New Build Near Affordable Housing

lis9388

We have recently shown strong interest in a new build property on a new development, and we would be buying off plan.


The plot that’s available that we have shown interest in backs onto the affordable housing (about 20 houses are being built on the land behind ours) Which means our garden backs onto the AH gardens,


I polity asked the sales lady who the Affordable housing had been sold to and she replied with a blunt ‘’it will be a mixture of Shared ownership and Affordable rentals’’ and added, "it’s personal preference if your happy with being so close?" This reply has obviously got me to query weather it should be of any concern? Has anyone who has bought a new build near AH that could shed some information or experience?


The gardens are not small but more wide then long so whoever we back into would be would be close by! I kind of wished I never asked, but this being a big purchase for us, you feel you need to do every bit of research possible!

mundibananas

Why do you think it would be a problem? Are you expecting a traveller site to be setup at the end of your garden? I live in a (old) new build area that has both private and ah/ha accommodation - and if the site plan didn't state which was which I would be none the wiser to this day.

Slithery

There's nothing to say that affordable housing tenants or homeowners will be bettter or worse behaved than people that can afford to pay full price, you could end up with next door being the neighbours from hell even though they have more money.

Personally I wouldn't consider it a problem if my only option was buying on a new-build estate.

billy2shots

I believe that most (all?) new build estates of a certain size have to offer a certain percentage of AH to get plans past local councils.

It will be common in the years to come.

KatieDee

I work for a local authority and have recently been involved with the letting of "Affordable Housing" properties. We have a very strict process in which we let these properties, which involves tenancy conduct, confirmation of employment, landlord references and affordability.

The long and short of it is that it's impossible to vet a potential tenant - they say what they know you want to hear through the lettings process. Likewise, when buying a home you have absolutely no guarantee what kind of person they're likely to be until they're in and settled.

You could buy on a lovely estate full of people who have paid top whack for their houses, and there might always be some pigheaded, angry and downright rude neighbour next door. You could buy in a lovely area and have the house next door rented out to a group of young lads who party 24/7. It's always a risk buying a home. Given the price of housing nowadays, not many young people can afford to buy without some form of help (whether it be Help to Buy or otherwise), so I would assume you'll just get a lot of lower income families with aspirations to own their homes. I see this as a good thing!

Contrary to popular opinion on these boards, I can completely understand the worries a lot of people have about living near certain areas or types of housing. Personally, I don't think affordable housing falls into this category, but only you know how you feel about it.

chanz4

I have x2 neighbours that are shared ownership, lovely people never an issue

kingstreet

Ok. Spin the wheel and buy second-hand.

You will have absolutely no idea what you are going to get.

diggingdude

A friend of mine lives in affordable housing and is a manager of a child protection team so has a good salary, is respectable etc. Thing is you are right to be a little worried, people will say don't but the amount of posts you see about this makes it clear many people worry. In time as more developments are built this will become the norm, however be aware a buyer may have the same concerns as you

theartfullodger

In my experience affordable housing occupants are often so much, much, nicer than those stuck-up middle-class people always banging on about house prices.


And frequently need affordable housing due to being in essential but lower-paid jobs, as "key workers".

https://www.homebuyservice.co.uk/eligibility/key-worker-eligibility.html

Crashy_Time

theartfullodger wrote: »

In my experience affordable housing occupants are often so much, much, nicer than those stuck-up middle-class people always banging on about house prices.


And frequently need affordable housing due to being in essential but lower-paid jobs, as "key workers".

https://www.homebuyservice.co.uk/eligibility/key-worker-eligibility.html

That seems to be something people do a lot less these days, wonder why?