Would you buy a house opposite a play area?

SharkMoney

I am considering buying a new build property which would be my “forever home” or at least 10 years.

I have found a nice plot in terms of south-west facing garden but in front of the house is planned to be a “play area”. I have never lived near one and don’t have children myself but now we are getting close to making a decision on it it’s suddenly dawned on me that maybe it is an issue. Not concerned about use in the day and between the house and the park is a road and existing trees.

Concern is mainly around when children get older and may hang around the play area at night or use the surrounding green for ball games.

The play area is not actually due to be built for another 2 years near the end of the development.

Does anyone have anything to say?

DCFC79

Would the play area be a site for anti social behaviour eg drug dealing, smoking various substances etc in the evenings.

getmore4less

We have a green opposite and not far away there are others with a young children play area + Green space.
That gets used by families and the Green has kids playing football mainly summer and weekends when warm.

Ours are adopted by the council.
What will your cost the residents.

We had a couple of years with kids hanging about at night drinking/smoking but they grew up and no new ones for years.

It was never a big problem we were not bothered.

NaughtiusMaximus

Never in a million years would I buy that property, for this reason:

SharkMoney wrote: »

Concern is mainly around when children get older and may hang around the play area at night

The house could be perfect in every other way but this is a deal breaker as far as I'm concerned. IME areas such as this are a magnet for anti social behaviour, especially in the summer evenings.

ka7e

I would avoid. Both the established park and the new play area near my last house had problems with anti-social behaviour from kids and even young adults congregating there. It was all year round, not just on light Summer evenings. Wooden play equipment and bins were set on fire and huge amounts of litter were left, despite multiple bins. Nearby residents did their best to police it, but it was often kids from outside the estate and they would often get abusive. Lighter evenings and all day during school holidays, the noise levels were high even if there was no bad behaviour. The playground actually took 9 years to materialise on what had just been a grassed area and I think people living nearby were shocked by the impact it had on their enjoyment of their own property.

SharkMoney

ka7e wrote: »

I would avoid. Both the established park and the new play area near my last house had problems with anti-social behaviour from kids and even young adults congregating there. It was all year round, not just on light Summer evenings. Wooden play equipment and bins were set on fire and huge amounts of litter were left, despite multiple bins. Nearby residents did their best to police it, but it was often kids from outside the estate and they would often get abusive. Lighter evenings and all day during school holidays, the noise levels were high even if there was no bad behaviour. The playground actually took 9 years to materialise on what had just been a grassed area and I think people living nearby were shocked by the impact it had on their enjoyment of their own property.

Omg!! I think that’s the nail in the coffin!
Thanks for your input!

lozzy81

We live in a new build estate and the family who bought the house opposite the play park are always on the facebook page complaining about the noise, litter, ball games and older kids drinking and smoking so I would say to avoid it as it!!

SharkMoney

ka7e wrote: »

I would avoid. Both the established park and the new play area near my last house had problems with anti-social behaviour from kids and even young adults congregating there. It was all year round, not just on light Summer evenings. Wooden play equipment and bins were set on fire and huge amounts of litter were left, despite multiple bins. Nearby residents did their best to police it, but it was often kids from outside the estate and they would often get abusive. Lighter evenings and all day during school holidays, the noise levels were high even if there was no bad behaviour. The playground actually took 9 years to materialise on what had just been a grassed area and I think people living nearby were shocked by the impact it had on their enjoyment of their own property.

One thing to add is that there is hardly any housing surrounding this estate so i don’t think kids from elsewhere will come along, it will all be home bred!!

wymondham

As an alternative view, its a place close by you could go to get smashed and get high.... not all bad?

kinger101

SharkMoney wrote: »

One thing to add is that there is hardly any housing surrounding this estate so i don’t think kids from elsewhere will come along, it will all be home bred!!

You'd be surprised. Some of the the more antisocial ones have learned not to 5h1t on their own doorstep.

Bobo2009

Never again would i buy a house near an area where children could play.
They screamed and shouted all day long in the holidays playing football. Then the 10/11 year olds would hang around and the language was appalling. You couldnt sit with the windows open. This happened all year round just the holidays were even worse.
Dont think that kids from your estate wont invite their friends along too!