Buying an ex LA house on a council estate over private

dancingqueenielink

Some background:-

I currently live in an ex local authority house and am selling up for something bigger as this house is too small for my growing family, we also would like to buy our own home together as this one was mine and my ex husband's house.
Sooo... we found the perfect house, the first one we viewed. It was all going along nicely, I had a cash offer on my house two days after that was accepted. My partner and I were gazumped on that house three weeks down the line  I am desperate for more space and also want to get out of the city I am in so we carried on our search. Houses here (and probably everywhere) are going up one day and sold the next. We widened our search as DP works from home, and put in offers on two other houses, both declined as it wasn't enough money and people were offering silly amounts over the asking price -we offered full asking price on one and 4k over on the other.

We went to see more houses last week and saw one that was the perfect inside space I need, and the garden was a lot bigger than the other houses i'd seen and it had a double garage (top of my partners wish list!). The only downside is it is on another council estate. This was on the top of my list to avoid if I am being honest after a few bad experiences with council estates. My partner is trying to get me to see all the positives in the fact it is more of a council block (only 4 streets if that) rather than an estate. It's not in the city, I've lived in council estates in London and here in the city I am in now, and it will be different. I'll be honest I am still gutted and still feel totally blindsided by the gazumping of the last house we loved and now feel like I am almost making do, and doing a side step, rather than stepping up to a better area like I hoped. I wonder if anyone has been in a similar situation as I find myself in now and has made do and it's turned out well. I am really trying hard to see the positives here and that is the only sticking point. We made a huge list of wants/ needs and it ticks every single one except that one thing...The town it is in is not all that familiar to me either which is probably not helping, we have had a few drives over though in the last week to see the area at different times of day and it does seem very quiet. Anyone got any positive stories of quiet council estates that they live(d) on that they wish to share....we have had our offer accepted on it but I just don't feel as happy as I did the first time round 

user1977

Lots of perfectly pleasant council estates around (and terrible private sector housing), really going to depend on local factors though.

theartfullodger

In my experience there are usually much nicer neighbours in ex- or current council estates than in so many of the stuck up, snobby, banging on about house prices all the time private estates. 

dancingqueenielink

theartfullodger said:

In my experience there are usually much nicer neighbours in ex- or current council estates than in so many of the stuck up, snobby, banging on about house prices all the time private estates. 

Yes this is what my partner says... I think the disappointment in me is I don't think I'll ever get to compare 😂 I've only ever owned ex LA although I've rented plenty of places on private estates and you're right they can be like that instead of welcoming me into one road I moved into they were asking me what job I had and where my son would go to school 😬

I'd like to move on eventually this won't be a forever home and I know we're in a bit of a housing boom at the moment I'm thinking the LA houses will be the first to lose their value and I may never get out (I've grand plans of moving nearer to the seaside when the kids have left home). But I think we will just have to ride that wave with everyone else in a similar situation. Thanks for your reply. 

dancingqueenielink

user1977 said:

Lots of perfectly pleasant council estates around (and terrible private sector housing), really going to depend on local factors though.

I wish I knew the area better I feel like this is a big thing putting me off. It's a pretty small market town and a small block of maybe 150 houses tops... I think I will take some more drives over at different times just to reassure myself. Thanks for your reply 😊

Jude57

dancingqueenielink said:

user1977 said:

Lots of perfectly pleasant council estates around (and terrible private sector housing), really going to depend on local factors though.

I wish I knew the area better I feel like this is a big thing putting me off. It's a pretty small market town and a small block of maybe 150 houses tops... I think I will take some more drives over at different times just to reassure myself. Thanks for your reply 😊

It's always a good idea to visit a new area at different times and on different days, not forgetting after midnight on weekends, just to get an idea of what the area is like. You should also check the Police website for the area, but be aware that if there's high density housing such as tower blocks, this can skew crime reporting figures. 

You could also have a word with the local Councillor for the ward (details on local Council website) to find out what the issues are in the immediate locality. They can't be legally responsible for what they tell you but will hopefully be able to give an honest opinion about the area.

dancingqueenielink

Jude57 said:

dancingqueenielink said:

user1977 said:

Lots of perfectly pleasant council estates around (and terrible private sector housing), really going to depend on local factors though.

I wish I knew the area better I feel like this is a big thing putting me off. It's a pretty small market town and a small block of maybe 150 houses tops... I think I will take some more drives over at different times just to reassure myself. Thanks for your reply 😊

It's always a good idea to visit a new area at different times and on different days, not forgetting after midnight on weekends, just to get an idea of what the area is like. You should also check the Police website for the area, but be aware that if there's high density housing such as tower blocks, this can skew crime reporting figures. 

You could also have a word with the local Councillor for the ward (details on local Council website) to find out what the issues are in the immediate locality. They can't be legally responsible for what they tell you but will hopefully be able to give an honest opinion about the area.

I've just had a look at the crimes in the area and there is non on that estate so that's put my mind more at ease. Many thanks for that suggestion I'd forgotten to check that sort of thing. 
Weirdly I checked it out on the first house we were buying. I think the whole gazumping thing has thrown me and I'm not knowing whether I'm coming or going 😵... I'm feeling much better about it today to be honest. 
Oh and there is no tower blocks thankfully only small housing estates.
I feel a bit silly panicking now tbh now that the whirlwind of the last couple of weeks is over. It seems to be a really nice small town and we will keep driving over at different times but most houses seem to have been bought according to zoopla and its only the odd one that's still rented out to council tenants... whom I have nothing against before someone jumps on me for that comment lol I was one myself, as is my mum and my sisters... Guess I was just trying to escape it... Maybe next time 🤣😉 

dancingqueenielink

Jude57 said:

dancingqueenielink said:

user1977 said:

Lots of perfectly pleasant council estates around (and terrible private sector housing), really going to depend on local factors though.

I wish I knew the area better I feel like this is a big thing putting me off. It's a pretty small market town and a small block of maybe 150 houses tops... I think I will take some more drives over at different times just to reassure myself. Thanks for your reply 😊

It's always a good idea to visit a new area at different times and on different days, not forgetting after midnight on weekends, just to get an idea of what the area is like. You should also check the Police website for the area, but be aware that if there's high density housing such as tower blocks, this can skew crime reporting figures. 

You could also have a word with the local Councillor for the ward (details on local Council website) to find out what the issues are in the immediate locality. They can't be legally responsible for what they tell you but will hopefully be able to give an honest opinion about the area.

I've just had a look at the crimes in the area and there is non on that estate so that's put my mind more at ease. Many thanks for that suggestion I'd forgotten to check that sort of thing. 
Weirdly I checked it out on the first house we were buying. I think the whole gazumping thing has thrown me and I'm not knowing whether I'm coming or going 😵... I'm feeling much better about it today to be honest. 
Oh and there is no tower blocks thankfully only small housing estates.
I feel a bit silly panicking now tbh now that the whirlwind of the last couple of weeks is over. It seems to be a really nice small town and we will keep driving over at different times but most houses seem to have been bought according to zoopla and its only the odd one that's still rented out to council tenants... whom I have nothing against before someone jumps on me for that comment lol I was one myself, as is my mum and my sisters... Guess I was just trying to escape it... Maybe next time 🤣😉 

dancingqueenielink

Jude57 said:

dancingqueenielink said:

user1977 said:

Lots of perfectly pleasant council estates around (and terrible private sector housing), really going to depend on local factors though.

I wish I knew the area better I feel like this is a big thing putting me off. It's a pretty small market town and a small block of maybe 150 houses tops... I think I will take some more drives over at different times just to reassure myself. Thanks for your reply 😊

It's always a good idea to visit a new area at different times and on different days, not forgetting after midnight on weekends, just to get an idea of what the area is like. You should also check the Police website for the area, but be aware that if there's high density housing such as tower blocks, this can skew crime reporting figures. 

You could also have a word with the local Councillor for the ward (details on local Council website) to find out what the issues are in the immediate locality. They can't be legally responsible for what they tell you but will hopefully be able to give an honest opinion about the area.

I've just had a look at the crimes in the area and there is non on that estate so that's put my mind more at ease. Many thanks for that suggestion I'd forgotten to check that sort of thing. 
Weirdly I checked it out on the first house we were buying. I think the whole gazumping thing has thrown me and I'm not knowing whether I'm coming or going 😵... I'm feeling much better about it today to be honest. 
Oh and there is no tower blocks thankfully only small housing estates.
I feel a bit silly panicking now tbh now that the whirlwind of the last couple of weeks is over. It seems to be a really nice small town and we will keep driving over at different times but most houses seem to have been bought according to zoopla and its only the odd one that's still rented out to council tenants... whom I have nothing against before someone jumps on me for that comment lol I was one myself, as is my mum and my sisters... Guess I was just trying to escape it... Maybe next time 🤣😉 

TripleH

We lived as private renters in a council building in Central London. A friend crashed with us for a bit whilst doing a project and he said he felt the area was a bit rough.

Thing is he lived in an ex-LA house in an estate further up the country and I thought that area was a bit rough so perspective is key. For further context our landlord lived in his £1m+ house just round the corner from us.

maurice28

11 years ago, we moved into a house that sounds very similar to the one you are looking at. It's in a large village/small town in lovely surroundings, and our house is in an area of about 6 streets that are ex-council houses (some are probably still council tenants but the vast majority I think are privately owned).

Just like you said, it's a really quiet street and area in general. No gangs of kids, no washing machines in the front garden, none of the terrible, outdated cliches of council houses anyway! We love the area and it's also a well built house - we're having an extension built and almost all the builders who came to quote commented as such.

We've also been looking to move but decided to extend because we just couldn't get anything in terms of a new build or other property type that gave a good enough upgrade. New builds on some nice estates are twice the price of ours for smaller rooms, a smaller garden and (we've been told) lower build quality.

If the house ticks all the boxes and your drive bys in the area haven't thrown up any concerns, I say go for it!