Buying an ex council house

VonLuck

I am just wondering what peoples opinions are on buying ex council houses? I've seen a few on offer on Daft which have piqued my interest but I'm wary of their build quality.

I've also noticed that many of them have these horrendous kitchen extensions of all shapes and sizes to the rear which I only imagine are a nightmare to keep warm.

I do see some benefits though. They generally have decent space and are warm if you buy mid terrace (excluding the heat loss through extensions!). They seem to be more reasonably priced, but I guess that's down to the location.

Does anyone have any insight into either purchasing or living in an ex council house?

L1011

Until the 1970s or so they were built like tanks. After that they started dwindling slowly. If its got a dodgy extension its probably one of the identikit bomb shelter style 1930s ones.

Boater123

The majority of the ones built 60/70's were solidly built and were much better than privately built ones of the era. Later ones not so good. Modern ones much better.

I remember fitting a central heating system in one for my mates sister, that was built by Kildare CoCo early eighties. No need for a kango on the floors, leg of the bed had gone through the concrete floor in the corner of one room. It was that thin.

I know what you mean about extensions, I've seen a few where previous owners built on with "slab type" foundations that doubled as the floor with no Dpc, single skin walls, built over manholes. Real jerry built efforts.

But on balance they are worth a buy if at the right price in the right neighbourhood.

One thing to watch out for if buying. Former tenants had the right to buy their homes, but not all bought out the freehold from the council, leaving them leasehold. This can cause the purchaser problems, possible costs and inevitably delays in the purchase process. Try to find out before engaging and paying for a solicitor to find out for you.

Wesser

I am looking at these too and a lot of them have terrible kitchen extensions. You could bear them for a while but they would need replacing eventually!

The good things that I see are.... Good location, lovely big gardens.... Good prices..... Settled neighbourhoods.

L1011

Boater123 wrote: »

built over manholes

I'd somehow managed to forget that one in one I viewed in Walkinstown. Rear had been extended twice and both the kitchen and dining room tacked on had a manhole in the floor!

The 1960s 3 beds with full bathrooms upstairs are probably the sweet spot in terms of build quality and size in terms of what is avaialble in Dublin. Unfortunately those are also the ones in most demand and where entire areas have become rather gentrified (Raheny for instance) and hence dear. You will want a house of that age to have been rewired - PVC coated wiring only came in in the early 70s and even that's getting old now; rubber coated wiring is a death trap by now.

By the 1980s the build quality was so bad that there were councils replacing windows after 5 years due to either frames rotting (cheapest possible wood used) or glass cracking because of the entire house settling heavily. And they often didn't have plumbed heating until the 90s, just gas fires.

TheDoc

I'm currently renting in what was back in the day a council house. I love it.

Owner went through that insulation grant scheme, so the house just doesn't leak heat anywhere. Solid build, can't hear any noise from neighbours, its brilliant. My PC room is beside the bedroom, and the OH mentions she can barely here me talking or typing. Brilliant!

riclad

Council houses are inspected and built to certain standards ,
most private house,s were never inspected by anyone
so its safer to buy a council house ,
if you are concerned about low build quality ,bad insulation .lack of sound insulation .
some council houses have large back gardens .
The average council house is built better than the average private house .
Building regs change every 10 years so it depends on how old the house is .

Sun in Capri

Getting a survey done would highlight any issues.

handlemaster

Where are you looking to buy OP . ? Im sure the quality will vardy upon location

December2012

Boater123 wrote: »

thing to watch out for if buying. Former tenants had the right to buy their homes, but not all bought out the freehold from the council, leaving them leasehold. This can cause the purchaser problems, possible costs and inevitably delays in the purchase process. Try to find out before engaging and paying for a solicitor to find out for you.

I've some experience in this area and not encountered this as a problem.

The council has to consent, which is usually forthcoming in a week or two. A ready and willing sender will have already started that process.

Boater123

December2012 wrote: »

I've some experience in this area and not encountered this as a problem.

The council has to consent, which is usually forthcoming in a week or two. A ready and willing sender will have already started that process.

I have some experience of it too. It happened to me in Laois. Vendor hadn't purchased the freehold, co co weren't happy in selling it to the vendor when the vendor told them it wasn't being sold to an owner occupier.

It cost the vendor €400 at the time to purchase it from the CoCo and not just a matter of the CoCo giving consent. (I believe Laois CoCo put the "fee" up considerably after this, circa 2006)

Eventually sorted but what should have taken 8 weeks or so turned into 4 and half months.

I would consider this a problem, especially as I still would have had a solicitor to pay if I dropped out.

December2012

Yeah I can see how that could happen as a non owner occupier.

I think the OP will be living there though?

L1011

I've also remembered that some DCC houses have a covenant that the first purchaser after the renter that buys them has a housing need. This can add time to the legals stage but isn't an issue usually even if you're selling another property. Second buyer does not have that.

VonLuck

My main concern really is that I'd be purchasing a house that requires too much money to get it up to today's standards. Looking at most of those extensions, it's nearly a case of knock down and rebuild.

I don't mind a bit of a fixer upper, as long as the price is right. Ideally I'd be looking for somewhere in the D6W area, but looking at today's market prices I think D12 is more realistic.

Is a seller legally obliged to tell you that a house is an ex-council house?

December2012

You'll find out when you get the title documents but before you sign the contracts.

You should do a structural surgery anyway

L1011

VonLuck wrote: »

Is a seller legally obliged to tell you that a house is an ex-council house?

No - although if the covenant is still in place you'll find that out quickly. If it isn't in place and the property is freehold there is zero difference legally between an ex council and an always private property.

My brother was looking in similar areas so I viewed rather a lot of ex council houses with him and there was only one with a solid enough extension. Nearly all were built under exempted development rules - or what the owner assumed was exempted as some had very limited garden left - so there'll be no engineer certs etc and getting a mortgage can prove a little harder as a result.

Those with more solid extensions are a: going to be dearer and b: less likely to be probate sales which nearly all the ones we viewed were. But they do exist - lots in Walkinstown had modern 2 storey extensions.

The 'newer' (40-50 years) ones are large enough that an extension may not be required.

4ensic15

VonLuck wrote: »

Is a seller legally obliged to tell you that a house is an ex-council house?

It would be almost impossible to pass off a council house as anything else. The appearance and setting alone would be enough in most cases. The only exception would be bungalows in the country.

Angel2016

VonLuck wrote: »

My main concern really is that I'd be purchasing a house that requires too much money to get it up to today's standards. Looking at most of those extensions, it's nearly a case of knock down and rebuild.

I don't mind a bit of a fixer upper, as long as the price is right. Ideally I'd be looking for somewhere in the D6W area, but looking at today's market prices I think D12 is more realistic.

Is a seller legally obliged to tell you that a house is an ex-council house?

No they are not obliged but if you do your homework you can find out they are ex council houses or you will see from the style of build they are ex council houses ex...Melruans in Tallaght up beside Watergate Park are ex council and Bolbrook and Avonbeg alot are ex council the same with houses up in West Tallaght.
Generally what I find is that they are very well built as in structure wise solid walls and insulation but getting a survey done will tell you all you need to know.
The only issue I have with some of them is that they are too small.

clones1980

Hi Op.

I bought my home January last year which is an old mid-terraced council house built in 1960. Its a great house, solid walls, easy to heat. It had an extension built on before I bought it as the original house had a scullery type kitchen but thankfully the person who did this did a good job. Only thing I dislike is the bathroom been downstairs but other than that I got a bargain and I'm delighted with it.

Also I bought out the freehold lease at the time of buying the house for €26 of Monaghan Co Council.