Perfect House - but under mobile phone mast

Skint_Catt

Simple question - would you buy or wouldn't you?

Ok so the mast isn't directly over it but it's only 500m away and I'm a tad nervous especially as we'll have our first (and probably second) child in the house.

Thanks, C xx

Gwhiz

Half a kilometre. I'd have no issue.

Skint_Catt

Oops, sorry - I meant 500ft

Doozergirl

H says not a chance. There's a house I liked, same problem. The thing isn't even small - it's huge. We drove past, it's not that near but it's not that far either. But you just don't know, so I'm not that comfortable with it either. H's brother in law was pretty high up in one of the mobile companies until fairly recently and he is insistent that they have funds set up like the tobacco companies, to pay out. Mobiles have been around for 20 odd years now and we're still waiting for the evidence though.

The thing is, that since seeing that house, I've realised that we are actually surrounded by them, almost wherever we are. Our house is pretty close to the local TV transmitter, we walk the dog past it, and I bet that throws off more than a mobile phone mast, but there is also a smaller mobile phone mast about 100m away from the house.

And another house we own, I was out in the garden on Saturday and realised that you can see one of these big mobile phone ones from there too. It's not much further from there than the house I liked. Anyway, someone else obviously didn't mind the mast being so close to that house I liked because it's under offer.

VJ_

I'd buy it - there's no scientific evidence that points to any risk, and you might be able to use the fact that it's so close to the mast to reduce the purchase price.

ReadingTim

Can you actually see the mast from the house, or did you merely look it up on Ofcom's "mobile phone base station database" website?

There's no proven link between mobiles (both the masts and the handsets) and ill health, so I wouldn't worry about the tinfoil hat conspiracy thoeries. And with the mast some 4-5 football pitches away from the house, you may not even see it - plus phone reception ought to be quite good.

So unless it's a blinding eyesore, I'd suggest you're being paranoid, and buy the place. However, you could use that paranoia to your advantage, and lower your offer due to the proximity of the mast (compared to a house further away from any masts). Unfortunately, if you did that, you should be prepared for someone else to try the same thing when you come to sell it...

Gwhiz

Tell you what, if it did casue issues you'd have a really strong mobile signal to complain with

HappyMJ

Gwhiz wrote: »

Tell you what, if it did casue issues you'd have a really strong mobile signal to complain with

Which would actually make the mobile safer to use as it doesn't need to use as much power to make the call. The further you are away from a transmitter the higher the output from a phone. I'd rather be near but not to near a transmitter I think 500ft is a good distance. A strong signal. Longer battery life on the mobile and not too much power from the transmitter.

InkZ

I had a transmitter put on the roof of my flat and I've lived under it for 4 years and lived to tell the tale.

Interestingly enough, apparently you are better off directly under it than next to it due to it transmitting to the sides like this >|<.

The thing I would ask myself is when you come to sell will it put off potential buyers?

DannyboyMidlands

Not in a million years. Not worth risking brain cancer for a slightly nicer house.

david39

The question of whether to buy the house or not will also be asked by possible purchasers if you, in the future, decide to sell the house yourself.

If the mast is causing you to have doubts now, then the same question will be asked when you decide to sell.