Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

Social housing exchanges

21 replies

Cheeriononny · 09/01/2023 16:38

Posting here for traffic. Please don’t comment if you’re anti - social housing or have anything negative to say.

has anyone managed to exchange their property or currently looking to? Do you have any tips or advice please? I live in an awful house that shouldn’t be lived in, with awful neighbours too, and I’m desperate to leave. I want a fresh start in a new area where we feel safe and my children can be happy. I’m struggling to find anyone interested in the house so I feel like I will be trapped here forever. I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through it, tia

OP posts:

Believ · 09/01/2023 16:41

I feel for you in this situation, I would also feel for anyone who exchanged with you if things are as bad as you say. Have you reported it all to the council?

Original poster

Cheeriononny · 09/01/2023 16:45

Yes but they don’t care, the entire borough is the same so unless you’re rich enough
to rip everything out and start over including installing soundproofing, then we are all in the same boat here.

OP posts:

Ginsloth · 09/01/2023 16:49

I think the issue here is to get someone to swap with you, you’d not be able to tell them the truth about the property, or else they wouldn’t want it.
As hard as it is, if it’s as terrible to live in as you say it is, why do you think someone should swap with you?

Original poster

Cheeriononny · 09/01/2023 16:56

The alternative is we stay here and sink deeper into depression then risk my children getting involved in crime as teenagers. I’m sure everyone would want to escape and focus on their family in that situation. Anyone who considers the area knows the story so I wouldn’t need to lie.

OP posts:

Believ · 09/01/2023 16:56

I dont have any advice, I would feel terrible on a new tenant being lied to to move there, but I'd also feel bad for myself having to live there! Hope you get some help from somewhere.

playingtwister · 09/01/2023 16:57

I was housed in a 2 bed flat in an isolated town, so I exchanged with someone who needed to move to the area urgently due to work to a 3 bed house with a garden somewhere hours away and then swapped back again to a perfectly nice house back in the area I wanted, it's long winded but we now have a bigger home and have moved back. I went through HomeSwapper

Original poster

Cheeriononny · 09/01/2023 16:59

Thanks playingtwister I’m glad it worked out for you. Was it easy to find people or did you have to spend a lot of time building up a multi swap and the likes? I’m happy to put the time and effort in if it gets us away from here, but I know there are risks of people changing their mind last minute or it taking months and months.

OP posts:

Reindear · 09/01/2023 17:00

My sister did a 3 way swap and it went well. It might be trickier for you if it’s a bad area but sometimes people want to be near family and will swap for that

Muddlingmiddling · 09/01/2023 17:01

Think your best bet is to speak with the council they will have a list of others looking to exchange. Not sure if it's worth contacting local housing associations too?

Ginsloth · 09/01/2023 17:01

Cheeriononny · 09/01/2023 16:56

They may well know the area is deprived but they won’t know you have nightmare neighbours. Are you going to share that information? And that, in your opinion, the whole house needs ripping out and soundproofing to be liveable?

glasshole · 09/01/2023 17:16

Most towns/areas have a few fb swap pages. I've swapped and basically you need to make the house you are in as appealing as possible. It's against the law to offer financial rewards/recompense . But when I first advertised for a swap I got very little interest. I made my peace with staying and decided to redecorate and put laminate down and get new blinds. I converted on the post to say I'd charged my mind and had redecorated and reloaded the floor instead and I was absolutely flooded with interest. I eventually agreed a swap and said I would leave the wooden shed and decent couch too. Some people may never have added to money to decorate or buy new flooring so it could be their only chance to "trade up".

I swapped a 3 bed with a drive way for a 5 bed with a drive way , back garden and a roof garden. But boy was it in a shocking state. I've probably spent £12k over the last 5 years replacing dodgy broken floor boards, doors with punch marks in, replastering over gouges etc. there are 22 (!) external doors and windows in my house so even blinds or curtains are ££££! . But I love this house and hoping to buy it next year as it's been adapted for me and my specific disability .

StoneofDestiny · 09/01/2023 17:17

The council probably have grim nightmare neighbours they want to move, and it might suit that the grim nightmare neighbours get to move next to your grim nightmare neighbours. Suggest it to them.

Original poster

Cheeriononny · 09/01/2023 17:22

Thanks glasshole, I’ve too spent a huge sum of money on this house and it still looks like it belongs in the slums. It was so poorly made it feels like a fun house in a fairground sometimes. I have the biggest garden on the estate which I hoped would bring in attention, it’s full of plants and trees whereas the majority of the houses have the fake turf or concrete. I guess I will need to continue spending to make it stand out more than the other houses on this road also up for exchange. I appreciate your input and I’m glad you got a home you wanted and needed in the end!

OP posts:

Original poster

Cheeriononny · 09/01/2023 17:24

Stone of destiny, unfortunately they don’t do that anymore. All exchanges have to go through homeswapper as the council washed their hands of responsibility to exchanges a few years back. It would be ideal if they grouped the bad neighbours together and let the rest of us live in peace though!

OP posts:

Iam4eels · 09/01/2023 17:25

Reapply to the housing register too and ask for medical consideration relating to depression and anxiety, explain how a move would benefit your health. Do you have any family, work, or other connections to the area(s) you want to move to? Emphasise that too and the benefits it would have on your family. You might not get top priority but it will help with broadening your search.

Original poster

Cheeriononny · 09/01/2023 17:29

Thank you, I’ve tried but they cancel the application and say I’m adequately housed so they cannot help. I can understand they can’t move people around for any reason, social housing is to provide a roof over peoples heads at the end of the day, but it really is torture. I’ve made complaints, I’ve reported neighbours, I’ve done everything by the book and still the council don’t care which makes the neighbours worse in retaliation. The area I want to move to is near my disabled sister, but again they refuse to see this as grounds to move via the register.

OP posts:

Believ · 09/01/2023 17:32

Can you private rent to get in to the area you want to?

kafkascastle · 09/01/2023 17:34

Have you tried going to see your councillors or MP? That can help sometimes.

Original poster

Cheeriononny · 09/01/2023 17:52

I would but the rent is £1500-2000 a month here for private rent which I just can’t afford.
I haven’t no, I’ll look into it thank you.

OP posts:

Chocolatesandroses · 22/03/2023 18:49

Hi @Cheeriononny I know it was a few months ago you posted this but I just wanted to come on and give advice. I did a mutual exchange November 2022. It took me just under 2 years , I went on HomeSwapper Jan 2021 and found someone to swap with in June who basically pulled out the week before swapping . It does happen but don’t let it put you off . I went back on HomeSwapper , I put adverts on gumtree once a week , I was on house exchange and I also had a year subscription on glass bob (which was £15 for the year ) . Put as much info on your advert as possible like positive things good school good transport links etc .. if possible put up photos even if it’s just one like the front of house or a room that looks ok .

don’t just stick to one area would you be willing to move a little further out? . Be an open to muti swaps . I needed a 3 bed house but I was willing to compromise so if someone had a masionette or flat with own garden then I would be interested in that , didn’t necessarily have to be a house. If someone had a 2 bedroom house and it had a separate dining room and living room that could be used as a bedroom , I would also be interested in it . If someone has put an area that maybe not your area but is 2 miles from where you are , message them they may consider where you are . ( I hope that makes sense ) . Don’t give up at all I know it’s really difficult . When you say your house is awful, how do you mean ? Does it need repairing or decorating ?

Henny56 · 15/01/2024 15:55

I’m looking for a little bit of advice. I completed a house exchange 6 weeks ago and as we were at the end of the exchange the tenant informed me she had left her living room tv on the wall and she couldn’t take it down so asked if we would swap TVs with her. I checked it was all working which it was so I was happy to do this to help her out as our TVs were the same size and in the same condition.

6 weeks down the line now she is asking to come and remove the tv from the wall and have it back. I feel quite uncomfortable about this incase there is any damage to my tv or it isn’t working in the condition I left it in. We made a verbal agreement and she’s saying as the tv was a gift she’s in trouble and needs it back.

Do I have the right to tell her no as I’m uncomfortable with this?

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread