When does 'ex local authority' property lose that status?
Discussion
The missus has a privately owned flat. She bought it from a private owner, who in turn had bought it from a private owner, who in turn had bought it from the council. In fact the first private owner had actually bought their council flat under the right to buy malarkey.
So at what point, if ever, does the flat lose the moniker of 'ex local authority'?
If it makes any odds, the block the flat is in has a 50:50ish mix of private owners and council flats.
So at what point, if ever, does the flat lose the moniker of 'ex local authority'?
If it makes any odds, the block the flat is in has a 50:50ish mix of private owners and council flats.
I would say it depends on what the rest of the area is like. About half a mile from my parents is ex council surrounded by some of the best properties in the town these are probably not viewed as ex council now. However my house is a new build and again within half a mile is a large council estate, the difference between the two is vast and it will take a long time for the council houses to be viewed as anything but ex council.
bigandclever said:
The missus has a privately owned flat. She bought it from a private owner, who in turn had bought it from a private owner, who in turn had bought it from the council. In fact the first private owner had actually bought their council flat under the right to buy malarkey.
So at what point, if ever, does the flat lose the moniker of 'ex local authority'?
If it makes any odds, the block the flat is in has a 50:50ish mix of private owners and council flats.
It never loses that description, because it will always once have been a LA property. As such it is likely to be utilitarian by design and in general terms not have the cachet of a property built for private occupancy, even though it might be both more spacious and latterly better appointed.So at what point, if ever, does the flat lose the moniker of 'ex local authority'?
If it makes any odds, the block the flat is in has a 50:50ish mix of private owners and council flats.
Manks said:
It never loses that description, because it will always once have been a LA property. As such it is likely to be utilitarian by design and in general terms not have the cachet of a property built for private occupancy, even though it might be both more spacious and latterly better appointed.
+1 it'll always be what it is, an ex-council house. You decide if that's good or badManks said:
bigandclever said:
The missus has a privately owned flat. She bought it from a private owner, who in turn had bought it from a private owner, who in turn had bought it from the council. In fact the first private owner had actually bought their council flat under the right to buy malarkey.
So at what point, if ever, does the flat lose the moniker of 'ex local authority'?
If it makes any odds, the block the flat is in has a 50:50ish mix of private owners and council flats.
It never loses that description, because it will always once have been a LA property. As such it is likely to be utilitarian by design and in general terms not have the cachet of a property built for private occupancy, even though it might be both more spacious and latterly better appointed.So at what point, if ever, does the flat lose the moniker of 'ex local authority'?
If it makes any odds, the block the flat is in has a 50:50ish mix of private owners and council flats.
It will never lose that status but most mortgage lenders these days are understanding about it. For example I work in valuations for that national building society and we are really fair with ex-LA flats.
For example we will only lend if the block has a lift and is no more than 6 storeys.
If it was private from the outset we have no restrictions.
Fair.
For example we will only lend if the block has a lift and is no more than 6 storeys.
If it was private from the outset we have no restrictions.
Fair.
How many times does your ex wife have to remarry before she stops being your ex wife?
As others have said, it will always be an ex local authority house right up until it's bulldozed.
To me this means it is solidly built with proper walls and good sized rooms, not like these tiny modern wood and paper constructions you get nowadays.
As others have said, it will always be an ex local authority house right up until it's bulldozed.
To me this means it is solidly built with proper walls and good sized rooms, not like these tiny modern wood and paper constructions you get nowadays.
I bought an ex-loacl authority semi detatched a few years ago and it looked ex-local authority. We put on a conservatory, built an extension, planted a hedge, painted it and tidied it up. When we sold it a few years later the monikor was dropped and we made £200,000 on it.
None of that helps the Op though, sorry.
None of that helps the Op though, sorry.
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.387341...
I hope that link works.
NEVER in this case
In 1989, we looked at an ex council house and the view here is the communal parking area. Right on the Edge of a country park, 200 yrds within the Birmingham city boundary with Worcesetershire.
About 2/3 rd the price of similar size houses the other side of the border that were not ex council.
Offer of £49K accepted.
It was only when the estate agent asked us who our mortgage would be with that they told us that Halifax and 'Whimpy No Fines' concrete houses did not go together.
So I had a discussion with my Uncle retired birmigham housing engineer. his words "Mark they are s
t, do not buy it"
Pity because such a nice road.
I hope that link works.
NEVER in this case
In 1989, we looked at an ex council house and the view here is the communal parking area. Right on the Edge of a country park, 200 yrds within the Birmingham city boundary with Worcesetershire.
About 2/3 rd the price of similar size houses the other side of the border that were not ex council.
Offer of £49K accepted.
It was only when the estate agent asked us who our mortgage would be with that they told us that Halifax and 'Whimpy No Fines' concrete houses did not go together.
So I had a discussion with my Uncle retired birmigham housing engineer. his words "Mark they are s
t, do not buy it" Pity because such a nice road.
Mr POD said:
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.387341...
I hope that link works.
NEVER in this case
In 1989, we looked at an ex council house and the view here is the communal parking area. Right on the Edge of a country park, 200 yrds within the Birmingham city boundary with Worcesetershire.
About 2/3 rd the price of similar size houses the other side of the border that were not ex council.
Offer of £49K accepted.
It was only when the estate agent asked us who our mortgage would be with that they told us that Halifax and 'Whimpy No Fines' concrete houses did not go together.
So I had a discussion with my Uncle retired birmigham housing engineer. his words "Mark they are st, do not buy it"
Pity because such a nice road.
I bought a similar property once in the dark (literally). I knew it was a "wrong un" but I paid very little for it and it was an unusual situation. Afterwards I found out that it was virtually unmortgageable so we couldn't retail it.I hope that link works.
NEVER in this case
In 1989, we looked at an ex council house and the view here is the communal parking area. Right on the Edge of a country park, 200 yrds within the Birmingham city boundary with Worcesetershire.
About 2/3 rd the price of similar size houses the other side of the border that were not ex council.
Offer of £49K accepted.
It was only when the estate agent asked us who our mortgage would be with that they told us that Halifax and 'Whimpy No Fines' concrete houses did not go together.
So I had a discussion with my Uncle retired birmigham housing engineer. his words "Mark they are s
t, do not buy it" Pity because such a nice road.
I sold it to an amateur property developer. His builder inspected it and I told him it was a non-standard construction and as such his customer should not spend much money on it and instead hold it in cash as a high yield investment. "Oh I know all about these", he said.
Some months later I found out that the developer had done the property up to a high standard and fully anticipated being able to remortgage the property and get his cash out, except he couldn't find a lender to entertain him. He sold it at auction some months later at a huge loss.
There are some nice ex council houses out there. Usually cheaply built but spacious and sometimes in very nice locations - good views and the like. In a strong market ex LA status doesn't matter much, but in conditions like those prevailing today it can make properties more difficult to shift unless the property is exceptional in terms of its location and architecture.
Pretty much concur with the previous posts - it depends on what aspect of being ex-LA bothers you. When it becomes all private, and the original tenants have sold up, then it doesn't really matter anymore IMHO. The second point i feel is important not just from a snobbery point-of-view (and i am a snob) but that the first private owners won't be the sort of upwardly mobile folk that you may want to live near to; at least that has been my experience.
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