s well known that new builds decrease and are hard to sell within the first few years. Why? Because new builds you get to opt for kitchen and bathroom choices and they won’t pay for someone else’s taste. So unless it’s in a really desirable area, in the first few years the value will go down. Not dramatically.

I do find it a bit curious that you are worried about social housing when new builds seem to attract the worst lower middle class show offs; fire pits, hot tubs and 4x4s on PCP. No thanks

It's happened to 3 of my friends in 3 different areas when they needed to move 2+ years later. They all ended up taking a hit to move.

Eh @Solgrass but that’s same for any house surely??

Haha yes I get your point, but I won’t loose too much sleep over how people have financed their cars, I’m not sure that’s the greatest signifier of the risk of them causing anti social behavior!

@Scottishskifun recently? Maybe the people on this estate have gotten lucky! Not sure it when much over as didn’t go to best and final but 22% is quite something for less than a year! It’s desirable area tho, very primary school.

@Bowsandbangles24

I mean the house builders always keep their prices up. They don’t adjust to the market. They will do any deal necessary in order to keep the price up (part exchange, throw in a new lawn, upgrades) but will not reduce the price.

This means if you’ve got 500k to spend on a house …then you’re not going to spend it on a house that someone made all the choices a year ago when you could buy a near identical house (new builds are all the same) maybe even in the same estate where you could get a brand new home where you get to choose everything.

So new builds in the first 5 years take a hit on their value in order to compete with the house where you get to choose all the fixtures.

But if this is your forever home, then it doesn’t matter.

All in the last 5 years.

22% over is big that's not happening in my area houses in a lot of areas are going either for asking price or less but I'm in the North East where house prices typically were high and a fast market. Not so much the case now!

This doesn’t make sense, we’ve lived at our address for 18 years. We are being evicted as landlord wishes to retire and sell. We both work full time and I work for a local charity. We have two children. One is 18 and beginning university to work in tv and one is a glowing student with a 100 percent report and a prefect and school counsellor. We have been told elected for social housing for a new build due to our glowing tenancy record. Please don’t make judgements.

I know it sounds snobby

Yes it is snobby.

One of my children is in affordable housing. On his estate affordable is 10% and its tucked away in a corner so the occupants of the big houses don't need to look at them. My son's affordable neighbours all have jobs except one retired couple. No drug dealers or asbo types to my knowledge. Affordable houses are small so 1-2 kids max. In my son's estate people thinking of buying often park up opposite the affordable for a few hours to check it out. My son is used to it and finds it amusing when he's cutting his front grass and gets 20 questions from the prospective buyers.