Can I refuse a new kitchen from housing association?

[papperlao]

Basically I am having a new kitchen fitted starting next Friday plus a full hose re wire.
The thought of all the mess /stress and decoration to be done after is giving me anxiety.
The kitchen I've chose is lovely but it's all the mess..no kitchen for a week so will have kettle etc in bedroom
Can I say I don't want it?

If you're getting a free kitchen you can probably suck up the mess for a week.
I had my kitchen done last year, yeah the mess was annoying but I also had to pay the bill at the end! 🤣

'They start next Friday ,then it's Tuesday -Friday
Then they are coming back the following week Thursday and Friday to paint -flooring
So 7 days altogether'

@papperlao

She still gets to live there, using the kitchen someone else paid to upgrade!

@berksandbeyond it's a basic kitchen so it's nothing fancy
I also pay full rent
My rent is actually more than a friends mortgage for less bedrooms.

They would have presumably ordered a kitchen to fit your space so it would be a waste of someone else’s money if you refuse at this late stage.

It's still a free kitchen 🤷🏼‍♀️
If you don't like it, you have the choice to move out and get one of those super cheap amazing mortgages then. And then you can pay when the boiler goes, or any upgrades need done? Easy peasy huh. Some people are never grateful 😂

Anyone getting a kitchen installed by a HA or LA who genuinely believes a new build company would provide a Wren brochure and free rein to design their own kitchen of course.

It’s a mess. Our rewire last year looked like a bomb had gone off. Ds was 9 month old at the start, and it took 4 months of dust and no full kitchen. And a huge bill.

Honestly, for one week just get it done. There’s also just one of you, so either eat out at family, or just plug in microwave elsewhere.

I wouldn’t leave them to it for a week though. Every project we have done builders have tried to put stuff in the wrong place, kitchen fitter wanted to lower cabinets and not install extractor properly so you really want to be around most days at least every few hours to check what they plan to do and where.

Ha tenants don’t get ‘free kitchens’. We pay a service charge from the start to the end of our tenancies to cover all of the repairs and upgrades on the block/estate (with an admin fee on top).

I'm a HA Tennant ( Guinness Trust) they refitted my kitchen a few years ago the guys that did it with great they are actually due to finish the following day but the covid strict lockdown came in in so they stayed until 10 oclock that night to make sure I had a working kitchen and that they didn't have to come back in god knows how many weeks months to finish it off.
Like you originally didn't want a doing because of the stress and the mess and the inconvenience I had to book time off work which I couldn't afford but I was told if I didn't get it done I wouldn't be eligible for consideration for around another 10 years plus if anything went wrong with my existing old kitchen they would not repair it this includes things that cupboards falling off walls leaking taps burst pipes pretty much anything so I bit the bullet and went with it really glad I did.
You may also be eligible for a decorating voucher I was on a previous occasion when some work was done it won't cover all of the cost of decorating but pay a chunk towards it.

@berksandbeyond I'm perfectly grateful
That doesn't mean I can't be anxious and stressed about it.
I pay more than enough rent for the property
Just because it's not owned doesn't mean I can't have anxiety about it

So what?

OP you must have the rewire done, that is a safety thing. Given that, get the kitchen done at the same time I think?

We are spending thousands for the similar jobs, going into dept because this is what needs to be done. I understand anxiety, it’s certainly not easy. But do you HONESTLY consider refusing a FREE renovation to your house? I can’t believe this thread.

@berksandbeyond also putting a laughing emoji doesn't distract from your arsey comments
Im actually thinking of getting a mortgage as I will be saving over £100 a month rent !

Can see this thread, going down the social housing bashing.

I would think the rework g is a legal obligation. There are standards they have to meet and they can't be held liable
As the HA own the property they do have rights to do the work. It's likely all mentioned in your contract so legally you wouldn't have much to stand on

I don't want it to go down the social housing bashing please.
The point of this thread is because of my anxiety and the worry of the mess.
In my head it seems impossible to ever get it looking nice again
It's taken me years to get nice flooring /decorated nicely
So obviously I'm upset it's gonna be a mess again

And how much is that extra charge compared to buying a new kitchen yourself?

Still a bloody good deal. You'd be an idiot to refuse.

I highly doubt that. Presumably, they paid this mortgage for many years, or had a bigger deposit already. Living in a flat also means same service changers etc on top. Are you sure about mortgage being cheaper than HA renting 😳

Charges*

There mortgage is £300 a month with a 10% deposit for 3 bed (also loft conversion)
My rent is £410 a month for 2 bed

It's your anxiety taking over, it is only for a while. Other things can be sorted out and may take time.

It’s only a mess for a week. It will definitely be over soon. It’s just a week. It’s going to be ok, everyone is going through same sooner or later, it’s inevitable. It’s not the end of the world.

My £410 also includes my water charges

Do you live in a flat or a house?