I regret buying a house on a council estate – there’s dog poo & sofas on the street – I’m not a snob but it’s awful
A MUM has shared how she “really regrets” buying her house on a council estate.
While insisting she’s “not a snob,” she feels like she’s made a big mistake because of the type of neighbours she has.
The mum, who wants to remain anonymous, took to online forum Mumsnet to express her frustration.
She asked others if she was being “unreasonable” to “really regret buying on a council estate.”
The homeowner wrote: “Five years ago we bought our first house.
“We live in a very expensive town so to get a house rather than a flat meant buying an ex council house on a council estate where about 90 per cent of the flats and houses are still council owned.
“It’s a small estate surrounded on each side by millionaires in a good location basically.”
At first, she didn’t think “anything of buying on a council estate.”
The mum continues: “I’m not a snob, I grew up and have lived in normal working/middle class suburbs and rubbed along with all sorts of people in life and when we viewed it seemed quiet and fine.
“However after five years of living here I absolutely hate it to the point where it’s making me ill.
“Firstly there are some lovely people living here, this is not an attack on council tenants but the actual truth is that these are main issues:
“Teenagers outside my house all night screaming/drinking, dog s**t everywhere.
“Rubbish everywhere – think bins tipped over and not picked up, used nappies thrown in the hedge etc.”
She then went on to say how sofas and TVs are dumped outside for months, there are screaming arguments and regular police visits, as well blasting music.
The mum adds that there is “weed smoke continuously wafting into my babies nursery if we open the window,” and “young kids out til late swearing and shouting at passers by.”
She continues: “I am desperate to move to the house next door but one has been on the market for well over a year despite being nice and a bargain and no one’s biting.
I feel increasingly furious at these people who are literally costing us thousands of pounds because they can’t be bothered to pick up their s**t
Anonymous mum
“No one but us is stupid enough to buy here.
“If you picked up our house and put it on the street behind us you’d raise the price by around £100k basically and it would be sold within a week.
“I feel so trapped and depressed every time I walk through the estate to get home plus I feel totally stupid for buying it.
“And I feel increasingly furious at these people who are literally costing us thousands of pounds because they can’t be bothered to pick up their s**t.”
Many rushed to the comments section to share their thoughts, as some related to her pain.
One wrote: “It’s awful, so sorry you are in this position. We did something similar years ago and moved because of it.
“If no one was going to buy, we thought about renting it out? Could this be an option?
“At least you would be able to choose the tenant?
What It's Really Like Growing Up On A Council Estate
Fabulous reporter, Leanne Hall, recalls what it's like growing up in social housing.
As someone who grew up in a block of flats on a council estate, there are many wild stories I could tell.
From seeing a neighbour throw dog poo at the caretaker for asking them to mow their lawn (best believe they ended up on the Jeremy Kyle show later in life) to blazing rows over packages going missing, I’ve seen it all.
While there were many times things kicked off, I really do believe most of the time it’s because families living on council estates get to know each other so well, they forget they’re neighbours and not family.
Yes, things can go from zero to 100 quickly, but you know no matter what you can rely on your neighbour to borrow some milk or watch all of the kids playing outside.
And if you ask me, it’s much nicer being in a tight community where boundaries can get crossed than never even knowing your neighbour’s name while living on a fancy street.
“It depends on your situation but could you sell at a loss and move somewhere smaller for a short while until you could move again.
“It’s sad, because I know how unhappy it can make you.”
Another added: “Yep, we bought a flat on a council estate and are trying to sell.
“It’s not been the worst but lots of fly tipping, often loud parties etc.
No point just thinking it won’t sell and doing nothing but being miserable
Mumsnet comment
“It was all we could afford to buy but decided we could tolerate it for three years in order to sell and then have a bigger deposit.
“It’s made me realise how getting the right location is the most important thing, I’d never compromise on that now.
“You’ll either have to wait a while to sell or just accept a low price.”
Whilst a third wrote: “I’d just put it on the market and see what happens.
“No point just thinking it won’t sell and doing nothing but being miserable.”
The reality of living in a council house
LEANNE Hall, Digital Writer at Fabulous, has discussed what it was like growing up in a council house, and why those living in such properties are often judged...
When I was a child I grew up in a council house, and was blissfully unaware of the discrimination that came with that, until I became an adult.
My younger years were spent running up and down the stairs of my flat, meeting with other friends who lived there and making the most of the communal garden.
But now, it seems no matter your circumstance, everyone has something to say about why you shouldn’t be there.
Living just outside of London like I did, rent prices are still high, and as my mum was at home raising three kids at the time, it wasn’t easy to find a job that fit around that.
People in council houses are often labelled as ‘scroungers’ or ‘lazy’ but it’s nothing of the sort.
Most families in council homes experience overcrowding, and let’s not even mention the horrendous amount of damp and mould that comes from living in old social housing that hasn’t had work done to them in 50 or so years.
It’s not ideal for many, but it does provide a secure home without the fear your rent will shoot up every single year, which I would argue is vital to children growing up on the poverty line.