Confused about council housing area

Fly_Baby

I am doing some research into local property with a view of buying and getting very confused.

We are currently renting a 3-bed semi-detached in the town which came up as very affluent, with high income, high education etc on UpMyStreet.co.uk. But our very postcode is apparently dreadful. The whole area is ex-council, with identical houses, yet here are some of the best schools in the whole town, with outstanding OFSTED reports and results. And our street is very nice and clean, with lots of green, tidy front gardens and very lovely neighbours (as we discovered doing trick-or-treating).

How is it even possible? I thought that council houses come with bad schools and unsightly street appearance. Houses here are not cheapest - average 3-bed including ours would be circa 280K - whereas rightmove.co.uk gives about 90 three-bed properties for sale cheaper than that in other areas of our town.

I just don't know what to decide. We would love to buy in this area - if we can afford to! working in that direction now - but since it is ex-council should we steer clear? But if it undesirable then why is it so expensive? Or, if it is rightfully expensive then why such a bad report on UpMyStreet?

Would be greatful for any opinions.

poppysarah

Fly_Baby wrote: »

I thought that council houses come with bad schools and unsightly street appearance.

Visit on a friday night a couple of weeks running. Is it safe to walk round at night?

Not all council estates are as portrayed in the media.

Check the neighbours out.

Fly_Baby

poppysarah wrote: »

Visit on a friday night a couple of weeks running. Is it safe to walk round at night?

Not all council estates are as portrayed in the media.

Check the neighbours out.

The thing is, I already live here. It is perfectly quiet at night, no noise from the neighbours next door. The street is tidy. I didn't try walking around at night but wouldn't be afraid to do so. My husband comes home quite late from work - no concerns so far.

I just thought that ex-council properties are generally cheaper than others - yet, for our area it's not true, it's more expensive than many.

So is the report on UpMyStreet so misleading then? Or could it be just our small street of 20 houses that is supposed to be so bad apparently?

poppysarah

What you see in real life is going to be more accurate than internet stats.

My postcode ol9 covers a HUGE area with many different areas in. Even my street is different at one end to the other.

Fly_Baby

poppysarah, how exactly is it different?

Emma1973

I live very close to where poppysarah is, and she is completely right. Take one end of my road and its a large open space, very quiet, the other goes right through the middle of a council estate which is horrendous. And its not a very big road either!
One part of our postcode is the council estate area, which has the highest early death rate, one of the highest unemployment and poverty rates in the whole of Manchester, the other encompasses some fantastic detached private houses which would cost you a fortune!

foogirl1983

We purchased an ex-council house when we bought ours. It wasn't any cheaper than the others around it and the area is a nice quiet cul-de-sac. Good primary school within 5 minutes walk with good results and reports.

Once it's not a council house anymore it's a private sale, therefore it's going to be as expensive as any other private sale for a similar house.

poppysarah

Fly_Baby wrote: »

poppysarah, how exactly is it different?

We've got an open space behind our house and an alley close by. It's been popular with young people seeking to enjoy alcohol - so we've had chaotic days and nights with loads of yobs being drunk and fighting... but they never make it up the other end of the road...

It's just because of the way the road is and alleys line up to ensure the kids stay down this end and never go up the other end to hang about... there's no space or place for them to sit up there so they don't have the trouble.

Utterly different and unless the fire engine goes the wrong way here, no one up that end knows the stuff going on down here.

It's *touch wood* been mostly quiet for a year as the yobs have got to the age where they get in the pubs now.

leveller2911

Ive just checked "Upmystreet" for our "profile" and TBH it wasn't accurate at all.

Thats the problem with putting people in "Boxes" and labelling areas..

Take UMS with a pinch of salt in my view......

Hopejack

To be honest if you live there now and like it, what is the issue? You have pretty much tried before you buy - best way to do it imo. Clearly, the reason it's not cheap is what you've described!

Fly_Baby

Hopejack wrote: »

To be honest if you live there now and like it, what is the issue? You have pretty much tried before you buy - best way to do it imo. Clearly, the reason it's not cheap is what you've described!

It might be shallow of me but I don't want to appear to be living in a bad area. I had a work colleague over whose first reaction was "Oh, it's ex-council then?". A friend kept asking me what the neighbours are like after she visited, and was clearly not impressed with the house. I don't want my son's friends' parents, who bring their children to play at ours, to think that we live in a bad council area - they don't but then it's because they probably bought long time ago when prices were still affordable.

Is it stupid to care about these things?

A non-ex-council would cost us at least 30% more and we just didn't want to spend that money on renting. And I really loved this house when I saw it and didn't even know that it was ex-council when I saw it.

That UpMyStreet report really got to me now.