Shared Ownership: Proximity to Council Properties

henrygregory

Hi there,
Trying to buy a Shared Ownership property on a new build local housing development. Can just about afford to buy this and been looking for so long.

I would be number 72 on the below plan.
Blue spots denote Shared Ownershp
Red spots denote Council allocated properties through HA
Green spots denote 100% private development properties
The orange boarder denotes my immediate area.


I was rushed and pressured into putting down a deposit and proceeding with legal bits and pieces, but not once did my housing association tell me just the volume of council houses that would be both next to and opposite my property. I fully appreciate all developments have to have them, but I am a little surprised at how they have all been clumped together.

Does anyone know if this may have an adverse effect on the future value of my property? This property is valued high as it is and I am worried that in the future, when I come to sell, I may encounter issues as it could put buyers off.

[Deleted User]

It can't be predicted. You can have good and bad neighbours and whether they are council or private or shared ownership is no predictor of whether they will be good or bad.

As to value, it may lower sellability slightly, but there will usually be people willing to buy shared ownership because its all they can afford, regardless of high valuation. Unless the estate gets a really bad rep.., and again, you can't predict that.

It might be worth speaking to the HA who is allocating properties. In a mixed development near me, you couldn't apply for social housing unless you had no criminal problems or asbo's etc. Your background was looked into.

Lioness_Twinkletoes

Deannatrois is right. It totally depends on who is living there and how well they maintain their properties and the surrounding areas. If you do have a problem though, you're going to struggle as reporting it to the HA means you'll have to declare it if you decide to sell.

Personally, speaking as a HA resident (just to avoid the accusations of snobbery) I wouldn't buy that close to social housing tenants. I've lived cheek to jowl all my life and I'd love to get away from them. There's always one or two in my experience...

diggingdude

The only thing I would say is that it is easier to deal with a housing association than a lazy private landlord (not saying all are lazy, just some) who only wants his rent and doesn't care what their tenant is doing.

usefulmale

If you want a home, buy a share of No72.

If you want an investment, buy shares.

00ec25

pity the people in no 85 who have to be in proximity to those full of prejudice

diggingdude

00ec25 wrote: »

pity the people in no 85 who have to be in proximity to those full of prejudice

I must be honest I thought the same, but lets be fair we would all worry a little

Cakeguts

The rent part of the shared housing is social housing so what you are buying is part own part social housing. What you will be living next to is social housing. What is the problem?

stator

I would ask them what they are going to do to stop people parking on the turning area. People will park all over it.

hammy1988

As someone who grew up on a council estate (or a few) and now is an owner of a new build (not shared equity) thought I'd give my two pennyworths.

I am surprised as to how clumped together the houses are? on my estate I have two across the road and that's it, they have been all dotted around in dribs and drabs. We do have some flats near us that are social housing and one or two of them have been a bit noisy.

You need to take a few factors into account really, the housing association houses are given to those marked as desperately in need of housing, so other than unless they've had rent arrears, anyone can get them, they are not vetted. Prepare to be surrounded by a LOT of children, these houses are not given to people who are just young couples, they are houses for a reason, the bedrooms are not there just for decoration That in itself can be quite noisy (speaking from personal experience and knowledge!).

However, being social housing, they are monitored on behaviour, and if you did get a bad tenant, they can be moved on in time which is a positive of them renting. There is always a local housing officer for an area like that, and if you need to, you can contact them with issues.

You do have shared ownership neighbours close by, and it isn't a massive group of social tenants in all fairness. Like others have said, you will find that those that can only buy shared ownership, wouldn't be put off by living near that as such.

Lastly I might add, the housing developers usually have set rules in place for the neighbourhoods such as no business vehicles or caravans etc, so the SH tenants will have to abide by this. Just be prepared for boy racer cars in my experience!

Sorry if I haven't been helpful. Having lived and grown up on both of the spectrums I have a good insight as to what might or might not happen!

Sometimes you have to develop a tough attitude and be prepared for anything, you can get crappy neighbours from social housing or private, there's nothing to stop anyone buying them as a buy to let and housing similar families in any of the houses.

Lioness_Twinkletoes

It's not just noise and loads of kids though - although that in itself is a pain in the summer. I live in a small close, with only 30 houses, plus a small low rise block. The majority of the houses are two beds so there are no big families, but we've still had to deal with the following:

Noise - parties blasting out till 4am, cars blasting out music at all hours, people loudly coming and going at 2am
Kids playing ball in the street with their balls bouncing off the cars.
Kids climbing on the roof of the communal bin area
Littering - the worst littering I have ever seen. Black bags are just dumped near the bin shed because people are too lazy to put it actually in the shed (one tenant just throws it from his front door) so the bags split and rubbish is strewn everywhere
Fly tipping - constant fly tipping from tenants and people that have apparently driven here to fly tip
Graffiti

Other parts of the borough, that are all private houses don't have these issues. I accept anti social behaviour is not exclusive to social housing tenants but what I live with is as carried out by social housing tenants and the HA have proved to be magnificently inept at dealing with it.