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

Emmia

If you're hesitant, then the people you plan to sell to in 3 years time, are likely to be also hesitant - and you'll have to sell it, to get to the area you want...

walwyn1978

If they haven’t even started yet and unless I’ve missed it in the thread in which case apologies there’s not panning approval for the new estate at the back yet , there’s a small but possible chance that in 3 years you’ll be trying to sell a house whilst there’s construction/plant/noise/etc going on behind your garden, which might make selling your house harder. 

[Deleted User]

user1977 said:

I don't see the relevance of the crime figures, unless it's antisocial behaviour which would actually affect you. Several offences by one person (if that's what it is) doesn't really make somewhere a "crime hotspot".

Might affect insurance prices.

MysteryMe

Car thefts, vandalism and burglaries are the types of crimes that insurance companies are more interested in as they involve people making claims on their insurance. 

elsien

Just checked my area. It’s showing 73 violence and sexual offences near me. I have lived here for years, regularly walk on my own at night and have never had any problems or felt unsafe.
I am close to town centre pubs and clubs, and strongly suspect that the majority of those offences relate to folks on a night out who’ve had far too much to drink and don’t come anywhere near my street. 

Those crime statistics can be misleading if the context isn’t there. 
My street is showing 16. Again, fairly sure that most are alcohol related with people in house shares. Or the pub at the top of the road. Doesn’t affect me, makes no odds to how I feel about living here. 

MalMonroe

You seem to have taken as gospel what you have been told by the owner of the property with waste ground at the back "when we quizzed the owners, they said it must be domestic violence by the next door neighbour but one." They have made assumptions but they don't know.

As well as having a domestic abuser on the doorstep (if that is true, and we don't know if it is), I'd not want any waste ground at the back of me. Not just because of the fly tipping but because I'd really baulk at the idea of 140 houses being built there, too. Do you think you'd be able to recoup what you paid, if you decided to buy?

Reading between the lines of your first post it appears that you don't want this property either.

Is there really absolutely nothing else that's suitable?

Sistergold

KievLover said:

Crime isn't great in the area, but it's lower than the national average, by a little bit. There are pockets in the one mile surrounding the house that I'm not best pleased about. 

I do think they're being honest. They're just older folk who didn't even know you could look up crime rates online and I think are a bit blinkered. They were honest enough to admit that next-door-but-one beats up his wife, and were shocked when I told them those incidents had actually been put into police systems and the November and December investigations are still ongoing. 

Their actual next door neighbour was a loud alcoholic who caused them noise issues and died just before xmas.

So, you're right about the area. It doesn't exactly fill me with joy.

Of course they'd say new homes will increase the property's value. They're buying a vacant place off mates and are desperate to move. They've also got a property developer who lives in the close who has convinced them the asking price is spot on. Clearly not considering the dumping ground behind and local crime rates.

I wish we could find another compromise. I just can't think of what that should be, because we've wracked our brains for everything I can think of.

Noted re: market, we have considered that risk. If it drops 10% in 3 years it's not going to devastate our finances, the house doesn't cost enough in the first place to do so. I am just wary of adding to that risk with the above-mentioned things; we want to be able to sell the bloody thing!

Very much appreciate your input, thank you.

Those crime reports might not be from next door. Most women who are in abusive relationships don’t report it unless they are now ready to leave. The fact that they are still together makes me wonder if this is a different crime that happened on the street. I am not saying the vendors are lying but they probably thought it might be the explanation? Best discount next door and take it it’s other crime and decide if that’s okay for you. 

There is a good chance that since you are planning to sell in 2-3yrs the dumpsite will continue being that until after you have sold? 

I would not buy near a disused land which has turned into a dumpster. If the crime rate is not too much that will not be a problem for me. Problem neighbor would put me off more than general isolated crime. Domestic abuse can be noisy and unsettling as you will feel for the abused who is not taking a stand to leave. 

A little patience might be all it will take to get a house you can afford. 

UnderOffer

If the new development goes ahead, you may find your house is less attractive as why would anyone want your old house, compared to a shiny new one at the bottom of your garden. Staying 3 years and reselling is a very short time, I’d really try and find a home in your preferred area, go smaller and compromise, then climb the ladder in the area you like. It’s easier to move being happy but compromised on space then utterly miserable in a community you don’t feel great about. 

user1977

walwyn1978 said:

If they haven’t even started yet and unless I’ve missed it in the thread in which case apologies there’s not panning approval for the new estate at the back yet , there’s a small but possible chance that in 3 years you’ll be trying to sell a house whilst there’s construction/plant/noise/etc going on behind your garden, which might make selling your house harder. 

If the developer has bought the land (and if it's already advertised among their "coming soon" developments), it will already have planning. Developers aren't in the habit of buying land and then discovering they can't develop it. But as you say, no guarantees that construction will start imminently.

KievLover

user1977 said:

walwyn1978 said:

If they haven’t even started yet and unless I’ve missed it in the thread in which case apologies there’s not panning approval for the new estate at the back yet , there’s a small but possible chance that in 3 years you’ll be trying to sell a house whilst there’s construction/plant/noise/etc going on behind your garden, which might make selling your house harder. 

If the developer has bought the land (and if it's already advertised among their "coming soon" developments), it will already have planning. Developers aren't in the habit of buying land and then discovering they can't develop it. But as you say, no guarantees that construction will start imminently.

I've look up their previous developments (small, local company). It took 4 years for them to sell 17 homes on the street, then a few years later, took the same amount of time to build/sell 12 homes on an adjacent street. Companies House tell me their net profit was 1.8m last year, so there's no way 140 homes are going to go up in the space of time we're talking about. Not a hope in hell.