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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Too take my flooring with me when I move

53 replies

MotherofthreeDragons · 11/08/2013 12:36

Moving to a smaller property, it's an exchange, the house is in a nice area, but the property is in need of a lot of work, where as I have spent a fortune on mine (although I'm not claiming its perfect!)
I have not long put laminate flooring through out ground floor and carpeted upstairs, but the new house is in need of both.

I will also be paying the dreaded bedroom tax until I find a job down there (£130 per month) even though, I will not have an extra room Angry
So will have no spare money for decorating for quite a while.

Do you think I would be UR to take up my flooring and take it with?

I asked my land lord and they told me its upto me what I take or leave, but I really don't want to be 'that' person who takes everything including the light bulbs!

OP posts:
dontquotem3 · 11/08/2013 12:39

It's yours, take it!

newbiefrugalgal · 11/08/2013 12:42

Take it

gobbledegook1 · 11/08/2013 12:44

If the other house needs both and your not obliged to leave anything then take it, you paid for it. Doing up a house is a bloody costly business so I'd try and save where ever I could.

Awomansworth · 11/08/2013 12:46

Yes, take it. It will help to keep cost's down in your new place.

I'm presuming it's a council property so you are under no obligation to leave flooring for the new occupants.

twilight3 · 11/08/2013 12:48

well, since the landlord said it's up to you then take it.

I'm confused though, I assume you're downsizing because you have an extra bedroom. Why will you be paying bedroom tax if you don't have an extra room? Am I misunderstanding something in the new rules?

ChippingInHopHopHop · 11/08/2013 12:48

What are the floors like underneath?

What would the landlord want you to do if you took the floor up?

How well would it come up? Would you spoil it lifting it?

CecilyP · 11/08/2013 12:53

Yes, if in taking up the laminate you can leave the floors in the condition they were before you put it down, then fine. If lifting means that the floors are left in a total mess, then no.

WhereDoAllTheCalculatorsGo · 11/08/2013 12:57

'that person who even takes the lightbulbs' only applies if you have sold your property. As a tenant you should take all of your belongings out when you leave, even the lightbulbs if you wish.

Original poster
MotherofthreeDragons · 11/08/2013 13:00

Thanks, thought I was being a bit of a skinflint Grin

Underneath, it has the original council issue ceramic flooring (ugly and cold but in good condition)
It's ikea click and fit, so will come up easy without ruining it, it would just be the cut bits at the edges that would be binned but I have two spare packs in the loft, so would have more than enough.

Twilight sorry shouldn't have put downsizing Blush ment that the property is a smaller, size wise. I'm going from a three bed to a three bed, but the council have decided as there is a cardboard flimsy partition between tiny kitchen making a separate dinning area, that they have reassessed it to a bedroom, so a four bed house, it's made me annoyed as there is no way anyone could possibly sleep there as you need to have a fridge in there as the kitchen has no space for it.

OP posts:
lollilou · 11/08/2013 13:02

Have you thought about asking your landlord if he would consider paying you for it so that he doesn't have to replace it? New tenants get a nice floor, you get some cash to spend on the new place.

YoniBottsBumgina · 11/08/2013 13:02

If it's a council flat they will take it all out and bin it anyway, so take as much as you possibly can!

twilight3 · 11/08/2013 13:02

oh, I see... £130pcm bedroom tax? That's steep...

Take the light bulbs too...

YoniBottsBumgina · 11/08/2013 13:03

Or house, even.

WhereDoAllTheCalculatorsGo · 11/08/2013 13:04

Pisses me off, this. The bedroom tax isn't bad enough so they have to go about 'reassessing' little dining rooms as well? I know someone who had put up a screen in her bedroom to form a play area for her dc and now she's been told she has a 3 bed house.

Viviennemary · 11/08/2013 13:07

I wouldn't have thought the landlord meant the laminate flooring. So you should clarify this first. Good idea about asking the landlord to pay you for leaving it. I can't imagine he'd want to go to the expense of replacing it if it's in good condition.

Original poster
MotherofthreeDragons · 11/08/2013 13:08

Yeah, it's London rent, but I'm hoping short term pain, long them gain, better schools for DS and I will have more help with the DCs so can work longer hours.

The Landlord here wouldn't even replace a broken window, so they wouldn't help at all.

OP posts:
Original poster
MotherofthreeDragons · 11/08/2013 13:11

Shock calculators that's ridiculous Angry I'd like to know where they think we should eat if that is a bedroom? Think they would reply on the floor though!

OP posts:
CecilyP · 11/08/2013 13:12

I disagree, Calculators; I was shocked that the previous tenants of my last 2 homes took the light bulbs with them. I mean, why would you go to the trouble when very likely they would be broken in transit anyway? I am pleased to say I am so generous-spririted that I left our lightbulbs behind despite being on a low income at the time!

OP, the way you have described it, it sounds fine for you to take up the laminate. I still have the horrors about the state of the kitchen of my current house when the previous tenants took all their numerous kitchen shelves with them.

Original poster
MotherofthreeDragons · 11/08/2013 13:13

I've replaced everything in this house from the letterbox to the plugs, because the landlord wouldn't do it.

OP posts:
pizzachickenhotforyou · 11/08/2013 13:14

If it's an exchange and you can take it, take it. Although surely it's only fair to let the person moving in to know beforehand?

ChippingInHopHopHop · 11/08/2013 13:15

The Bedroom Tax is utterly fucking unreasonable (and I say that completely unbiased as I own my house - well, to be precise the bank owns most of it Grin). I knew it was ridiculous, but I was reading in the paper last weekend the ratios of people paying for an extra room against the small places available (let alone available in the right places).... madness, income generating and That Is All. Income generating from those least able to pay it ... grrrr.

Before it was introduced I sat on the fence re moving HA tennants around. I know a woman in her 80's, living in a 4 bed house, she uses a fraction of it, but it has been her home for 40 odd years... it seemed like a waste of a huge house that a family could better use, but on the other hand it is her home... but if councils don't have smaller places to move people to - then there's nothing that anyone can do about it is there, unless they buy more property.

As for saying the dining room or a crappily divided bedroom is another bedroom - FFS.

Anyway, back to your floor, I can see why you'd feel like a skinflint, I would too :) and if you were able to replace it without it affecting you unduly I'd say you were being mean, but given you can restore the floor to exactly how it was when you moved in and you yourself are going to be tight for money, then do it. (Mind you, do you know if you will need it or not??) Or do as someone else suggested and see if the landlord will give you the money for it?

How come you have A Landlord if it's council housing? Do they not all go through the council & have that stupid rule about all flooring coming out? (I only know people in one area that are in 'council' houses and that's the stupid rule there and even lovely rooms get 'magnolia' paint over whatever is there - bloody mad).

IneedAsockamnesty · 11/08/2013 13:15

Appeal the decision on its reclassification as a 4 bed.

There is a huge issue at the moment with LA's doing this but loads of appeals are successful as its actually unlawful to do it with a downstairs dining room.

Original poster
MotherofthreeDragons · 11/08/2013 13:17

I will be honest about what I'm taking and would like to agree on things like leaving the bulbs and some shelves, but I don want to be without nice flooring for the kids to walk on for the sake of being nice.

OP posts:
ChippingInHopHopHop · 11/08/2013 13:18

I would appeal too - that is madness. Complete and utter madness (and seemingly against the rules anyway). I do not know how some of these people sleep at night.

ChippingInHopHopHop · 11/08/2013 13:19

Sorry, just re read your OP, it's clear you are going to need it.

You aren't going to damage the current floors.

Take it - it's a no brainer :)