Dream home near sub station

Kango

Hello. I have reserved our dream home in the perfect location for my family (great schools and country side views).
There is a sub station in a garage next to our house, there is a double drive between our house and this sub station in a garage.
I am freaking out a little. I know there are no proven health risks and I should look at wi-fi, phones, fridges etc first. Also, I plan to live here for at least 20 years but I am worried about resale value, what people will say to me about health risks and just generally worried and thinking I am silly for buying - am I silly????

Nobbie1967

Two issues here, first is if you are worried about the safety of the sub station? If so, then it's not your dream home and you best move on. If you are worried about selling it in 20 years, then I wouldn't let they stop you since so much can happen in 20 years. I very much doubt that any evidence will come to light linking sub stations with any illness and even if it did, I imagine that the electricity company would be compelled to shield the substation with a cage which would eliminate any electromagnetic field affecting your house.

Kango

Thank you for the quick reply. It's not the health issue, I know we have dangers all around us it's more the resale and maybe people mentioning it to me all the time!
I think I am just freaking out and being silly it's just nice to hear other people say it's ok.
When I spoke to the developer they said I am the only person to mention it but I can meet the site manger and he will show me the sub station and answer all. Questions!

davidmcn

My last house had a chunky substation over the back fence. None of the viewers mentioned it as a problem and it sold without difficulty.

ReadingTim

Kango wrote: »

I am freaking out a little. I know there are no proven health risks and I should look at wi-fi, phones, fridges etc first. Also, I plan to live here for at least 20 years but I am worried about resale value, what people will say to me about health risks and just generally worried and thinking I am silly for buying - am I silly????

Yes, you are.

Nasqueron

There have been countless studies into people who claim to have health issues or sensitivity to electricity or wifi. Last time I looked there was only one study where the testing showed better than guesswork when people were put in lab conditions and asked to identify when a field was in place or not and they couldn't replicate the results when re-testing indicating good guesses by the subjects. Every other test on people who claimed all sorts of health problems (headaches etc) when in contact with microwaves etc simply couldn't do better than 50/50 guessing which is remarkable considering they claim to have issues as soon as they are in say a pub with wifi.

All this is leading to the fair conclusion that unless you have convinced yourself they do harm or make you ill (like a reverse placebo) then there is no health risk at all and it's all in the mind.

Maelwys

Kango wrote: »

There is a sub station in a garage next to our house, there is a double drive between our house and this sub station in a garage.
I am freaking out a little. I know there are no proven health risks and I should look at wi-fi, phones, fridges etc first. Also, I plan to live here for at least 20 years but I am worried about resale value, what people will say to me about health risks and just generally worried and thinking I am silly for buying - am I silly????

There's an electricity Substation about 30 feet behind my house. It's slap bang in the middle of a housing development that was built in the early 80s, and is surrounded on all sides by at least one garden. However to my knowledge nobody has started glowing or grown webbed feet... :rotfl:

After living here for 4 years, my only complaint about the substation is that the person owning the garden lying directly between my house and it hasn't bothered to put up a 6-foot hedge to block the view! It's a bit on the ugly side and spoils the effect of looking out over the surrounding gardens, but no more so than any other big fenced-off lump of metal/concrete would.

There is a note on my last house valuation survey to say that proximity to the substation may limit resale value... but honestly if it weren't for the aforementioned gap in the garden hedging, you really wouldn't know it was there.

I used (during childhood/early teens) to be fairly prone to migraine headaches, and I can usually detect/hear a 60Hz electrical background "hum" from lights and home appliances easily enough... but seriously, there's not been a single peep from the substation. And my mobile phone and home WiFi reception are completely fine...

Edit: About 6 months ago, I had a letter through the front door to say that they were upgrading equipment in the Substation in two weeks time and the surrounding streets would need be put onto a Portable Generator for a few hours. I remember needing to reset the clocks when I came home that day. I think that's the only time in 4 years it's affected me in any way.

theartfullodger

Oerrrr yes, very worrying: And you should be careful about all other sources of electromagnetic radiation especially...
- TV: Don't watch.
- Mobile 'phones: Don't use, especially near your head
- DECT wireless house-phones (Ditto)
- Wireless routers.. (GCHQ are monitoring everything you do through this anyway: Yes, especially those sites you thought no-one knew you looked at...)
- Electric cooker or hob.
- Light bulbs: Live in the dark..
- Tumble-dryers: The motor pumps out magnetic rays you know...
- Microwave ovens: Terrible! You know how they were discovered?? Radar technician in WW2 found the chocolate in his coat had melted -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_oven#Discovery
imagine what it's doing to your brain!
- Laptops, tablets. PCs, kindles: Especially if used WiFi or on a mobile network..
- Clocks with electronic displays..
- Anything else plugged into the mains...
- Smart-meters: They are talking to mother you know..
- The mains wiring in the house... disconnect, start using candles...
- Electric blankets..
- Electric shavers

(Come on guys, add to the list, what have I forgotten??)

Recommend you wear a aluminium foil hat to protect your brain..

TBagpuss

The only issue for me would be whether there was any noise from the substation and whether it was audible in the house/garden. Because that would bug me.

Safety wise there is no evidence at all that there are any safety issues.
20 years is far to far ahead to predict what may or may not make a difference to prices or saleability.

On the plus side, you are probably less likely to face long power cuts in bad weather!

All that said, it would be *your* home. If t is going to worry you, or mean that you enjoy the house less, then that might be a good reason for chosing a differnt property.

davidmcn

theartfullodger wrote: »

(Come on guys, add to the list, what have I forgotten??)

Don't go to work in a building near a substation, and don't send your kids to a school which has a substation...

AnnieO1234

I personally wouldn't buy a home near a substation. Having a close family friend who lived near to a rather large generator for a rollercoaster die from cancer, along with two other neighbours of theirs. (All worked at the site.) It just seems all a bit too much coincidence for me. They all had similar cancers btw. I also can't stand the "hum" from electricity power lines and I suspect substations are the same. Maybe the noise factor wouldn't be too bad in a busy area but if it's more countryside and quiet at night, the noise could be too much. xxx