To want to accept this council house.

[TotallyChorkie]

More of a WWYD?

We have been on the waiting list for 10 years. We currently rent at £1000 pcm and have never been able to save for a deposit to buy. The house is small and we have 3 children to one room.

We have been offered a council house at £510 pcm. The area is not a very good area with a gang and drug culture. I know it well and feel it is like any other London fringe town but I don’t deny that there are huge problems there.

My children would not have to move school and have some friends that live in this area. It would save us £500 a month which we could put towards a deposit and move out in 5 - 7 years time.

My husband feels that we should stay put. The LL is a friend and he is fairly confident that we are here long term. DH thinks we should put the children’s childhood first and remain in this area. This would mean renting long term and we are already in our early forties. I worry about retirement.

What has it been like over the weekend OP?

Yes, I'm interested in an update. I hope your stake out was successful and the neighbours are nice.

Interestingly, I did a stake-out of a council house we were considering bidding on today.

Bank holidays are really good days to do this.

I drove past the house and got a gobby 'WHAT YOU LOOKIN' AT?!' from a lady next door, who was sitting in her front garden in what looked like her undewear.

You do get a general feel for the neighbourhood on days like these

Oomavis

oh dear OohMavis😂it doez depend on your neighbours I live on a council estate in what is considered a rough area yet my neighbour went and bought our dog some treats just because ... you can get nice neighbours anywhere.

Imo you'd be crazy to turn down the house. In a year you can register with homeswapper for an exchange if the area is that terrible but even saying that all you know at the moment is the reputation, the reality could be completely different. Your current ll may be planning on having you there as long term tenants but you never know what is around the corner and if their circumstances change you could find yourselves having to find thousands for fees and deposits etc with only 2 months notice. Private renting truly sucks, if you have any alternative available take it!

and we have a young couple next door but one sometimes their arguing is a bit much but a few weeks ago I was putting ds2 to bed he has autism and learning disabilities and their music was a bit loud dh asked them to turn it down and they were most apologetic. and asked me after if it was ok later , I don't mind music and actually ds2 loves music most of my neighbours are great

I'd take the bigger house, save £400 a month and earmark £100 for your older kids; put it into getting them involved in a hobby or sport, to keep them from hanging about the local area in the evenings.

You’re crazy if you don’t accept the Council puss and save the difference in rent.

Not sure how house turned into puss...

Take the house. You can always change your mind if the area doesn't work out.

Slightly off topic but is this a new thing, social housing only being offered to people in work?

Mother when we had one a few years ago, we got it due to having work...the ad was very clear "priority will be given to those in work".

@mothertruck3r
Council or public housing was built to provide decent non-slum housing for the working classes. It was always intended for working people; it is only in the last couple of decades, with increasing demand and depleted stock, that it has become seen as only for the poorest people in society, especially in areas with high demand such as the south-east. Until 2011, the majority of rented accommodation in the UK was "council" housing (including housing association and public authority accomodation).
In the last few years there have been changes to give priority to working tenants, or people who volunteer.