hello,i am looking at a property next to a park? is this a big no-no? dont these houses get broken into more?
whats everyones else’s expereince with living next door to a park?
please post up!
thanks
Hi,
Interesting post.
Personally, I would have thought that a house bordering a park would have been an attraction, provided it was a small kiddies play area rather than a teenage hang-out.
Does the property have a large yard? If so then perhaps being near the park is no real benefit. If not then proximity to some open space would probably be a plus.
Perhaps a call to an insurance broker (or the local police station) would help you determine whether or not such properties were more likely to be robbed.
Privacy is a major concern, so be sure that you can’t see into the living areas from the park or else plant some trees / shrubs.
Cheers,
Steve McKnight
**********
Remember that success comes from doing things differently.
**********Steve McKnight | PropertyInvesting.com Pty Ltd | CEO
https://www.propertyinvesting.comSuccess comes from doing things differently
What sort of a park? I grew up backing onto a reserve, which was not a problem except for one neighbour trudging through our yard as a shortcut!
I have a friend whose house backs onto a reserve who has always hated it since she got robbed though. I guess ultimately it depends on the area.
If it was a play park I wouldn’t be too worried except that I think they do attract youths at night with nowhere else to go and sit! (I have seen this happen)
Still I am leaning towards Steve’s comment, that it is probably more of a bonus. It also means you are not crammed between two neighbours… and you also have one less neighbour, that can be a good thing![winking]
Liz
Mortgage Lender
Hi Avranjes,
Recommend a chat to some of the other would be neighbours to see what their experience is – a good indicator is the presence, or otherwise, of graffiti.
The Council may have installed large lights which may serve as a deterent for would be pests.
Like Steve I believe that a park could become an extension of a unit, villa, townhouse backyard and as such may ake your property more attractive to tenants with kids.
Derek
[email protected]Property Investment Support Available. Ongoing and never stopping. PM welcome.
My thoughts are the opposite, I would never want one of my fences being the boundary for a park, too easy for thieves. In a previous house I lived in, the rear fence joined a block of units that was open. Now you’d think that having 12 flats overlooking your home would stop thieves “in case they got seen” by one of the 12 units, but no, we were robbed 3 times in 4 years (we even had an alarm during the last two burgaliries, all this still was limit the amount of stuff they could grab). This has put me off purchasing anything that backs or sides onto a area that has high public access such as a park or laneway where somebody could jump a fence. I don’t tend to look at corner blocks for the same reason, although I do take into account the benefits of rear access, but am wary, that’s all.
I wouldn’t mind living over the raod from a park as it still keeps my home secure by having other homes around it buts limits the ease of access, but still have a nice outlook.
Anyway, that was my experience.
Regards
PKHi,
For what its worth I’ve worked in security consultant areas for more than 10 years.
I am extremely -ve about homes adjoining parks, due to Burglary. [satan]
There is mostly more work involved removing graffiti & related trash left behind outside your fence. More attention needs to be given to doing security right. More careful lighting is usually helpful too. All the same it means more $ & work required.[whip]
Adjoining a laneway is even worse.
Having said that some areas are quite OK & as stated earlier look for graffiti, state of neighborhood, talk to locals, etc. Yours might be OK.thanks guys! i suppose it does depend on the location. i have factored a high end alarm and security lighting into the purchase price of the property. i will check with the neighbours also. its a nice park, grass swings, and a small river running thorugh it.
anyone else have any thoughts???
Our home… I mean our PPOR… backs on to a big park with 2 sports ovals and a bowling club as well as a kids playground. We have a high, ship-lapped back fence for privacy and security.
We have been burgled; they came and left through the front door.
I love the park for its trees; it gives us the pleasure of big trees without any maintenance issues, and they make the yard feel about 5 times its real size.
I think it’s a matter of location and personal preference.
Cheers,
Ghoti
* * * * * * * * * *
Without music, life would be a mistake.
I have a small opinion I thought I might add.
I work in law enforcement in western Sydney. I also have a PPOR that backs onto a reserve. I’ve been here 7 years and never had any problems with break and enters. Niether has anyone else in the street in that time.
I think it largely depends on the area. If there are a high number of state housing homes in the vicinity, I wouldn’t go near a reserve or laneway. If it’s a private area, then go for it.
As for council having lights it a park. It attracts teenagers at night like moths. All it does is ensure that they can see what they’re doing.
Just my 2 cents worth.
As some may remember I live at the Inala end of Forest Lake in the Brisbane area. Now Inala is a fairly ordinary area, high in crime. Thus at one point my house was broken into 3 times in about a 3-month period.
This was because I didn’t reinforce the sliding door (you know, bolt the thing into the concrete floor) on the park-side of the house and when the insurance company replaced the door they replaced toughened glass with crumbling-type so the next two break-ins were smashed panes, all because the insurance company went, against my wishes, with the cheaper quote.
Apart from the period though the only other problem was some 3 years later when some little feral ran into the house late at night while I was still up and snatched the gf’s bag and her and my keys. The feral only got about 40c from her purse but it cost us and the insurance company heaps to replace the locks on the house, cars and the gf had to get replacement cards as well as cancel her mobile phone.
The key to living next to a park is vigilance, toughened glass. Bolted doors (including sliding), security screens and doors..
Landscaping can also provide measures that would make the ferals think twice. Bogainvillieas provide good protection while providing great displays of colour. I am considering putting up a bamboo screen that ends up 10cm taller than the fence and provides no foot-holds on my side of the fence thus creating a nice clean line and also making it harder to get out of it they get in (it would also make it harder for them to casually look into the yard).
All I need then is some sort of EMP weapon to screw their stupid car stereo systems up when they play their repititive music loud. [evil4]
Apart from that you would have to be happy getting a 930m2 block with only one neighbor and quick access to a busstop.
As a family man with 2 young kids, I’d pay a premium to live next to a park!
But I’d take care to have some security measures, as per other posts.
Max Hugen [email protected]
Alpha Financial
Residential & Commercial Loans
http://www.alphafinancial.com.au
02 9560 3061My PPOR is directly across the road from a large park with playground ,basket ball ring etc and plenty of gardens and trees, it has a walkway all the way around and is used for jogging cycling and walking . The local primary school oftern do excursions to the park as its a very nice setting. I love to sit on my balcony having a beer and overlook the park, and i personally think its put more value on my house because of it.
Regards Risky
If you want the rainbow youve got to put up with the rain!
Well a park near where i used to live has shops..takeaway, bottleshop plus 5 others across the road. The first two shops attracted a lot of after hours loitering in the park.
Sleep is important to me and i wouldnt want to be breaking up “parties” in the park every fri/sat night.
So even if you have security will, noise and the “thought” of someone trying to break in be a hinderence to your sleep.
Wouldnt get me living next to this type of park no matter how cheap (discounted) the property was.
i have an IP which backs onto a park and it was a selling point for me as its great for a family with kids. you can put in a gate to the park (with a padlock of course).
A dog, alarm, or security lighting will eliminate the threat of thieves…a dobermahn will do the job
When you go to sell your IP you demonstrate the alarm etc and i dont think there’ll be a problem. Security systems are cheap these days and i believe they add value.
I believe a park nearby is an ‘advantage’, renting to someone with a family makes it alll that more atractive RE: Crime / Graffiti etc, a lot of that boils down to the area, and this is not something that happens in poorer areas ( rich kids get bored too )
As has been suggested, speak to the neighbours and as with any purchase, get a ‘feel’ for the area if possible, i usually visit the areas at different times of the day and early evening/weekends..
Backing onto or adjoining a park in my mind is a bit riskier ( no neighbours here ) however installing an Alarm etc is worthwhile, criminals prefer easiest targets, so make your IP at least look less inviting, ( Alarm, stickers etc ) this also will give your tenants ‘piece of mind’..
With the trend of smaller properties and smaller/less maintainence/no gardens a park nearby to me is a Plus.
REDWING“Money is a currency, like electricity and it requires momentum to make it Effective”
Count The Currency With This Online Positive Cashflow CalculatorI think I would prefer to live across from a park rather than be backing onto one. Going in through a backyard is a lot less obvious for the thieves.
My sister and her husband are both coppers and were absolutely (dare I say) paranoid about NOT buying next to a laneway, as of course they had all the statistics of burgs etc. to back them up. Also near reserves were no nos, among other things, which became quite frustrating at times.
Cheers
Mel
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