to think the 'decent homes standard' is the joke of the decade?

[ladyfirenze]

Has anyone had their council homes 'upgraded' lately? Mine was done over christmas. Me and dc's were strongly advised to de-camp to a property provided by the council. This meant entirely moving house/storing white goods etc. Six weekd later we moved back. During this time we had a new kitchen put in, and new radiators as well as a re-wire.

I knew that I'd have to redecorate the whole place (three bed flat) but was promised help with the cost.

We got £160.

Also, because of the building, we had to use 'trunking' for all of the re-wire.

It looks shite. The trunking is cheap nasty looking crap, badly done. They had to come back over a period of two weeks after I'd returned to do 'snagging' and there are still bits which are sub-standard work.

The kitchen is okay, but wasn't actually done to the agreed plan. They had a huge hoo ha when I asked them to, and due to an exposed meter it couldn't be left. Their customer care is rubbish, and I was accused of being responsible for the kitchen not being correct... wtf??

six weeks on and I'm slowly getting the house sorted. I'm quite cabaple, but there are many who aren't, and will be left in a worse position than before.

Stop whining. You can all do yoga for free can't you?! You don't know you're born

blinks

You're all weird.

pinkfluffyprincess is the weirdest

Groundhog day US, groundhog day

Tax does pay for some decent homes standards improvements - monies is allocated by central government for this. Local authorities can't use council tax for CH only rents collected.

Amen to that fluffy

once again i worked for NOTTING HILL HOUSING TRUST. one of the largest ha... and guess what i worked in notting hill area where council flats are worth 400-600k , guess what nhht provided for their tenants?? well 86 different worktops, 6 different cupboards colours, 18 colours of vinyl for the kitchen and bathroom, 8 different handles, 36 colours of dulux paint (yes dulux not hombase paint) standard white tiles with 8 different colours to add as a pattern....( white is boring isnt?) all tenants had to do is sit for 45 min go through the boards and sign the paperwork confirming their choice...simple isnt?? and thats all for 80-100 pounds rent a week. well but that wasnt the end...when contractor finished the property tenants had a look at their neighbours/friends house and decided they dont like the cupboards, paint whatever...but hey thats not a problem... just sent us a letter that you will contact legal and we will get that all changed for you...yet again for free!!....wish to see my landlord with colour choices...nearly 800 a month for 1 bed...

They ripped mine to bits, kitchens faulty, windows had to be re-done and bathroom had a leak. i was told i should think myself lucky as getting work done for nothing?? Its not my house its a council house! Windows are not right and i got £20 a room to put the house right 2 weeks before xmas. Ive had cermaic tiles layed in passage, kitchen and bathroom and paid £200 for electrics installed for shower. Ive transformed the back garden at the cost of nearly £500 from a hole full of mud. All the ceilings have been skimmed and doors and skirts replaced. They will be left for the next tenant so no i dont think im bloody lucky

I live on a council estate. its shit. There are several dogs that roam free despite numerous complaint to the authorities.

3 doors down from me is the local drug dealer, the constant sound of visitors at his house keep me awake for hours at night.

At least once a week the ex offenders that are housed in the block of flats at the bottom of the street decide having a full on fist fight at 3 am is a good idea.

We couldn't get out of one end of our street the other morning because a stolen car had been abandoned and set alight and it took the police a few days to move it.

I have a nice garden though, or at least it was night until some little shit kicked my fence in, 8 times in the last few years. Or how about the time when the the thug who lives at the back decided to climb over my fence to escape from the police who where knocking on his door. Police found him but he wrecked all my flowers as he was flailing about trying not to be arrested.

Or there was that afternoon that I was playing with the kids in the front garden when a pissed up and extremely agitated teenager came running by and asked me if I had a kitchen knife he could borrow.

At least I have my car though so I can go out for the day. That is if its not one of the times that the mirrors have been knocked off or the window smashed in. The few times it been keyed my first though has been 'oh well at least its still drivable'

So come on then, who would live in my house eh? They are so fecking lucky those council tenants! Still jealous??? You have no idea!!

applauds mog

WELL!!! I ahven't had a new kitchen just in case anyone is wondering, nor have I been offered one and tbh the kitchen I have is fine.

Nor am I contacting the HA's legal dept to complain about the colour of the cupboards so it's all replaced at taxpayer's (that would be ME then) expense.

Alot of green eyed envy on here tbh - come along to Basildon and rent the last place I was in - 3 beds for £70 a week. If you can cope with the pissy stairs, open drug dealing and regular police raids. No! Thought not.

I'd have a mortgage and my own place like a shot if I could afford it but I can't and with a disabled child it isn't ever going to happen.

If the HA ever replaces the kitchen (it's on a 25 year rolling programme according to the stuff they gave me when I moved in) I'll expect them to make a proper job of it, I won't expect it to be botched as in the OP's case. She is not unreasonable to be irritated by that. Re-decorating allowance? What is that? Not common to all councils as far as I know.

I was also happy to be housed in a 1-bed with DD and DH rather than in a 3-bed on the local police-no-go-area estate.

We were there for four years from the time DD was three until she was almost seven. It wasn't ideal and we transformed the place with our own money.

Until the over-crowding caused DD to have an accident which almost killed her.

If you like cardboard-thin walls, mould, a nice bonfire, don't care what happens to your car, enjoy loud shit music at all hours and crack feel free to PM and I can direct you to your free house. Believe me there are plenty available. You might even get £160 as well!

notbothered - i got a choice of 2 kitchen units, 2 tiles and a standard bathroom fitted, we didnt get any work done unless the previous fittings were over 25yr old, half the estate didnt get a bathroom, most didnt get a kitchen. I still have a myson boiler which breaks down every winter as they also dont fit combies, If i want hot water to bath the 3 kids i have to put it on boost twice. My gutterings still hanging off from the snow. Im just making the point that not all council give people a choice of fittings and they only do essential work. My kitchen was the brown faux wood one originally fitted when the house built in the 60's. Its a disgrace it tooke them 40yrs to replace it!

sorry about typos

That's it, if it's so great why doesn't everyone just become homeless and get a council house. If they went on benefits they could even get Sky! Sorted

ambarth, there's no need to scream at me ffs. You do not have a clue about the reasons I was given a council house.

As someone who lives in a council house YABU!

I've had a new kitchen fitted, probably not to the highest standard but it looks a million times better than the rotton mess we did have.

Our house IS rotting away, its cold, damp and mouldy.

But soon (i hope we have been waiting 2 years for the work to start) we will ahve new doors, windows and cladding on our house.

I AM GRATEFUL for this!

My kids cough all night at the moment because their room is so cold (as ours is) the windows are literally rotting away.

I will be extremely grateful for any improvement they do!

I know i souldn't have to livelike th, bt teres people with much worse housing around that have no promise or hope of getting anything done so I'm happy to wait.

and don't forget the flat screen tv fluffy princess!

Private renting needs to become cheaper. Why on earth should it be more expensive than a fucking mortgage?!

Councils need to make sure they have value for money from their repairs departments and if they don't, they need to give the contract to someone else. Our current council has given the contract to a right dodgy bunch who bodge most things, but then they ARE from the same family as the leader of the council

Not very nice trunking is a bit of a silly thing to whinge about.

I live in a council property and have done for the last 4 years.

We have had a new bathroom and kitchen put in in that time. The bathroom because it was leaking, mouldy, etc. The kitchen because we only had one small cupboard in total and 2 work units.

We are very grateful for it.

We also pay full rent and full council tax. I would love to know where the people live who anly pay £50-100 a month???? We pay £81 a week for our property which is not much below the average for a 2 bed private property around here. I imagine those other people are in receipt of some sort of housing benefit to pay so little.