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.

If you're on Facebook join DIY on a budget group, there's lots of good ideas on there (as well as some not so great). Good luck in your new home.

There are charities in some areas which help people who are moving into social housing with nothing to get them started. I’d suggest you ask the council or have a Google. They might be able to help you with a cooker, curtains etc.

That isn't unique to council houses, everyone has to do small renovations to their houses - especially if they have higher standards.

Surely some of what you say can wait. Stick cheap curtains up for now. Don't worry about the plaster for a year or so. Settle in. If your perfectionism puts you off then I don't think a council house is for you. Someone else will snap it up.

I’m happy to do some things bit by bit but carpets? There is no way I could move my kids into a house with bare floors. I’ll take people’s suggestions about blinds and looking at cheaper places for furniture electrical but carpets isn’t something i can compromise on. If it comes to it I’ll just have to go to a carpet shop who do finance like carpet right who do 0% finance.

@Niknick

Thanks. That’s a good idea I’ll definitely take a look. I guess I’m just struggling to understand why people let their houses get so bad. Like I said we currently rent but we’ve still had to paint decorate and replace one carpet as I dropped an iron on the living room carpet. But we have kept the house in really good condition like we would any house.

Lack of funds, mental health, lack of diy skills. There is an array of reasons.

@Brainfogmcfogface

“I’m not moving my kids into a half done house”

Then don’t take it, and let a family who’ll be grateful for a home even a half done one! Jeez! My sisters place was covered in graffiti and smelled awful when she moved in but she was just grateful to have a home for her and her children and be out of a bed sit. She did it bit by bit and her kids lived in a not-even-slightly-done house for a good year or two and they never moaned.. Urgh!

This ^

Most of what you said is aesthetic and doesn't NEED to be "fixed" before you move it... You just WANT it to be

Flooring, window covers and a cooker is essential...

Blinds, decorating and garden are NOT!

You need to do what everyone else does and suck it up and improve as you can afford to do so.

I see there are a lot of cross posts. I was going to suggest off cuts especially bedroom carpet. I still have one down in small bedroom. I paid £30 for it. It has been down 33years🤣

Have a look online for any free items. Facebook marketplace can often give things away. You have to collect though.

You put newspaper up at the windows and live with bare floor boards / concrete.

You apply to the DWP for a grant or a loan-they turn you down.

You apply to local charities / furniture banks go to charity shops.

You sign up to freecycle / freegle.

You get a second hand cooker.

Almost nothing you list is essential. You either have to make do with a half done house or stay where you are.

My SIL had a council house with an ex years ago. They completely trashed the place (imo) replaced carpet for shiny tiles throughout, removed doors, flooring crap in some areas, woodwork ruined. Didn't treat the kitchen with respect.

Few years later he moved out and she was complaining about having to add doors back on. Well yes, this is the real world! I had just spent £50k renovating my house but she thought because it was council she should get everything for free even though she ruined it! Crazy mentality.

I’m confused, why do you have to pay for the carpets/repairs/new oven? You’re renting you don’t own it, the council should pay for things like that. A private landlord wouldn’t make you pay for the upkeep of their property (unless you damaged it) so why would the council?

Sorry but it’s bit by bit. We moved into our first home with £27. No cooker/sofa/furniture/flooring. We worked lots of overtime, paid for essentials with 0% finance, utilised hand me downs... long term it sounds like a good plan for your family, but as all upsizing it costs a bomb and takes time.

I think you’ll get a decoration grant for a property but it won’t be much.
I pinned towels and sheets to the windows.
I never had Lino or carpets, I cleaned the floor that was there and we wore slippers indoors.
I had a microwave rather than an oven for a long time.
Yes, it’s irritating having to pay two lots of rent and it doesn’t feel very fair but I think it’s pretty standard. Ask your council what people usually do. I bet they’ll tell you not to turn down a property for this reason.
The fence maybe the council’s responsibility to fix, it it may not, but it’s worth asking them to fix one thing as you have a disabled child. They can only day no. If the answers no and the garden isn’t safe I’m afraid you don’t use the garden until you can do this.
Awful overgrown gardens generally are okay once you start going, do it as annual leave if at a weekend. If there is knotweed then the council will be onto it.
Congratulations and I hope you all enjoy your new hone. It’s stressful moving but it’ll be good.

As others have said, you do it bit by bit, over the years. And you focus now on things that are UNSAFE not things that are desirable (plasterwork, decorating, re-junglefying the garden) or evening what you consider essential (eg carpets, curtains ).

It is wrong that the previous tenants' flooring is ripped out if council properties, regardless of condition.

Yabu, though, OP. Most people have to make do and mend for years when they get a new home, including a bought one. We had bare concrete floors for years in our first home and entirely second hand furniture and white goods.

A friend of mine has had no boiler for eight years (and therefore no heating or hot water) because she can't afford one. A colleague has no curtains after five years in her downstairs, can't afford them (she's a teacher).

You'll prioritise your son's bedroom, the fence repair and a fridge and oven and you'll be fine. The rest will come later and you'll have a bigger home with a secure tenancy. It'll be worth it.

@Wakemeupwhenthisisover

Council houses don't come with carpet or white goods normally but it does vary a bit

I wanted to add that my daughter is autistic. As well as taking 10 years to make the place a home, it's a flat. We don't have space for everyone inside and no outside space at all. Your entitled attitude and using autism as an excuse to want a show home is winding me up.

carpets: ask for roomsize remnants in stores and fit it yourself.

Most people can’t afford to do it. So it stays looking run down, people don’t care for their homes because they can’t afford too, it’s a luxuary. All the houses start to look run down and uncared for....hence the stereotype ‘council house estate’

It’s wrong, but it’s reality for so many.

You sound entitled I suggest you dont take the house if its not good enough for you.

Kids can move into a house with no flooring.

As others have said you prioritise and do bit by bit.

Our owner occupied house is only now 10 years down the line starting to look how we want it to.
We were cash strapped for years and had young kids.

Sorry but you sound very spoilt. You are getting a house but still moaning it's too expensive to kit it out to your standards and you're not moving your kids into a half done house. The majority of people have to do this, I know people who have moved into houses with no hot water and have managed.

Plastering is not a priority just because the walls are uneven. Our house is 1930s and all the walls are uneven. Perfectly straight walls are not essential. Unfortunately we got ripped off my a rubbish plasterer who did an awful job of our walls, we can't afford to get them done again so they aren't as I would like them so we put up with them.

You really sound like you want it all and more, more than what the average person can afford.

or use vinyl.

Newspaper in the windows and bare concrete floors? Erm no. I will most definitely starting looking around for cheaper alternatives but I’m not moving my kids into a new house, which will be unsettling enough for my youngest dc, coming up for winter when it’s freezing, to bare concrete floors and no window coverings. I have a credit card, which to be fair I’ve just finished paying and don’t want to go back into debt but I’d use that first before moving my kids into a house with no floor coverings.

@mummyoneboy19

You do it up bit by bit as you go along.

There’s also cheaper ways to do things, blinds aren’t too hard to fit yourself and you can buy them cheap enough in places such as B&M, the garden can be done yourselves on days off/weekends, taking it in turns to each do an hour while the other looks after the kids etc.

Good luck!

Exactly this ^. I brought 20 blinds and curtain poles etc. and did it myself. Hunt in charity shops for curtains or make your own -but Dunelm Mill was my go to shop.

Fence panels are relatively cheap.

I brought my house 7 years ago and I painted it first with white paint. I put up all the blinds and curtains myself.

7 years later I'm about to replace the hall carpet as it shocking. Yes, I'm replacing it with a beautiful carpet and it's expensive but total cost £800 for it -and I'm happy with that. The garden -most of my pots are repainted freebies. I often buy off cuts of decking and make planters etc. Grass seed, watering and mowing are all easy.