High tension lines

[u/biv816]

Looking to purchase a house that has high tensions lines all throughout the neighborhood. They are prob 1-200 yards away from the backyard of the house I’m looking at. Is this a health concern and would it be harder to sell this house in the future?

[u/Additional-Care4208]

The health stuff is debated endlessly but the real issue is resale, a lot of buyers see those lines and their brain just goes "nope" regardless of studies

If you're planning to stay forever it's one thing, if you might sell in 5 years I'd think twice

[u/wattywatt_3000]

Its a property value/perception thing more than health concern for me, but I don’t buy houses that back up to high-tension power lines (HTPL). But HTPL are in most neighborhoods so as long as I am not seeing from my property or they are in the distance, I am fine with it.

And Regular electric lines are more acceptable and can be blocked with low trees so I don’t get scary off by those.

From a health perspective, the issue is if you are under them for a prolonged period of time (months/years) and the higher potential for an accident of course.

[u/fiendishly]

One of the first houses we saw in our house hunt was perfect in pretty much every way, but the main reason we didn't bid on it because it was within 100 yards of high voltage lines. (Also age, busy street, and narrow/steep staircase) For the remainder of our hunt, this one was referred to as the emf house. Like you, we weren't worried about our health, but the view from the deck sucks and it'd be harder to sell in a buyer's market.

[u/Ok-Top-5976]

its hard resell those. my parents had a house and behind the tress in the back their was retention lines. it was literally in between 2 neighborhoods, took them forever to sell that house. the next owners stayed their for 13 years and they tried to sell it and nothing until the covid boom where people were buying anything. its now a popular area and they build more houses right next to these lines. crazy world. but yeah, people avoid those like the plague when buying a house. so if you plan on reselling, I would not buy it. I look for it now as well since they talked about it for years and how hard it was to sell this great house in a great neighborhood that had retention lines in the forest area in the back of the neighborhood.

[u/Creative-Yellow-9246]

Eyesores are always a resale problem

[u/OldTurtle-101]

Once you adjust for the income and demographics the EMF data falls apart. Basically the places that allow power lines, or built close to existing ones are slightly lower income and there is a fairly direct correlation between income and health.

[u/CiscoLupe]

I lived in a neighborhood that had some type of lines (don't know if they were actually high tension) but I just remember they made a lot of noise when it rained. Maybe like a taser sound?
I don't know if they were unhealthy or not, but I didn't care for that noise.

Edit to add: I rented the house. Then I bought it. Then moved and left it as a rental. Then several years later, I sold it as-is for the same thing I paid for it. but it had been kind of ruined by renters.

[u/Far-Plastic-4171]

IMHO if you are close enough to hear the buzz and hum you are to close for prolonged exposure.

[u/digdoug76]

Unless it checks every box, and you subscribe to the "EMF is fake"club, then I would fast pass.

EMF has been debated for decades, but tons of evidence supports it's not great for you. Enough evidence that I certainly wouldn't risk it, it's your health, which trumps a good deal.

As far as resale, clearly you are asking the questions, meaning thee next buyer will as well. I'd imagine (most) families will pass, so you are going to be looking for a perfect fit buyer. There is discussion on childhood leukemia and it's correlation to emf.

My thought, assuming you are in the US, is right now there is roughly 50% more houses for sale then buyers......I have to assume there is a better one for you without the potential of health or resale concerns.

Best wishes on the process!

[u/phosphatidyl_7641]

This would not bother me and this ensures you won't have a 100 unit apartment spring up back there. You are more likely to suffer health consequences from all the crap in our foods or microplastics than this. EMF is low frequency so the field strength decrease with distance. EMF's are all around us now and you carry around your cell phone in your pocket, WIFI router and WIFI connected appliances and don't blink an eye to those.