To ask to be temporarily rehoused whilst new kitchen installed?

[SENwoes]

I will preface this by saying I KNOW I’m very lucky to have a HA house, and I KNOW I’m very lucky to be getting a brand new kitchen for free.

So as above, I have work commencing on 22nd January to rip out the old kitchen and replace it. I don’t have a choice in this, according to the documents, I am unable to say no it’s fine, I’ll keep the old one. I’ve been told the works will take 2 weeks, as it also involves taking up the tiled floor and replacing it with lino.

It’s just dawning on me what a nightmare this will be. I have to completely empty the kitchen obviously, but there’s not really anywhere to put the stuff, it’s a very small house (just living room leading to kitchen/diner downstairs). The big appliances will go outside in the back yard apparently, but everything else will have to be boxed up and kept somewhere. I’ll have no cooking or washing up facilities, and no way of washing or drying clothes.

That’s all pretty standard I know, but my main concern is that I have a disability (CFS) and also both DC are diagnosed with ASD and currently in the house all the time as neither in education. We will essentially be trapped in our bedrooms for 2 weeks as we won’t be able to move in the front room as realistically that’s the only place everything from the kitchen can go. I need to rest…a lot, and the works will be noisy, which will also affect both DC as they struggle badly with loud noises and not being in a calm environment. They’ll also struggle with a team of workmen being in their space for 2 weeks, They both have completely different food aversions and neither of their limited range of foods is conducive to being able to batch cook and set the microwave up somewhere. Realistically it will mean a lot of eating out, but that’s not really affordable for 2 weeks.

Has anyone been in a similar situation and WIBU to ask the HA if there’s anything that could be done to move us while the works are going on? The only family member I could stay with is my DM but she’s a long way away and having works done on her own house which means she doesn’t have a functioning bathroom, so that’s not ideal really.

Try and negotiate a cheaper rate for the caravan for the whole 2 weeks or 1O days? I think paying that and cooking will be as cheap as eating takeaway!

Turn the heating off when you leave as well as thermostat down.

Sounds very tough

Calm down, no I’m not jealous, or hating, I grew up in a council house and now own my own home, wtf have I to be jealous about. I was simply discussing. The point I’m making is it is a large Capex investment, and yes it comes out of rents, ha’s are non profit. But you said they out the rent up to cover it, I was simply saying at 15 quid a week or so that’s not feasible. But yes it comes from wider rent.

Im aware of how rent increases work thank you and how it all goes to maintaining housing Association homes I live in one ,but we don't actually pay for the kitchen at the point of it being fitted do we like a home owner because we don't own the house
Wich I was pointing out to a previous poster who thought we should be grateful for our free kitchen
I thought it was obvious ?🙄

I remember having my kitchen done and they did the bathroom at the same time. I’d to empty everything out bar the cooker, fridge and washing machine. I had a baby recently before it also. 2 of my kids moved in with their nanny (they were at big school) and the youngest two with me. Literally as soon as she got out to school me and the baby went to my mil’s house (I know your mum isn’t nearby, but it was only until sorta dinner time).

it did take 2 weeks, but after the first week, I was able to stay at home in the living room. The bulk of the work was done within the first week (week being mon-Friday) the following week was random ones calling to fit tiles, or other small jobs.

they left us with a working tap, which was literally like a tap you’d get out your back. But it did. We had the kettle and toaster in the bedroom..

ours also did work in the hall and tracked a massive area in the living room which we went told about. My next door neighbour had her ceiling papered years previously, and had no way of patching it up or getting it removed. They also went into the bedrooms and changed plug sockets which we weren’t told about.

then the showers they installed went on fire across the uk, both mine and my neighbours went on fire - while it was on.

im making it sound terrible.. but its not too bad..

and if your lucky you’ll have this brand new kitchen that if it’s anything like mine, they’ll install it so high up you can only reach the bottom shelf..

i wouldn’t ask to be moved in your situation OP. It would be a massive hassle in terms of taking all the stuff you need, living in a different, restricted environment of a hotel, your dog would be a major issue as well I imagine.

Are your girls capable of helping you prep, e.g making sure all laundry done and up to date (make sure enough clean underwear for the two weeks), getting boxes to pack up non perishable foods, setting up kettle, toaster, air fryer and microwave on a table in living room? Do a shop for soups, beans, microwave and frozen food that can easily be cooked in microwave and airfryer. You can get fresh fruit and prepared salad. A washing up bowl with scrubber and washing up liquid to put in bath with drainer that can sit there to drip dry stuff while bath not in use. Keep some tea towels in there as well. Use paper plates as much as possible and get the girls to take dirty stuff upstairs once a day on a tray to wash them then bring down later?

Preparation is key for getting through this period and as long as you think ahead on food and clean clothes, it’ll be uncomfortable but manageable. It would be a nightmare with younger DC and it depends on how helpful your girls will be considering your health issues.

You don’t want to waste money on takeaways and paying for a your own accommodation which may also be difficult to manage.

Always bring them out these threads doesn't it? Usually by those who are stuck in private rents which are a step down from SH or those being shafted by mortgage raises.

Who would thought that SH would be so coveted that you have to put up or shut up. 🙄

Not sure what the rules are. It wouldn't be usual to expect to be rehoused. But you could ask in view of your disabilities. No kitchen isn't ideal but not as bad as no bathroom if you've only got one.

Have you checked your tenancy agreement to see if you can refuse improvements/kitchen replacements? I used to work for an HA and I think our tenancy agreements allowed you to decline.

Definitely speak to the HA and explain the situation. I think it's reasonable for them to delay for six weeks if you would then have alternative accommodation. That would be massively preferable to a decant or temporary accommodation. You and your children are entitled to reasonabke adjustments for your disabilities and I think a delay until you are able to move out would class as that.

I have two teenagers with ASD/ADHD, difficulties with school attendance, and with very specific food preferences. Maybe you will be fine staying at home. That would be nice. But I always have to plan for the possibility that it isn't going to be ok. Lots of people are not going to understand what it is like, they aren't going to be sympathetic. I really hope you can get some help.

and if your lucky you’ll have this brand new kitchen that if it’s anything like mine, they’ll install it so high up you can only reach the bottom shelf.

This made me properly laugh. Same here, need a stool

Just a thought @SENwoes (and trying to ignore the utter arseholes who clearly haven't a clue)...

Might be better to stick some of your stuff in a self-storage place, for a couple of weeks (and some places do 'first month for a quid' offers) than move yourselves out. After all, as long as its clean and dry, stuff doesn't care where it is!

Still a total ball-ache but you have time to sort that, just about. We had a weeks notice too but... it was the christmas week!

Luckily old you with your dining room.

Well not really it was the housing Association ,own employees that fitted ( I say fitted but it was a half arsed job) my kitchen

There really are some people who get on their high horse just because they 'own' their house- and to be frank unless it's pretty much paid off the bank own it.

That's how we've ended up with attitudes as they are about 'renters' - I've met some pretty well off Europeans in my time , many who own holiday flats in Europe but still often rent places in their home country for various reasons -

Give this poor lady a break! Life's tough enough for her as it is

Naff all to a non disabled person maybe.
Straw that breaks the donkeys back to a disabled person- possibly.

I quite agree.

How do you know? Have you seen the OPs tenancy agreement?

Good grief this is the worst yet.

Oh, I see. Apologies.

Well yes of course. Like any enterprise the greater income revenue pot is dipped into for repairs, maintenance, management etc.

I'd imagine that tackling revenue and expenditure on social housing homes as isolated individual cases would be an admin and logistics nightmare and end up costing everyone about a thousand times more.

However, as a nice idea to 'reward' decent tenants for keeping their home decent (lower rent, maybe) or 'punish' terrible tenants for the destruction they cause (charge back the costs, maybe), in all reality such a scheme would or could never work.

It would also lean into political principles that would soon have the vulnerable, elderly, disabled, pregnant, and those will children, financially punished for merely existing.

Doesn't shock me either.
Ime far too many people pretend to care because it makes them feel like they are decent people but they only 'care' up to the point they feel they are losing out in some way or 'the Disableds' are getting something for 'free'. You've also got to be the right sort of disabled. Meek, unassuming, undemanding, apologetic and acutely aware that you are taking up space in the world you don't really deserve and that you're costing the Normals their holy Taxpayer Money.

They can deny it all they want to but when their contempt oozes from their words the only people they are fooling is themselves.

And anyone reading this and being offended by it or feeling defensive - if this doesn't describe you then you're not part of the group I'm talking about so if you are offended by it then ask yourself why that is 🤷.

If you're sitting by the pool and the lifeguard shouts "hey! stop running", the only time you'd feel that you personally were being shouted at is if you were running. If you were not running then you'd know it was not aimed at you. Same thing.

It won't be too bad surely? You will be able to use the kitchen when the men have gone each night. They will make it easy for you if you ask them

@Savedpassword

Because there are long lists of people waiting for refurbishments to be done so asking for OPs work to be rescheduled for 6 weeks time when she can use the caravan sounds like a very reasonable solution. Meanwhile somebody else gets their work done earlier than planned. Win win.

The comment I replied to never said anything about asking them to reschedule.

Every time 😂

Where would you put your bed, that you need a lot of time in due to your disability? Oh and your disabled children?

Fucking bullshit.

It's crazy isn't it?

I live in a ludicrous gentrified area whereby the development company had to give a tiny percentage (the worst bit obv) to the local authority. They don't even do that any more.

So, in order to not be mistaken for a billionaire, I do have to mention to people now and then, if they become friends, that my flat is in fact social housing. This can have a wide range of outcomes, and not usually 'good' ones, most especially from people who are way more privileged than me and not in any way struggling or homeless. WTF!?

Should I just pretend to be ultra wealthy instead...?

@converseandjeans Oh trust me, there were millions of us that lived way, way worse than the current cost of living crisis, it was just that now it affects people in society that ‘matter’, suddenly it’s breaking news. Before it only affected the scruffs on council estates and families in poverty that were the apparent cause of their own circumstances so was easier to forgot about and blame them and call them scroungers for claiming a measly amount per week on benefits way back when.

The stories I could tell people about my experience in childhood poverty, they wouldn’t believe. My mum once found our neighbours children going through our dustbins licking out of our discarded yoghurt pots for any remnants they could find. Just because you didn’t hear about it, it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

I’m not trying to be rude to you but honestly you just didn’t experience it or know anyone who did.