Would you buy this house? Please help

DannyboyMidlands

I wouldn't buy it. If the fence goes up it'd be like living next door to a prison. No thanks.

daisiegg

On the care company's website, this hospital is under the learning difficulties section, not the mental health section.

I called the place up this morning and they said they knew nothing about any fence, and that there were no plans to change the purpose or status of the home.

I called head office of the care company and was told that the properties manager is out of the office at the moment but will call me back next week.

My partner is calling the local planning office to see if we can get any other info off them.

Basically, if we had reason to believe that they don't intend to build the fence, I think we'd be comfortable going ahead. From all my research and speaking to people and reading loads of stuff, it's my opinion that they don't intend to do it...but obviously, 'my opinion' is not good enough!

To all those who say "just walk away", it's very hard when it's a house you love, when you've already paid out a lot of money in survey, solicitor's fees, mortgage broker etc, and when the potential problem may never become a problem at all. It's not like we were early in the process - we were literally about to exchange contracts.

Sorry to keep returning and posting here. I'm so stressed out about this it somehow feels like I'm doing something productive to be writing about it!

Thanks again to everyone who is reading and responding.

daisiegg

Mojisola wrote: »

What kind of fencing is there now? Have there been any problems with residents from the home in the past? Have you talked to any of the neighbours? Are there public reports about the residential centre like there are for residential homes for the elderly that you can look up?

You will have a garden backing onto landscaped gardens rather than being overlooked by other houses which is a good. Whether the residential home will cause you problems in the future when you come to sell is a bit of a gamble.

From what we can remember (it's been a while since we viewed the house) there is just an ordinary garden fence, and quite a lot of trees (which were still bare when we looked round).

We have looked up reports. It looks like it's just a residential home for people with learning difficulties and some physical/sensory difficulties, some of whom are semi-independent. The reports even talk about how nice it is that they each have a little flower patch in the garden that they can work on if they want to! These are not residents/patients who need to be kept in by an anti-climb fence; I think the issue of the fence would only arise if they decided to change the way the facility is used which, it seems to me as far as I can find out, they have decided not to do.

Aaaarrggh!!

Mojisola

daisiegg wrote: »

From what we can remember (it's been a while since we viewed the house) there is just an ordinary garden fence, and quite a lot of trees (which were still bare when we looked round).

We have looked up reports. It looks like it's just a residential home for people with learning difficulties and some physical/sensory difficulties, some of whom are semi-independent. The reports even talk about how nice it is that they each have a little flower patch in the garden that they can work on if they want to! These are not residents/patients who need to be kept in by an anti-climb fence; I think the issue of the fence would only arise if they decided to change the way the facility is used which, it seems to me as far as I can find out, they have decided not to do.

You obviously love the house apart from the possible problems that might arise from the residential home.

Who knows what the future might hold - it may become a more secure unit or it might get sold for housing or it may stay as it is.

It's difficult for you but, without seeing the place, I think if I liked it before this issue was raised, I would still buy it.

KRB2725

If planning has been granted once, then it would suggest it would be granted again after the current permission expires. Therefore I really think I would consider the fence as a permanent possibility.

Whilst the current facility wouldn't particularly concern me, I would be concerned that the site/property is likely to be deemed as suitable for conversion into a more 'secure unit' type facility.

I don't know how likely it is, but my worry would be that it gets sold and becomes a unit that houses violent/criminal persons.

Mrs_Arcanum

Buy it.

You obviously love the place and have considered the worse case scenario and how to disguise the fence were it ever to be put in.

All I can say with any certainty is that NONE of the homes that we manage for people with LD have high fences. Nor for that matter do any of those for people with MH issues. We have well over 2,000 residents/tenants/shared owners located all over England.

And given these cash strapped times - expensive fencing will be a very very low priority.

ItMightBeUsefulOneDay

daisiegg wrote: »

I think the issue of the fence would only arise if they decided to change the way the facility is used which, it seems to me as far as I can find out, they have decided not to do.

Correction, they have decided not to do yet.

I would think very carefully about this. This is a business you're moving next to and it could be sold to anyone at any time including someone who feels they can make more money from housing violent and disturbed loons. Planning permission is already in place for a fence and even if it lapses, the precedent has been set and it will be granted again in future if someone asks.

I would not buy the place but that is my personal view. Other people will also be put off the house so that will restrict your selling price and audience. Bear this in mind if you decide to confirm your offer and exchange.

hazyjo

I used to work for a charity for people with learning difficulties. Seem to remember the 'mental health' term was pretty much replaced with 'learning difficulties' - PC gone mad. I still believe the two things are very different.

I did visit several of the residential homes, and the majority were in large grounds. Is the back of the place right by the back of 'your' garden, or is it further away? One I visited was pretty huge and I'd hate to live next door to that. Awful place - like some sort of institution from days long gone. Another housed around 12 people - mainly Downs and CP. It was an absolute joy of a home (and I mean 'home' as in someone's home, not like home as in institution). It was absolutely lovely and they ran a small garden centre from there, with a few independent living houses at the end of the driveway.

I could have lived in there, let alone next door! Lovely, happy place.

I'd find out all I could about the place and make my decisions from that. Obviously residents will come and go so it's hard to know what might be planned for the future.

Is it a private place, or council run? The two council ones where I live have now closed (my house is actually on the estate of an old mental hospital).

Be aware its use can change, as mentioned above. That's probably more what would worry me!

Definitely google it to see if there are any planning applications, developments, or any history of problems - or if there are any plans to knock it down and build something else.

Jx

Radiantsoul

poppysarah wrote: »

You have to think like NOTW readers

soon to be ex-NOTW readers!

poppysarah

Radiantsoul wrote: »

soon to be ex-NOTW readers!

They will migrate to another paper...
But apparently there's 2.5M of them out there.