Chance of a lifetime or too good to be true? Notting Hill, London flat.

[Springingintolife]

Sorry, long one, but trying not to drip-feed.

I'm on homeswapper and have been a while as I feel very cut off where I live due to not driving, having an illness (fibromyalgia and hypermobility) and not being close to the bus stops to just nip about and do things with my nearly 5 year old daughter.

What I have is a 2 bed semi with front and back garden and a drive in a semi rural area on the outskirts of a large town in the south east. Ten minutes drive from the beach and can get into London within an hour. I feel you have to have quite a bit of money here to have a good quality of life with a child, as everything has entry fees and needs driving to, or takes quite a while on public transport.

That's the reason I've been on homeswapper. I have looked at some places and talked to people about swaps before but they haven't worked out for various reasons. I've never pulled out on anyone- apart from one flat which was splashed on the front page of a local paper for having serious mould issues, just after the swap was approved.

Someone has contacted me with a one bedroom ground floor flat in a very very posh road next to Notting Hill, with a private garden, and I'm having a think about whether this would be the change I would need. The reason they want to move is they don't have RTB and they want to buy somewhere. (Let's leave the RTB debate out of this conversation please!). I have RTB but as I'm not able to work full time at the moment, it wouldn't be something I could make the most of.

Positives about the swap- I grew up on the other side of London so it's familiar. Has a garden still. Smaller flat so less cleaning and maintenance. They seem to think the tenancy gives the right to do work to the flat and thinks the living room could be converted to two bedrooms, so potential future bedroom issues may not be an issue. Free public transport for children. Free museums so things to do at the weekend. Lovely parks with paddling pools in London. My brother lives on the other side of London and is expecting a child with his DP so closer to a cousin for my DD and could afford to visit regularly. Get to be in an affluent area so if I wanted to do some part time work like tutoring or cleaning, I could charge a decent amount. Might meet rich handsome man. Can access universities if I decide to go back to studying one day. More going on. More inspiring area to keep me motivated and improve mental/physical health on nice walks. Always somewhere new to see. DD is mixed race so would be in a more diverse area.

Negatives- losing the RTB but potentially could swap again when DD is a teenager. Losing a bedroom and would need to do work in the future to create an extra space and can't guarantee I would be earning enough to fund it. Flat doesn't have double glazing so might be colder in the winter and cost more to heat. Although I looked online and has same energy rating as mine. Potentially smaller space to heat. Person said they would take everything with them including the oak flooring, so I'd have to move in with potentially a concrete floor and put carpet onto a credit card, although cost of this would be offset by not having to buy a car and learn to drive more imminently. Housing association don't have great reviews online for repairs, but looks like person has spent a lot of money installing new things into the property. (Apart from the oak floor, which they say they're taking). Possibly having noisy neighbours above us. Although I already have a shouty next door neighbour anyway. We lose the beach, but it's cold most of the year anyway. We lose the countryside, but I don't manage to get out and about in it enough anyway.

However, I don't know about the area these days, as I left London years ago and I hear it's changed a lot, so I wanted some honest mumsnet experience.

What about your support network like friends, family, father of child? Will you be able to see everyone regularly?

“Might meet rich handsome man.”

Hugh Grant @Springingintolife ? 😉

Good luck and all the best with whatever decision you make.

Yeah it is really difficult. I know lots of people but it's all just small talk or people don't wanna do much outside of their families. We spend a lot of time at home watching TV at the weekends. A trip out is a walk to the nearest newsagent or a couple of hours at the park on our estate by ourselves.

We don't really have any of that here. Dad not in the picture.

Ah okay, thanks for this heads-up, I'll do some deeper questioning when I view it.

Think of the money they lost each year charging people to use their loo during the Carnival. 😂😂😂

Hahaha if his younger soul brother wants to walk past me on a leafy street, I'll be okay with that. I worked in a posh cafe there when I was 19 and had a crush on Jake Gyllenhall, who came in regularly and had a very penetrating stare when he spoke to me for his order and it sent me over the edge.

I think you need to think long term, not short term. Your dc might want to spend weekends with you in museums now but before you know it she’ll be wanting to hang out with friends / be involved in sports. Do you think the new place will be better for that. Also I don’t the museums will feel free when you’ve travelled there and paid ££££ for a hot choc. What will you do at the weekends when you r been to the museums?
but above all no bedroom for your dd is an awful idea!! And have you checked out primary AND secondary schools?

And if you want to go on holiday you can go somewhere lovely if you're willing to air BnB your place whilst you're away. I just realised that as a bonus. Or go to a campsite and keep the change for expensive local coffee.

Good schools and parks and opportunities for your dd

No you have a child so need 2 bedrooms.

Your DD needs her own room, this is a higher priority than most other things.

You have RTB and what sounds like a decent property and so you shouldn’t be settling for something that’s not appropriate for your family.

There are many time wasters but you’re in a good position.
Keep looking OP.

can you say what road?

I grew up in London and we managed to do sports and see our friends? That was a really really run down part of London too at the time, with no posh bits round any corners.

I don't drink hot chocolate and I could use a thermos flask and bring sandwiches anyway. We have this issue here anyway, I'm in the South East. It costs me £5.70 just to take my DD to Rainbows on the bus, or see a friend in the town park. When she's five it'll cost £6.70. Some kids things round here in the holidays cost £10- £15 to join in for an hour.

Yes, me too! I only wish my flat was appealing enough for a Londoner to want a swap.

PP's right about the high Gini coefficient of Notting Hill but, as a Londoner, I imagine you're familiar with this and at ease. Carnival is a bastard if you live on the route - a friend of mine did - but it's five days of the year. And DD will love the sparkly daytime activity.

I've already said she would have the bedroom as her room.

I haven't been able to find anything decent so far and I wouldn't ever get a mortgage on this place as a single person, even with the discount.

Yes, I would do it, or certainly investigate further. There’s so much to do in London that is free. It’s not just museums. And travel is free for children. The advantage of not needing a car is huge. London schools tend to be good. And council tax is generally low. Generally a living room counts as a bedroom for housing purposes, I think. It’ll be a step forward for both you and your daughter.

Begins with B if you know it. Looks like Mary Poppins.

You can't rent out a HA or Council home, you'll land yourself in a lot of trouble.

Also you're talking about putting money for flooring on a credit card and moving out for a few nights when the carnival is on, but how are you going to afford it when you describe yourself as destitute?

@@Springingintolife yes, I know you don’t want to RTB. I was trying, and obviously failing, to explain that other people who do want RTB, and live in London, might want out.

I definitely would if I were you. B&Q sell pressure fit room dividers. And I also know HA Tennant's that installed stud walls to turn one bedroom into two and then just knocked it down when they left. The room issue seems the only problem to me and is fixable.

There are free ways to go away for the weekend such as family and friends 🤣

You can actually. My current rental has a clause in the tenancy allowing for short term AND long term lodging rentals. Someone staying and paying rent for a room up to six weeks doesn't need to be declared to the council, but over six weeks does. So I could advertise a bedroom on air BnB to a single person, but not the whole property to a family or group.

Ah okay, I didn't realise that's what you were getting at. Yes I might have a little look. London wasn't on my search list, as was just looking for somewhere a bit less suburbs-ish around where I am now, but nothing has come up and this lady reached out to me out of nowhere. This street does have a really safe feel to it though from street view.

I think my next door neighbour has a stud wall for her teenage sons' room.

If it's in purpose build flats then maybe.

If it's a conversion in one of the historic buildings then no way. Never saw one that wasn't badly maintained at best but usually damp. It would be a lot of work which you don't have the budget for.

Carnival is more than a weekend and people inside the route are basically cut off.

And the differences between rich and poor are very very stark. You need to know where an affordable shop is for starters, especially if you have disabilities. Apart from Sainsburys, and some depressing corner shops, most is aimed at people with a lot of money. Like loads and loads of money.

Hi OP

I really don't want to rain on your parade as you seem so keen and like it would be perfect for you...but before you start getting ahead of yourself, I think you need to consider that it is extremely unlikely that the exchange would be permitted. I know this would be disappointing but better to find out sooner rather than later.

I work in housing and no housing association or council I have worked for would allow this due to the bedroom situation.

This website has some really good info which explains the criteria re bedrooms and what it is based on

www.houseexchange.org.uk/advice/mutual-exchange/can-i-mutual-exchange/#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20a%20Landlord%20may,more%20than%20one%20spare%20bedroom.

You would need a two bed for you and your daughter. Kensington's mutual exchange policy also says that if by moving you would be overcrowded they would view that as grounds for refusal of the exchange.

www.rbkc.gov.uk/media/document/mutual-exchange-policy

Please contact them directly as you've said rather than basing it on what the other party has told you.