Would you buy this house? Please help

daisiegg

KateLiana27 wrote: »

Call up the manager of the care home, introduce yourself nicely and ask for an informal chat about the type of people the home cares for. There's no point speculating or getting second hand information from an agent/vendor who may have already lied to you. For what it's worth, if it really is a care home that looks after people with Down's syndrome it wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

I do think the situation makes your house slightly (not hugely) less desirable to future buyers, and would expect the price of the house to reflect this. If you are paying less than you would for a similar house in the same area, and wouldn't be able to afford a different house without that "discount", I'd go for it. Every house involves some sort of compromise.

Yes have done so and have read a lot about the home online.

We are buying the house for a very good price (due to aforementioned situation of the vendors needing to move quickly to avoid losing their dream house, and us being desirable first time buyers) - in fact we're buying the house for £20,000 less than the mortgage valuation came back saying it was worth.

We have basically found out that there is no intention of changing the way the home operates, due to the fact that it is very small and to change it to a high security place which would enquire loads of investment (including the fence!) would not be financially viable for somewhere that only has room for 9 residents, as they wouldn't be able to make any money.

Also spoke to an independent local estate agent (i.e. not ours!) who was very helpful and advised that based on what we are paying for the house, even if the fence did go up he doesn't think we'd lose money on resale value.

Thanks all for advice and talking me through my crazy panic yesterday! I think we're going to go for it.

[Deleted User]

disturbed men, mmm. Do you have children who would be playing in the garden?.

Have you not heard of asset stripping ie a consortium comes in and buys the home and land and then sells the land for development. It has recently happened to a care home complex. You have fallen for the property and you are finding it hard to be objective op. Walk away, there are too many `what ifs`

kentmum1973

kittie wrote: »

disturbed men, mmm. Do you have children who would be playing in the garden?.

Have you not heard of asset stripping ie a consortium comes in and buys the home and land and then sells the land for development. It has recently happened to a care home complex. You have fallen for the property and you are finding it hard to be objective op. Walk away, there are too many `what ifs`

That could happen to any property any house backs onto. I really don't see the problem here. It is a small care home with big grounds. The land being sold for development would obviously need planning permission. This is a total 'what if'. OP, I would go for it.

daisiegg

kittie wrote: »

disturbed men, mmm. Do you have children who would be playing in the garden?.

Have you not heard of asset stripping ie a consortium comes in and buys the home and land and then sells the land for development. It has recently happened to a care home complex. You have fallen for the property and you are finding it hard to be objective op. Walk away, there are too many `what ifs`

If you read the whole thread you'll see we found out that the place cares for people with down's syndrome. Not the same as 'disturbed men'. No, we don't have children but even if we did, what are you picturing? Mentally ill people whispering to our kids through the garden fence? I don't think it's quite like that...

As someone else said, the second scenario you present could happen with ANY property near your house. In fact, it's less likely to happen in this case because the care home is successful and thriving and has just had money put into refurbishments.

Although, you're absolutely right about me having fallen for the place and struggling to be objective! Luckily my partner doesn't have the same problem.

Lady_S

There was a childrens home about 5 miles from my house. It was closed down as a childrens home and turned into a bail hostel.

It doesn't effect me, but the local residents are always up in arms about it and the millions of !!!!!philes which they consider live there.

J_i_m

I actually work in a "Mental Health" hospital. We're termed as "low secure" yet we have high fences, not prison type high, but enough of an eyesore.

Mental illness is not the same as learning disability. A person's mental health is very much dynamic, that's to stay it's constantly changing, this is true for everybody. A learning disability is much more of a constant, I have learning disability, if I hadn't revealed that, you'd probably wouldn't have noticed.

Statistically 1 in 4 people have a diagnosed "mental illness", that's a lot of people! The vast majority of these people manage their condition well, in the community, often with help from the services, but in general if they don't tell your about their illness you'd be hard pressed to know about it. Which is fair enough because there is an awful stigma attached to mental illness, much of it unjustified.

Now in a mental health hospital I can confirm that there are people there who are very unstable, and often violent, hence them being detained (on section) under the mental health act for their own safety as well of that of the public.

These places are locked even the so called "open" units, and patients deemed unfit, can not leave the premises until their mental state has stabilised. Many who are doing well, will have leave, often escorted by nursing staff, some have leave on their own.

You do get prisoners in secure units, obviously they aren't let out at all, unless it's an emergency, i.e A+E, or operation for physical health, and that's done with a minimum of a 2 person escort depending on risk assessments.

I put that last statement in, not to put people off living near these places, (most are located within general hospital sites, and within sight of housing areas), but simply because it's the truth.

The chances of your being adversely affected by these people are actually very low, be they a person with an unstable mental state, or with learning disabilities.

mumoftwins

I work for a specialist mental health team within the NHS.

Any service user that is deemed to need High Secure Placement would be placed with an NHS Secure Unit not a private one, so I very much doubt that the current Learning Disability Home at the rear of your garden would ever become a High Security Unit.

The only worry with these people being integrated back into the local community is that they may think everyone is their friend and not realise the dangers that are out in the big wide world.

daisiegg

Good news! I managed to speak to the 'Properties Manager' of the care home today and he has confirmed that they have absolutely no intention of changing the care home or of erecting the fence (it would make no financial sense for them to do so).

Now, I know that's not a definite "it will never happen" because who knows how the future will turn out, but it's as good as we're going to get; I think it does take us back to a more comfortable position and we're very happy to proceed with the purchase

Thanks to all who offered comments and advice - you helped me through my wibbly moment!

DianneB

Are you worried about the fence or that in the future 'high risk' residents may manage to get out?? My opinion would be that they wouldn't hang about to cause you any problems but try and get as far away as possible, quickly!! I once lived next to a day centre for teenagers with Down's and it was lovely and a joy to watch them in the gardens.