Page 4 | Social housing exchange - AIBU

Brighton5555 · 2023-06-26T20:56:47+00:00

Hey just need some assurance / reality check I guess. I have managed to find a housing swap after quite some time ( the feedback I get is lovely house but too small) so not beating off offers by any means despite my home being to a high standard and spent thousands on it… im due to sign a exchange soon. The man has the same bedrooms as me and he has a house in a area I desire but if this house wasn’t in the area I want I don’t know if I would actually go for it.. bonus points are - neighbours on one side only, good garden size, extra toilet downstairs, larger kitchen than mine, larger bathroom and about same size of the 4 bedrooms BUT its pretty gross. He has 7 animals including 4 dogs, it needs gutted from top to bottom as in complete new flooring and complete decoration and the bathroom will need ripped out. It’s in a very poor conditon but has passed all the checks they do for exchanging .. I viewed it for the 3rd time last week and the house had a lot of flies, I mean a lot I suspect from the animals . It was super clear to me on that viewing just how much money and work will need to be put in whereas here mine needs only a freshen up on the painting upstairs there are no other costs to him.. of course he’s lucky and it’s not his fault that our homes are very different but I just feel am I being crazy to take it on? I’m legit starting from the bottom again and will need to spend a few weeks living outside and at least £15,000 to have it okay to move into. I have the means to do both but I know it’s going to a long slog. Again the benefits are extra toilet, larger kitchen and bathroom more manageable sized garden and a better area .. I guess I feel daunted by it all

Skinthin · 27/06/2023 00:05

Skinthin · 27/06/2023 00:03

There's just this really odd stigma/misconception that you have to be really poor to only get a SH

I don’t think it’s fair to call it a “stigma” though. I think a lot of people quite reasonably assume that social housing is for those in need.
If things don’t work that way in practice, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to ask questions/ want to discuss it, given that there are so many people in dire need who can’t get/ afford housing. It’s not about “stigmatising” people who live in social housing.

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And I don’t think it’s remotely “odd” to assume this either!

Bunny44 · 27/06/2023 00:13

EddyF · 26/06/2023 23:58

Read the rest. A lot of people are not just now how to get their SH. Many have lived in them for years/decades. It was much easier (even in London) to get one years ago. With lifetime tenancies, people rarely leave unless they're buying. And if they could buy, most would start with the Rights to Buy their SH. There are so many people who I know who have been in their SH properties for a long time and now they are earning very well. They do up their properties to high standards etc. The OP most likely spent thousands over a NUMBER OF years on her property as it's a long-term tenancy.

There's just this really odd stigma/misconception that you have to be really poor to only get a SH. The only thing that has changed now is the huge demand for them. To get a SH, you don't need to be on benefits etc. Nobody in their right mind would leave their SH to go rent privately.

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In London though for instance there are a lot of homeless families in bedsits sharing one room (I know people in this situation) waiting for council housing. Most of the time they end up in private accommodation which the government pays for instead at great expense. No idea what other parts of the country are like, maybe much better situations.

I 100% understand why people want and do stay in HA home but times have changed a lot and there are lots of very needy people waiting for somewhere affordable to live, at least round here.

Not OP or the general public's fault at all, and they have to do what's right for them, but I can understand the surprise of some of the comments given what they might have seen and heard about current waiting lists.

Equalitea · 27/06/2023 00:21

A property needing a lot of work I could probably cope with but the flies and so many pets, not sure. It sounds like perhaps hygiene issues if flies are hanging round the animals?
In your position I’d want to do it but I think the fear of any infestations etc would frighten me off.
Is it just you that would have to live outside? Where outside exactly?
I am sure when you exchange there’s a set period where you can’t ask for any repairs 6-12 months? The property sounds in disrepair and £15k isn’t a lot of money if you’re going to be responsible for that set period of time with no where else to live. Especially with that being over winter!

suburbophobe · 27/06/2023 00:47

^In London though for instance there are a lot of homeless families in bedsits sharing one room (I know people in this situation) waiting for council housing. Most of the time they end up in private accommodation which the government pays for instead at great expense. No idea what other parts of the country are like, maybe much better situations.
I 100% understand why people want and do stay in HA home but times have changed a lot and there are lots of very needy people waiting for somewhere affordable to live, at least round here.^

How much council house building have the Tories done in the last 13 years? I have no idea. I doubt very much. It was Margaret Thatcher that started off the selling of them and not replacing them. That's the problem.
The fact that the younger generation cannot get on the housing ladder (or other generations for that matter) and having to pay outrageous rents is frankly a disgrace.

The first responsibility of a government is to look after its people (who (mostly) voted for them!) and having a roof over your head is a basic human need.
So they are not delivering what the country needs. Fuck them

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 27/06/2023 00:52

bellac11 · 26/06/2023 22:38

Many do

Also, if OP left her home and it went back out to be rented to someone else (not through exchange), her lovely kitchen and bathroom that she put in would be ripped out with council standard bathroom and kitchen put back in, usually at worse quality than what waas there. Same with the flooring.

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That doesn’t happen everywhere

A friend of mine just downsized her HA house in a swap. The people she swapped with had put really nice wooden flooring and a relatively new bathroom into the house. She had to sign to say she understood that any replacement for the bathroom would be with HA standard and may not match the rest qnd that the flooring wasn’t their responsibility at all and would never be replaced or repaired by then.

Thankfully many now seem to have got over the need to unnecessarily rip out things that are fine.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 27/06/2023 00:53

Skinthin · 26/06/2023 23:59

You know anyone can get a HA home right

the pp already stated she has no idea how any of this works.

It goes on priority, so you may be bottom of a list if you have ££££ in the bank, but if no one above you on the list wants it, it'll be offered to you

So are you suggesting that there’s probably nobody in OP’s area who wants (but can’t get) social housing , who has less than 15k in the bank?

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She's already in SH so her current circumstances are irrelevant. At the time she was given a tenancy by her SH provider, she was eligible for it. Either based on being high enough up the priority list to get one, or by everyone else above her on the list saying no to the property she is currently in.

People do say no to some properties, gor various reasons. Op said yes when it was offered to her.

That she now has money in the bank is irrelevant, SH isn't a benefit that is taken away when not "in need". A significant number of tenancies in SH will be families where both parents are working and bringing in a reasonable wage and getting by day to day. They gor their home because they were offered it by the provider and at the time of offer, there was no one of greater need on the list who wanted it.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 27/06/2023 00:55

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 27/06/2023 00:52

That doesn’t happen everywhere

A friend of mine just downsized her HA house in a swap. The people she swapped with had put really nice wooden flooring and a relatively new bathroom into the house. She had to sign to say she understood that any replacement for the bathroom would be with HA standard and may not match the rest qnd that the flooring wasn’t their responsibility at all and would never be replaced or repaired by then.

Thankfully many now seem to have got over the need to unnecessarily rip out things that are fine.

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Some SH providers even pay the exiting tenant for kitchens and bathrooms when they leave, if the one the tenant put in is in excellent value, as it then becomes an asset on their register with a value. So it has been known that they will offer some money to the exiting tenant in recognition of that.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 27/06/2023 00:55

Excellent condition. Sorry.

IfUnicornsWereReal · 27/06/2023 01:02

You do realise that in London £15,000 wouldn’t even be enough to pay a years rent upfront?

By the time Op used her savings paying a private landlord, she could find herself with an eviction notice and made homeless within a year, then would end up having to go back to the council and be put into temporary accommodation where she could be for years, so how does that help?

Tippexy · 27/06/2023 01:09

Gettingfleeced · 26/06/2023 22:13

Location, location, location. Where do you want to live?

I’m guessing Scotland by the grammar.

TrashQueens · 27/06/2023 01:30

Sarahtm35 · 26/06/2023 22:25

I’m mean this in the kindest way possible but if you have spent thousands of ££s and can afford to spend £15k on this new place then you really should not be eligible for social housing.
when we got our social housing we could barely afford paint. That’s why we needed the house because we weren’t well off. We have a huge homeless issue in this country and so it upsets me that there are people living in them that clearly have other choices with their renovations and fancy new kitchens. Sorry but i had to rant

Totally agree with this

I understand the “if you can then why wouldn’t you” mentality

but it is also very frustrating

if you can save 15k for home improvements and spend “thousands” on a SH home then you really need to be looking to buy/private rent and make room for people that desperately need a roof over their head

it seems quite entitled tbh

Mawthatsbraw · 27/06/2023 01:42

Ours was the same, OP when we swapped.. She didn't even clean her bloody house when we moved in . I cried for week as we had to stay in Travel Lodges while we cleaned it... It has cost us a fortune and she got our lovely, freshly decorated house..aw well..

Mawthatsbraw · 27/06/2023 01:46

@TrashQueens is that so? You have absolutely no right to say that to OP. I am in a similar situation to Op possibly. I cannot get a mortgage. Got one years ago and couldn't get a house for my family. Thank goodness I didn't as I have a disability and became very ill and would have lost it. Yes I work as does my spouse but I can't bet a mortgage because all my savings went on debts I built up when I became very ill. Stop judging people when you know nothing about them. I would bloody love a mortgage but I can't.

sashh · 27/06/2023 05:08

Assuming this will be your forever home then it is a blip, an expensive one.

I'd pay out for a professional clean, maybe have a couple of nights in a hotel and your furniture in storage while it is cleaned.

The OP is eligible for SH so where she got her money is irrelevant.

I'm in SH, to be in my property you need to be 60+ or have disabilities. Earnings don't matter. I know there are different rules for different landlords / types of housing.

My carer lives in a flat that when he moved in to you had to have no children living there and be 35+.

bumblebee2235 · 27/06/2023 05:59

It is annoying that social housing isn't available for those who need it and end up in temporary accommodation with their family. But that's a government/council issue not OP.

Even if you think OP isn't entitled and doesn't need it. I don't see why she should have a harder quality of life with her family to keep random people happy, she's hardly going to choose to private rent and pay an extra 1000 or more a month and have less for her kids when she doesn't have to? And I don't think any person no matter what they say would agree to pay that much extra just to "do the right thing" even though it won't make a difference or a dent to the actual issue in the country. She could house one family out of the millions waiting for social housing. At least she is looking after this property really really well.

I needed social housing but the waiting list was so long after an unfortunate circumstance and being homeless. I went private and pay so much more, I'm now back in work and on my feet.. but I can completely see OP point of view, and with my kids I'd do anything for them to have a good quality of life and they will come first over politics.

OP matters of rotten windows ect should be done by who owns the property, I would enquire. You are no liable for structural or maintenance issues. How often do properties come up in this area? If it's highly sought after I would go for it and perfect it for your family, it's a lifelong lease I think I read so you will get many years of enjoyment out of it once it's done. Having moved around a lot, location makes a world of difference.

bumblebee2235 · 27/06/2023 06:07

Also deposits on a 250000-300000 home when I looked for myself was 30000! That was a small 2 bed where I live. Also the commitment to expensive rates is so bad atm. 15000 wouldn't really make a dent at this time. Also saving and doing bits to a home here and there is a lot different to being accepted for a mortgage, having guaranteed regular income enough to secure it and buffer for interest rates. It's a lifelong lease basically her home anyway. And most likely hundreds cheaper a month than mortgage. So in this case a mortgage may not be that much of a benefit.

gamerchick · 27/06/2023 06:10

Wizzbangfizz · 26/06/2023 23:10

@gamerchick whats your point? I’m not saying it’s right but 15k is a lot of money and would be a deposit where I live

Some people don't want to buy a house. In fact, it's not really an attractive option atm really is it?

I think SH is the only stable type of housing around, everything else is a shit show.

The obsession with owning in this country is weird.

Norachance · 27/06/2023 06:18

I did an exchange. I took a 2 bed very shabby flat in an area I love and left my 3 bed house and garden in an area I hated. In spite of having less room and no outside area we are so happy here. Still need to do a LOT to the place - BUT the peace of mind of feeling safe and happy is wonderful.
As Phil and Kirsty say it's all about location!

Original poster

Brighton5555 · 27/06/2023 06:37

SittinOnTheDock · 26/06/2023 23:02

If you want to move from a shit area to a nice area, plus get a bigger house, of course it's going to be in shit condition to even things out.

No one would want to exchange with you otherwise!

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It’s not a shit area just not somewhere I want to be anymore x

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Original poster

Brighton5555 · 27/06/2023 06:39

SparklyShoesandTutus · 26/06/2023 23:18

Lucky you. Where we are you'd be lucky to get a garage for 75k. Assuming you put down a 10% deposit.
People saying 15k means OP shouldn't have social housing. That wouldn't even pay 1 years private rent and the rental market is so crazy some landlords are asking for 6-12 months up front.

Yep, I have friends who private rent and have to put a years rent in advance and there are so many people fighting to rent the houses they can get away with it

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Original poster

Brighton5555 · 27/06/2023 06:42

3AndStopping · 26/06/2023 23:23

@Brighton5555 I’m in brighton to so good knowledge of the areas. If you’re moving from say bevendean/moulscombe/whitehawk to Hove/Patcham/Portslade I would say DO IT. The quality of life, schools etc will be much better. Plus the house is bigger… yes you have work to do but as a PP said if his house was immaculate he wouldn’t be swapping! It’ll be worth it in the long run, definitely go for it.

Thank you!

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Original poster

Brighton5555 · 27/06/2023 06:44

gamerchick · 26/06/2023 22:44

I did it. Swapped an immaculate house for a shithole. It was a lot of graft but it was worth it in the end. Get a cleaning company in from the off. It'll cost, but it save you a chunk of time.

Well done to you, it’s tough to swallow right? Any tips on how you managed to turn your new place around ?

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Original poster

Brighton5555 · 27/06/2023 06:45

Skinthin · 26/06/2023 23:32

that the only types of people who live in social housing must be poor or should be poor .. why would anyone pay £1600/1800 in the area I live in for the same type of house when it’s less than £600 through social housing ?

Well no one would. But I think what people are wondering is how and why you are eligible when you have money available for private rent ?

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For the house I need size wise in the area I’m in £15000 is not even one years rent . I do not need to disclose why I’m a social housing tenant that’s not what my question was about

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Original poster

Brighton5555 · 27/06/2023 06:52

Mawthatsbraw · 27/06/2023 01:42

Ours was the same, OP when we swapped.. She didn't even clean her bloody house when we moved in . I cried for week as we had to stay in Travel Lodges while we cleaned it... It has cost us a fortune and she got our lovely, freshly decorated house..aw well..

Thank you. I too won’t be staying in it for the first couple weeks to give my family a head start on not having to live there in it’s current state . Im sure people have lived in far worse / taken on bigger problems just can’t wait to be on the other side of it

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Bumpitybumper · 27/06/2023 06:53

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 27/06/2023 00:53

She's already in SH so her current circumstances are irrelevant. At the time she was given a tenancy by her SH provider, she was eligible for it. Either based on being high enough up the priority list to get one, or by everyone else above her on the list saying no to the property she is currently in.

People do say no to some properties, gor various reasons. Op said yes when it was offered to her.

That she now has money in the bank is irrelevant, SH isn't a benefit that is taken away when not "in need". A significant number of tenancies in SH will be families where both parents are working and bringing in a reasonable wage and getting by day to day. They gor their home because they were offered it by the provider and at the time of offer, there was no one of greater need on the list who wanted it.

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That may well be how the system currently works but I think a lot of posters are questioning if the system should work that way. That a perfectly legitimate thing to do when we are talking about allocating a scarce resource (social housing).

The reality is we currently live in a two tier system where those that were old enough to qualify for SH when it was easier have a lifetime entitlement to it irrespective of whether their circumstances change or not, whilst often younger families or people that have just fallen upon more difficult times can't access the housing as it is occupied by those with these lifetime tenancies. I don't agree with the idea that people profiting from using SH when they no longer need it (and this is absolutely what they are doing) cannot be criticised as I and many others think it's morally wrong. I also don't think it's realistic to expect the government to build enough SH to house everyone on the waiting list so that those with a lifetime entitlement can keep living in their houses and everyone on the list gets a similar level of entitlement. Unsurprisingly virtually the whole private rental market would probably quite like to have the security and benefits offered by SH but it isn't realistic for the government to endeavour to do this.