Home swapping is ridiculous

[Aaliyah1990]

I’m more than frustrated with the fact that you could bid for years and not get anywhere. Then you think to yourself oh maybe house swap might help? Nope not at all!!! the housing system is a big joke if you ain’t got a garden you can forget it,the demands people are asking for just makes you feel worse and all your hopes are thrown out the window. It’s almost like doing the lottery and hoping you get lucky. I don’t know if somehow these so called serious swappers are getting a power buzz out of it cause that’s what it’s seem to me. In all reality we should all stop compiling to these ridiculous set ups, you waste so many of years being unhappy then you feel as you have to beg in a way to get a property you want. I think it’s all wrong and the council should be responsible if your over crowded etc and the bidding set up is more of a joke you’ll be on there for centuries 🙄. Until the day everyone stops compiling then that’s the day you’ll be able to get what you want but everyone seems to conform to things that are unrealistic,draining and upsetting. From today I’m not doing any of the guideline rules forget it!!! It doesn’t work out and it just makes their jobs easier while we suffer nope not anymore. So on that note I’ll get back to you guys. I’ll update to see that my situation will have improved. And I’ll let you what I did to get out of the flat/cage I’m in.

I don’t think it would nice to move once your elderly. I wouldn’t wanna move either if I had all my local stuff around me and I was comfortable. It would just be way to stressful for that person.

My god some off these people are really heartless when they’re in control they just make you feel like shit. That council officer had a bad attitude from the get go when that lady was crying she didn’t feel for her at all. She just wanted to break her some more. And this is what I’m stressing about not enough people are speaking out we’re just allowing this to happen because they tell us that’s the rules no 🤬 that it’s not the rules these rules are making some people’s life’s a misery it’s not right I’m not happy about it at all 😑😑😑😑

From an economics perspective yes, on the face of it, social housing subsidised if it is let below open market value. Whenever a property is rented for less than its open market value, there is a lost benefit to the council.

However, and this is a big but: social housing rents can’t be directly compared with private rents as private renters usually have shorter contracts and aren’t expected to decorate their own homes. There is also a hard to quantify benefit of the social cost - good quality social housing can save the NHS, social care and other agencies money as less intervention is required to help people keep their lives together when they are living in precarious tenure, unsuitable housing.

On the balance I think the latter is by far the most important element to social housing. I wish collective governments would research the latter as I suspect social housing looks pretty cheap in comparison to multi agency intervention. It would help justify building more, that’s for sure.

Hi Op, I understand your frustration but it's hard as hell to exchange even for me and my requirements are the simplest.

I want to move from a 1 bedroom ground floor flat to a 1st floor flat - sounds easy enough doesn't it?

I have been bidding for 6 years and the housing officers tell me ground floors are in high demand so I should try for an exchange . The only offers I get are people trying to get out of London which is suspicious.

I am very grateful for my flat and I'm about to have a new kitchen installed but I want to be able to open my windows at night without worrying about break ins.

Wow that’s shocking you have a ground floor flat and are considering even to go a floor up but it’s still hard to swap 6 years plus and still nothing I feel your pain. House swap is just not a good set up at all a few do get lucky though but that to is just not good enough. It’s like tryna find the golden ticket in a chocolate bar 🙄🙄

Aaliyah, not just the 1st floor, just higher than the ground floor. You would think that it would be simple to swap like for like but apparently not.

I'm really really grateful and don't take my affordable rent for granted as I lived in private rented for many years in London, I would just feel a little bit safer off the ground.

Asta, I am on the same page as you.
I am single, late 40s, don't earn a great deal of money and I worry about my mental and physical health in the future (not that they are the same concerns you have) but giving up my secure tenancy would be utter madness.

That show 'how to get a council house' is purely to wind people up - it's as plain as milk toast.

They must have spent ages trying to find the most horrific, entitled folk on the planet.
The normal people who enquired about a council property and were refused, would have just cried, thanked them for their time and slunked off, but that doesn't make for good telly does it?

I know several single elderly people who live in 3 bedroom houses taking up family homes. I understand your frustration.

You're joking right? If you're overcrowded you shouldn't have had more kids than you had room for! We had 2 kids when we moved in our three bed, we have 4 now. Our choice, our responsibility!

I did a home swap several years ago, and it was complex but it worked well for us both. Some people do want to downsize or move away or nearer their parents or whatever, I wanted a much smaller home in a nearby area, and someone with a toddler wanted my larger safer flat away from her boyfriend.

The attitude of the council staff was often not helpful, they are often burnt out by the stress of their jobs. We did everything, and it worked well.

Hope it goes well for everyone who is home swapping, exchanging or whatever 🏠✅

You're joking right? If you're overcrowded you shouldn't have had more kids than you had room for! We had 2 kids when we moved in our three bed, we have 4 now. Our choice, our responsibility!

Read the thread, there's a love.

I am a housing officer at a large housing association and we do swaps all the time. Some are local and some are via Homeswapper. Just because you are in a flat it doesn’t mean no one will swap with you, it could be the ideal property for someone. Keep it in good condition, report repairs and have them completed, make sure you allow access for your gas service and keep your rent account up to date - these are all things that would prevent a swap if you were lucky enough to find one. Don’t just rely on Homeswapper, put posts on local Facebook pages, make sure friends know you are looking to swap because at some point someone will overhear someone else looking for a swap. Ask your housing officer if they know anyone, we all have visited people struggling in their property and often are able to put people in touch with each other. Unless you moved into a property that was too small, it is not the Council’s fault you are overcrowded.
Above all if you do find someone to swabwith, do not do it without the permission in writing, you would be surprised how many people do!

I'm not sure who you are annoyed with here? If people don't want to swap they don't have to? You'd have to ask them what's wrong not us. It seems you are just annoyed that you can't get what you want.

I completely agree with you. You are not being unreasonable whatsoever!!!!

Your the joker why don’t you read my threads properly and then comment.. more children 🙄

I hear you OP, that flat is far too small for you and a teenage DS. People in social housing with a spare bedroom should be made to downsize instead of complaining of the bedroom tax or getting discretionary housing payments for unoccupied rooms.

That would free up 2-bed houses and flats for families

Exactly you decided to keep breeding so you intentionally put you and your children in your current situation. As for me I didn’t do that so I don’t really understand why you even bothered to message in the first place if you don’t even read all
Of the threads to understand what going on.

Thank you for having the capability to understand what I’m trying say

Can you move to an area where there is lots of social housing? I know some areas have offered 'better' houses if the tennants are prepared to move a fair distance.
Its not the councils reponsibility to provide a larger house of you are overcrowded though, if it was I'd be after them for a 100k for an extra bedroom

I’m glad it worked out for you two that was nice of you to get a person out of that situation. And thank you for your wishes much appreciated

we did it 2 years ago, brilliant decision!

@wooo69

If people move without the written permission are they made to swap back again? It’s not something I’ve ever done but I am curious as to what action is taken in that scenario.

At least when you’re renting you have some options. A lot of people here bought a flat when they were young and single and are still living in said flatneith partner and kids due to the fact they can’t sell them to move up, can’t go onto the council list or privately rent as it would be mortgage and rent being paid. Lots of people are stuck in their flats. Or, like me, you’re stuck in a house in negative equity bought as a setepping stone to getting a better house in the future but the housing crash left you with no chance of ever moving and the husband left you and has since rented several flats and then a house (privately) with new partner, moving as and when they want to for their growing family.