Too small housing association or private rent

[user1461609321]

Hi everyone

Just wanted to canvass views on whether it would be better to privately rent a 2 bed flat in a slightly nicer area for £1200 per month or to stay in 1 bed housing association flat which costs £720 a month but in a busier and not as nice but close to work and school area?

I earn ok but the cheaper option obviously allows me to be less stressed about money so can afford yearly holiday etc and have no landlord stress

Trying to save for a shared ownership property but saving seems to be a slow and long term thing

I have 2 children of opposite gender , married but currently sleeping on fold out bed, or occasionally co sleeping with kids who are primarily age

Scared of losing security of housing association place, but also feel current flat is too small and as though life is 'on hold' as I know that this is not our forever home eg can't seem to muster desire to buy or replace new furniture etc

So question is what would you do?

Housing association then shared ownership

I’d stay put for the security. You can save the difference, £480 each month straight off plus whatever else you can afford.

Your children are still young so you’ve a while to save and move.

Thanks for reply, I know deep down this is probably the right way to go but sometimes feel like my life is on hold and almost want to give my kids a nice bigger house NOW! Lol

You will have very little security renting privately .I would only do that as a very last resort. Can you apply to your current landlord for a transfer to a bigger property? Presumably you will qualify for overcrowding points. Have you tried www.homeswapper.co.uk

Housing association without a doubt.

I private rent and I rent a flat because it's cheaper, I wouldn't pay more for a bigger house that's not even mine. Not ideal but will take me less time to save for a mortgage so it's bearable. Plus there's no security in private rent. A friend of mine in private rent had to move twice within 2 years with her DS and has had to go back to her parents. I've been lucky with good landlords and I've been here over 4 years but that's not a guarantee.

Are you on the waiting list for a two bedroom flat? Have you looked into your options for doing a mutual exchange (swap) with someone who needs to downsize?

I had this problem. Housing association was only £385 a month but was a tiny maisonette on a rough council estate. I've moved to a private rent terrace house in a better area. The rent is £600 but we're all a lot happier as we have a lot more space and we're around normal people, not drug dealers and houses being raided. I think if it is bearable for now then stay, but personally for myself I know I made the right decision .

I agree you should save £500 per month and before long you'll have a great deposit. If you can afford to rent at £1200 you can afford to save that amount.
Look towards the future, it seems a bit rubbish now but don't give up your long term plans.

For some reason my council will not count me as being overcrowded and think that we should just sleep in the living room

You don't need a holiday just save the money for a deposit on a house (unless your holiday is a weekend in Margate).

Save hard for 5 years then get your own place.

I am trying to save! so far I have saved £1130 but need at least 5k for shared ownership plus legal fees and as all parents know, there is always something to pay for eg school uniforms etc

Have they written to you and formally stated that the living room should be used as a bedroom?

No but was told this over the phone

I’d stay out and save the difference every month. In a year you’d have your £5k. If you love your life will be on hold longer and you’ll be reliant on your landlord not selling up or whatever. It’s cramped but you are managing just now you are no worse of staying put for another year.
If you can afford to spend double on rent even if it is tight I’d be saving it.

Seems unanimous then

Definetly stay and write with a formal request to be classed as over occupied. They must surely have a complaints procedure?

I’d get that in writing if I were you, it doesn’t sound quite right. I mean, it could be but I’d want to be 100% certain.

Stay where you are and save like mad for your own place. You'll thank yourself in a couple of years.

I think you should get advice from england.shelter.org.uk about your overcrowding situation and also go to see your local councillor and get their support.

I think you should also consider how to make the best of your current living situation. Lots of people across the world bring up families in small houses. Buying a decent sofa bed for example might help.

Housing association. Renting privately is so insecure.

That is my fear Antihop

That doesn’t sound right. Do you have a gas fire on the lounge? It could be that they clumsily meant that it’s ok to sleep in there if it hasn’t got one in there, if it has you shouldn’t. I would certainly look at mutual exchange, over occupancy levy means that one bedroom
Places are now more attractive than they used to be

Definitely stay in the HA property and save up for deposit. In the mean time, you could always look for a swap. We've done a swap twice over the past 9 years - once for a larger property (we swapped our 2 bedroom for a 3 bedroom with a couple that wanted to down size) and once for location (to London). You may find some people wanting to downsize for a number of reasons.

Agree that you should stay where you are BUT be very disciplined about saving.

You have zero chance of a mutual rxchange, homeswapper is a waste of time. Stay with HA, but get evidence from doctors and school that you need your own bedroom. In the meantime save hard, then take up right to aquire if you get it on the new place.