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Original poster

I bought my council house...I feel horribly guilty and anxious

307 replies

RodMunch · 09/12/2016 10:49

I got it for less than half market value, we had a small deposit too so as a result our mortgage is miniscule. DH earns well and because of this, I don't really need to work. I have 3 dc, 2 at school and the littlest is 3. I do some voluntary work but mostly just stay at home with him.

We have had the house a year in January. I feel incredibly guilty seeing my friends suffer juggling jobs and childcare and stuff and paying loads out in rent / mortgage. The only reason we could TTC for dc3 was due to being in a council property so the rent was ok. It sucks and its unfair ...I don't deserve what I have...I got the house originally by the skin of my teeth 8 years ago as a single mum, no one gets houses now and I have taken another one away. and I am part of the unfairness and I don't like myself much for it :(

It sounds mad...I can't believe my luck but feel I don't deserve it. DH and I are happy and the DC want for nothing but I honestly feel like something is going to go horribly wrong for us as a sort of karma. Blush

I identify as left wing yet I feel like I have completely gone against my principles and profited massively from a Tory policy that has ruined council housing in this country.

OP posts:
manicinsomniac · 09/12/2016 23:27

Help to Buy should be a brilliant scheme for everyone in society. The only reason it isn't is because houses aren't replaced.

It is ludicrous to say that people should be told to leave their council house once they reach a certain pay bracket because people will obviously just try to avoid reaching that level and end up remaining on a low income for life. That's not selfish or lazy, that's self preservation as there would inevitably be a point where they were too 'rich' for their house but would really struggle financially without it. Few people jump from poor to rich without going through the in between stage.

If everyone who qualified for a council house was encouraged to buy the house when it was financially viable instead of forced to leave it then:
a) the council would get lots more money to build more houses
b) a newly built house would become available for someone in need rather than the current house being lived in and rented for decades by someone who doesn't need it but can't comfortably manage without it.
c) council house rent would almost be like saving for a deposit rather than throwing money away and earning more would therefore be attractive and incentivised not feared.

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 10/12/2016 08:29

You can't build your way out. There is limited space for new builds and the what the council makes out of selling at lower prices is not enough to cover an expensive building programme at market prices.

Earning more and moving out is the only way to maximise the use, not making it even more attractive to buy.

Few people jump from poor to rich without going through the in between stage.
That's true, and that why I think a couple of years of grace period would be a good idea.

Are you happy with people who can afford market rates to stay and prevent people who can't from having council accommodation?

NapQueen · 10/12/2016 08:36

The council should only allow right to buy at the same rate as they acquire.more properties.

So if in Jan they get 300 new residences then they should only allow a maximum of 300 current properties to be sold off.

Temporaryname137 · 10/12/2016 09:35

What about a restrictive covenant saying that RTB houses have to be sold at the same price paid for them, or perhaps with a fixed increase, rather than at market value?

Temporaryname137 · 10/12/2016 09:40

Toptoe - one the one hand yes, but on the other, the problem with building unlimited replacements is that we don't have unlimited space. We're a small and pretty island and if we carpet all the nice green bits with identikit housing estates, it will change things fundamentally. Plus resources like water, farming etc would be affected.

TheABC · 10/12/2016 10:01

It actually sounds like most of your guilt is reserved for your brother and friends who have all done the right thing and been royally shafted by society for it. Sadly, thst is a larger socio-economic problem, but if you want to alleviate your conscience, talk to your beither about any practical help you could give, so he can sort his housing out or start a family.

thecatsarecrazy · 10/12/2016 10:06

The whole housing thing is unfair imo. We are a family of 4 soon to be 5. We live in a 2 bed house, not ideal but it was our choice to conceive again and we have a roof over our heads. I do "bid" on bigger houses but there are always people above me. My sil is a single mum with 1 child, lives in a 2 bed council property but this week was bragging on f.b about the new build 3 bed she will be moving into in January Hmm

chickensarethebest · 10/12/2016 10:07

Going on a tangent, here. Did you ever watch "Grand Designs" where a small community self-built with support and then, got the house at reduced rent? Well, when they re-visited the general feeling was that most tenants had used the slack that paying less had given them for their own, and society's, benefit. Re-training, working in the public sector, making a difference.

Going onto another programme - radio this time - on the difference hairdressers make to other people's quality of life, particularly mental - health - could you harness this? Focus on making a difference rather than worrying about your good fortune.

PausingFlatly · 10/12/2016 10:31

they're meant to build more houses

Only since this year, 2016.

Under original Right To Buy introduced in 1980, half of the proceeds were taken directly by the Treasury (central government). And local authorities were actually banned from using all of their half to build replacement housing.

Right-to-buy: Margaret Thatcher's controversial gift
Right to Buy: 1.1 Thatcher Policies

PausingFlatly · 10/12/2016 10:36

Between this and the enforcement of massively discounted buying prices, it's clear that Thatcher's policy wasn't really about increasing individuals owning homes, but about reducing government owning them.

("Government interfering in areas where private capital could be making money", you see. And we'll just quietly forget about the citizens for whom secure, reasonable-quality rented housing was a much-needed service.)

Sparrowlegs248 · 10/12/2016 10:39

As a housing officer who deals with homeless people/lack of housing daily, I don't agree with the right to buy. Cant say I wouldn't do it myself if given the opportunity though.......

OP - please just don't fuck it up. The amount of people I see who bought their council hours cheap, then mortgaged it upto the hilt, then realised that actually they can't afford it, is untrue. Ditto people who become ill, who need a bungalow. Had they still been tenants it would have been an East move, but as hone owners they're excluded from the housing register.

x2boys · 10/12/2016 10:45

indeed Notta theres a lot to be said for being a council tenant i have had a mortgage in the past due to circumstance i,m now a council tenant when things like boilers etc break its not my responsibilty i,ve had a new roof ,new doors etc , i live in a part of the country however where it wasent hard to get a council house.

unlucky83 · 10/12/2016 12:47

That's kind of what I meant Notta...about using your good fortune to protect your family's future.
I live in an ex-council house (in Scotland) - I didn't buy it from the council, actually didn't realise it was ex council at first. Most houses on this estate are privately owned and have been for years.
My neighbour was still council owned - I was slightly jealous that eg my outside drain needed replacing and I had to arrange it and pay - a year or so later the council were in his garden doing his. He had new double glazed windows fitted, a new boiler etc. We'd had no proper heating for 9 months whilst we got the money together to get proper central heating fitted to replace the irreparable outdated hot air boiler ...
He then bought his house - possibly cos they announced they were stopping right to buy. I don't know - around the same time he must have come into money - maybe borrowing against the value of his house (I know he paid around 25% of market value) or a pension or even a lottery win... He went on an obvious spending spree - big alterations to his garden - eg decking built, patio doors installed, new bathroom, etc. And also lots of stuff appeared - big gas bbq, greenhouse etc etc. He must have spent a fortune on stuff that he never really needed/used.
After a year or so the spending stopped, stuff disappeared -don't know if he sold or dumped things. And there were things like eg his boiler must have been faulty - the flue started making an awful noise. It went on for months before it finally stopped ( I assume only when the boiler broke all together - no more noise (thankfully) and no fumes coming out for a good few days.... in Winter). Flaking paint on his facings etc (council paint the facings here), broken fence panels, collapsing shed roof etc.
Then he died suddenly. His wife came back to live there after a while on her own - after a year or so she ended up having a fall, a hospital stay and then going into a home - she must be mid 60s and (apparently) didn't want to go. But her main problem it seems was the stairs - as a council tenant they would have had a duty to try and re-home her somewhere more suitable. As it was she couldn't afford a bungalow (we have high demand locally -they sell at a premium) or to make necessary alterations to the house ....and I guess any money they made on the house will now go on care home fees...
Even if they had just been more sensible when they bought ... most of the alterations to the garden made no difference to the value -in fact put people off, it really isn't child friendly. At the same time the kitchen was a bit hmmm (when they bought it would only have been a couple of years old -but was 'council style' - new owner replaced it) ... mainly though just not wasting money and buying the 'stuff' - saved some money/not borrowed maybe then she could have afforded a stair lift/other alterations -or even a bungalow.

RhodaBull · 10/12/2016 15:52

Manumission - I have indeed told that story before - well spotted! And yes, it was quite a while ago. I can only hope that councils are more sceptical now. The other thing is giving flats/houses to "single" mothers. People were, naturally, acting in their best interests, and to get a home the bloke had to be well hidden until the tenancy was secured.

I agree about the pitfalls of buying a council property. My aunt bought her council flat. The council promptly announced they were replacing all the windows/repainting the outside and various other works. My aunt and uncle were landed with an absolutely crippling bill. Of course those who were tenants paid nowt.

Manumission · 10/12/2016 16:00

Manumission - I have indeed told that story before - well spotted! And yes, it was quite a while ago. I can only hope that councils are more sceptical now.

It stuck in my mind because I know Clapham.

TBF, Lambeth council was (famously) militant and a complete administrative mess from late 70s through to early 90s.

x2boys · 10/12/2016 19:00

well they wouldnt pay anything would they Rhoda with them not actually owning their properties same as when you private rent you dont pay if the landlord deceides to replace stuff.

Whatthefucknameisntalreadytake · 10/12/2016 19:38

I think you were right to buy it and right to feel dreadful about it. If you do believe in karma than you are also right to worry, although if you use your good fortune to benefit others who are less fortunate then maybe the karma will balance out.

RodMunch · 14/12/2016 09:35

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

chilipepper20 · 14/12/2016 10:52

council house rent would almost be like saving for a deposit rather than throwing money away and earning more would therefore be attractive and incentivised not feared.

why should the government be subsidising people's ability to buy a house? Nobody in private rental has this option: to use rent towards to purchase price.

Housing here is a lottery. Some people win, some lose. Full price is for suckers.

AgentProvocateur · 14/12/2016 11:18

So you "identify as left wing", buy your council house, then call everyone who disagrees with you "a cunt" and you're thinking of going into local politics?

I'm sure you'd be a great addition to any political party HmmHmm

Original poster
RodMunch · 14/12/2016 11:45

No no AP only the ones who were cunty about it :)

Yes I fully intend to, wouldn't it be funny it it was in your town/city. And you would never know. Halo

OP posts:
YelloDraw · 14/12/2016 12:04

you're thinking of going into local politics

Yes, RodMunch is exactly what local politics needs. More hypocrites.

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 14/12/2016 13:15

Oh yes, local politics.

Do as I say, not as I do.

RhodaBull · 14/12/2016 13:26

RodMunch sounds quite nasty.

Would be in good company, though. Quick Google reveals that many MPs and councillors are basking in their good fortune at having snapped up a council flat or house.

xStefx · 14/12/2016 13:33

You have a responsibility to your children to do your best for them, other parents have that towards their own children.

The feeling you have that something is going to go wrong points to a common trait of suffering with anxiety. (im not saying you have its just its a common sign)

Why don't you do some volunteering or charity work to help keep your spirits up and possibly see your doctor and tell him what you have told us about feeling like something bad is gonna happen.