Bad experience of buying first home

heatseeker

Hi all,

I'm looking some advice please.

I bought my first home back in June last year. It's an ex housing executive house but in very good condition. In the time between buying and now I've done it up how I want it (all cosmetics) but I have had a major problem since the day I moved in - the neighbours.

There is a massive 'family' next door who make so much noise at any time of the day or night, of course they live off the tax payer. I have counted over 9 kids...

Anyway, long story short I have decided to sell as legal and council routes go absolutely nowhere. If I take things too far I'll have to declare it to potential buyers and I just want out.

I had an estate agent value the house this week who has said they could put it on the market for 2k less than what I bought it for(3k under asking). I've only been in the house 9 months and wouldn't have thought it would go down this much given the type of house and location as it was on for 5k more than what he wants to put it on for now. I'm getting another agent in over the next week or so.

Has anyone any advice? I know afew people who have had big problems with their neighbours and in the end they have had to move.

I changed jobs and can now afford a semi in a better area but I don't really want to lose money (apart from fees) on the house I've been in 9 months! I can stay with friends if I offer no onward chain while I look around for a new place myself. Do you think this would make a difference?

Thanks in advance.

Mallotum_X

Try a few agents, but quite a number of areas have fallen in the last year. The bottom end of the market is often hardest hit so it may not be an unrealistic valuation. Have you asked the agent that sold it to you to value it, might be interesting to see what they think now?

Has anything else sold recently, how do other sale prices compare to what you paid?

Of course it could be that you a couple of thousand paid more than it was worth...

huangdi

you are not alone in having problem neighbours believe me! seems a shame you have done it all up and having to sell. IF it was me, i would be prepared to lose some money on it. i stand to lose a lot more than you from selling my flat, but i feel it is worth it without problem neighbours. i wonder if people viewing it would be put off by the neighbours???

is there a possbility of renting it out in the meantime if you cannot sell?

just try to stay positive and think of the peace and quiet in the next house you buy/rent.

Marvel1

huangdi wrote: »

you are not alone in having problem neighbours believe me! seems a shame you have done it all up and having to sell. IF it was me, i would be prepared to lose some money on it. i stand to lose a lot more than you from selling my flat, but i feel it is worth it without problem neighbours. i wonder if people viewing it would be put off by the neighbours???

is there a possbility of renting it out in the meantime if you cannot sell?

just try to stay positive and think of the peace and quiet in the next house you buy/rent.

That is the problem they will encounter and will put them off, it would for me.

I don't know about anyone else but I ask the seller why they are selling up after so soon of buying it.

hazyjo

You might find whoever buys it won't be able to get a mortgage on it until you've actually been in a year. Someone will be along to quote the legals, I'm sure, but have heard that mentioned before.

Things have dropped an awful lot in a year. Obviously without knowing what you paid, it's hard to comment on the £5k.

To give you an example, my house was on the market last year for £250k. Had an offer for £247k. It fell through and several months later it was back on the market, dropped to £243k, accepted an offer for £230k and am now selling at £228,500 after his survey/valuation - the same price I paid in 2006. And that's in an area that's still quite fast moving. Trouble is, the three beds have been dragged down to the stamp duty threshold of £250k - one was up recently for £253k and sold within a couple of days. Mine's a 2 bed so I had no chance of getting near £250k again.

So £5k less than the original asking price when you bought seems a tad optimistic to me... but if you're talking less than £100k, maybe it's not so off.

Have you ever put in any formal complaints against your neighbours? Any contact with police, council, or direct contact with them by letter or anything?

Good luck. So sorry to hear you're being effectively forced out of your own home.

Jx

G_M

Remember if prices HAVE dropped in the time you've been there, the place you move to will be cheaper too.....

Do the neighbours own or rent? If rent, private or council?

Or do you prefer not to follow this line of thinking because of the need to declare ongoing issues to potential buyers?

heatseeker

Thankyou all for your kind words and advice.

Yes, I do effectively feel that I am being forced out. I've made my peace with the decision but it doesn't mean I feel any less bitter about it.

I have informally tried the council route and police route. Made inquiries but nothing more. I have a fair understanding of the process I would have to go down and to be fairly blunt I know it doesn't usually work anyway. Even if a noise abatement order was made I fear retaliation. I'm a single female on my own, out at work all day and worry about my house being targeted by them.

They are very intimidating, a very rough 'family'. I still haven't worked out who lives there exactly as I've counted about 15 now. The neighbours behind me are lovely and I have spoken to them and they are sorry I feel I have to sell but they also think it's the right decision as intimidation/fear of retaliation from my complaints/noise every day and night is making me ill.

As far as I am aware there is a private landlord involved. It isn't Housing Exec owned but they don't work, so it's paid for by us who do our best to make an honest living and work ourselves into the ground for a house. I feel very bitter about the fact my taxes are paying them to live there and torture me out of my privately mortgaged house.

I'll get acouple more valuations and see where I am. To be honest I agree with huangdi. I do not feel safe in my home, I fear for my car outside and I can't bear the rave noises. So losing afew £k just to be free of this nightmare would be worth it.

What I want to know is why the police have stopped getting involved with noise pollution? They passed responsibility to the councils, but they (or mine) don't do anything if it isn't in office hours! I tired the out of hours mobile one evening and they said they don't come out to monitor noise!!

Pass the buck nation, no one will stand up and take responsibilty any more. As for this idea of Camerons about a 'Big Society' or whatever, this will only make problems like this and anti social behaviour worse. This country's a joke.

Ps. I know I sound older than my age here but I'm not even 30 yet!

heatseeker

hazyjo wrote: »

So £5k less than the original asking price when you bought seems a tad optimistic to me... but if you're talking less than £100k, maybe it's not so off.

Not really as in my case £5k represents about a 6-7% decrease... unfortunate...

ILW

Have yopu made any official complaints yet?

heatseeker

Nope. Tried to talk to them but they wouldn't come to the door (plus I was bricking it) and posted a note through the door asking to please keep music down abit..

ILW

heatseeker wrote: »

Nope. Tried to talk to them but they wouldn't come to the door (plus I was bricking it) and posted a note through the door asking to please keep music down abit..

Just get it on the market and take the hit. Whatever you do, don't make it official or you will downvalue the place even further.