nice house but council housing nearby . .

split_second

local knowledge will repay you back a million fold, my place is an ex council place and contrary to popular belief not everyone changes the front door when they buy- mine was fine so it stayed, plus the council ones all have new roofs on them- mortgage company wanted a new roof so i had to oblige lol
think its nethouseprices that tells you what sold and how much for, according to them about half my street is private and that doesnt include what was bought from the council lol

i have council tenant neighbours both sides, one is a bit odd, doesnt really speak to me, goes out to the bin in her dressing gown (at the front) at dinnertime, but mostly harmless, guy next door is cool, he is an old dude and his wife is really frail and ill, he has half a dozen dogs and whenever there is trouble out the back he leaves the door open on their kennels and anyone that wants to be an idiot has alsations to deal with

most of the people here have been around for years, one guy bought the house next to his mum's, when his mum died he inhereted her house, lives in one and runs the other as a houseshare for his son's friends.

by contrast my parents live in the typical idea of leafy suburbia and the guy over the road threatens anyone that parks outside his house, and the neighbour that moved in over the back is really loud and is either shouting loads at his wife, or kids or dog

Wobblydeb

Ditto everyone else who has said there are council estates and council estates. There are equally rough areas of private housing too!

If I was in your position, I would first and foremost try to establish what the estate in question is like. The quickest and easiest way to do this IMHO is look at the front gardens. If a large number look like a war zone I'd be worried. One or two unkempt could happen anywhere though. If that didn't give me a clear view, then I would visit at different times, and chat to a few people if possible.

If the estate seemed really rough, I wouldn't live anywhere near it.

If it was on the whole okay, there'd be a further couple of things I would do. Firstly, check the house isn't near the local teenage hang-out, which can be local shops / park etc. Then I'd also check it wasn't on a regularly travelled route - e.g. between home and shops or home and school or home and hang-out spot. (I do like my peace and quiet though!)

All of the above I would apply whether the estate was council or private....

Careful_with_that_Axe

Jowo wrote: »

I think it's unfair to assume that snobbery is behind someone's anxiety of living in proximity to a density of social housing. It's unfair also to write-off an estate because of social housing tenure but realistically, even if you ignore the negative stigma associated with social housing these days, there are more likely to be social problems there.

Social housing allocation is such a scarce resource with huge demand and is allocated on a needs based system which means the majority of people gaining a tenancy do so because they are needy, therefore are overwhelmingly dependent on benefits and disproportionately workless.

Your post made me very sad. I have just become a Council tenant, purely because I was unlucky enough to develop health problems including cancer which have left me disabled, with a limited life expectancy and unable to work. I, therefore, needed housing with extensive adaptations. My life savings (6 figures) went on supporting myself when I became unable to work until they were exhausted.
I am educated past degree level, intelligent, articulate and have previously worked in very demanding and responsible jobs. My father was honoured in the Queen's Honours List on 1976 and I got married (1st time round!) in Westminster Abbey.

But according to you, because I am a Council tenant, I am needy, workless and dependent on benefits. Funnily enough, that's not quite how I view myself, but you wouldn't want to live near me because I am in a council house.

Jowo_2

Careful_with_that_Axe wrote: »

Your post made me very sad. I have just become a Council tenant, purely because I was unlucky enough to develop health problems including cancer which have left me disabled, with a limited life expectancy and unable to work. I, therefore, needed housing with extensive adaptations. My life savings (6 figures) went on supporting myself when I became unable to work until they were exhausted.
I am educated past degree level, intelligent, articulate and have previously worked in very demanding and responsible jobs. My father was honoured in the Queen's Honours List on 1976 and I got married (1st time round!) in Westminster Abbey.

But according to you, because I am a Council tenant, I am needy, workless and dependent on benefits. Funnily enough, that's not quite how I view myself, but you wouldn't want to live near me because I am in a council house.

Don't take it personally - those are the stats for the allocation of social housing. Social housing is based on need. You see yourself as deservingly needy. Social housing allocations don't make this distinction. You don't need to justify yourself. The advice on this thread telling the OP to find out the character of the estate by visiting it at different times rather than relying on stereotypes is sound.

Careful_with_that_Axe

I certainly didn't take it personally at all. It saddened me that such a sweeping judgement is made about a sector of people based purely on their housing situation and be considered a reasonable point of view. However, I am in danger of derailing the thread ....

geoffky

ask a local policeman would he live there..

space_rider

I moved from a private house opposite council houses where kids would help themselves to wing mirrors, car stereo and even walked on top of the car when I challenged them. We sold the house and bought another one in a very nice leafy area. Unfortunately drug dealers lived next door and eventually they were raided by the police, put in prison and then the man died of amphetamine abuse. I have since moved and live on a new estate on the edge of a council estate. I`ve lived here 4 years and so far so good.

suki1001

Moomin21 wrote: »

I don't know if this is the same everywhere, but we've bought an ex council house recently and the neighbour said that you can tell which ones are STILL council owned, as they have had the roof done, but the people who have bought them haven't bothered to change the roof!

I hope you were quoting the neighbours and not assuming that most people have 4k floating around for new roofs.
Have just bought an ex council house. It's fantastic, although can't afford a new roof yet! Backs onto fields with lambs on. Quiet estate, big house, fab garden, lovely village, fantastic church going neighbours with lovely children.
Having surveyed repairs on council houses in the past. I used to find how some people lived terribly upsetting and sad (animal excrement just left in house). That's not to say other people don't live like that and a lot of people did look after their houses. However, I think as with anywhere, people really vary from estate to estate. You can't generalise. I've lived in private rented flats where every other tennant was hooked on heroin.

Morglin

westy_1981 wrote: »

hi all

we have been to view a nice house this morning, it has everything we want; including a large garden. There is also scope for development and adding value to the property. However, we had a walk around the area after the viewing and saw that the street behind and also the next close on appear to be council housing. Few questions;

is it a risk to buy the property?

how do we find out if it is council / social housing (without going up to the door, knocking and asking) ?

i know this thread may seem a bit snobbish, but we're looking at spending up to 200k and the last thing we want is somewhere that has less than desireables around or a place my wife is afraid of taking our baby out in . . . .

thanks in advance

As a social tenant of many years, I would just like to confirm that I am quite safe around babies..................:whistle:

And, funnily enough, so are most other social tenants lol

Lin

Moomin21

suki1001 wrote: »

I hope you were quoting the neighbours and not assuming that most people have 4k floating around for new roofs.

Yes, this is what the neighbour says...we can't afford to do our roof and that needs doing!!!