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?

Give dd the bigger room then. A single bedroom is a better bedroom than the one you (don't) have at the moment 🤷🏼‍♀️

FGS, you aren't likely to get a property with 2 double bedrooms. In lots of boroughs the landlord whether L/A or H/A would be looking to house 2 parents and 2 kids in a property that size. OP I seriously think you need a reality check on this.

if you’re worried about your daughter having enough space, give her the double and you take the single? Still a step up from sleeping on the couch!
Starting to think you’re a troll at this point tbh.

@notintowoo
There are people paying full market value for rented homes and they cannot give their kids a double bedroom. How spoilt and entitled are you? Unbelievable.

This cannot be genuine.

Stop making pathetic excuses. Either shit or get off the pot. Take this house or take yourself off the list and let someone who really is desperate take it.

As she gets older your DD will appreciate having a living space where she can invite her friends that isn’t her mum’s bedroom, as well as the privacy of having a space without her mum coming in every five minutes to get something from the wardrobe.

However I genuinely think I am wasting my time even mentioning this. I have learnt to spot the OPs who have a negative answer for literally everything.

OP you’ve literally given every excuse you can think of and you obviously don’t want it.
So just decline it.

Tbh I’m not sure why you posted.
You want a bunch of strangers to try and convince you to take it but if you’ve made up your mind then there’s nothing we can say.

It’s your life not ours and if you would rather stay where you are then stay.

FWIW my DD has the double bedroom and I have the single bedroom as she has more stuff and spends more time in her room

But I have read that townhouse layouts are undesirable.

To whom?

If you’re not going to buy it, but are offered this as social housing, if it’s OK for you, snap it up.

Are you really in need of council housing? If you are, can you really afford to. E so picky? You say you’ve been waiting years. It sounds like that wait is on you

Goodness, the council thought I was fussy when I turned down one house because it didn’t have a stable for the unicorn.

There’s an entire kitchen and living room one floor up and two bedrooms the floor above that in the space. I think the ‘ground floor’ flat may also be a maisonette with the bathroom and bedroom on the first floor (and the living room and kitchen on the ground floor). That makes more sense to me space wise.

Really. I love my three story Town house. You get an extra floor you don't expect. Love it. Feels so roomy. If any come on the market it sells in a day on my road.

This ^

I don’t think they are genuine.
No one is this stupid surely.

Here if you refuse 3 then that's you off the list.

I'd also prioritise location over the house itself. You could always look for a swap later down the line

Turn it down but be prepared to wait another few years before something suitable turns up. Social housing is in very short supply and you're being offer quite a decent place by the sounds of it.

Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth.

If ever - firstly the OP may be in an area where it’s 3 goes only and secondly, once her child turns 18, I’m pretty sure she goes way down the priority list.

So you have the small room that fits a small double and let dd have the big room.

Your friend might be able to buy but she’s not happy about the better deal you could get if you buy a council property. Or she’s one of those friends who likes their friends to be of a lower status than themselves as it makes them feel good about themselves.

As pp says if you reject this then you are an idiot, or rather an entitled idiot. It sounds great.

I think the place op has been offered might be something like this 🤔 sorry shit drawing 😅

Here if your homeless /temporary accommodation. Its one offer if you decline they end duty . I don't think op is in temporary though. If its council /social housing she's in maybe they just think we'll stay squashed the if you don't want it. No skin of their nose . Another family will take it

I don’t think the op wants any house. Most people squished into places to small bite hands off regardless of the area because they finally have somewhere big enough. They then try and go on to swap though actually most end up liking where they are.

You’re just finding issues for the sake of it. Her bedroom wouldn’t be a big double? Ok you take the smaller room 🙄 or you know the fact the livingroom won’t be a bedroom there will be more space overall. She wouldn’t have your clothes or wardrobe in her bedroom. Etc

Your DDs bedroom is perfect for her now, but the rest of the flat you live in, is very much not.

It's crazy to reject this on the basis of the small second bedroom.

I don't understand why this is even a question for you.

Good location, more space. The resale stuff is just crazy.

Yes emergency/temp housing is the same rule here unless there is a genuine reason. Really if you are in emergency housing then you need to take what you are given. You get three goes if you are just on the ordinary list.

Op do you think maybe your over thinking. Maybe confusing things a bit . In your op you said your in a studio flat. But then added well actually it's a 1 bedroom flat but you sleep in the living room whilst dd takes the the bedroom. That's a 1 bed flat not a studio.

Then with the place you been offered you said the single room is to small for dd. It can fit a small double, wardrobe and chair. Thats not overly small. single rooms often literally fit a single bed and wardrobe.

I think maybe your over thinking everything. As others havecsaid let dd have the bigger room I'd age needs it. Your over all living space will be much bigger

When people say things like "townhouse layouts are less desirable" they mean less desirable than the same square footage with fewer stairs. They don't mean that it's more desirable to sleep in the living room of your one bedroom flat.

It's understandable to be scared of change but staying put would be madness. Everyone has to make compromises on their home somewhere, this doesn't seem to have much of a downside at all.

I’m now thinking this is a good opportunity for you. You’d have your own bedroom, whether it’s the single or double. Good location and fair rent. If the stairs are the only real con, I’d go for it. I guess you’re wondering if something better might come along and you’d miss out.