ex council semi detached vs terraced private

enthusiasticsaver

If it is an end terraced I cannot really see any difference between going for that or a semi detached. Ask about the leasehold aspect though. As it is about £30k more than the other one and will incur stamp duty I would check it is still within your budget and are you going to have to spend out on it. Having just been through the stressful process of selling a flat I too would be wary of someone who had already messed you about. Can't see why the wife is angry about that. They do not come across as reliable sellers from what you have said.

going_nowhere_fast

enthusiasticsaver wrote: »

If it is an end terraced I cannot really see any difference between going for that or a semi detached. Ask about the leasehold aspect though. As it is about £30k more than the other one and will incur stamp duty I would check it is still within your budget and are you going to have to spend out on it. Having just been through the stressful process of selling a flat I too would be wary of someone who had already messed you about. Can't see why the wife is angry about that. They do not come across as reliable sellers from what you have said.

The difference is huge because the terraced likely has no cavity wall between it and next door whereas you would hope the semi detached does (although I've learnt from mse that even some semi detached houses don't).

Davesnave

going_nowhere_fast wrote: »

If you don't want the semi I would wait and go for another semi detached with good cavity walls between the properties.

Sorry, but houses do not usually have cavity walls between them unless they are very modern. Recent changes in the building regs have recognised heat loss via separating walls, but this is post 2010.

Walls between houses are typically solid, but construction thickness and methods of sound damping obviously vary.

Cavity wall construction was invented to stop the transfer of wind-driven rain through porous walls. There is no rain on a party wall and thus no need for a cavity. It's possible hollow blocks could be used, but that would not be a cavity wall as normally described.

Having lived in 1930s and 40s semis, I can say that sound transfer wasn't a serious problem, and it was even less so when I lived in a Georgian terrace, constructed roughly 150 years before the first cavity wall.

Sound transfer is all down to the quality of the construction and design.

going_nowhere_fast

Davesnave wrote: »

Sorry, but houses do not usually have cavity walls between them unless they are very modern. Recent changes in the building regs have recognised heat loss via separating walls, but this is post 2010.

Walls between houses are typically solid, but construction thickness and methods of sound damping obviously vary.

Cavity wall construction was invented to stop the transfer of wind-driven rain through porous walls. There is no rain on a party wall and thus no need for a cavity. It's possible hollow blocks could be used, but that would not be a cavity wall as normally described.

Having lived in 1930s and 40s semis, I can say that sound transfer wasn't a serious problem, and it was even less so when I lived in a Georgian terrace, constructed roughly 150 years before the first cavity wall.

Sound transfer is all down to the quality of the construction and design.

Well i didnt know that. How can you tell when looking to buy a house how well the walls are built between the properties? Purpose of knowing is to avoid problems with noise.

Davesnave

going_nowhere_fast wrote: »

Well i didnt know that. How can you tell when looking to buy a house how well the walls are built between the properties? Purpose of knowing is to avoid problems with noise.

I don't know that it's possible to do more than consider the general standard of construction. Where houses are built as estates, either older or modern, they often get a local reputation for build quality.

Having 'hall & stairs adjoining' is probably best.

I'd also try to observe the neighbours for signs that they might have a loud lifestyle, but that's difficult too!

Many problems that people have with noise are lifestyle-generated, not construction faults. The only noise issue I ever had was with selling an 80s end terraced bungalow, where the deaf old lady next door had a very loud TV. This matter was solved when she had a hearing loop installed.

moneyistooshorttomention

Personally, I wouldn't go for that ex-Council one. Never mind what I thought about the house itself, but I would be too wary of this vendors "relationship problems" resurfacing and affecting me. Sellers have to have a nice firm determined-to-sell united front in my book or they are too likely to cause problems.

NB; Agrees with the Georgian terrace being good at not transmitting sound. I did seriously wonder whether to offer on one of them (ie instead of the detached I actually got as per original plan).

going_nowhere_fast

Davesnave wrote: »

I don't know that it's possible to do more than consider the general standard of construction. Where houses are built as estates, either older or modern, they often get a local reputation for build quality.

Having 'hall & stairs adjoining' is probably best.

I'd also try to observe the neighbours for signs that they might have a loud lifestyle, but that's difficult too!

Many problems that people have with noise are lifestyle-generated, not construction faults. The only noise issue I ever had was with selling an 80s end terraced bungalow, where the deaf old lady next door had a very loud TV. This matter was solved when she had a hearing loop installed.

It worries me that there is no way of knowing. I'm in a similar position to op in a terraced with thin walls, one set of nice quiet neighbours and one set that are horrendous. I'm working towards moving to a semi (detached is just not going to be realistically achievable) to reduce noise nuisance. It terrifies me I could end up in a semi with equally thin walls.

I just don't know how you pick a house when one of your priorities is thick well built party walls.

With really anti social neighbours you would still hear them but you wouldn't hear every day noise.

Loopy28

I currently live in a semi detached house (built 2003) I can still hear my neighbours at times. Not general talking or TV but if they shout at the kids or have loud music on.

The semi I used to rent built in the late 90s was terrible, I could literally hear everything next door. I really think it just depends on the house.

The house I am hopefully buying is end terrace, I thought it couldn't be any different to a semi in terms of noise so hope I am not wrong.

To answer the original post, I would consider the fact that ex local authority houses can be difficult to sell. Also if that vendor has pulled out once, how do you know they won't do the same again?

going_nowhere_fast

Word of warning Loopy28 I have learnt from mse that some terraces are well built and have good soundproofing but mine (approx 200 years old) has walls so thin we can hear the man next door have a wee, we could literally hear a fly fart in the house next door. Its fine with respectful neighbours because you adapt your lifestyle accordingly but is unbearable with bad neighbours.

FatVonD

Have you checked whether the house next door to the ex council houses is also privately owned? Does it look like it has been kept in good order?

I personally (having once bought an ex LA maisonette) wouldn't consider buying an ex LA house though there is a road in the town I live in where the LA road runs directly into a very smart road (totally different style of houses) and the 'gentrification' of the ex LA houses is working its way down.

However much people on here will tell you that all LA tenants aren't troublesome and you can get bad neighbours in privately owned houses the reality is that many people wont want to buy a LA house so it will be more difficult to sell, that's why it's so much cheaper than the other.

Can you afford the other one? It sounds like that's the one you want. Toss a coin, you don't have to do what it says but you will know if your heart sinks or soars at whatever the 'result' is which one you really want.