Would a 'secure unit' being behind a house you're interested in buying, put you off?

Motivatedworkingmum

To cut a very long story short great village, great schools, great place to live, very desirable. Great size house, lots of space, great size, great value for money. Behind the garden is a secure unit (residential care home, secure means that it's a bit like a prison for yound people that need 24 hour care and support) for young people with problems, there has been no trouble at all, high trees surround the whole unit and you don't really see it, but its there and its quite big, in winter when the leaves go from the trees you would see it a bit, 24 hour security, no real noise. Locals know its there but say its no problem, does tarnish street name a bit and local estate agent has said they struggle to sell houses there because of the unit is at the back of the gardens. We could do alot to the house to make it fab but in the back of my mind is always the unit. What would you do? Walk away or would it not bother you? Thanks for your opinions.

PasturesNew

Lets put it this way ... if they escape, they won't be hanging around.

However, if their friends/family visit, they might be hanging around ... perchance to nick a car to get home as they nicked a car to arrive.

So I'd have concerns and investigate it further at street level, with the locals. And google it.

Morgan_Ree

Do you mean a secure unit as in a mental health unit or secure as in young offenders?

I'm not sure a YO would put me off. I do know a MH unit wouldn't.
I spent 6 months on a secure adolscent MH unit (as a student not a patient ) and tbh there were hardly any problems from wannabe absconders. Secure units are exactly that, secure! Every door, window, even drawer and cuboard had a fob and a keycode (changed daily so patients couldn't memorise it) which was always attached to a member of staff. A few who did managed to make a bid from freedom by runny towardes a door whilst it was being shut were always caught before making it off the grounds.
I guess what might out you off are the police and ambulances are there quite a lot dropping off/picking up patients? No sirens blaring or anything like that, I guess someone people might be a bit put off by seeing a constant stream of police cars.

loracan1

It would concern me to the point that if there were 2 similar houses I were interested in, I would pick the other. You say the Estate Agent has mentioned the difficulty in selling houses in that street - does the asking price reflect this? Will you be wanting to sell on in a year or two?

[Deleted User]

You might be able to challenge the council tax band - depending on if the unit was built post-1993!

Davesnave

Let's look at it another way. Where were these young people before they were in a secure unit? Oh yes, out in the wide world where any of us posting here live. Now, they're locked up. When were they least likely to burgle or mug you?

Of course it won't change everyone's perceptions to point that out, so the house may always be blighted to some extent, but if it is to be a long term home it may be a good bet for you. You say it is good value, and so are other houses which face main roads, or sit close to factories, or power lines etc. From my POV, this seems a much more tolerable kind of blight than some of those.

In the end, it will be how you feel that matters, factoring-in the price differential between this and other non-blighted properties. Play it right and you could get a bargain.

tyllwyd

To me, the biggest issue is whether you have any plans to move again in the future - certainly at the moment it is difficult enough to sell any house, let alone one that has any kind of issue over it. So I'd say if you buy the house, make sure that you would be happy living there in the long term, you don't want to get stuck in a house you want to sell but can't.

sharkie

I would go to the 'secure unit' areas, look at google maps. choosing the properties option, and check out the house prices around there. Think It would also depend on the type of secure unit and if they also have a day treatment service as in mental health, or is it incarceration, or home for battered wives.

Personally, these area may attract unwanted types on visiting days.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=&mrt=realestate&sll=53.289026,-0.842085&sspn=0.005939,0.021973&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&ll=53.291694,-0.832129&spn=0.011877,0.027595&t=h&z=15

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=&mrt=realestate&sll=52.573638,0.082998&sspn=0.024151,0.055189&ie=UTF8&t=h&radius=1.39&split=1&rq=1&ev=zo&hq=&hnear=&ll=52.572907,0.082998&spn=0.024152,0.055189&z=14

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=SE28+0EB&mrt=realestate&sll=52.572907,0.082998&sspn=0.024152,0.055189&attrid=&ie=UTF8&ll=51.496801,0.093083&spn=0.01237,0.027595&t=h&z=15

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=MK4+4DA&mrt=realestate&sll=51.496801,0.093083&sspn=0.01237,0.027595&attrid=&ie=UTF8&ll=52.01611,-0.807753&spn=0.012229,0.027595&t=h&z=15

ILW

A friend of mine used to live close to a young offenders unit. As said before the problem was not the residents, but their visitors and friends and family. but if the place is cheap enough it's probably worth it.

alunharford

Davesnave wrote: »

Let's look at it another way. Where were these young people before they were in a secure unit? Oh yes, out in the wide world where any of us posting here live. Now, they're locked up. When were they least likely to burgle or mug you?

I'm not going to directly identify the house the OP is interested in, but you're massively jumping to conclusions about the nature of the facility.

OP: The house looks nice, and there aren't many 5 beds around for £240,000 in that area. Due to the current political situation, I (unfortunately) doubt that this particular facility will still be around in 5 years time.

Davesnave

alunharford wrote: »

I'm not going to directly identify the house the OP is interested in, but you're massively jumping to conclusions about the nature of the facility.

OP: The house looks nice, and there aren't many 5 beds around for £240,000 in that area. Due to the current political situation, I (unfortunately) doubt that this particular facility will still be around in 5 years time.

Err.... I have had to guess, I'm afraid, due to not knowing what you obviously know.

I have worked alongside residences for vulnerable and difficult youngsters for years, and my present village is also home to one. There are a few 'issues' but our village isn't blighted in any way, nor was the immediate vicinity where I worked.

I therefore considered this was something a little more 'severe' and I apologise if I've offended anyone's sensibilities.This was not the intention.