House value: waste ground to rear, violent neighbours two doors down - wwyd?

propertyhunter

Go and see that house, and see if you feel better about it vs this other one. Then you'll know what compromises you are willing to make. It's funny how you end up looking for something, and buy something else altogether. We've found a house in a completely different area to the one our search started in, and we're much better off for it. 

[Deleted User]

I agree with propertyhunter's comments. I understand you have certain specifications and moving is something you'd like to do sooner rather than later. However, the fact you are ambivalent about the place makes me wonder if the convenience it represents overrides you actually wanting to live there. If I was aware of crime in the neighbourhood, whether domestic or otherwise, I wouldn't want to live there. It sounds like it has other issues too. You started the post by saying you've gone off the property since Saturday (or words to that effect). I'd suggest going with your gut and not giving yourselves more problems if you don't need too. I hope you find somewhere that is more suitable x

Swipe

IMO bad areas can attract bad types of people. You never know who could move in next door. I'd look for a better area if you can.

MysteryMe

"Other" than the house with the domestic violence issues there appears to be little to suggest the locality is a crime hotspot from the information given. I would hope that particular issue would resolve itself in the short term with one or other leaving the house or the husband going inside. There is not a high churn in house sales, so this just sounds like a very unfortunate occurrence which could happen anywhere, including your desired area. 

Derelict land being used as a local tip is not as desirable as a new housing estate so in that respect I agree with the vendor. The issue is not knowing when the development will commence so with such a short term timescale you may not see the benefit of the improvement.

The bottom line is, if you don't have much positivity towards the property there is no point considering it but other than the ground you stand on, there are few constants in life. Nice neighbours can move out, not so nice move in. 

gwynlas

Look at all options of housing such as a 3 bed and a  garden office for your husband, We revently converted a stand alone garage to an annex but an integral garage could be a ground floor bedroom, office or extra reception room. The new houses with incentives might make this house look like poor value for money.

theartfullodger

KievLover said:

theartfullodger said:

Depends how much of a gambler you are.  ....

Moderately risk adverse. Can afford to lose some money but more than 30k would annoy me. Also, need a home!

£30k drop more than likely when market drops anyway (it will, it will, there's always downs as well as ups, regardless of what the Daily Wail prints...).

user1977

MysteryMe said:

"Other" than the house with the domestic violence issues there appears to be little to suggest the locality is a crime hotspot from the information given. I would hope that particular issue would resolve itself in the short term with one or other leaving the house or the husband going inside. There is not a high churn in house sales, so this just sounds like a very unfortunate occurrence which could happen anywhere, including your desired area. 

Indeed. I've got no idea what happens behind closed doors in my neighbourhood.

Of course there's also the risk that the "incidents of violent/sexual assault" are actually people being attacked in the street, which would be more of a concern.

MysteryMe

Yes, attacks on other people in the street is entirely different. There are other near neighbours the OP could ask to verify what the vendor is saying is accurate.

brasso

theartfullodger said:

KievLover said:

theartfullodger said:

Depends how much of a gambler you are.  ....

Moderately risk adverse. Can afford to lose some money but more than 30k would annoy me. Also, need a home!

£30k drop more than likely when market drops anyway (it will, it will, there's always downs as well as ups, regardless of what the Daily Wail prints...).

That's total speculation based on nothing at all. Where we're trying to buy, we've been telling ourselves for 2 or 3 years that prices are about to drop. Result? We've put an offer in on a house that's costing 100-150K more than it would have done when we started looking.

brasso

KievLover said:

propertyhunter said:

So the question is really, do you see yourself being happy there having made those compromises?

Sometimes you walk into a place and just get the right feeling - did you get that with this house?

What does Zoopla/Rightmove tell you about the turnover in the area? Have your current vendors lived there for years? What about the problem neighbours? Is there an association between them arriving and other neighbours selling up? 

.....
I think you're right about compromise. I've just discussed with the fiance sacrificing a bedroom and losing a dining room to office space instead, eating on our laps for a few years, getting to the area that we want to actually be in immediately (we're getting a new car next month, travel will be less painful) and buying a terraced in the right area, for now, with a view to dream home after a two year fixed term mortgage ending. I've just found said-described place in an okay area for 25k less than the other house we're talking about.  The concession being it being terraced instead of detached, and 300 square foot smaller. 

Does the smaller house have a garden? Think about installing a garden room office. If you Google it you'll see that you can buy some excellent garden rooms in kit form (put up for you) for around £10K, give or take a bit, which would not only avoid using up too much house space but would add value to the house when you come to sell.

Hard to comment without seeing the bigger house in question but it sounds to me like you are not convinced. Ideally you should feel quite a lot of excitement about moving into your new place and I don't really get that from you! I'm also not convinced that a huge housing estate being built at the end of your garden is quite such good news. You'll have loads of heavy traffic during the construction phase, then after it's built, it'll presumably add a lot of road congestion and pollution, plus a spike in demand at the local doctor, dentist, etc, plus schools if you have kids. It wouldn't be much of an inducement to me, frankly, and I don't see why it would boost property prices.