I currently live in a two bed, top floor, housing association, tenement flat with my DS11. I like my flat and I am very grateful to have it but in all honesty, when I took it I didn’t think I would be here as long as I have been. I had hoped to buy a house but it hasn’t been an option as of yet and sadly, I don’t think it will be in the foreseeable future. The flat isn’t in terrible condition but it does need a fair amount of work doing to it - new bathroom, new kitchen, new internal doors, new front door, new woodwork etc. It’s all just very old and the housing aren’t interested in doing anything about it. The close is the same, it’s old and pretty scruffy but as some of the flats are bought, the housing is won’t touch it unless those owners contribute etc. I have decorated as much as I can but I don’t have thousands of pounds spare to do the work needed. As I said, I am very grateful to have a roof over my head but the condition of the property I live in does make me a little bit depressed.
On the positive side, DS has gone to school here his whole life and has lots of friends. He knows the area well and his new high school is less than a 15 minute walk and a 5 minute drive away. We have good neighbours and it’s only a 10 minute walk from my mum and other family members.
The opportunity has arisen to apply for a mid market rental property. It’s a brand new build, two bedroom terraced house with a garden. It’s in an up and coming area that the council has ploughed hundreds of thousands of pounds into. It is a few hundred pounds more expensive than my current rental but that wouldn’t be a problem. The downside is that it’s not in walking distance from DS’s school. It’s about a 15 minute drive and a 40 minute walk/bus ride away. I can always drop DS off and at the moment he has a childminder who collects him but that won’t go on forever. I won’t change him school as he is very happy and settled there.
If the house was closer I would 100% jump at the chance but I just worry that it would be a mistake and not the right thing to do for DS. I’m interested in what anyone else thinks and if I am being unreasonable to even consider it. I also would have to apply first, there’s absolutely no guarantee I would get one.