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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

233 replies

ladyfirenze · 02/03/2011 12:58

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.

OP posts:
sixlostmonkeys · 02/03/2011 19:28

For those still harping on about CT tenants getting it all for free, and can't seem to grasp that the kitchens etc aren't given to the tenants but are put into the council's property lets have a go at this ......
Yesterday I got on a bus. I paid my fare. The bus had had a new seat installed. I sat on it. This does NOT mean I had been given a FREE chair. It meant that the bus company had installed a new seat in one of their buses. As I had paid my fare I was allowed to sit on it. The next person who pays their fare can sit on it too.
There was a driver in a car behind the bus and she kept shouting at me; "You should be fecking grateful you beggar you! You have just been given a FREE seat! I have to pay for the seats in my car whereas you just got all that lovely foam and plush material for free!"
I looked at this driver and shook my head whilst thinking there aren't half some ignorant twits about....

lovecorrie · 02/03/2011 19:29

You will all really really hate me, We got offered a lovely three bedroomed non-estate ch a week before ds was born 11 years ago...seven years ago, we were offred the chance to buy it with a 37% discount on the market price. We ensured that everything that needed to be done (roof, new plugs etc) was done by the council before we got a mortgage, then we started to buy it. It's now worth twice what the original estimate was. Yes, it's probably morally wrong, but we chose to take advantage of the situation and were, by then in a position to take them up on it. When we originally got offered the house we had been living in a tiny two bed flat with dd1 who was 10 and I was pregnant.

Please be nice..

amberleaf · 02/03/2011 19:37

sixlostmonkeys great analogy...but they still wont get it.

Lots still wrongly think that every council tenant is on benefits.

pinkfluffyprincess · 02/03/2011 19:40

see, now I want a free seat you entitled cow. I have a new BMW but I paid for that Angry

Mists · 02/03/2011 19:41
sixlostmonkeys · 02/03/2011 19:42
Grin
fifi25 · 02/03/2011 19:42

Lovecorrie - in my area you cant buy it till 4 yr after decent homes work is done, my mam bought hers for 12,000 in the 90's and sold it for 98,000, she now doesnt live on a council estate. People are quick to jump on people in council houses but tbh its the government who offer these things then people moan its unfair when people see a chance and take it. I didnt ask for decent homes nor did my mam ask to buy her house?

ambarth · 02/03/2011 19:44

ReRead my post ladyfirenze.

I was screaming at the idiots who moan about being oh so virtuous taxpayers and homeowners who feel the need to tell you you get housed for FREE out of THEIR TAX. Always in shouty capitals.

My point is that they are bloody lucky they are not in one of the situations that lead to getting a council house.

Original poster
ladyfirenze · 02/03/2011 19:46

aaaargh! Blush please accept my humble apologies.

OP posts:
pinkfluffyprincess · 02/03/2011 19:48

What situations Ambarth? They have clean water don't they Wink

sixlostmonkeys · 02/03/2011 19:52

clean water? CLEAN water?! I suppose home owners tax pays for that too! pfft.

Mists · 02/03/2011 19:53

My parents are working class evil buyers of a council house and will be first against the wall come the revolution but they weren't to know that the housing stocks wouldn't be replenished.

They did vote for Thatcher though.

MIL has lived in her council house for thirty years and is a highly-paid professional. She could buy the place for about £2.99 I reckon Grin but won't.

Depends on how you view things.

fifi25 · 02/03/2011 19:56

What does council rent pay for, council services, they obviously make quite a bit of money off the rents and housing benefit? In my area they are doing 3 new builds.

lovecorrie · 02/03/2011 20:00

It has been stopped in our area now - and it was two years when we bought ours. I'd had a year in the flat and 2 years on a housing co-operative so that's how we managed.

Thank you Mists for keeping me safe Grin

ambarth · 02/03/2011 20:04

I was in a similar situation to reality. I was told I would never get rehoused. Now I private rent and my housing costs put me below the official poverty line. Can't save to buy as high rent, 5 years on the council list...

but still, she should have her house maintained to a decent standard for ffs.

ChippingInMistressSteamMop · 02/03/2011 20:12

sixlostmonkeys You were the one saying that CT's pay tax thus justifying the money spent on updating their houses - not me. I simply said that the fact they pay tax is irrelevant.

CT pays tax that doesn't doesn't necessarily go on things that they benefit from too. Should they too envy those who reap the benefits from schools, libraries, parking services etc etc that they themselves never use

The huge difference is that those services are available for everyone to use - funnily enough, most CT's wouldn't be that chuffed if I rocked up to use their new kitchen Hmm

rent £58 per month? are you sure? Of course I'm bloody sure or I wouldn't have said so Hmm I've been and paid it for them

I don't 'act' like homeowners have been given their house, I act like they own their house or will do one day

Yes you do. You act like it's just fallen into our laps and we were some how lucky to have bought a house, rather than appreciating the work & sacrifices that have been made to do so. That somehow we should be grateful to own a house?!

I guess I can't make you understand how home improvements will increase the value of a home owner's house therefor is an investment that they will one day reap whereas home improvements to a CT have no monetry value at all - therefor nothing is 'given' to them

No, it's not what I understand that is the problem here. What you don't understand is that when a homeowner puts money into a house they don't necessarily add value or get that money back when it's sold, but like the CT they get the use of the new kitchen etc. The CT's do 'get given' the improvements - who else benefits from them??

Who says CT aren't grateful for a roof over their head? Complaining that shoddy work which ultimately costs more in the long run is not being ungrateful

Well, complaining that the trunking is 'cheap nasty crap' and the fact that the kitchen wasn't installed to her specifications seems pretty ungrateful to me when you have just had new radiators, new kitchen, £160 towards redecorating and are waiting for the new windows and doors to be done. Beggars belief to be honest.

LBsBongers · 02/03/2011 20:17

Haven't read all post but wanted to make a point that these repairs were paid for from rent revenue not council tax, a very important point

sixlostmonkeys · 02/03/2011 20:26

chipping

The huge difference is that those services are available for everyone to use - funnily enough, most CT's wouldn't be that chuffed if I rocked up to use their new kitchen

amberleaf · 02/03/2011 20:31

chipping

rent £58 per month? are you sure? Of course I'm bloody sure or I wouldn't have said so hmm I've been and paid it for them

Fact check seriously needed, i think you'll find that that was their service charges [water/caretaking etc]

not full monthly rent. the rent part must have been paid by housing ben.

I would wager my children there is no council rent that is only £58 per month.

Original poster
ladyfirenze · 02/03/2011 20:33

chipping - the plans weren't mine! I just asked that the electric meter and fusebox not be left uncovered at toddler height. Plus the trunking is cheap nasty crap. My problem with it was it had been incorrectly fitted, so therefore it was at risk of falling to pieces and exposing wires, and also, in several places it was actually cracked and broken. They had to send another team back to fix it.

OP posts:
lovecorrie · 02/03/2011 20:38

^No need to thank me lovecorrie I think yours is probably the bravest post I have ever seen on AIBU to be honest.

Have a Medal of Valour^

coool Grin

lovecorrie · 02/03/2011 20:38

dang what happened to my italics

thekidsrule · 02/03/2011 20:42

Good luck to any council tenant that has a refit,lives on a ok estate,and has a council that looks after the tenant and property,you pay your rent and should expect a certain standard/service from your lanlord (eg council)

why should you feel grateful,DONT,just because some sound jealousn ignore it

and for the record i am a homeowner who yes has to maintain her own but i decided that and knew that was part of being a homeowner,i weighed up pluses and minusus on owning against renting and buying won me over,just the same as if you decide to rent a perk is no major outlay kitchens,windows etc,so that becomes the lanlords responsibility

ChippingInMistressSteamMop · 02/03/2011 20:54

Mists But it isn't being done for the OP's benefit No, of course not, the OP wont benefit at all from having new radiators, new kitchen, new wiring, new windows, new doors... no of course not Hmm

Nothing to sell to pay for care in later life

No, so they will get their care FREE while those of us who do have a house will have to sell it to pay for our care Hmm Your point is??

I suppose, OP that perhaps YABU (sadly) in that you expect the council to consider your family when in actual fact that are ensuring that they make a profit over the years

Oh for the love of God are you serious?? If CT's are so hard done by and are paying market rate (yeah right) then why not rent a house from a landlord if the council are just so inconsiderate as to renovate the property they are in Hmm

DillyDaydreaming - you can accuse me of lying all you like, it doesn't change the fact that a family I KNOW pays £58 pm for their 'rent' and no, I'm not telling you where they live FFS.

LoveCorrie I think it's ridiculous that you should have been able to do that, but I don't blame you one bit for doing it when given the opportunity to do so.

sixmonkeys your analogy makes NO sense what so ever.