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.

The ONLY thing you need to invest in to start with is a shed load of robber gloves ,scouring pads , cif and bleach

Then you paint every single room white
Trust me I’ve been there
It’s makes such a difference when it’s clean and white
Then , you breathe and assess

It’s all doable

Surely you’ll be saving from the first month that you only have the CH rent to cover?

My blinds didn’t cost that much and I’m in a 6 bedroom house. Carpets? Hmmm

My sons autistic too and my priority would be the fence (he’s a bolter)

And the bedroom carpets

Surely everything else can wait

I’m not entirely sure how it works in other areas @JanMeyer but I can assure you it most definitely helps to get a social worker involved where I live. One of my close friends has 3 children. Her middle dc is autistic/Spd/anxiety etc. She got a disability social worker to support her and she ended up being moved a 4 bed council property with a wet room for her dc, adapted garden, and eventually her dining room was built on which she got a grant for and her dc now has a sensory room. My cousin who has one dc who has cerebral palsy also got a council property a few years back. She was on the list for years and was moved up almost immediately once her social worker got involved and they were given a nice two bed house which was adapted and a downstairs bathroom put in.

I used to work for a Housing Association, and if the place was in a state they’d give the new tenants £200 of Wilkinson’s vouchers to pay for paint/lightbulbs/whatever to decorate to their taste. Ask if your one does something similar.

Carpets, get on Facebook and ask for local recommendations for independent carpets fitters they tend to be cheaper and will fit whatever you’ve bought.

Fence is the council’s problem - get them to sort that.

Your blind and carpet quotes sound high. Id paint and decorate and get the flooring down then move in. I'd check about the fencing?

Get in touch with your local councillor and ask them to enquire what standard the house should be when you move in. They may know if local volunteers who might help with things like the. garden. looks like a slog now but it's a great opportunity

@honeygirlz

OP, you aren’t engaging with anyone trying to help you.

This... so rude 🥱

My daughter got her council house 2 years ago now, she's still not carpeted throughout. Prioritise, carpet in kids rooms, dug in yours. She painted the concrete floors in hall/stairs/kitchen/bathroom and living room it looks fine. Living room she was given a big rug. Paint the walls, it doesn't matter if they're uneven!
You sound entitled up because you don't seem to want to compromise and there are so many families who would be grateful for a council house with cheaper rent that private lets, security and not having to pay for for boiler repairs etc and be willing to make do with less than perfect.
Freecycle, charity shops, home bargains, Facebook selling pages all offer much cheaper alternatives than your suggestions.

We bought a house whilst getting married so didn't have much money. You have to lower your expectations and change your priorities. We had curtains and poles from charity shops. Everything was mismatched. No bedroom carpet for a few years just two rugs over boards, both off gumtree. Our garden was fenced in sections and we did it ourselves with the help of a family member. A few of our rooms weren't plastered. They were just boarded and the joints patched. We could afford to have it plastered so we put up cheap blown vinyl wallpaper. It was ugly as hell but we then went back and did a room at a time.

Check with your council if they do furnished packages, you might be able to get the house carpeted & pay a little on top of your rent each week this way, although I do think you may well need to pay the cost of any underlay.

Roller blinds - b&m, wilkos, ikea etc.

Cooker - check fb market place for a cheap put you on jobbie.

Garden - maybe lend or buy off fb a second hand one to strim the garden? Nail bits of scrap wood to cover the gaps in the fencing until you can afford to fully replace?

Will all due respect I do think you are a little bit unrealistic with your expectations of what needs to be done to the house right now. Take it one room at a time. As long as its clean then you'll be fine. But do deal with the garden as a matter of urgency as councils are not keen on them being overgrown.

It's a shame the council insist on ripping up perfectly good carpets or floor coverings before new tenants move in.

When I moved out of my council flat the council said I would have to remove all the (6 month old) lovely flooring I had spent a lot having professionally laid. If I didn't remove it, they threatened to charge me for ripping it up.

They also demanded I remove wall paper and light fittings including dimmer switches fitted by my dad (an electrician).

I thought it was fucking ridiculous and the poor new tenants were left with no flooring and lots of unnecessary work to make it nice again.

@honeygirlz

OP, you aren’t engaging with anyone trying to help you.

This. ^

You said you were panicking about how to afford stuff, there have been many ideas on here.

We moved into our house 2.5 years ago and we prioritised what needed doing and bought things but by bit.

We started with the kitchen, then the bathroom, then the rest of downstairs. Then we ran out of money.

We're just now sorting out the garden and stairs.

Our bedrooms are as they were when we moved in. We'll save up for a plasterer and flooring person, we'll paint it ourselves then save up again to get blinds that match downstairs and some curtains.

Our furniture is all cheap from Argos, so eventually I'd like to save and replace with something better quality.

If I were you I'd prioritise a cooker, your sons room and living area. For carpets get a person round to measure and see what the shop has in for off cuts or end of roll. You won't have such a big selection but they're usually popular ones as they're off what other people have chosen.

Do everything as cheap as possible at first and then just replace as you go. Blinds - very cheap if you go to Ikea. And they’re not difficult to fit yourselves. Carpets - most carpet stores sell cut offs at really cheap prices. I recall a couple years ago getting cut off for our lounge at £60. Re your comments about decorating and gardening - we all have the same problem when working and caring for DCs, but you just have to fit it in. Most of what you say applies to when you buy a house too. I remember when we bought our first home, when we moved in, we couldnt afford a sofa, and had to sit on garden chairs for 2 months until we bought a sofa from BHF for £100 which lasted us a few years. Of course if you’re not happy with the house, just say no, and wait for another one. You come across as a bit self entitled.

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

Really? You who have just expressed how hard it is to afford to remedy it can't see how anyone else might be simply unable to afford repairs? Let alone too physically disabled, too busy, too bereaved, too psychotic, too depressed, too abused too any myriad of reasons?

Order your priorities. You need an oven to cook - although I'm currently managing with a tabletop convection microwave thing because I can't afford a new oven just now, and this cooks perfectly well. I used it for a year as a student. I'm hoping after Christmas I'll be able to afford a new oven and I'm saving.

Borrow a strimmer/ enlist friends to attack the jungle. This should be a priority before children are allowed out, simply because you don't know what is hiding in there.

Windows need covering. Curtains are cheaper and discount places often have decent curtains on great discount. I've always used these. Although the back rooms downstairs don't have curtains currently because noone can see in.

You want your son's room to look similar to his old room for very good reasons. So do it. But seriously don't worry about uneven plaster. Just paint over it. If awful put up lining paper and paint that. Plaster right now costs an absolute fortune due to Leicester lock down and increase in demand as every one is doing up their homes!

We took carpets up in some rooms because concrete is better than mouldy carpet. Nice house slippers and rugs until we can get the time and money together to do them.

Just do what everyone does who is council or owns. Pick a room and do it one at a time. You get to have your home how you want it. Granted there's less choice in council than in owning, but a whole lot more than your average private rental. And the relief of having a steady home that is yours for as long as you want? That is absolutely worth the price of uneven plaster, a jungle and a few months/years of make-shift window dressings. A sheet and a sewing machine will be your friend (you can make roman blinds if you are handy enough, but curtains more easily)

Honestly i don’t want the best of the best. I can’t afford that and nor am I interested in this, I just want comfortable. I’m happy to paint the whole house plain white and just add little bits of colour with affordable cushions and niknaks. All I’m saying is I can’t not have carpets or window coverings and that I’m surprised at how people can leave their properties in such a state. I know money is a major factor for most people but like most of you have said things can be done bit by bit so if this is the case why are so many council properties left in a terrible state?

Lord I would bite your hand off for that house haha!
I'm on the waiting list too for 12 months, me and dd share a bedroom and we have a kitchen/diner and a shower room. We had horrific flood damage before lockdown so our bedroom is mouldy. We only have electric in those two rooms because the plug sockets are flooded.
Honestly OP I know it's a pain in the arse living somewhere that's not perfect but you are so lucky

You can apply for double housing benefit the mo the month you are paying both rents, if you are entitled there is a form to request.

The rest of it, as others have said... make do

If it were me I would do it like this.

1. Buy a second hand cooker (ask on facebook if anyone is getting rid of one you may get a freebie if you can collect as it saves them having to disposed it)

2 Carpet or buy cheap rugs for kids bedrooms and living rooms everywhere else can wait.

1. Look on Facebook for some free or cheap wood, pallets are usually given away if broked. Take them apart and use to patch the fence, it doesn't have to look pretty just be escape proof.
2. Ignore the plaster it cant be that bad. (Disclamer every wall in my house is wonky and had badly applied filler put in but you don't notice really once its painted and the furniture is in)
3. Garden can be done but by bit, wait until winter when lots of things will have died back anyway.

Blinds 2 go are good and very cheap, all of mine are from there and were very easy to fit.

Dodgy plaster can be papered over with lining paper which can then be painted, it hides cracks etc quite well.

Until you get carpets you can put ductape on the grippers in doorways to prevent foot injuries.

You can get appliances free or very cheap second hand, when I bought my new kitchen (Ikea) l wanted a large range oven but as they’re expensive I bought one second hand, even with the added price of man with a van to get it here it was £120 in total and then I just needed a £5 oven cleaner and its like new. The same model is nearly £900 bought new.

What do you think people do when buying a house and they have way more expenses. This is life dear!

I would love to have the security of a council house.
Use charity shops for furniture, replace as you can afford it.
Fence might not be your responsibility, might be neighbours, just cover the hole with anything you have for now.
It will soon be a home.

No different to when you first buy a house. In our first house we never had carpets in bedrooms for the first year. We painted hallway with concrete paint and bought cheap rug. You just make do. IKEA do cheap blinds.

I think the monthly rental should be less than private rental - so you just do a job each month.

If you've been on waiting list ages you might not get another offer if you turn this down.

Pretty sure they should do plastering properly. Also ask them about the fence.

Because the council often let to people where food or heating is the main priority. They won't have had the chance to save to even get the first room decorated and carpeted.

It is hard, trying to make a house livable on a low/no budget, but it is doable.

• carpet tiles are a cheap alternative to proper carpet, can look cosy with a cheap rug over the top
• look into whether council offer decorating vouchers, also if they do furniture packs for white goods, as this can work out cheaper than putting them on credit cards
• usually the council's responsibility to maintain the boundary fence
• cheap paint over the uneven plaster for now, you can do the rooms up properly a room at a time at a later date
• curtains instead of blinds. If you have the time which I understand might not be possible for you, making your own works out cheapest
• houseplants and prints on the walls are a quick cheap way to make the house look like a home

Good luck!