To be sceptical, house swap

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I've got the chance of swapping my 2 bedroom with a 3 bedroom but the lady's house failed inspection ☹ she's got a list of stuff that needs doing, and has pretty much asked for my help as she doesn't know what to do. 5 internal doors need to be replaced and they have to be the HA doors, they are £68 a door 😩 toilet seats need replaced, actual brand ones. £26 a seat! She's basically said I can have the house but I need to help her. I have 3 children under 5, on UC. I could never afford this! Plus what if I do help and she swaps with somebody else? Or pulls out! I'm so torn☹

I'm rooting for you OP, but please proceed with caution. Hope it all turns out well.

The HA have said no until the work is done because they have a duty of care to provide a house fit for purpose. From what you have said the damage in not wear and tear and is damage caused by the tenant.

The figures quoted are standard recharge figures to ensure the work carried out is of the correct standard. Normal practise.

I work for a HA and have been involved in too many exchanges to list. If a house wasn't in the condition it should be, no exchange until the work is done.

Do NOT pay for any repairs yourself. A mutual exchange is not guaranteed until the second you sign. They can even pull out 5 minutes before you sign and yes, I've seen that happen. Tread very carefully.

Don’t do it! If she was desperate to move she would have done it by now you can’t pay for the doors and toilet seats that rediculous!

Well done on phoning up and not being sucked in, but sorry if it doesn’t work out. Sounds like she wanted your money and then would choose whichever house she wants. As she’s clearly understanding that in this swap she holds all the cards.

I think you did the right thing going through the HA. It all sounds very fishy...

If she genuinely wants to move it will be worth the stress to have your own bedroom.
Hopefully she is genuine and assure the HA the work will be complete when you move in, do not pay before, althpugh if you cant move without the repairs, get a contract with the terms of repairs, ypu can do it yourself if you word ot correctly and get a witness or two when signing.Good luck

I swapped from a 3 bed to a 5 bed and it was a total nightmare. My 3 bed was lovely, nicely decorated, front and back gardens and a drive way but we were hideously over crowded. I came to view the 5 and it was in a horrendous state. Coving missing, orange/brown nicotine stained walls, and the woman had replaced the doors with those 6 panelled ones and painted the squares black. She was also in £220 arrears which I cleared. We signed to swap and the council gave her a list of jobs that needed to be done and the day we swapped she had done nothing. But it got worse.

I was devastated.

We found syringes wedged between the floor boards in one room, the youngest kid had smeared "help me" in shit on a bedroom wall and there was awful drawings of children hurting each other (all photographed and reported), the place stunk to high heaven and she left 2 bedrooms full to the brim of shite that she didnt want. I just carried on as I needed the house and the paper work was already signed.

Five days after the swap she turned up pissed as a newt and said my old house was filthy and damaged and she wanted to swap back. Then she demanded I hand over the internal black and white doors. I laughed and told her to jog on. The following week we decided to replace the doors and realised that the new house doors were totally different to the ones in my old house.....so messaged her and told her she could have the crappy black and white monstrosities. She paid to have them delivered and shock.....they didn't fit :grin: But then it escalated, she stole my wheely bins, literally crapped on my door step, keyed my car and THEN asked if she could get her husbands fishing gear out of the shed!!!

Two years on and we are still trying to fix stuff that the council totally refused to help with . We do not have valves/nobs on a single radiator in the place and every one of the 24 windows and doors has a draught but I signed to say I had accepted it " As is". It has been very tough and very expensive (to the tune of about 9k) but I love my house and know I did the right thing.

OP, if the holes in the doors are fist sized, I would honestly suggest getting some very thin ply cut to the exact size of each door and just glue it over the entire door and then paint it. If they ask, you got the doors out an ex authority house for free from a friend.

Ex assistant housing officer here used to deal with these exchanges all the time. We used to give conditional consent which meant they have a certain about of time to sort out the repairs if repairs weren't done we would cancel. Although can only actually refuse due to a limited amount of reasons rent arrears and anti social behaviour two of them. Any talk of money exchanging hands we would say no to the exchange im sure there was a reason why but can't remember the legal response.

Telephone citizens advice for help.

All of the doors will be fire doors so if they are damaged, the HA have a duty to repair them (to ensure they are safe). This is regardless of whether she goes through with the swap or stays.
Tenants are responsible for cosmetic repairs only.

I was still waiting on her housing officer getting back to me so that I could show her proof and then see what she says as I don't think she's interested in my house. Fair enough that's up to her, but don't want to waste my time.
I certainly will not be paying any money for any doors now! If the housing officer gets back to me and says no can do, then it's her own problem. She caused the damage. She can sort it. If she doesn't, no swapsie🤷‍♀️

Maybe the other people wanting to swap didn’t have such a compelling case as yours OP, hence the difference in attitude?
I do so hope things work out for you and your DC.
Good luck

I’m so sorry that your hopes were raised then dashed. I think you’re making the right decision in not giving her any money. I’m amazed the HA aren’t doing more to assust this swap though - a 3-bed house is gold dust and having just a single tenant in it is appalling when you think how many families need that sort of space.

It is appalling, I know somebody in a 3 bed, who lives just down the road from me. Single guy, whose been in Thailand for 9 months!!! I'm tempted to move in

Continue1 do it! Just do the swap and tell him he agreed to it whilst off his face in Thailand; he’ll never remember 🤪

I'd happily move his stuff into ours for no cost!! Lol
Even more annoying, the guy is my estranged dad😒

All of the doors will be fire doors - not necessarily. Only internal doors on a 'living space' (so bedrooms, living rooms, kitchen, not bathroom etc) will be Fire Doors, and ONLY if the property is 3-floors.

I did wonder though if they were to be replaced as fire doors, as these are much more expensive.

I live in a HA place spread over 3 floors, and there’s a flat below me (converted Victorian house) and none of my doors are fire doors. I’ve never had fire doors in any of my places. Just recently the HA did a big fire safety upgrade too, installing wired smoke detectors in every room, and a couple of heat detectors. I don’t think fire doors is the norm at all.

op if your dd (!!!) is doing this with his house maybe you should report him!!! (anon of course!)

First of all, you're not pulling out: she has presented you with a list of issues and is asking you to pay for them, that makes her a CF.

Also, WHY DOES SHE NEED 5 INTERNAL DOORS REPLACING??

I've lived in several properties and not once have I had to replace internal doors!

A toilet seat is a tenner so she can afford to replace that.

Also, why is she downsizing? Is she in a dodgy area, bad neighbours?

I smell a rat.

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