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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Homeswapper is a complete joke

70 replies

BedTimeNow · 01/04/2016 18:53

Sorry I posted this on chat earlier and no ones replied I'm guessing all the traffic is on AIBU...

Just want to see if I'm being unrealistic about moving via a mutual exchange.

Are there any other MNetters trying to home swap? I am losing the will to live!

I'm in London but unless you have a 'house with a garden that's not on an estate' no one will swap even if they live on an estate themselves in a small flat with no decorating done in there own homes!

I am trying to move to a different area (still in London) to be nearer to family, but I honestly don't see this happening sad

I even saw an advert last night from someone saying they need a house with stairs as their child is getting teased by their friends as they live in a flat! Hmm

Please tell me I'm not alone?

I am on Homeswapper and House exchange are there any other better sites to use?
I'm desperate!
Flowers

OP posts:
Beth2511 · 01/04/2016 18:56

Dreading using it. We have a 2 bed but need a 3 dont care about location (locally) or state of the plaxe just somewhere i can actually fit enough beds for kids :/ joined a few facebook groups and they all seem similiar t9 how you describe with expectations

GabiSolis · 01/04/2016 19:00

I have family who were in this position. They had a lovely spacious maisonette in a good location but because it wasn't a house with a decent sized garden and was on the edge of an area with a reputation (totally unwarranted but mud sticks etc), they struggled to find anyone who wanted to swap with them. They spent years trying and only ever got one person who was interested enough to look around (it didn't go through).

They had to move after several years due to demolition of their place but I bet they would still there now otherwise.

Is shared ownership a possibility for you? Or even private renting (not ideal I know).

JimmyGreavesMoustache · 01/04/2016 19:00

dsis managed to swap a one bed flat for a two bed house, and then the two bed house for a 3 bedder

Crucially though, the one bed was ground-floor, which are sought after. Likewise the 2 bed had a downstairs bathroom. i think the first swap was arranged through an ad in a newsagent and not the formal avenues.

Original poster
BedTimeNow · 01/04/2016 19:01

Beth I know it can be really hard to swap for an extra bedroom, do you live in a house? if so you may have more of a chance.

Some adverts have a lovely description of the good schools nearby and lovely parks for young children but have unrealistic expectations. So the family who would love the area for schools and such miss out.

OP posts:
Original poster
BedTimeNow · 01/04/2016 19:04

Gabi today I have seriously thought about giving up my tenancy to private rent but I just don't have the money to. I wish there was some way of doing shared ownership but I just don't earn enough.

Jimmy I live on the ground floor and I have messaged people who have stated they need a ground floor for medical reasons but also need a garden...They do not currently have one!

OP posts:
LongHairDontCare · 01/04/2016 19:04

We are using home swapper and exchange locata. They are both crap and everyone wants a garden/driveway/pets allowed. Or rent for about £400 a month which is just ridiculous for our area

flanjabelle · 01/04/2016 19:08

I'm having the same problem. I'm losing the will to live too. I'm in a second floor flat and have a back problem and am really struggling. I have been trying to move for nearly a year. My health is getting worse and worse and I don't know what to do. Sad

yadrosh · 01/04/2016 19:16

Might yield better results using local pages on Facebook? I agree, seeking a ME from cold is a horrible experience. Lots of timewasters who just want a look around your home. People who seem to be very interested, then say that your house is beautiful, but DH wants to move somewhere else...yeah right.

We did a ME with a local lad years ago, through a mutual friend who said he needed somewhere smaller to live.

Maybe join some clubs, get to know people the old fashioned way and make it known you would like to move. I know at my old HA, they actually had an old fashioned noticeboard with people's adverts pinned up. I came to the conclusion that it takes a fair bit of effort to get there and write the ad out. We didn't see any promising properties, anyway but I thought it was a great system.

I truly wish you all the best and that your dreams come true.

yadrosh · 01/04/2016 19:17

Sorry, forgot to add...have you thought of advertising at supermarkets/post offices/newsagents at your desired location?

SaucyJack · 01/04/2016 19:23

I dunno.

If you don't ask you don't get. Most people don't want to live in a small flat on an estate- hence why they're trying to exchange from that situation.

I haven't bothered joining our local site because I can see from other posts on FB that two-bed flats on our road are in extremely low demand. I can understand and respect that. I don't want to live here either!

septembersunshine · 01/04/2016 19:27

It's a hard road for sure. My friend was on it nearly five years and has now taken herself of it due to stress and upset. She wanted to swap her two bed (very tiny house) with a bigger two bed. She has two young dd's. She found one in another village half an hour away and literally at the last minute the day before the paperwork was signed the lady pulled out. Later she found out this particular woman was famous for this... she has this amazing property with wrap around garden and very large rooms and keeps pulling out of swaps. I'd keep trying to swap, you never know, it might be perfect for someone plus in London there are surely more people wanting to move? I guess the only other thing to do is look further afield - maybe someone is desperate to move to London? Good luck to you op.

Original poster
BedTimeNow · 01/04/2016 19:52

Thanks everyone for your kind words Flowers I feel much better getting this off my chest.

I printed some leaflets yesterday to put in supermarkets and local housing offices (I hope I'm allowed). I will start handing them out tomorrow.

I'm not on Facebook so don't know how to use it! how do I find swap sites on there?

Flanj have you let your council or HA know about your health problems? could they help you with a swap.

September I've had a lot of people with lovely houses message me then when I reply that I'm interested they go cold Confused I think they get some sort of kick out of knowing people want their house.

My house is neutrally decorated, great size bedrooms, I hope it will happen as I'm missing being near family.

OP posts:
Notimefortossers · 01/04/2016 19:54

I've not heard of this? Is this only for people in housing association/social rent houses?

We private rent and we're in a two bed with DC4 imminent arrival! Can't afford to private rent a 3 bed so we've been on Home-link since August, but never get anything despite me bidding every 2 weeks. Would we be eligible for homeswapper?

IHaveBrilloHair · 01/04/2016 20:03

OMG all those sites make me lose the will to live.
I have a brilliant flat in my town, one of the most sought after because of the size/location, but all anyone seems to want is newly decorated, preferably with glitter wallpaper.
I want to move to be nearer my medical care and that's it, if I could move it here I would but obviously can't.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 01/04/2016 20:05

We use Homeswopper a lot for clients who need to move but are struggling to get help for the landlord.
We have had quite a fair bit of success with it but IME the 4/5/6+ way exchanges work better than a straight swop.

MooningIntoTheAbyss · 01/04/2016 20:17

Have been on homeswapper for 3 years now.

I have a 2 bed flat in a sought after area of north London. Only downside is its on 9th floor of a grubby old tower block. Nasty building but lovely flat and simply amazing view!! Honestly I love it.
But I have Dd and DS and its cramped. Need a 3 bed.
I'm not fussy about house and garden.

So far I've had 4 people want to swap.
1 studio flat.
2 1 bed flats
1 2 bed flat.

And anyone who does have bigger who wants to downgrade are all put off by the building and height. Council have zero interest in helping us move despite being entitled to 3 bedrooms now.

Depresses me so much now

Original poster
BedTimeNow · 01/04/2016 20:19

Notime Homeswapper is a site used for if you are a council or housing association tenant to mutually exchange your properties. so as you rent you wouldn't be able to qualify. is your name down on your local council housing list?

IHave I definitely understand the way you feel, i would not even mind somewhere that needed work to it, I get a lot of messages saying my home is lovely but as it isn't in that specific area they want it's a no. even if it is literally minutes away!

Sock I wouldn't mind doing a 3, 4 or even 5 way swap but the way these homeswappers are flakey I doubt it would go through, as someone will be bound to drop out. and a lot of people have said they don't want a 3 way swap

OP posts:
Original poster
BedTimeNow · 01/04/2016 20:23

Mooning I was saying today to a friend that I really feel for people in any sort of high rise block even if the house was beautiful and the location excellent no one on that site would take it!

Plus trying to get a bigger flat in London if you don't have the garden is difficult.

the only person I know that's had any luck started off with a lovely place in the first place and has swapped 2 time and now has a lovely big house.

I just want a 2 bed but wouldn't mind a 3 bed if any one wanted to downsize but still having no luck even though I'm ground floor and don't live in a high rise.

OP posts:
ElderlyKoreanLady · 01/04/2016 20:25

I hate homeswapper with a passion. Angry

I have a 2 bed GF flat. I'm after the same number of bedrooms in a similar area but with a private garden. Plenty of those going. The problem is my flat is very suitable for an elderly person or couple but has too many bedrooms for the HA to allow them to take up the tenancy.

GooseberryRoolz · 01/04/2016 20:26

We used to recommend HomeSwapper to clients. Is it the site that's no good or the potential swappers?

NoTime I heard something about some HAs (mostly northern I think - the case I remember was near Mancs, I'm pretty sure) advertising some of their empty property on there as available for direct applications. No idea how many or how few, though, sorry. At least one Londoner found a house that way.

Original poster
BedTimeNow · 01/04/2016 20:28

EKL oh yes, now they can only apply for 1 bed right ? that is really annoying.

some councils will allow up to 1 extra spare bedroom are you in London?

OP posts:
Original poster
BedTimeNow · 01/04/2016 20:31

Gooseberry I think a bit of both I keep on getting people that are my so called match but really on there advert will state the actual area they want (which is not mine) but also the clients on the site will arrange viewings and not bother showing up, cancel right at the last minute or will just read your messages and never reply back.
These are usually from the 'serious swappers' Angry

OP posts:
ElderlyKoreanLady · 01/04/2016 20:41

Nope Bed, I'm in Manchester. The HA I'm with responded to the bedroom tax by only allowing people to take tenancies on homes with the 'correct' number of bedrooms. So an elderly person (or single person, or young couple, etc) could love my flat, not be in receipt of housing benefit and be able to afford the rent, but the HA still wouldn't approve it.

ClopySow · 01/04/2016 20:47

I find both homeswap and the fb pages awful. Peoples expectations are rediculous. I look every now and again but i know nobody will be interested because i'm in a high rise, even though i'm city centre, in a good area and in the best school catchment area. Everybody wants a house with a garden. I'd like 3 bedrooms because i have two teenage sons and they could do with their own space, but i've decided to just try to split the room for them.

shazzarooney99 · 01/04/2016 20:48

Have you tried www.cche.co.uk/