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?

Why are people applying for social housing not allowed to have a think? People buying often view dozens of places before making up their minds. They have their second viewings. And even sometimes go back to one of the first things they saw and deciding it’s for them.

While OP doesn’t have that luxury, she is allowed to have a think; to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages before finally deciding.

I’ll grant to that. London is huge. I think OP mentioned ‘her borough’ so I assumed London. Could be a more suburban borough but, from what she has described, I think more central.

Of course they're allowed to have a think!

But they don't have the luxury of weeks and weeks to do that, or the ability to shop around and procrastinate over things.

And 'having a think' about stupid things like 'can I resell this property easily, at a profit, if I buy it, if I get the right to buy, after I have lived in it x years...' and 'it has stairs, oh no I might fall down them' and 'but my child will have a smaller bedroom than she has now, even though there is a larger bedroom she could have in the two bed property and there is no reason why I have to have the larger bedroom'...

Is bloody ridiculous. Thats not a useful 'think' is it?

Two is a normal amount. OP doesn't have her 'own room' but neither would a couple. Why would a mother and child magically have more stuff than a couple?

A couple would be normally sharing a bed as well as a bedroom.
It's not the norm for a mum and daughter to share a bedroom, let alone a bed. So straight away more space is needed from that aspect.

A teen/child is likely to have more personal items than half a couple - who will often be sharing some of their possessions.

It isn't - or at least shouldn't - be normal for one person to have to sleep on a sofa bed in the open plan living/kitchen for over a decade!

Living spaces count as bedrooms, though. The OP has two rooms.

It depends on the council policy. My council does not count a living room as a bedroom. If there's a dining room that can be a bedroom.

They only count when considering statutory overcrowding. Statutory overcrowding is basically environmental health legislation. It's actually quite hard to be statutorily overcrowded. The allocations policy of most L/As won't consider that a living room should be used as a bedroom. You can see the allocations policy of any L/A on their website.

I don't think so, OP described a studio style, which implies the kitchen is part of the living room. OP is sleeping in the kitchen.

I'm just a bit worried about the move. We currently live in private accommodation in London and have a very good landlord. We have lived here since DD was here. Her friends are only a 5 minute walk away, when we walk in our local community, everybody knows us and we all look out for each other AND I have great numbers. Once we move, we are going to leave all of that and we would have to start afresh. Meet new people, get to know the area, and just hope that we face nice neighbours.

Yes our kitchen is part of our living room.
In our borough, a child over 10 cannot share a room with their parent/s.

Even good landlords sometimes evict people. It happened to my SIL, over a decade in a house, great relationship with her landlord who was happy to have long term reliable tenants. Then he had a change of financial circumstances and needed to sell. She was evicted and had to move out of the town she was settled in, away from the elderly parents who had moved to be closer to their children, into a much smaller but more expensive property.

This happens all the time, and as the cost of living goes up and the costs of being a landlord increase it is likely to become more frequent.

Getting social housing is a huge advantage as it gives you long term security.

Even if this house isn't the one you can look for a swap.

You and your daughter will make new friends but you will also maintain old friendships, you aren't moving to the other side of the country.

I know it is daunting but try to see this as an exciting opportunity for you and your daughter to have a better life.

The one huge bonus is that the council won’t suddenly sell up unless to you.

Your landlord might be great, but they might have a change in circumstances and have to sell. They may die and whoever inherits decides to sell or wants to move in.

Ontop of that imagine your daughter actually being able to have friends round without mums stuff in her room or no sleepovers because mums kipping in the livingroom. Plus you get your own bedroom if when she’s 16 you want to sleep at 10pm but she’s watching tv that’s fine you can go to bed if you want. Not kick her out because your I’ll and it’s 8pm and your tired either.

Sleeping in a sofa bed in the livingroom should be a short term measure. Not 12 years. Another 6 years and the council won’t bother will you anymore as two adults being deliberately overcrowded. It genuinely could be now or never.

Yes, and kitchens count as a living room - and therefore a bedroom - as long as it’s not a small kitchen or utility room. It’s clear on Shelter’s website. If the adult is in the kitchen, that’s acceptable, but it’s unreasonable if the child is in the kitchen.

I think OP should take it. A secure tenancy and more privacy for her daughter.

But as a general point I do take issue with the idea that someone awaiting social housing should automatically be grateful for whatever they are offered and should not be allowed an opinion. Like when people don’t give money to homeless folk on principle and expect them to be grateful for the hot drink and sandwich of the donor’s choice.

People are allowed some agency in life. Even if they are at the poorer end of the spectrum.

But they don't have the luxury of weeks and weeks to do that, or the ability to shop around and procrastinate over things.

Well no, she doesn’t. She probably has to let the council know within a week. And why are council applicants not allowed to think about ‘stupid’ things? As an avid watcher of LLL, I know potential purchasers think about equally stupid things!

Why did you bid on it? You won't be at the end of the earth. Your in the same borough.

I would most certainly jump on the occasion to live in a house with several rooms and more space. Your anxiety for burglars can be dealt with by installing safety locks and an alarm. The cleaning? Are you ill or impaired? No? Then going up and down the stairs a few times a day shouldn't be a problem, ánd you don't have to clean the whole place in one go. I think your child might like it too!

Op you'd be daft not to take it, especially if you have a private landlord just now.

Landlords are landlords because is was a good way to invest money. Interest rates are going up, which makes it better to have money invested in the bank than to be borrowing from the bank.

If your LL decided to sell up in 6mths time. What would your choices be?

I’m liking the ‘once we move’. Good luck OP it’s exciting times I hope ☺️

Because it is a public resource with subsidised rents meant for the people who need it the most and the OP claims to be 'desperate'. She is not spending her own money purchasing. It is not the same thing at all imo. That's why most borough will have a limit on how many properties you turn down. If it was unsuitable, that is fair enough but the things the OP is mentioning such as stairs danger and cleaning are not valid reasons to turn down social housing.

As I understand it, it is a myth that social housing rents are subsidised, as in a burden on the taxpayer.

There's a difference between subisdised and not for profit.
Council rents are not for profit.

Where do you think the money came from to buy/build those houses? The tooth fairy? From tax. Thus subsidised by taxpayers.

You do realise the initial tax payers investment will have been paid back many times over and re-invested.

This is entirely your anxiety putting in blocks. Cleaning, stairs, bedroom size and now this.

You said in your op that the location of the new place is really good. Is it really going to mean starting again?

What is it you want op?

You either need to take the property or decide to stay where you are and come off the list.

My view is you are crazy not to take it. Don't give in to your anxiety.