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

X Post
coddiwomple

If someone was finding it a struggle to move because they had a physical health problem would you be as quick to put the boot in.

The op has said she has health issues and anxiety, sometimes small things to others (such as changing bills) can be amplified with anxiety and seem like the most stressful difficult thing in the world.

It's not nastiness, it's disbelief.

Why do you think people demand a complete revamp of the social housing system in this country?

If people are that aggrieved by the OP's good fortune at being offered a house with a decent tenancy and at a reasonable rent, maybe they could try and upsticks to wherever it is she lives.

ot quite, being offered a new built, good location, with a massive garden, for next to nothing, leaving the OP with plenty of pocket money (funnily enough) recently painted white by the council and moaning because moving is too much effort and they have to redecorate to their own taste.

Stop being silly. An area where HA/council rents are £360/380 is clearly not an expensive area. I'm guessing North somewhere.

Equally, if they have a priority band for people who "want to move" it can't be an area of high housing demand, so who is she depriving? Nobody. She's not responsible if her regional housing economy is kinder than yours.

well, some of us have to deal with health and mental issues AND hold a job and pay their own way and manage their own housing, so excuse me for not shedding a tear for someone who's moaning about the colour of the walls of a (possible) future new built house!

ome of us have to deal with health and mental issues AND hold a job and pay their own way and manage their own

Good for you, not all people can do that though and clearly op is struggling if her anxiety is getting in the way of her accepting a better house.

Please dont turn this down i would jump at thr chance

Do you KNOW any council tenants @coddiwomple ?

They aren't workhouse inmates. They have jobs. They're normal people. Are you seething with resentment from a penthouse or a gated community?

cod the op hasent said she doesn't hold down a job? And that she doesn't pay her own way?

Are you north of Cheshire OP? Or East of Shrewsbury?

It is interesting how much housing costs vary nationally.

if the area is that cheap, then the OP is free to move to a private rental with walls of a colour more acceptable to her. Simple.

On another note, because London area is full, London people have started to be offered housing at the other side of the country, so priority bands are changing and the situation is becoming slowly fairer.

WEST off Shrewsbury

Who says she's not paying her own way? Or managing her own housing?

Honestly coddi - you could move to a number of areas and bag yourself some social housing. Or (and I suspect you'd prefer this) social housing rents could be uniform across the country so that in an area where people have to work offshore to make a living they also have to pay £1k pm rent

OFFO @coddiwomple

Go and pull the wings off butterflies or something.

the situation is becoming slowly fairer

You mean the rest of the country is becoming as shit a place to be a tenant as London is? Oh joy!

We used to private rent. Due to landlords selling up etc we moved house practically every 12 months for 6 years. Each time cost us an absolute fortune in agents fees/removals etc. I'm practically on first name terms with call centre workers at the utilities companies I've moved so often. And my rent was 3 times what you're paying for a damp, mouldy 2 bed terrace.

Take the house.

OP, I suffer from anxiety and OCD - making phone calls absolutely terrifies me, and a change of routine, everything being new, is upsetting and unsettling. I totally get where you're coming from. We moved two years ago, and I was able to do quite a bit of the paperwork online, plus did as a PP suggested and got the post redirected (actually for a year) so things like credit cards, bank, changing doctor's surgery were able to wait until I was more settled. Given your circumstances, and the low cost of the house, I would really try and get past your anxieties and see this as a fantastic opportunity.

Now you've said you have anxiety, I think most of us can understand your reticence but I still think you should go ahead. Write a list of what absolutely needs to be done straight away and then write a list of what can wait. I find it helps if I write down what I want to say on the phone. It sounds silly but it really helps, even if I just write notes and not word for word.

Moving can be scary and stressful but on balance, I can't see that this would be bad for you in the long term. Good luck.

SerfTerf
Do you KNOW any council tenants?

Yes, I do actually. People who know how to play the system, we all know them.

Why do you think people vote the way they vote, not everybody agrees with the current system. There's nothing wrong with hoping and working towards a much fairer country.

Do you KNOW any council tenants?

Yes, I do actually. People who know how to play the system, we all know them.

Speak for yourself.

Good grief you do sound bitter, mean and deeply unpleasant.

I couldn't afford to decorate and carpet right through a house all at once.

Nicer area with a house that needs a bit spending on it each month, but no real need for hurry, or looking out of your window onto dumped furniture?

I know which I'd choose!

Hi all,
We are getting some reports about this thread sliding rather off topic and while we know that's often the way things go on Mumsnet we would remind everyone that there is an OP to consider, one who was looking for specific advice and is still on the thread. Please could everyone be mindful of that fact while posting? Peace and love and all that lovely stuff.

If your anxiety is getting in the way of moving, op; why are you viewing new houses?

OP - have a look at this website which will notify all the various companies about your change of address on your behalf (it's free). If you do this and then also set up a Royal Mail re-direct service for six months, you should have pretty much everything covered without having to phone a gazillion times