AIBU to think it shouldn't be so expensive to move into a council house?!

[FreshStarts00]

NC.
So we've finally been allocated a house! Viewing is really soon. They want first 2 weeks rent 6 days after the viewing, then they say they can give us the keys 2 days after that.
Few hiccups:
We'd be paying rent on 2 houses. Need to give landlord 1 months notice from the day we pay rent, which is the 1st of the month. We barely have anything left over as it is after bills. Let alone magically coming up with another £250+.
They don't provide flooring.... AIBU to think this is a hazard with a 3 Y/O?? Splinters and nails and rough floorboards
No white goods whatsoever... So we'd be without an oven and a washing machine. Also microwave ect but that's not vital.
No bath- LO will just have to get over her hatred of showers, this one isn't really a major issue.

Anyone got any magical ideas?
Or been in a similar situation?
AIBU to think it shouldn't be so expensive to move into a council house?!

Ask the housing officer if you can buy the flooring from the existing tenants if it's not been ripped up.

As someone involved with a HA not all HAs are run like this. Some actually allow you to pick the colour carpet for bedrooms and landings and laminate for livings areas. White goods are available in a container and all you pay for is installation if you don't like what is there.

The council will tell you one thing but the HA often run things very differently. If they don't ask the council for vouchers and a grant.

We had no flooring and no White goods with private rental.
Didn't have a cooker for a couple of years, slept on a blow up mattress, used slippers.
Didn't think about it. It was fine.

Nicknacky
Oh, hindsight is a kicker.
Not really though. As previously said I work 2 jobs to put food on the table. Spare change is never spare change. Our penny jar gets emptied regularly to go towards shopping...

Thank you to all the people who are actually being decent humans...

Fresh there is a grant available for help with carpets but not sure if you'll qualify with both working.

Might be worth an ask at least.

ConciseandNice I really loved what you wrote because that's it really. I know this feeling so well. We're in our lovely home now that we own, but I remember being piss poor with DC1 in a half bed (not even one bed!) flat. We had no heating... ever! We had a shower that mostly ran cold and when we finally got a hob, it was temperamental but it was ours! I felt like we were building on something and I wasn't wrong! It takes time to make a house a home. Whether you get the big house at the end or not is so not the point, it's about taking that roof over your head and nurturing, making it into your family haven and retreat. I'm reposting what you said because it's just a wonderful sentiment.
"I still remember 21 years ago getting my council flat in a high rise. No flooring-just bitumen, no white goods, no heating in my toddler's room, no decor. I cried and danced around that flat with my wee boy in my arms, singing, 'we have a home, we have a home!', cuddling my boy and feeling like I had won the lottery.

You were never going to get white goods and carpets. You have a home. Congratulations!"

@MyKingdomForBrie

They've done it for years. Friends moved out of their council house after they were forced to buy a bungalow (friends DH had a freak accident which resulted in him being paralysed from the waste down and they bought the bungalow out the compensation they received). She left all the flooring down as she'd paid over £1,000 for it, didn't want it to go to waste, and wanted the next tenant to move into something half decent.

The council ripped it all up and I quote, for health and safety reasons.

I love the way the OP is now supposedly in the lap of luxury because she's working, and getting damned for that. Makes a change from benefit bashing I suppose. Good luck OP.

Op do you have a credit union locally? Am not 100% sure how they work but might be worth seeing them about a loan. My dsis used them when she moved house for carpets. I think her child benefit is paid to them and part repays her loan and part goes into a savings account for Christmas.

They are not for profit lenders/bank and I don't think they charge much interest. You might have to be with them for a while before getting a loan but at least you would know in 6 months or so you will be able to recarpet and buy new appliances.

We got decorating vouchers when we moved a couple of years ago op but the walls were a mess we had to provide flooring and all white foods but my sil different housing association had cheap carpets throughout the house and got an oven and a fridge .

Was looking for tips ect, leave your snidey comments at the door please!

No you weren't OP, otherwise you wouldn't post in AIBU or write this:
AIBU to think it shouldn't be so expensive to move into a council house?!

You wanted posters to be outraged on your behalf about how difficult it is. At least have the decency to admit that instead of the faux shock at the way your thread has gone.

And plenty of posters have already stated the reasons why this is the case but I don't really think you want to hear that, do you?

I live in a HA flat and we were in same
Boat. Cost us £1000
To fit it with carpets. We’re moving and taking all the carpets with us

I’d have a look on eBay for things local to you and maybe have a look for some charities that could help . I noticed my cousin enquiries about helping someone out and they did this on Facebook and people offered all sorts of things so maybe ask if any charities or your Facebook friends have things they don’t need anymore. Good luck in the long run it better being in a council house because of your security but it takes time to build up your possessions.

Carpets and flooring get ripped up as they can harbour fleas. The contractors will soon know if fleas are in the property as they will get bit and then this can be sorted, but harder to treat if carpets are down. (Ok - not always sorted at first treatment and it sometimes slips through the net).
Also not everyone wants the flooring so tenant are requested to put back to how it should be.
And flooring can cover other issues that need checking out before you move in.
Yes it’s a pain for the new tenant but there are justifiable reasons

And if you do want tips: I've managed without an oven for some time by using a single plug-in electric ring (£22 from Ryness) and a slow cooker (£11 from Robert Dyas). You can also get a toaster oven from Robert Dyas from about £25.

Ikea also do a plug-in induction hob plate, i think.

Yabu but I do have sympathy. White goods are expensive and having to buy them all from scratch is a big undertaking.

A lot of venom on this thread

Personally I was surprised when i first learnt about flooring, wasn't thinking posh flooring just something that was liveable is not bare rough boards with carpet grippers still in for previous people.

People getting a council property aren't going to be well off or they'd be no requirement for them to be in a council property so it does seem odd about flooring but I understand its an additional cost to maintain. A cheap lino is always a good option

It would be good with they could provide the basics like flooring and fridge/oven and increase rent for a year by £100/month to a pay for it.

I haven't read all the thread yet but I moved into a carpeted decorated rented house but had to pay £1200 deposit and bond plus a month's rent. There was no washer.

When I moved into council before I left ex which is much cheaper rent monthly for a house than I pay for my one bed flat now I had to pay for carpets but it was less than £1200 I did it cheaply and sanded and painted any wood I could.

You are paying for not having to pay a huge deposit,cheaper long term rent, tenancy security etc.

That said I know various people who have moved into council were the council have ripped up decent carpets and stripped lovely decorated walls and skipped them which is wasteful. When I asked why they stated health and safety reasons...

You could actually just paint the floor. It won't be the most hard wearing but will make it less splintery and more homely.

What a lot of bitchy comments, here, it is frankly shocking. The hatred that the well off have for the poor is astounding.

I dont feel enraged for you op its life you have to pay for stuff. Its a first world problem and one plenty of people have been through, I have been reading on the news about the dreadful story of the Rohingya Muslims, Stuck on a beach starving to death with nothing, Babies being born with mothers unable to even feed them as they are so emaciated their milk is no good.
I would just be really happy I had a home and food.

Dsis used a camping stove for quite a while before she got her kitchen sorted. Do you know anyone who might have one to lend you?

You can rent washing machines. DS2 did through his first year of uni. I think he used this company iirc.

You can buy stick on floor tiles quite cheaply too. They're ok to tide you over until you can save up for something better.

Maybe join DIY on a Budget on FB? Some of what they do is horrendous but they do have some good tips if you can be arsed to sift through.

I would prioritise washing machine, weird as that may sound. Launderette is £££ and you can quickly get damp if you try washing things in the bath with no way of spinning them. Fridge is a priority too but at least it's winter - we used to hang stuff in a bag out of the window at uni when we had no fridge.

As others have stated the flooring issue is for H&S reasons, carpets can harbour fleas and god knows what else could be stained into them. Wooden/laminate flooring whilst seemingly “cleaner” may be hiding serious flooring issues underneath. As the council didn’t fit the floor they cannot in good faith guarantee it has been done safely and correctly. It may seem ridiculous but it is far easier to remove flooring than deal with tenants suing for compensation because they got fleas or fell through rotten flooring!

you don't have to move in to the property. Why are you? I assume because you'll be paying less per month for the property than if it were on the open market.