To ask for help with this decision.

[IHaveAToiletBrush]

Recieved a phone today from local housing association office, our area changes its allocation procedure that much it is hard to keep up. Basically the area office/shop has a small waiting list of 5 people that is made up from people from that get to top of main waiting list, once on shop list it should be no more than 3 months until you are housed. You pick areas etc when join main list, the idea is so people that are at the bottom of the list don't get their hopes up when bidding for a property to then come in number 300. So hears the decision we have hit hard times so the cheaper rent will be all good but I don't think we can actually afford to move.

We are in private rent at the moment, white goods/cooker, carperts, ds bed/mattress and the bedrooms have built in wardrobes. Dd's have bunk beds so ds could share for a while but not a long term solution. The rent and council tax saving is about £250 per month which I would save towards the things I need. Overtime is not really an option as we then loose out on housing benefit and end up worse off. So in my position would you take the HA house? I know I probably won't get another chance but very worried about not having the things my dc will need.

Not that it is relevant but have been where we are for 10 years so it is quite secure.

[IHaveAToiletBrush]

I know it is a boring offering with no mil drama but opinions or ideas would be appreciated.

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

I'm not sure OP but wanted to bump for you.

After you've bought all your white goods you'll be £250 better off a month, but will you be in the same area? Nice house?

[gttob]

I would take it. My dc slept together for a few months, then they slept on the floor when we next moved until I could afford beds. As did I.

I am very fortunate now and very secure, those days,were tough but we all survived and look back fondly.

[SolomanDaisy]

I'd take it. You can probably get a fair bit of the stuff you need on free cycle. I think you'd be crazy to turn down a much cheaper secure tenancy for a few months inconvenience!

[OddBoots]

£250 a month is £3000 a year, you could easily replace those items even if you end up getting stuff second hand from gumtree of the small ads in the paper to start with.

[RubbleBubble00]

Grab with both hands. Even if you have to live with cheap clothes rails, no carpet ect it will be so worth having your own home.

Most people I know who brought their own homes sometimes had to wait a year to afford carpet

[RJnomore1]

I'd definitely take it, it will be tough in the short term but do you have a microwave kettle etc? It's worth it for the secure tendency abd the reduced rent which is a long term thing.

[MotherKat]

Free cycle will be your friend here OP, good luck.

[ItsJustNotRight]

If it's a secure, long term tenancy I think it's probably better than staying in private rented accommodation but really you need advice from someone better informed than me. If the area and accommodation suit I'd take it and look on free cycle /gumtree etc for furniture etc to see you through. It's not all rubbish on there I've recycled plenty of household goods through them. If you are looking for large items though it helps if you know someone with a van to collect them for you.

[Sparklesilverglitter]

Will the property be nice? Will the area be nice? Access to good schools?

If so then I think as its a secure tenancy, take it. Yes it will be hard in the short term but you need to think long term

Look on free cycle for stuff you need or places like British heart foundation have furniture shops

[Sparklesilverglitter]

Also a private landlord can sell even if you have been there 10 years. Private renting is never secure

I am selling the property I let out and I've had my tenants 11 years.

[Lunchboxlewiswillyoumarryme]

100%take the house

[IHaveAToiletBrush]

The area is nice, the house will be in a private estate across the road from where we live now it was built in 2010/11. There are 50 houses in there and 15 are owned by housing association. Children can stay in the same school which is ofsted outstanding. It is the money really that concerns me a lot. We will have to pay 4 weeks rent in advance which is £120 per week plus I can only give notice where I am on the 22nd of each month so could end up with 2 houses for nearly 2 months, we can not afford this.

I do have a kettle but not microwave or toaster but are a 2 minute walk from lidl so bit for sandwiches etc can be bought each day why we don't have a fridge. I think I would be silly to turn it down but just don't want to get into a situation where my kids have no hot food for mo ths on end as we can't afford the stuff we need.

[chickensarethebest]

I love my HA house - you can paint the walls. They leave me alone. The rent is the magic third of my wages. I have lovely neighbours. We still have no carpets in some rooms but I am gradually buying things through ebay, gumtree, sales and 0% finance. Best move I have ever made. Hope you get the same.

[IHaveAToiletBrush]

Tenancy will be 12 months probation then secure tenancy as long as no issues.

[chickensarethebest]

Oh and of course, we now have chickens .

[NoahVale]

can you go to the council for white goods?

[Sparklesilverglitter]

Would your parents/in laws loan you money for a cooker & fridge?

Do you live near a charity shop that sells white goods?

If you don't have any debt? Do you have good credit? Could you get a credit card buy a cheap cooker & fridge and then pay it off over 3-6 months?

Any family members that might be getting rid of any white goods?

[Keeptrudging]

Credit Union may be able to help with an affordable loan. Agree re freecycle/charities. I moved into my HA house (many years ago) with a ketyle/microwave/cot/sofabed. The rest i got bit by bit. It was a secure, affordable tenancy and very worth it to move.

[kimlo]

take it, you will be so much better off in the long run.

Asda have a slowcooker in for £7 at the moment for hot food. My council will rent furniture and white good packages until you have what you need but I dont know if they all do or what they cost.

[witsender]

Take the house!

[FrogFairy]

You may have a community furniture project that could help you out very cheaply. A few difficult months will be worth it for long term secure tenancy.

[Craftylittlething]

Is there a key fund where you live? They basically pay your deposit and assure the landlord that you are "good for it"
The welfare fund (Scotland) can help with white goods etc if you are in receipt of benefits. I'm not sure if there's an equivalent in England but your local citizens advice will be able to help. I couldn't do much more than paint my own place for a few years but, it's my own place and I can paint it. Don't let being skint for a few months prevent you from being better off every month.

[ItsJustNotRight]

Whatever you do don't go to Brighthouse for any goods. I would like to see the evil sods shut down. Don't be tempted to get into debt to furnish the house. Slow cooker sounds great suggestion even if you won't have a fridge. You can keep veg fine without a fridge it's only really meat & milk that need a fridge. So if you don't mind a veggie diet for a short while you should be able to get by fine. You can buy clothes rails from Argos for about £10. We used them for about 2 yrs when we last moved.

[IHaveAToiletBrush]

I have a slow cooker and electric steamer in the garage, so I could get by on cooking with them for a while. No I have lost my both my parents so no help there and dp was in care as a child so no parental help there either.
I have looked into the charity schemes for our area as we don't qualify you have to get JSA or ESA, which is a same as the prices are very good. I guess I will be stupid not to take it in the long run but might be a while until it feels like home.
In order would you get things? I'm thinking fridge freezer first then bed and mattress for ds and then cooker after that. Ds is 8 so don't want him sharing the bottom bunk with his 10 year old sister any longer than he needs to as there won't be much room.