We found the house we r buying is ex-council just a week before exchange. What to do?

GwylimT

patfunk9 wrote: »

Thanks all for the prompt responses. I understand what everyone is saying (including the sarcy ones), but when I checked the crime statistics and the demographic 2 street across, and there are a lot of instances of 'thefts' and 'anti-social behaviour' reported in the past 3 years. That is more my worry than anything else.

There are here too, on a private gated estate with zero renters. If you want an area with zero crime, you need to live in the middle of nowhere.

tom9980

Even new build estates tend to have a mix of affordable housing in the 30% range. I bought an ex council property because it was cheap for what it it provided us in terms of size and garden.

I also felt the area had been tainted by reputation rather than current reality, most of the population were ageing and using right to buy. Most of the trouble makers had been shipped off to another part of the city so in reality there was only a small core of idiots a few streets away in flats. In 5 1/2 years we experienced 3-4 incidents of note all involving kids/lads but nothing major at all.

Meanwhile a new estate was built next door by Redrow with 180-450k homes and the University are building another campus for science opposite as well so the area has a on the up feel now more than ever. You should spend some time getting to know the area before you buy, i certainly did my research and was happy with my choice.

looknohands

If you compare to Birmingham as a whole how does it sit? Burglary is not likely going to happen in the vicinity of the offenders house remember (don't !!!! in your own backyard), anti-social behaviour more likely i guess. I lived in a council house for 22 years and was never burgled (my bike was nicked once when i left it outside unlocked) my girlfriends parents live in a big detached with a long drive in a nice suburb and were burgled 3 times.

notakid

You say yourself its an upcoming area and sort after by buyers. That tells you everything.

I live in a private area however we had some near neighbours who were horrible. They had a private rent paid by the council. It doesn't matter where you live you can have a problem neighbours As long as your neighbours on each side are good there are no problems.

It sounds you have a good buy. You have had a reduction on the price you were willing to pay I think you are having cold feet as its a big responsibility.

Drive round at different times of the day to put your mind at rest. There are no such things as council estates these days.

libf

patfunk9 wrote: »

Thanks all for the prompt responses. I understand what everyone is saying (including the sarcy ones), but when I checked the crime statistics and the demographic 2 street across, and there are a lot of instances of 'thefts' and 'anti-social behaviour' reported in the past 3 years. That is more my worry than anything else.

And where you live now there is no crime?

fashionvictim

Did you check Zoopla Local info tab for the stats- my area has a lot of socially rented properties, those old people are terrible with their parties and whisky !! Ha ha so can be misleading.

If you drive around at night do you feel safe if yes, and you like the house, good price then go for it.

There have been a few anti social behaviour things here, but I assume it would be at the local pub or the corner shop? I have never seen any crime or experienced any in my ghetto

27col

Some people are weird. |How could you possibly look at an ex council house and not know until you are almost completing. From my experience council estates, current or ex ,stand out like a sore thumb. Most have been upgraded over the years, either by the Council, or by their tenant purchasers.
Strikes me that you are just looking for something to worry about. All areas are subject to occasional trouble from low life's at times.

C_Mababejive

There are many benefits to living on a so called council estate or housing assoc estate. The main one is that if you have a neighbour who misbehaves,,well you can report them and get it sorted. But if you live in mortgaged accommodation and your neighbour is causing problems well you can do precisely nothing.. EX LA houses are very often better built and more spacious than private homes,,especially newer cardboard boxes.

cattermole

I think you have absolutely no grounds to re-negotiate the house price because you didn't research or realize before it was an ex-council house.

If I was the seller I'd be furious at such a request tbh. They seem to have already been quite accommodating in dropping the price slightly over a few things that needed doing.

Can I also add that I think house prices in the West Midlands are rising not falling and there is a shortage of good properties for sale, so I doubt that you would have got it cheaper by waiting. We could probably sell our house for more than we did 6/7 weeks ago when the Sale was agreed. On that basis I don't think our Buyer's would be very happy if we said a week before exchange oh btw we think the house is worth more now so we want an extra X amount, would you?. Plus if you renegotiate the price it will affect your mortgage offer.

Either you want the house or you don't so it's make your mind up time

mrginge

i think you need to pull out immediately.

Its pretty obvious that you really don't know what you're doing if you're waiting until point of exchange before making the most basic investigation into the area that you propose living in.

I suggest giving this up as a bad job, reading a few 'house-buying for dummies' books and then starting again in a few months time.