To be disgusted at my friend buying her council house?

[AbsoluteUnfairBollox]

And refuse to offer any congratulations whatsoever

She just announced on Facebook that her house purchase completed today. she's bought it at a massive discount as she's been plastering it online for months (valued at 120k and she's got it for around 50k...didn't even need a deposit I bet the banks were chucking mortgages at them. mean fgs how do some people get so jammy)

Actually I might congratulate her. I feel like saying congrats on taking yet another social house out of the market, one less house for a needy family

Aibu to think it's totally unfair and a piss take on hard working people who can't buy a house ? I have bought my house btw but was bloody hard and my house cost twice what hers dos and isn't even as nice

I've nc for this as I am ashamed of the feelings it's stirred up and how mean spirited it's made me feel towards a friend.

Would you not do the same in her position?

The selling off of council houses makes me really cross but it's not the families buying them that I direct the anger to (unless they are going to let them out- if is a home I understand why they bought it, if it's an investment they are fuckers), it's the policy.
And I have very little hope of buying a house myself and would love to rent a council one if I could, so I do understand how infuriating and stupid the whole right to buy policy is.

One of the most sickening things about your OP is that you have your own home and yet you're still eaten up with jealousy.

Well that and the fact you seem to be hiding behind some sort of fake concern for people who need social housing.

On a persona level I don't blame people for buying their council houses but on a societal level I think it's fucked up and should be stopped.

I would do the same and you can feel jealous and let it eat you up or wish her all the best a shut her a hideous housewarming gift that she must keep on display when you come round.

I do think it's unfair and it's a shame that the policy was ever brought it. Those saying that it's the only way that they could ever get on the property ladder- what about the millions in private rented accommodation who will never get that chance.

It would make me eye roll that someone was bragging about it online.

Right to buy has now stopped so there has been a recent flurry

Well I'm tempted myself for when the pay to stay kicks in. I can get full discount as well.

Jealousy isn't an attractive thing OP, it's not your friends fault you paid full whack is it? Or were you just wanting a council house bashing thread... It's been a while to be fair

Yes you are being unreasonable!

She had done nothing wrong, she doesn't make the rules about being able to buy council houses. I think the right to buy them should never of been allowed but that is the way it is.

Good luck to her being on the property ladder.

Well actually MrsFizzy some of the housing problems ARE because social housing has been sold.

It was for sale. She bought it.

Blame the people who offered it for sale at such a low price. This isn't your friend's fault.

They have a 'right to buy' the authorities allow it.

Jealousy is not a nice emotion, be happy for your friend. Yes you worked hard and got your mortgage, she may never be able to do that (job/prospects dependent, homelife/amount of children etc)

Plus the money from the sale will be going to the authority.

I certainly don't think that the buyers should be allowed to sell on at a vast profit. I know people who bought large council houses in Essex/Kent for buttons in the 1980s who are sitting on £400k now. There should be some kind of clawback when those are sold or inherited.

It's hard to begrudge people wanting the kind of domestic security that only ownership provides though. Try and be joyful with her. Give her a shrub for her garden or a photo frame or something!

And if you genuinely disapprove of the policy, email a general complaint your local councillors and your MP.

The right to buy system seems open to abuse and some of the discounts are huge so it must be difficult to see a similar or better house as yours being sold at a fraction of the price you'll spend decades paying, but if it were my friend I'd be so happy for her, my ability to get my own home is not linked to hers.

Is she flaunting it on FB in a 'haha you suckers paid full price and I didn't' kind of way or is she just excited about getting on the property ladder?

Try to get over it or she'll quickly notice your jealousy.

I disagree with right to buy in principle because it takes much needed social housing off the market. But that's not what's bothering you is it OP? It's because your friend has a nicer house for less money and that's what angers you. So in principle yanbu, in reality you're not just being unreasonable, you're being vicious!

Whoa you sound jealous! Bit of an extreme reaction and it really doesn't sound like it's motivated by moral outrage...

of course people are jealous. this is a mystery because... why? Someone just got a 70k windfall through bad government policy.

that doesn't mean that I wouldn't do it. I have a friend in this position and I am both happy for them and also jealous. But he, likewise, is grateful and knows it's a stupid policy.

We're looking at buying our council house, if we do we get 75% of the asking price. The reason why we are thinking of buying it is because we've lived here for nearly 17 years so therefore it's our home plus we are wanting to make renovations to the house that we can't do whilst it's still owned by the council.

Yes our rent is £420 per month but we don't get any help with paying bills (e.g. benefits), all the money is out of our own pockets.

I am totally against the selling of council housing, especially when they're sold for less that it'll cost to build another one. It just seems like lunacy to me. How can they justify selling it for less than half the market rate? Why should people be able to buy them so cheaply? I simply don't get it.

I don't blame you for feeling pissed off.

I think I'd feel 33/33/33 - pissed off that she's got a nicer house for half the money, pissed off the council are selling them, pleased for her.

If she was an actual friend rather than an acquaintance I'd congratulate her, bottle of bubbles & congrats card, because I would feel genuinely happy for her.

I think Right to Buy is a fucking tragedy. It should be a thing.

But it is. And people are going to take advantage of it. Can you blame them?

shouldn't be a thing.

is it HA rather than council Because most of them were sold off to HAs.

They freely admit they have bought it because the mortgage will be cheaper than their rent. A year ago she was all over Fb shouting about the "unfairness" as her and her dh were going to be made to pay a higher rent as they earn over a certain amount (from next year I think that comes in?) slagging off the Conservatives for bringing it in. Yet now ironically taking full advantage of, and profiting from, a Conservative policy

Sorry I am just venting now

I think we are all stupid not to have done the same frankly.

Buy a house, without deposit for £50k, sell it in a few years at market rate, so £120k plus. If I could go back in time, I really would do exactly that, but I only kick myself for not being as opportunistic as others.

It's slightly harder to get a council house nowadays, so it seems we missed the boat. We are the idiot, so I understand the OP's frustration. It's not your friend I blame however, it's me for having missed on obvious opportunities!

Maybe if tenancies were more secure, bedroom tax was eradicated and it come be a home for life, albeit a rented one, she would not have felt the need to buy.

I work in the regulated rented sector aka social housing and a lot of tenants who strongly believe in the need for social housing, are reluctantly buying through the right to buy scheme so they can feel secure in their homes and they wont be kicked out, or charged exta if their kids leave home.

You should be happy for her that she now has the same security as you. You big meanie.