Declining townhouse layout?

[notintowoo]

Hello,

I have been on the council register list for about 12 years. It is just DD and I (12). Over the course of those years, we have viewed four properties. I declined two properties due to price and unsuitability and the other two properties I was outbid.

I recently received a call from the council to view a property, which was declined by the first person. I went to view the property and although the location is great (for work and DD travelling to school and not far from my parent's house) and the rent is quite decent. The townhouse layout is what is putting me off. It's a terrace conversion flat. I am on the first floor (a neighbour below but no one above me) but it has a townhouse sort of layout. I have my own entrance door, the hallway/entrance is on the ground floor, the bathroom is on the first floor. The kitchen and living room is on the second floor and the bedrooms are on the third floor.

Also, a friend recently told me that if I was to consider buying the property (which I wouldn't), it would be very difficult to sell as townhouses are unpopular.

I feel a bit disheartened to consider turning this down but I wanted to gather all of your thoughts before I speak to the council. What should I do?

I think the term bidding here simply means express an interest in applying for the property then all applicants are assessed on need by the council. Its not an auction where people offer to pay higher rents and outbid each other. I agree its a confusing term.

I am desperate
No, you're not. You don't know what desperate is. Either you're very vulnerable and listening to the wrong people or there's something wrong with this thread.

With kindness, OP, give your head a wobble. You cannot stay in a studio flat with a teen. You have been offered a decent home for you both. The stairs will be fine and you’ll get buns of steel. Get over yourself and accept it for your DD’s sake.

Is there a reason you are likely to have an accident on the stairs?

You sound really off tbh, like you’re looking for a reason not to move despite everyone except that one ‘friend’ telling you to go for it. You keep repeating the negative without acknowledging any positive.

Why are you so hung up on resale value? Do you definitely have the right to buy and a deposit?

OP I just had a look at the price of maisonettes near me, they start from about 300k and go up into the millions. They are most certainly NOT undesirable.

Please don't take advice from a friend who doesn't know the difference between a maisonette and a house.

It honestly does sound like your fear of change talking OP.

I bet if you try it, you’ll get used to it in no time. Yes there will be certain things that annoy you about the layout, but it will be so lovely for you and DD having the extra space and not sleeping in the lounge that the annoyances will be dwarfed by the benefits.

I reckon 98% of people would prefer this set up to your current one - barring mobility issues.

Stop listening to these friend. They should like idiots. You’re an adult with an almost teenage daughter… are you pregnant or something? People don’t worry about stairs being an accident waiting to happen after toddler years. How are stairs going to be an accident waiting to happen with an adult and a teen?

And are you really going to continue living in cramped conditions because you might at some point buy your council property and this one might not be super desirable (even though they are and they sell well)?

This whole thing is idiotic. Accept the house and move. Ignore the stupid friends you seem to have.

Not just that, OP has also rejected TWO other properties before.

I'm so confused about how it's a flat but it has three floors.

OP, the beauty of renting is that you know it doesn't have to be forever. The worst that can happen and which is beyond our control is terrible neighbours. But you move to a new place and they don't come with you, do they?
You need to give these "friends" a good look. I hope you're not giving them money or renting a room in their house...

Jeeeeeeeeeeesus seriously? You are being offered social housing at a time when each private rental has upwards of 50 bidders and people are being section 21'd left right and centre. The rent is affordable and it is in the location you want. What are you quibbling over its desirability on the market for?

1. Stairs are common in lots of properties, that's an odd thing to say.
2. Lack of security - nothing to do with it being a maisonette; get a new lock when you move in and you're fine.
3. Buying - you can't do that yet; if it is less desirable than a house due to the single toilet and no garden, then it'll be cheaper to buy and once you're in you can swap if you prefer. Total possible value in 25 years isn't a big deal compared with no bedroom for you tonight. It'll also be more desirable and expensive than your one bed flat and a whole host of other options.
4. Other options - get some real perspective; you could next be offered 12th floor of a dirty tower block with screaming neighbours and drug dealers at the estate entrance. What will you think of this maisonette then?

The people trying to put you off are not friends, they are not helping you. They want you to be worse off than they are. Get the new home AND new friends.

Then her rent is probably very expensive and she’s jealous that you will get a nice home for cheap rent.

No friend would put doubts in your mind about this home simply over the layout.

Even if you were buying you would have to compromise somewhere.

There have been multiple people on this thread telling you that they live in townhouses or they’d want to but you’re still listening to people who have no idea what they’re taking about.

I think you’re being unfair to your daughter.

OP

Under my Council you have 3 chances
3

This is, I believe, your 3rd and final offer.
Personally, and no great offence meant, you would do yourself no favours, at all, in declining.
Think of your Daughter and ignore your "friend" (who could be jealous for all you know).

If you don’t like it once you’re there then exchange it for a ground floor flat in the future.

You’ll easily find a swap.

This is mad. Why does it matter what the difference is between a townhouse and a maisonette?

I get that it’s scary making a big move, especially when it’s solely your decision. But you have the opportunity to massively improve the quality of life for you and your daughter, this should be your priority. Not getting hung up on hypotheticals/niggles about a downstairs bathroom from your snobby friends who don’t live your life.

It seems odd to me the council have allowed you to turn down that many properties. Also you bidded on it ? Surely it would have told you in the description how many floors it was over ?

I'm a little confused though is it that there's a flat on the ground floor . Then your place would be the 1st,2nd,3rd floor ?

I'm in a standard town house I'm on ground floor , 1st and 2nd

As mentioned above from anothet poster with the cleaning I have a hoover for each floor . And a box of cleaning bits on each floor.

I would worry sooner or later the council will take you of the list because you keep turning places down .

And I agree with people about your friends. They may be in a better position than you. But there does seem to be a form of jealousy there. Maybe they feel like your getting a 'free' house so thry are putting you of because they feel your getting something they are not

It does sound like a reasonable property that you could get used to and I'm sure your dd will love some better space I'm sure you would to .

That poster has a DS with autism, this poster has a DD with no extra needs mentioned so it's a different situation really.

In mine you don't get any! You turn it down and you're on your own. At least that was the case 15 years ago when I turned down a high rise in deepest upper Edmonton!

Not necessarily. Ground floor flats are incredibly sought after

You seem to be creating problems for no reason? You aren't going to buy it so it doesn't matter if hypothetical buyers would want it on the future, you and your 12 year old are capable of walking up stairs, stairs are not a hazard in a townhouse any more than they are in a regular terrace or semi etc

It's in a good area for you and gives you the space you need. You could be picky and turn it down, but why on earth would you choose to remain in a flat where you can't even have a bedroom because of hypotheticals that you aren't even interested in 🤦‍♀️

Not more than a 3 story maisonette.

This OP is clearly vulnerable and these friends are probably getting something out of this situation. I'm bowing out of this thread. OP, I'm not sure if MN is the best place for your MH.

I genuinely don't understand your issue. Stairs are not an issue if you're not disabled which you haven't mentioned so reasonable to assume you're not.

Take the house.

I live alone in a four story townhouse, bedrooms are in floors three and four, never been worried about safety as if anything burglars as less likely to bother climbing all the stairs anyway