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.

My kitchen was completely ripped out back in September, took 2 days so probably won't be as long as you are expecting

I realise I'm not answering any questions here but is there a reason your teens couldn't do the washing up? They could surely manage a few air fryer meals as well?

It is quite possible the HA has a vacant property, in between lets for example, but it will be a hassle to move out entirely for two weeks. They might put you up in a hotel given you have disabilities in the family. It is certainly worth asking. As it happens, I am having some work done in my HA property and am also wondering how on earth I’m going to manage. It’s mostly plaster work and decorating but it is the whole place and, like you, I have a disability and not very much space to put stuff. I think I will muddle through somehow as I don’t have children to consider but it is going to be very tough.

It is worth asking, they will have a budget for decanting people who can't cope with staying in the property while works are going on and as you have disabilities in the household they may consider you.

Don't hold your breath but it is worth asking. Sometimes they can't offer accommodation but can offer some money towards a B&B or caravan.

However I am sure it won't be as bad as you think. The work probably won't take two weeks, that will be the time for the whole project for multiple addresses. Plus it is likely that there will only be a few days when you are completely unable to use the kitchen.

Arrange a table somewhere with kettle, toaster, microwave, slow cooker and air fryer and plan some meals you can make using them. Add to that a couple of cheap takeaways or meals out and perhaps a visit to friends or family.

Be positive about it, include some nice treat food and make one of the bedrooms a picnic spot.

Wash up in the bath with a washing up bowl but minimise what you have to wash. A few paper plates might help, eating from cartons, and washing up as you go along are key.

Just to clear up..a few misconceptions regarding new bathrooms kitchens in housing Association homes
I think some people are under he impression that when kitchens etc are refitted tenants get r a beautiful fully fitted kitchen
They don't they get new cupboards and a sink usually of very cheap.quality that tends to fall apart quickly all the white goods are the tenants own
I'm not sure why any home owner would be jealous🤔

Op there's no harm in asking! Ask them today, there might be something available.

Presumably, the workmen will 'only' work Monday to Friday, so at least the noise issue will be ok at the weekends hopefully. Could you move in with your boyfriend Monday - Friday? I know you said he lives five hours away but that would be preferable to a Travelodge or similar.

Anyone being a little snarky to the OP- she's disabled, and CFS is not about being a little bit tired.
The additional emotional energy needed to cope with this sort of upheaval can be overwhelming. Support, not snark, is much less ableist.
OP- I would do takeaways and paper plates for mains. No greasy washing up. Everything else washed up in the Bath from breakfasts/ lunches. Can the kids eat a main meal at school in the week?
See if there's a laundry service or failing that a laundrette nearby. Make your fridge freezer the most accessible thing in the living room and then spend 2 weeks 'camped out' in your bedrooms. And accept that it will be upside down for 2 weeks and make sure your DC understand that they need to pull their weight.
Good luck. It'll soon go by.

And bloodyhell with the home owners, I have a council house and it was a bloody shit hole when we got it!
We have done it up with a lot of hard work and are extremely proud of what we have achieved.
We pay just under private rent for the area and what this house is worth and pay it in full!
The new kicthen they put in 6 years ago is falling apart because it is the cheapest of cheap!
Only because it is council/LA doesn't mean people have to live In shit or feel inconvenienced because they have no choice whatsoever when work is going to be taken!

I think OP even though I know it will be hard for you, it's one of them that you will have to make do.
Some good suggestions above from helpful posters though.
Good luck with it all.

I think the HA would be bewildered that you can’t make do for a short period of time in order to have a new kitchen. Yes it’s inconvenient. Yes it’ll be a mess but you’ll have to crack on x

Or they actually have temporary accommodation foe this very purpose mine did
Why do people just make shit up.about how they think social housing works 🤔

This thread is quite something.

Fur the hard of comprehension, OP doesn't want this new kitchen. If she owned the house she wouldn't be in this position because she wouldn't be choosing to have a new kitchen.

We private owners put up with inconvenience because at the end we get a kitchen that we made the decision to get, of a design we chose, and that we are looking forward to. None of those things apply to OP.
Fortunately most of us don't have a disability that leaves us bedbound and two kids with disabilities. If I were the OP I wouldn't be choosing a new kitchen either. There's nothing in it for her that's worth this.

The two letters HA really do set some people off.

From what you say, I can't imagine your kitchen is larger than our old one, but ours was done within a week despite a problem being found with electrics in house and kitchen during the work. Some of the items could be stored in your oven/fridge/freezer/washing machine, so hopefully that'll help - we didn't even consider keeping our fridge in house as it'd either blocked the hallway or literally sat in middle of living room. We washed up in bathroom, if someone can reach over the bath, your washing up bowl could go in there. You obviously won't be able to cook much anyway, so there'll be far less washing up. If not and it's easier to use the bowl, keep it outside on washing machine and wash out there.

Not sure if you're registered disabled, but if you are, might be worth contacting HA notifying them and asking if there's anyway they can help with packing up, where it goes.

I'd be making double sized meals every day and freezing half. Thats half of the dinners sorted. A couple of takeaways. Some of picnic teas. A slow cooker couple of days. Job done.

ODFOD. Tenants pay for new kitchens too - in their rent, which is why ("omg your rent is so expensive, why don't you just buy somewhere instead?") it's well documented that renting is often more expensive than a monthly mortgage.

Will said !

@SENwoes

We have eerily similar sounding lives in terms of medical needs etc, and are also in social housing. We had our kitchen replaced ten years ago.

The two weeks will be an estimate for the work to be complete, but it won't be two weeks of continuous work. Expect the kitchen to be out of bounds between 8 and 4 ish each day, but they'll make sure it's accessible at the end of each working day. By the end of day 1, they'll likely have the new cupboards mostly in, and your new sink plumbed in. The main bones of the kitchen for us took two days - old kitchen out, new cupboards and sink in day 1, then worktops, base boards etc day 2. By the end of week 1 your tiling and any work to the walls should be done, then week 2 will be while they piss about with the flooring and any snagging needing done.

We were due gas heating and radiators installed so the HA were able to arrange to do both at the same time thankfully, so things were all over the shop, but getting it all done in one go was ultimately the best outcome. Not like when they ripped all the downstairs windows before discovering one of the new ones was missing

Assuming you elect to stay put in your house and make the most of it, do you have any friends that would be willing to store a couple of boxes each of stuff like saucepans from your kitchen? This way, you could keep the living room fairly free for stuff like your air fryer and your microwave.

When I had mine done several years ago, I did not have to move any white goods at all. Day one was ripping out the units and floor all white goods were left in situ and usable. Day 2 was rewiring and the cooker, fridge and washing machine were done first so they were ready to use by the evening (I think they moved the fridge to the hallway to keep it plugged in from there). Day 3 was fitting the new units and day 5 was putting down the flooring. The works started on a Monday and by Friday afternoon I was putting stuff back in the new kitchen. The sink was usable at all times as they just swapped it over when the new units went in.
My place is very tiny (1bed,1 boxroom, lounge/diner, bathroom, kitchen), and it was annoying having kitchen stuff everywhere, but it wasn't for long.

FWIW I totally get where you're coming from irt being anxious about the upheaval, I was too. In the end it all went smoothly. Oh and for those who are ignorant enough to say you're getting it "for free", once the works were done the HA put my rent up whilst others who had not had the revamp, had their rent kept the same. So we do pay for it, just not in a lump sum.

Many of those with more space and no disabilities/ND kids, are not going to get it OP. However, as a community worker, I would be worried about what you would be offered (in the unlikely event you were). Probably better to stay where you are. What is your mum doing about a toilet? If she has a kitchen and toilet, could you spend some of the worst day times there? I hope it turns out better than you are imagining.

I’d expect to stay and honestly you can make it work. Paper plates, disposable cups. You can get them for pennies on Amazon, eat stuff that can be microwaved or air fryed, and sandwiches, you can cope easily, and just need to spend the time in your rooms, make the living room the temp kitchen. It’s a ballache for sure, but totally doable, don’t worry, and just two weeks.

If you're in HA accommodation, presumably your neighbours are having similar work done? Can you team up with a neighbour or two, and they could take in two or three boxes of kitchen stuff, then you return the favour when it's their turn? You may come up with some good solutions between you.

Do you have social services involvement, with having 2 SEN teens not in education? Can they support in any way?

It is an upheaval whether it's council, owned, HA or whatever. You have my sympathies OP.

I think you have to weigh up the disadvantages of making do against the disadvantages of being moved to a new place. If it's a hotel or B&B, you'll have to pay for food and live with nowhere to put stuff (or even wash up properly). Both DM and DSis have had to use emergency accommodation at times and it really wasn't a pleasant experience.

If it's a decant property, I've never seen one that's in a comfortable, move in condition. I'd say your best bet is to plan to stay put, prepare as much as you can, and hope you're not without water or power for any extended time.

Good luck!

I'm in a HA house and all of my visible neighbours own their homes. I'm one of only 3 HA properties on my street. I'd imagine this to be a very common scenario.

They don't just put all the <whisper> council scum <whisper> in their own little communities anymore.