I sort of want to move . But also don't. And its very complicated.
I'm in a 4/5 bed council home . On paper it's a 4 bed . But I use the dining room as a bedroom. DD14= bedroom 1 DS9 =bedroom 2 . Ds8 = bedroom 3. Ds17 =bedroom 4... me =bedroom 5.
If I was to move i would only be entitled to a 3 bedroom. Reasons for this is DS 8&9 can share . But ds9 has autism and really needs his space , time alone , doesn't sleep well gets upset etc. For him to be officially entitled to his owm room it would have to go through occupational therapy and my understanding is that can take a really long time /years.
Also there's a complication with DS17 he's in supported accommodation. But also half at home. This is due to mental health issues . He has his own social worker and this has been set up as a plan. So that he's not isolated from the family and to build on relationships etc. But also he has the support accommodation. Once he turns 18 which is soon . He will be offered permanent accommodation. Not right away though. But even then he could take a couple of years to settle. Because of his mental health issues and struggles he needs to know he has his room at home as part of the family. But he also needs that escape of the supported accommodation. If I was to take his room away and say sleep on the sofa or simlar. It would have a big effect on him.
If I was to move I would need to move to a 3 bedroom with a dining room . So i could use it as a bedroom . It would also need to have at least 1 large bedroom that I could split in 2 so I could then use it like a 5 bedroom. (Council does allow splitting room with permission)
The reason I want to move is because the area i want to go to feels like home . I have been away from there for about 8 years but I have always taken my kids to school in the area. Still use the local cafe there . Sometimes take the kids to the park there after school.
I'm pissed of with doing the school run on public transport its an arse. But I won't change school because the kids are settled. And I just won't do that to them. But also the kids friends are in that local area of school as well so it wiukd be nicer for them if we were local.
They are also in year 4/5 and the secondary schools are good there and easy to get to .
Cons of my house now . Is the location and it's over 3 floors. I can barely get to the top floor.
Pros of the house I'm in now. Its big, bedroom each. Its a new build and insulation is good and it's much warmer .
Cons of moving: would have to split a room, the houses are pretty old now . Built in the 30s/40s. Get pretty cold . Hard to keep warm. The house woukd be much smaller.
Pros of moving. Closer to primary and secondary. Closer to kids friends. As a family we love the area.
Just to confirm it would be social housing exchange.