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.

I don't think it's right people should be able to buy council houses. And your friend is a dick for plastering it all over Facebook.

And no, it was Council not Housing association Helena

My parents bought their council house they wouldn't have had the chance to buy another and I gained a stable home which I'll inherit one day. Yes you are VU

MolyHoly she said she was worried she would be kicked out when her Dc leave home. Surely that can not happen if they carry on paying their rent.

moly an HA in London has upped its rent by 20% This has happened a lot in recent years. It doesnt help.

www.standard.co.uk/news/london/nurses-and-teachers-living-in-affordable-housing-scheme-face-20-rent-rise-a3304431.html

Maybe wind your neck in and cut ties. I'm sure she doesn't need a green eyed monster as a friend.

Jealous is such a nasty wasted emotion. Grow up.

You know, it is ok to feel jealous. It's a normal human emotion.

Will you still be a bit jealous in a month or two? Probably. Will you congratulate her anyway? Probably.

No big deal.

I don't think it's right people should be able to buy council houses. And your friend is a dick for plastering it all over Facebook.

Why is she a dick for putting it on Facebook?

Buying a house is a very big thing, and given the mundane shit most people post, it's much more of a deal surely?

Yanbu to be angry in general, but yabu to be angry with her, she's just taking advantage of a horrible system, as would you and I if we had the chance. But yes I agree it's outrageous to be able to buy public property for a fraction of it's real value - basically it's theft from taxpayers. I know someone who bought an ex-council under right to buy 20 years after he'd left the property. It was the third property he owned by the time, worth at least twice what he paid. The system is v dodgy.

I wouldn't blame the friend. Everyone in a position to do it probably should (if it makes financial sense). The people taking advantage shouldn't be blamed, it's the government that should. The government is basically walking up to certain people and giving them tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of pounds. Should people say no? Obviously not. Should others be jealous? Of course they should. It's a terrible policy.

Absolute - yes. If the house is under occupied and she isn't willing to pay more for any spare rooms (bedroom tax), they can move her to a smaller house (how many 1 bedroom houses do councils and HA's own? Next to none) or evict her.

OP I would do the same in your friends position.

It's not your friends fault the system is flawed. And she has to protect her interests not make the best decision for the greater good of society. It would be nice if we all could but it won't happen.

Would I chose to benefit to the tune of 70k if I could? Damn right I would and you would too.

You sound bitter and jealous and Not much of a friend at all.

Why shouldn't she buy it if the council are willing to sell it.

I imagine she's lived there years and at the point she moved in probably didn't think she'd have a hope in hell of buying anything.

Don't piss on her bonfire.

I agree in some areas there are thousands waiting for council housing. But in others it's not that hard to come by, even though an awful lot has been sold off already. I don't know where you are op so I can't comment on whether I think it's acceptable for the council I sell it off.

Our HA have said they're considering bringing back RTB on our current house.
If they do we'll be all over it like a rash. It's the only way we will ever be able to buy so we will. I don't feel bad, we work hard and this is our home.

I get it. I will feel the same when a family member does this. We are the definition of squeezed middle and will.never be able to afford our own home no matter how hard we work our arses off.

The irony being that a HA in liverpool are making 3 beds into 2 beds by knocking a wall through. They are desperate for 2 bed and 1 bed houses. Its bloody ridiculous and afaik, housing associations detest the bedroom tax. It has caused a lot of shit for them.

I don't know where you are op so I can't comment on whether I think it's acceptable for the council I sell it off.

if it's being sold at any discount (not at market value) then it's not acceptable. Those are state owned (think tax payer) assets being sold at a discount.

I have a friend with three children under 7 who is living in a 2-bed flat with metal window frames that are so dodgy the windows have been permanently sealed up so the only fresh air they get is by keeping their front door open. Before the windows were sealed the rain would pour down their walls. She is constantly being refused bigger places because of the lack of social housing here in the SE.

I get it. The housing situation is massively unfair. But it's not your friend's fault. Suck it up and be nice. In this world you have to grab whatever opportunity you can.

Aibu to think it's totally unfair and a piss take on hard working people who can't buy a house

Reality check........ hard working people also live in social housing or are you saying those in social housing shouldn't have an opportunity to own a home because of whiners like you bleating 'it's not fair' like a fucking 5 year old??? You sound really horrible.

I get it. I will feel the same when a family member does this. We are the definition of squeezed middle and will.never be able to afford our own home no matter how hard we work our arses off.

Yes but the OP does own her own home.

Perhaps she thinks the 'friend' has ideas above her station and should remain a council renter forever.

f it's being sold at any discount (not at market value) then it's not acceptable. Those are state owned (think tax payer) assets being sold at a discount.

I do understand that, but how many thousands of pounds of rent have they brought in before selling it?

notamummy10
Being nosey - what would the rent be if it was a private let?

I have NO problem with people doing it, if they have the opportunity to do so - you'd be bloody mad not to if you could IMO.

My problem is with it being allowed. Yes, only one family can live there at one time, but in time another family could live there and another...

Why should one family get given a HUGE leg up on to the property ladder at the cost of others?

This woman has just been GIVEN £70,000 from the Council and the council have lost the house out of the system. The woman gets £70,000 equity to pass onto her children, for what? For having lived in a council house?

We NEED social housing, I don't begrudge people living in social housing, in many/most cases paying less than market rates for it. But this. This really pisses me off.

As I said, the policy, not the people buying the houses if they're able to.

Though then that does rather bring up the point of the profit made when they sell them on to buy a bigger house, with the £70,000 they now have. It's a stupid fucking 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.

Do you mean you get a 75% discount or you'd have to pay 75% (25% discount)? I don't think either of those are correct for 17 years tenancy. Shouldn't it be a 47% discount? I thought is was 35% for 3-5 years and 1% for each subsequent year, to a maximum of 70% or £80k (£100k for London).