Would you accept this council house?

[Ashkey234]

I'm currently renting a house for £360 per month from a housing association.
Not in the best location.
I bidded on a house (through council ) it's only 7 years old,much better location and massive garden ,£380 per month.
I went for viewing today and I was the only person who turned up.
Anyway if I get offered it,do I take it?
It's going to mean new carpets,decorating.
Luckily the council have just painted all ceilings and all walls white but I would want to put my own stamp on things.
What would you do?
It's great rent price and still leaves us with a lot of spare money in the month for other things.
Is it worth moving for better location ?
Its bigger too.
I'm in two minds

Im paying taxes on my shitty minimum wage job to pay for your house and you can afford fucking sky?

Because council tenants are meant to sit in the dark, eating dry bread and self flagellating? What a bizarre attitude. Many council tenants work, earn money and are entitled to spend their money as they choose.

Sorry @DixieNormas I didn't mean to sound sniffy about tax generally. It's just people claiming that they pay for other people that I find a bit much. Unless they're the 1% and even then they tend to have delusions of grandeur about their contribution

When people but houses they still have to change carpets and decorate the majority of the time. It's rare not to have to do something.

Updating details really doesn't take long- presumably you did it when you moved into your current home?

Good luck ,don't turn it down as I doubt you'll ever be offered one again and you don't want to regret it.

It's totally dependant on area, I agree. Although all local authorities have been compelled to erode tenants' rights more and more, and in many areas (such as mine - and I'm referring to a region, not just an LA), council housing simply does not exist. It's gone, alongside LA schooling (all secondaries and many primaries here are now academies. All council housing stock was handed over to HAs years ago).

** buy

Ashkey,, just do it now, just move to a better place that you say you like.There is no real need for you to get everything perfect all at once. Just take your time,and make a nice home for yourself eventually.,, preferably with no credit cards, well that's me, as never had a credit card.

You're catastrophising OP, you're making the process of moving more complicated by combining the process of moving (doable but with some hassle) with redecorating (doable but with hassle).

Although in an ideal world (with loads of time and money) you'd do the floors before you moved in, most people can't afford to do this before they move as moving is so expensive. So they wait until they have the bandwidth and cash to do it.

I'm sure you can put up with the decor for a year whilst getting settled in.

By the way, if you don't want stress or hassle, I would recommend you don't use Carpetright. They carpeted some stairs for me recently but left a section out and it took me a month and around 30 phone calls to get them to finish the job.

Good luck, I hope you get the house after all that.

@Ashkey234 why do you even need to ask for help making this decision? It's a 'Yes' isn't it? (Well, it would be from me!).

Ringing every credit card/bank/sky/broadband changing details etc

Credit card - 1 call
Bank - 1 call
Sky (with BB) - 1 call
Electric - 1 call
Gas - 1 call
Council tax - 1 call
Water - 1 call
Home insurance - 1 call
Car insurance - 1 call

Couple of other providers, can't think of what - 2 calls

Get post redirected to ensure mop up of people forgotten

That lot, 3 hours maximum.

Could've 3/4 sorted instead of responding here.

Accept this gift horse and deal with the small inconveniences!

OP clearly doesn't know she has been born. I have anxiety and I have to pay full whack for my house AND decorate it. I also had to change my address on everything.

How can you afford sky and get subsidised cheap rent?

You get a whole house for a third of the cost of a single room.

Seriously?

Im paying taxes on my shitty minimum wage job to pay for your house and you can afford fucking sky?

There's always one I'm glad to see the ignorant attitudes are getting fewer on these threads however.

Hi OP! Why don't you take a look around some carpet shops to get an idea of price? We usually get our carpets from carpet right. They have all the offcuts rolled up at the back with prices and sizing on. Find a local carpet fitter too as the main shops are so expensive for fitting and in my experience have damaged skirting and walls!

We have concrete floors downstairs and have had a few months of no carpet or flooring in living room and kitchen. It's a bit grotty but it's just one of those things you need to put up with until you can get flooring. Once it goes down you'll appreciate it so much! Also jealous you'll have floorboards. Our concrete floor is a PITA.

gamerchick well said!

I posted some ideas earlier and as someone who has never suffered from anxiety or fear of the unknown, even I can appreciate the obvious concern this is causing the OP, it shone through in her opening post.

If you take the house offered how does it effect your tenancy? As in do you have a life time tenancy now and will you put that at risk it you move?

^Having to fork out on all brand new carpets,about £700 including fitting.
Ringing every credit card/bank/sky/broadband changing details etc
I know it might sound daft but it's playing on my mind^

Of course it's daft! I'd be biting their hands off for it!

Yes £700 a lot of money but you get to make that house your home.

Also I dont think saying 'I cant afford to refit the whole house' is a legitimate reason for turning down a house. You'll end up way down the bottom of the pile again.

Im paying taxes on my shitty minimum wage job to pay for your house and you can afford fucking sky?

I live in a council house. I cant afford sky. Get your judgmental head out of your arse.

I work and pay taxes myself.
All of the rent is paid for ourselves/council tax etc
The whole dilemma was because I'm such a anxious person and I was worried if we moved and didn't like it.
I know that's just the anxiety talking

Ashkey I completely understand. We've just moved house. I also have anxiety (currently exacerbated by pregnancy). I had a couple of panic attacks about having to move everything over - anxiety can make the simplest things seem insurmountable. Well, its a month later, we're all moved in, everything's transferred. Just keep telling yourself that it will all get done, do a little bit each day, it'll be sorted before you know it! Best of luck

Just recieved a phone call formally offering me the property ..need to come for a home visit and a landlord reference.
No going back now.
Now I'm worried my landlord will give me bad ref now .even tho I've been perfect tenant

Who needs to come for a home visit?

BeepBeepMOVE

Im paying taxes on my shitty minimum wage job to pay for your house and you can afford fucking sky?

Do you realise how much of an ignorant twat you sound? Just wondering? Also do you know how social housing works in regards to taxes? Obviously not

Good luck OP. One step at a time

The housing officer from the new house wants to come to my current house to do a property inspection.
More than likely to see if I keep it in good condition.

How long should it take before I get the keys do you reckon?
I did get a little excited and nearly bought some paint testers.
Do you think 2 weeks I should have keys?

Why don't you ask the inspector when he comes?