To wonder how people actually afford to move into council properties

[Niknick]

So, me and my dh have been offered a house with our local council after years of being on the waiting list. We have two son’s youngest of whom is autistic and we have been offered 3 bed meaning we’d all have our own bedroom at last. I haven’t had an official viewing of the house yet ie with the hosing officer but workmen are currently doing some repairs and they allowed me and my dh in the other day to have a quick look round whilst they were sat in the garden on a break.

Anyway i went equipped with my tape measure to measure up for carpeta, blinds and just to get a general idea of how things will fit. I’ve since gone to a cheap carpet place and been quoted £1500. Blinds will cost around £450-£500. Then there are things like decoration, removal costs, buying a new oven as our current one our landlord owns etc. The property isn’t in great condition and having viewed another of the council’s houses years back me and my dh are under no illusion that the council will do anymore than the bare minimum.

So far it needs plaster work doing as the workmen have done a rubbish job. It needs scrubbing beyond recognition, the garden is like a jungle so that will be more cost as we’ll need to pay someone to do it as me and my dh are busy with work and the kids. Plus parts of the fences are smashed and need replacing as it’s not safe with my son. I know it’s the tenants responsibility to do a lot of these jobs but usually, people moving into these properties aren’t well off so AIBU to wonder how do people manage to do all this? We have virtually zero savings due to paying high private rent, so long term moving to this house would be financially a good idea, but short term I’m panicking about where the hell we find the kind of money we are going to need to make this house at least comfortable for us all to live in. Moving to my current house paying a months rent up front plus deposit and referencing check fees is cheaper than what we’ll have to spend to move to the new house so I’m quietly panicking.

@formerbabe

If that’s the case, it’s unlikely you’ll be paying full council tax then - contact they council and make an application for council tax support

Really? With two combined incomes @CasuallyMasculine. Even if both incomes are on the low side then surely once combined won't be so low as to qualify for a council tax reduction?

What I always say to families is that their best bet is to ask. If your starting position is that you don’t think you’d be eligible do you don’t do anything about it, you may never get your full entitlement of benefits.

I really enjoyed reading a blog called the Frugality in which the blogger did up her home little bit by little bit on a budget but in a very stylish way so is incredibly inspiring. She has only just done her kitchen after years of using a camp stove so is living in the real world which makes her posts fun to read without fuelling any jealousy. I think you will get some fantastic tips: the-frugality.com/renovation-update-decorating-a-room-on-zero-budget/

I can’t leave most things as I’m not moving my kids into a half done house.
I guess that most of us do to get the house we need or want, whether is a council home or a £500,000 property.

I guess I’m just struggling to understand why people let their houses get so bad.

Erm... for the same reason you are struggling to pay for curtains and carpets?

Honestly, you need to get out of that mentality for your own mental health and learn to make do with what you have, little by little you will get the house that you want, but it is not going to happen overnight.

Ikea is great for cheap curtains, if you know how to use an iron or some thread and needle you can get all windows looking very presentable for less than £100.

Cheap carpet is expensive because it doesn’t last for long, I would rather invest in a slightly more durable one doing it up a room at a time little or saving a little each month until I could get it done. Many carpet/flooring shops do good discounts on end of the role remnants. I have put a very nice wood effect quality vinyl flooring in the kitchen and bathroom for £40 plus the cost of utility knife blades (for both rooms) and painted all the walls that were not perfectly flat after some tile removal as I couldn’t bear the sight of them while I was waiting to save the money to replaster... honestly, nobody but me has noticed how bad they are and eventually what you want comes around at a price you can afford: They are going to be covered with a very nice Laura Ashley’s wall paper I got for a pittance when they were selling their shops.

It is not that you have to live with less you just need to learn to be more forgiving while the right opportunity comes your way.

I realise you are getting a bit of flack here and I certainly wouldn’t suggest that you live with concrete floor and duvets at the windows, however also at the same time I imagine very few people even buying would have £2k to spend on carpets and blinds.

All of the blinds in my three bed semi were purchased for under £50 total for all of them! Dunelm Mill and The Range regularly have sales- I picked up ones for a few quid each. Ok, some wouldn’t have been my first preference, but why did the job and look quite smart.

We have carpeted our whole upstairs for under £400 including carpet, underlay and labour. We only went to places with roll ends and picked whatever was leftover which would fit. One of the carpet places did a special deal where they would carpet your whole house at once at a price like £500-800 depending on house size - the catch was they would fit it based on whatever roll ends they had that were the right size- although you could state no fuchsia! Brown carpets are out of fashion now and there were some really soft ones- but brown goes with most colours really and it’s not much of a suffering.

For the fence- can you tack up bamboo screening or use something else to create a barrier in the meantime?

I suspect many posters haven't ever seen just how spartan and grotty an empty council property can be, and the OP's original question of how people who by definition have very little money are supposed to magically make that into a home is not an unreasonable one, to be fair. The remedies are ultimately much the same as for owner-occupiers (prioritise, get cheap stuff to start with, like with it for a bit) but it's a very particular kind of chaos that's not quite the same as choosing to buy a place that needs work.

@ToastyCrumpet ahhh right I see, thank you. I only mention it as when we were given the gift card they said it was the maximum because it was a void property and to ask if they would be willing to replace the fence as it's a void property. I assumed they termed it that way due to the state of repair. It had been empty for over 3 months prior.

I paid about £1100 to carpet my 2 bed house, 3 years ago. Lounge, 2 halls, stairs, 2 double bedrooms.

But I had to split it up.

Gripper rods I went and got from the cheapest warehouse type place.

Cloud 9 underlay from Underlayforu, delivered in 24 hours.

Cormar carpet from another local warehouse.

Then a private carpet fitter did it for £30 a room.

I think I saved about £700 from what I was quoted.

i put it on a 0% crediit card btw, apart from the carpet fitter fee.

Just the same as buying a house, you need to do slowly and put up with it not being a show home for a while. We've had concrete floors for three years while we waited to sort out other bits. We've had horrible bathrooms that took 5 years to sort out. Garden took every weekend for 2 summers to get into a reasonable and manageable state. You just have to be patient and adjust your standards.

@Hodgewell1 wow, that link is very inspiring! I am feeling like getting up and sorting DS’ bedroom straight away! Off to check the paint tins in the attic!

Our fence was damaged in a storm and next door's dog kept coming into the garden.
The council fixed it after I complained. You're paying rent, the council have a duty to make the fence secure, if it is your boundary fence.

@Illdealwithitinaminute

I think you make some good points but I don't think they're the most important thing here. Yes it is different to do up a house which remains yours and which may increase in value due to the work you put in (though for some older people on this thread what actually happened was massive negative equity). But the OP was focusing not on the unfairness of the position she's in, or the social inequalities but on the fact that you sort of 'can't' move kids into an unfinished house. It's not great that we live in a society which has such a big gap between the haves and have nots but that's not something we're going to sort out today. Helping the OP to reconceptualise the problem, find ways to prioritize and make the place good enough in the short term is a way we can be helpful. OP clearly doesn't have the cash to do all she wants to do immediately, or she'd not be on here asking for help. So advice re: how we managed and helping her to come to terms with living in an unfinished property is (hopefully) helpful. It's the process many people who are buying go through anyway (i.e. "I need a place with ensuite, off road parking, 3 bedrooms in a turn key state" but actually they bought a 2 bed, no parking do-er upper - many people have to adjust their expectations down when it comes to housing).

We're in a similar position OP (lack of funds and a 3 bed council house that needs done up with two kids). Only plus side is it has flooring but it'll need replaced very soon, it's not good condition. We literally had nothing, not even a bed. We prioritised (and have thus bought): a double bed on finance from Argos, a cooker on finance from Argos, a microwave 2nd hand. We got a kettle for £15 B&M, toaster for £10 and a very basic cutlery set for £7, a whisk and a tin opener, one pot and one pan and that's it. We got a cot 2nd hand on Facebook and a family member kindly bought a toddler bed for our toddler. 2nd hand sofa, an old TV and we don't have any other seats. We can't afford a washing machine so we're having to use a family members until we save up (there's no laundromat here). We have a fridge freezer 2nd hand off Facebook for £60. Second hand drawers for our room and the kids. We would love flooring as the carpet is white and has a lot of marks but we simply don't have the money. Because we have a family member who's washing machine we can use, it wasn't a priority but it might be for you. I'd prioritise a microwave, a fridge and a washing machine for now and some pots and pans and beds if needed. We will just have to save up for a washing machine, flooring and any chairs/non essentials. Can't afford to decorate right now. It will get easier once you're in. Hope the move goes well

OP, just one other thing I'd add. My sister had a council property. When she gave it up the carpets were neutral and not that old. She negotiated with the council to leave them in. Not sure what exactly went on but I think they inspected them and said yes these ones could be left. That may not be relevant to yours as I think perhaps the carpets are already out, but just checking in case.

OP, on the basis of your husband's income I think you should be entitled to some financial help from Universal Credit, so I'd suggest using one of the online calculators to see what you're entitled to.

Because your son gets DLA, you'd be entitled to a carer's element, and extra in respect of your son because of his additional needs.

If you don't get means-tested benefits and on't already get carer's allowance, you should claim it. It can be backdated for 3 months and 3 months' worth of carer's allowance would be enough to buy carpet and underlay for a couple of rooms.

If you're already getting tax credits and/or HB, don't switch to UC without checking if you'd be better off first!

Oh and cheap blinds from B&M, no curtains as we can't afford them.

I don't really understand why they don't come with carpets etc... What did the previous family do, take the carpet with them!? 😂

We've been in our flat for over 2 years and have only just put blinds up in the lounge it just wasn't a priority. We used 'Blinds to go.' Cost £257 for one massive blind, one small and one average. All wooden slates.

Dandelionz Sun 13-Sep-20 11:59:40
I don't really understand why they don't come with carpets etc... What did the previous family do, take the carpet with them!? 😂

The council always rip them up before a family move in even if they are in good nick.Some people unfortunately leave fleas so to be on the safe side council now just rip up all carpets

I don't really understand why they don't come with carpets etc... What did the previous family do, take the carpet with them!?

Council rules are that you have to remove them - I think because some are so awful it just leaves the new tenants with a massive grotty job when they move in.

Yes its an ordeal, most have to go without and do things bit by bit. When I moved from my last property which id lived in for 13 years and looked after it very well the HA made me removed everything, i had decent laminate throughout, an almost brand new electric fire, and carpets upstairs that weren't the best but were clean, they made me remove the lot. Its a shame because genuine people needing social housing cant afford to kit a house top to bottom. I could understand if it was old or dirty but it was all new modern and in good nic. I did get a decorating grant when I moved but it not much help really.

They also rip out fireplaces and kitchens/ bathrooms if they are not council issue.

@Dandelionz

Yes, we are in a shared ownership, we have been told all floors must be the same as when you moved in.

So we have to take our carpet with us. I have had LVT put in the kitchen and screeded underneath, not sure what they will say about that as Im sure I wont be able to remove it.

We got offered a HA property last year and I was so so grateful as we were in a very expensive private rental before that and didn’t think we had a hope of getting HA

We got a voucher for £150 towards decorating, I used this to get the living room completely finished before moving in so that we had a nice family room to sit in (we did have to buy own carpets and blinds).

Every other room has barely been touched, kids rooms have been painted but waiting on decorator to come and wallpaper, carpets and blinds are now in kids rooms but weren’t for a couple of months until we could afford them. I’ve just about finished painting the bathroom but will now need to save up for new flooring.

Blinds came from concept blinds, DH measured and fitted, very reasonable and lovely blinds, faux wood Venetian with tapes.

Hallway and stair/landing is all woodchip, we will be stripping this ourselves in time and HA say they will replaster if needed, no carpet on stair and landing as no point till hallway is finished, ditto our bedroom, no carpet until I can afford to decorate it.

I am just grateful for a lovely, cheap rent home in an area I love no matter it’s current state, would rather take a bit longer getting it how I want it

The council always rip them up before a family move in even if they are in good nick.Some people unfortunately leave fleas so to be on the safe side council now just rip up all carpets

That's such a waste tbh. Not the same in housing associations, as had carpet in my old bedroom that was nearly 10 years old and that wasn't stripped when we moved for a new family to move in, no mention of it. HA specifically asked my grandma to leave any furniture they wouldn't need for the new family as they would have very little - left wardrobes and beds etc...