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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for help with this decision.

56 replies

IHaveAToiletBrush · 26/09/2016 16:32

Recieved a phone today from local housing association office, our area changes its allocation procedure that much it is hard to keep up. Basically the area office/shop has a small waiting list of 5 people that is made up from people from that get to top of main waiting list, once on shop list it should be no more than 3 months until you are housed. You pick areas etc when join main list, the idea is so people that are at the bottom of the list don't get their hopes up when bidding for a property to then come in number 300. So hears the decision we have hit hard times so the cheaper rent will be all good but I don't think we can actually afford to move.

We are in private rent at the moment, white goods/cooker, carperts, ds bed/mattress and the bedrooms have built in wardrobes. Dd's have bunk beds so ds could share for a while but not a long term solution. The rent and council tax saving is about £250 per month which I would save towards the things I need. Overtime is not really an option as we then loose out on housing benefit and end up worse off. So in my position would you take the HA house? I know I probably won't get another chance but very worried about not having the things my dc will need.

Not that it is relevant but have been where we are for 10 years so it is quite secure.

OP posts:
Original poster
IHaveAToiletBrush · 26/09/2016 19:24

Or at least just a mattress for ds.

OP posts:
OddBoots · 26/09/2016 19:25

Would he want to share the bunk bed or would he rather have a mattress on the floor in his own room?

watfordmummy · 26/09/2016 19:26

Take the house, I moved into my own flat nearly 39 years ago. I bought a secondhand cooker, and luckily was given a freezer did without a fridge until I could afford one.

Check out freecycle as lots of people change white goods when there's nothing wrong with them. Good luck with it all, I work for a HA and you'd be mad not to take it x

watfordmummy · 26/09/2016 19:28

Meant to write nearly 30 years ago not 39 BlushI'm old but not that old!! SmileSmile

Original poster
IHaveAToiletBrush · 26/09/2016 19:29

Ds would have to share the bed with his sister, his current bed and mattress belongs to our current rental so he has no choice.

OP posts:
ItsJustNotRight · 26/09/2016 19:33

Bed for son first. That will make it feel more like home for him.

SquawkFish · 26/09/2016 19:34

I'd take the HA house.

Could you ask around your local community for white goods, check out local facebook groups and gumtree, or, even ask on here?

I think the short term difficulties are well worth the long-term tenancy! I would try not to get into debt in the process by avoiding getting into high interest payment situations for white goods.

Also, sandwiches tend to be expensive for what you get - would be cheaper to get the ingredients and then make your own. Check out Jack Munroe for cheap recipe ideas!

SolomanDaisy · 26/09/2016 19:35

Honestly, I would be amazed if you couldn't get a load of that stuff on freecycle. You'll be able to buy anything else second hand cheaply enough. I don't see why you couldn't have all the basics with that first month's £250 saving.

strawberrypenguin · 26/09/2016 19:36

I think your order is right. Fridge, DS bed, cooker.
Could you take the mattress off of the bunk bed if he wanted to be in his own room? You might even be able to find a bed frame on freecycle. Where abouts in the country are you?

SquawkFish · 26/09/2016 19:40

Mattress for DS. Fridge Freezer, bed then cooker.

Mattress may be hard to get in decent state second hand so should be purchased first. The other three items you may be able to get second hand.

Istandinpause · 26/09/2016 19:41

Freecycle is great, and check if your area has Facebay too (on Facebook - local selling/donating site). We needed a fridge in a hurry this weekend when our one died. I put out a request on Facebay and got one offered free ten minutes later. You'll probably need a friend with a big car to collect stuff for you (or maybe you have that?) but if you explain your genuine predicament, there's always people to offer help and goods.

Original poster
IHaveAToiletBrush · 26/09/2016 19:47

Sorry thought I said in the op I have 2 dd's so both bunk beds are in use otherwise it wouldn't be a problem I could separate the beds. We are in a rural part of the west Midlands so have no idea about how good freecycle and the like are in our area but I give it ago.

OP posts:
RJnomore1 · 26/09/2016 19:53

I'm not suggesting you get into debt if there are other options but I've just had aloof at Very OP if you have decent credit - you can get a mattress for £70 and a fridge freezer for £150 abd you would have a year to pay off interest free - plus £30 I think off your first order - so for £20 a month you could get both those.

The rest of your first month £250 would get a second hand cooker and a toaster.

Then you can take it from there.

It's only one option but a reasonable one - certainly don't consider bright house.

NoahVale · 26/09/2016 19:57

i dont think a fridge needs to be first.

Original poster
IHaveAToiletBrush · 26/09/2016 20:01

Dh does have very account which he opened a few years back for emergencies, so that could be an option and then pay the saved £250 off it each month. I'm just scared of getting into debt and until we are in I guess I'm not 100% sure the HA calculations are accurate although I'm sure they are very close.

OP posts:
YouMakeMyDreams · 26/09/2016 20:12

Take the HA house. When exh and I separated I moved into an HA house with very little. You will be amazed how generous people are and how quickly you manage to put things together. I got Dd a bed frame from Facebook for £20 bought cheap mattress. Fridge was dirt cheap on Facebook too. Someone gave me their old freezer for nothing. Got a second hand washing machine etc. I got an oven off of Gumtree for £20 woman just wanted shot of it.
Been in the house 4 years now and I'm still replacing stuff when I can afford it but we had a nice little home very quickly.
In a year or two if you lose this private rent you'll regret it.
Seems overwhelming now but at £250 a month better off you can easily pull the basics together quickly and cheaply.

DelphiniumBlue · 26/09/2016 20:21

Take the HA property - the security makes it much better bet.
As far as furniture/white goods etc are concerned, Freecycle is good. I've also found that if you tell everybody you know that you're looking for these items, and are happy to accept secondhand, things will be offered to you. Not necessarily all at once, but once people know that you won't turn up your nose at their attempts to declutter, you'll be offered loads!
Also, some charities have second hand shops ( British Heart Foundation near me) where you can great deals on good condition secondhand furniture - definitely beds and sofas.
I'd say a cooker is more of a priority than a fridge - you can always keep perishables cool in a bucket of water.

FetchezLaVache · 26/09/2016 20:24

I too think you should take it! People can be very generous. When I left (abusive) ExH with nowt, 6 different people between them gave me a fridge freezer, a washer-dryer, a double divan bed and three boxes of kitchen equipment and I was offered three microwaves. All things that had been hanging around in garages waiting for good homes!

EreniTheFrog · 26/09/2016 20:25

Agree with PPs - take the HA house! You sound as though you'll manage until you can afford everything you need..

jay55 · 26/09/2016 20:38

Will you get a deposit back from your current place? That will go towards furnishings. And as others have said use freecycle and ask around.

My office just refurbished its kitchens and gave away the fridges, sofas and cabinets to staff, someone might know of something.

Original poster
IHaveAToiletBrush · 26/09/2016 20:41

We will take it otherwise I will end up kicking myself I'm sure. I think a bed and mattress for ds will be first purchase, he needs somewhere comfy to sleep and then everything else will hopefully full into place.

What do you get with a housing association house? I know it has no flooring but what aboutm light fittings and stuff like that. I don't have a cooker as this house has fully fitted kitchen, could I get lucky and it have a built in oven and hob or do they just not putthem in ever.

OP posts:
Original poster
IHaveAToiletBrush · 26/09/2016 20:46

My deposit, why on earth did I not think about that. Yes it is £875 and I can't see why I wouldn't get it back. We have always paid the rent and haven't caused any damage and had very few repairs in 10 years as the house was a new build when we moved in. How do I go about getting that back? Will the landlord hand itback or will I have to apply/ask forit back?

OP posts:
EllieHandMeDownBaby · 26/09/2016 21:13

I'm so pleased someone mentioned getting your deposit back!
Definitely go for the house, OP.

As for getting things, some charity shops have specialist shops that also sell white goods and home furnishings, like the British Red Cross (for example): www.redcross.org.uk/Get-involved/Our-shops/Our-specialist-shops/Furniture-and-electrical-charity-shops

And British Heart Foundation: www.bhf.org.uk/shop/our-local-shops/furniture-and-electrical-shops

Emmaus: www.emmaus.org.uk/shop

I'm sure there must be more...

AnnieOnnieMouse · 26/09/2016 22:23

ilovefreegle.org is the UK version of Freecycle - lots of good stuff given away on there, too