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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be really annoyed that my kitchen's costing thousands while a friends having hers done free - AND she's moaning about it.

353 replies

Jamum · 25/03/2007 21:19

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

My friends has a HA house, and this years has had new double glazing and guttering - all paid for. And is now just had a lovely new kitchen fitted.

She chose the units and tiles. Has had a team of fitters, and is now waiting for the inspection team to check all the finishing touches.

AND then she's going to buy the house - but only once all the work has been completed for free.

Sorry but this makes my blood boil. We have had to save up for years to afford a new kitchen and certainly won't end up with a nice a one as she has got that my taxes have paid for.

(yes I know - it's jealousy and sour grapes)

Anyway - rant over.

OP posts:
Jacobsdad · 26/03/2007 17:01

We get the standard child allowance and about £140 a year tax credits so no, it doesnt really help

misdee · 26/03/2007 17:02

so you are a realiative high earner.

compared to those on benefits.

nightowl · 26/03/2007 17:03

jacobsdad, people have council/HA properties because they CANT afford to buy a house. they are not loaded. i have left this week.....drum roll...my bus fare. to work. its all relevant.

2shoesonanegghunt · 26/03/2007 17:03

oh I thought if you were on a low income you got child/working tax credit (royal you )

Jacobsdad · 26/03/2007 17:06

I understand that. Im not saying its about where you live, im saying its not fair that I get no financial help. I dont even belive in the whole "I pay my taxes" thing. Im just asking how its fair when ive worked really hard to afford a house that that in itself doesnt allow me to have more children.

tiredemma · 26/03/2007 17:08

I lived in a council house with my parents and brother up until the age of 18.....

......both my parents worked My dad was/is a train driver and my mom was a nurse.

Why is it assumed that everyone in council houses 'sponge' of the state?

I hate threads like this, they are always designed to trample on those less well off, yes there are people who abuse the system- but how wrong those of you are to assume everyone is the same.

And why shouldnt people in council houses have nice things? Do you think that they should all be living like the Royle family???

expatinscotland · 26/03/2007 17:08

I don't think people should ever be allowed to buy a council/HA house.

I really don't. Most councils have abolished right to buy or put moratoriums on it.

It has really contributed to the housing crisis.

I would never ever buy an ex-Council house because why should I pay top whack to someone who used my taxpayer money to get a deep discount on it and then they walk off with a huge profit and me lining hteir pockets.

I don't think so.

nightowl · 26/03/2007 17:09

ive worked really hard and couldn't afford any more children!!

expatinscotland · 26/03/2007 17:10

Our council sold off a quarter of a million properties since 'Right to Buy'. They've replaced next to none.

Now they've got one of the highest rates of homelessness in the UK and are paying private landlords £500/month to house people because there is no place to put them.

2shoesonanegghunt · 26/03/2007 17:10

expat i agree I think selling off council houses was the BIGGEST mistake ever. at least with HA you can't buy it

misdee · 26/03/2007 17:12

cant buy my place on right to buy. as its a disabled family bungalow. the only 3 bedroom one in the area. imagine if someone had bought it we would be screwed now

Jacobsdad · 26/03/2007 17:13

Then you know where im coming from nightowl

expatinscotland · 26/03/2007 17:14

Exactly, misdee!

There was a big ruckus in the paper late last year invovling a man who had become permanently disabled. His sister offered to become her carer, but she had two young children, so they were going to need a 3-bed to accommodate him - ground floor accessible, of course.

The man was stuck in a hospital bed for MONTHS because there was literally NO place to house him with his carer .

Thanks, right to buy!

Pile of pants.

I'm glad to see many councils have put a stop to it.

2shoesonanegghunt · 26/03/2007 17:15

misdee same here. wow we have a through the floor lift and hoists(should have whispered now every one will be )

misdee · 26/03/2007 17:16

thats terrible expat. if we didnt live here peter would still be in hospital (coming up two years now if he was, bed blocking really isnt it?)

misdee · 26/03/2007 17:16

ooo so 2shoes, you must have STAIRS How bloody dare you have stairs!

expatinscotland · 26/03/2007 17:18

There are next to no 3-beds in Edinburgh.

Again, BBC did a show about social workers in Edinburgh.

One social worker's clients included a lady who had one leg amputated at the thigh.

She lived in a THIRD FLOOR flat, no lift. One bedroom.

There were 5 people living there.

She was still not moved until a gang of thugs broke into their flat after a case of mistaken identity and threatened to kill everyone in there.

The lady still had to inform the council that she was going to sleep rough before they moved her.

misdee · 26/03/2007 17:19

council housing is shit. end of. its cheap but cheap can be bad.

i waited 6months at our old place to get a wall plastered. bits kept falling off as the kids went downstairs.

expatinscotland · 26/03/2007 17:20

It's scarce as a rose in winter here, misdee.

We're in HA flat, at full market rent, and these places go in a flash when one comes up.

misdee · 26/03/2007 17:22

i bet they do expat.

nogoes · 26/03/2007 17:26

So Jamum, what are you saying? People that live in social housing should be made to have shit kitchens and live in squalor?

misdee · 26/03/2007 17:29

you know what really really bugs me about my kitchen. is the fact i cannot get the extra units i need myself. as they are council ones only and not available to the general public. local council wont help me get the units (even though i want to pay for them) and get them put up by FIL.

so i am going to end up buying a kitchen myself if i stay here, and may end up flogging the very nice council built ones on ebay or putting them on freecycle.

nightowl · 26/03/2007 17:34

yes jacobsdad i know where you're coming from. which is why i havent got myself preggied up to get a three bedroomed house. would be easy though i suppose..never mind the next 16 years i have to look after said baby..nah...35 quid extra a week would be WELL worth it.

staceym11 · 26/03/2007 17:35

ok havnt read the whole thing, but you are being unreasonable, which i think you know by now!

it is the council/ha's responsibility to keep the house up to a certain standard.

i live in a ha, part buy part rent, as we would never be able to buy on the open market. so do i count in this?

i have nice stuff, a flat screen 32" tv, a nice kitchen, bathroom, new build. but i pay our mortgage and our rent!

do i not deserve this?? my dh works as i will when the lo's are at school, but we just dont earn enough to buy outright. if we hadn't come across this scheme we would have ended up in a council place!

and yes if it was tatty i owuld expect them to sort it!!! although that doesnt seem to happen in most cases!!

misdee · 26/03/2007 17:36

quick nightowlm, do it! get pregnant so you can move house and get £35 a week extra