Ex-council / Ex-local authority flats

Walletwatch

This is a general query that I've had for a long time now. Why is it that ex-council flats sell at a discount to regular flats in the same area (in some cases, these discounts are as sizeable as 20-25%, esp my area in the Docklands)? Is it because there is a general stigma associated with these houses, that their upkeep wouldn't exactly have been the best in the world, and hence, it'll take some more investment to bring it back to shape? Or is it just that there is bureaucracy involved in anything you need to do with such houses in terms of mtce / onward resale...

... or have I got all this completely wrong?

gallygirl

Walletwatch wrote:

This is a general query that I've had for a long time now. Why is it that ex-council flats sell at a discount to regular flats in the same area (in some cases, these discounts are as sizeable as 20-25%, esp my area in the Docklands)? Is it because there is a general stigma associated with these houses, that their upkeep wouldn't exactly have been the best in the world, and hence, it'll take some more investment to bring it back to shape? Or is it just that there is bureaucracy involved in anything you need to do with such houses in terms of mtce / onward resale...

... or have I got all this completely wrong?

There is a stigma - and often for a good reason. Not all the properties will be private and you could end up with horrendous neighbours, then not be able to resell the property. Also the upkeep, if the council still hold the freehold, is likely to be much poorer (or non-existent). Go and see a few - then you'll understand!!!

Hermia

I personally would be concerned about ex-council property. My aunt bought a very nice ex-council flat, but all the other flats were still council. At first it was great, all her neighbours were nice people. Then when they moved out the council started moving nightmare neighbours in. She has now got a junkie living next door who threatened to kill her when she reported him for selling drugs on the premises. The girl in the flat below is nice, but mentally ill and spends her nights pacing around the corridors and screaming. The council also do expensive work on the flats every year and all the other tenants agree to it because they are not paying, but my aunt has to pay (this year it cost £3000!).

divadee

My first flat was an ex council flat, I loved it!!!


The neighbours were great (you can get nasty neighbours even in private housing!!). The flats where a massive size. They had been maintained well and the ground rent (£10 per year) and maintenance (most was ever £280) were cheap.
There is a stigma with ex-council but i would buy one again definately. With any flat you can get massive maintenance charges if a big job needs doing (ie. new roof painting outside) but i felt that the council kept charges down as they would have to pay for the council tenants still living there and we would pay our share. Also in my block the tenants and the owners stuck together. So if the tenants felt that the owners were being stiched up they would stick up for us and vice versa.

We has no problems selling our flat, sold it 3 times in fact (the first 2 where time wasters) and the couple that bought it couldnt believe the ground rent and maintenance charges as one private flat which was about half the size wanted £150 a year ground rent and over £1000 in maintenance charges and that was just for the normal stuff.

Just before we completed we got a letter from the council asking us to vote wether to keep the council as the maintenance team or charge it to housing association. We gave the choice to the people that were buying and their solicitor recommended the council as they do things so cheap.

It depends what area the flat/house is in but you could get yourself a bargain!! I bought mine for £50k and sold it for £115k

Plasticman

A flat is more of a concern than a house. I've lived in a ex-council house which was built to a much better standard than the other (newer) non-council houses in the area. Neighbours were mostly private but the people next door were still council and were lovely. I've had many bad neighbours in a private house.

Flats are a little different though. Some councils seem to maintain the properties to an excellent standard - but some don't. Often 'problem' tennants seem to go into flats rather than houses.

Doozergirl

There is the stigma of living in a council area and also the matter of the style and taste in which these properties are designed. A period house will fetch more because they simply don't make them anymore!

There can be huge maintenance bills attached in flats when large jobs are carried out. I'm not convinced that the council charge less, if anything, contractors will up the bill simply because it's a Local Authority job; there must be a reason that many of the contractors we use consider LA work to be more profitable than private?

lady123_2

i used to own a ex-local flat and the block was lovely, neighbours were mostly great, well there were a couple of muppets but they were private owners and proffessional people but the council residents were fine. you get a hell of a lot more for your money buying ex council compared to victorian conversions, we had a housing assosiation managing our block, they were on the ball and had dedicated staff to call for repairs or minor complaints, but the building was always kept clean and tidy and even had its own care taker, i would reccomend buying ex local, but just do it in a nice block

megsykins

My parents live in an ex-council house, mum bought it 20-odd years ago from a bloke who exercised his RtB and sold on almost straight away! Even then she bought it cos on a single professional wage she couldn't afford much else.
On the street, there's about 5 council houses remaining out of 80-odd houses, 3 of which are disabled houses which have been kitted out for families with disabled parents and so the council won't sell them. It's the same for most of the surrounding streets. The houses are in fairly good condition, although beginning to show their age (built in the 50s). Well over half have been extended / converted lofts so what started off as a road of 3-bed council semis, is now a road of 4-bed / 5-bed privately owned housing.
My parents-in-law live in a council house, although most of their road are privately owned now. I think with houses it's better than flats as houses are more likely to be bought and tend to get families not single teenage parents (sorry for stereotyping but that's how it is where I live)
I'd have no qualms about buying ex-council in a nice area, but as a FTB I've not got much choice!!!
Check out the area first though.

Helen_from_yorkshire

Is your parents-in-law home still Council owned and, if it is, have you considered buying it? Could be a good investment if a good area.

lowis

a friend of a friend bought her 2 bed council flat (17th floor), in a shabby block some years back (in islington) she currently rents out EACH ROOM to foreign students for £700 per month. perhaps they make good buy-to-let investments if they are in the right location...

silvercar

In a council flat I would be worried that the council suddenly find money in the budget to do something major to the block and you find yourself having to pay out your share.

Its also difficult to get mortgages on high-rise blocks affecting the resale potential.