Please help me decide on what to do regarding council housing

[whatdoido3]

Hello all, long term poster but changed names as outing.

We currently private rent, £1200 for a 2 bed ground floor maisonette (south east). We are a 5 minute walk from MIL & FIL and 10 minute drive from my parents (they are our main support system with childcare when needed etc). We have private rented since we got married at 22 and we are now 30 with a baby.

We have been on the council list for a number of years and we have just been offered a new build 2 bed flat for £804 a month.

We have only just moved to this flat and have with permission from the landlord decorated how we like it etc. we have an enclosed front garden which is perfect for 9 month old DD and our spaniel.

The flat we have been offered is 1st floor, no garden and we plan on having a second baby next year. My concerns are having a dog who I need to take up and down stairs to go to toilet, a 9 month old to carry up and down with shopping etc. plus another baby potentially next year or the following year.

What do we do in this situation? It would make a massive difference to us financially. We are scraping by right now and have some debt that we would be able to clear if we moved. We fell down the private renting hole and haven't managed to get out of it, we are unable to save due to cost of renting, paying debt off etc.

Honest advice please x

You will only be allowed to refuse 3 properties before being penalised.

It's likely you'll only be offered flats due to the fact they are lower demand, houses and properties with outside space will likely go to someone with a higher housing need.

I'd personally take the council flat. The secure tenure is invaluable right now.

You could always ask what you would be offered if you turned it down? I know it depends what's available but it doesn't hurt to ask the question.

Take the property. Made do for the tome being and eventually exchange into something more suitable if you desire.

Take the security of a council place. After x amount of time you’ll be eligible to exchange but keep your secure tenancy.

council rent will always be cheaper.

Go with ur gut feeling
If u have 2more offers

Take the council flat and then look to possibly house swap with someone who also rents via council?

Also exchanges are super hard i exchanged 7 years ago from a 2 bed to 3 bed house took me 4 years to find ppl and ended up doing a 4 way exchange so not impossible but exhausting

I would take it. Then when the dog sadly dies of old age, I would not get another dog until can afford a ground floor or get a council property that is ground floor.

What’s the area like and are you still near family?

Don’t rely on a home swap people on MN make them sound so easy but reality is most people don’t want above the ground or only want a garden. Home swaps aren’t easy and can take years my sister has a lovely 2 bed house with garden and has been trying to swap for 10 years! Don’t take it with the intention of swapping it.

Take the flat,
But dont have another baby in the hope you can exchange in future for a bigger flat. Unlikely and you could end up with a girl and a boy. Overcrowding doesn’t automatically mean there are any more bigger flats available

Wow that seems crazy expensive for a council property? I have a 3 bed terraced house in ROI and the rent is 400 per month, crazy to see the difference 🙈

I’d take the council flat. A £400 a month saving isn’t to be sniffed at. Imagine what you could do with that money. And you won’t be kicked out on a moments notice because the landlord needs to sell up.

Take it.

After a year you can go on the exchange list.

If it's a new build you have lots of leverage for getting a property with a garden.

I swapped a small 2 bed to a 5 bed!

A secure tenancy is worth it weight in gold .

I was in rented and landlord decided to sell up . It was very stressful .

Also bear in mind rents are going up . The stats on the media are huge . Financially a much better position than staying private renting

Eh? I don't think I ever lugged my DC up and down stairs multiple times a day.

@whatdoido3 I'd take the council flat if I could save £400 per month rent.

Take the council flat. You can go back to private at any time, you might not get another chance at council.

Take it - you can swap at a later date - you could be evicted at any time from private housing - rent will keep going up. This is literally security for life.

Could a family member take your dog?

Swapping isn't as easy as everyone thinks. You will get homes in horrible areas or with bad neighbours.
I would stay in rented personally if you can afford it

Yes! This!

I would take a council tenancy, this one or another one. You could go into private rental and the landlord decides to sell in six months time. I dreaded that and the inspections and the magnolia walls, plus it's hard to get private rental with a dog. Rents are crazy and it may be £1300-1400 within a year or two.

Security for your family is everything in these situations. It's a shame about the dog but it is what it is.

That said you could roll the dice again and take the second or third properties for definite.

Location-wise would this council flat work for you? If yes, I would definitely do it, if no, that might be worth having another two tries.

What makes you think that?

I've swapped 3 times in my 20 years as a council tenant and never had any issues.

You choose who you swap with so if you don't like the area you just don't do the swap.

I've met neighbours before hand each time. Visited at different times of the day to see what the area is like.

It's no different to buying a house or taking a private rent.

The street I'm currently on now, most houses are owned, a few are private rent. We are the only council tenants in a street of 5 bedroom houses.

Wait until this weekend and go for a drive on Friday/Saturday night around 11:30pm. Park outside, turn your engine off, roll down the windows and watch/listen. Then make your decision. I think you’d be really silly not to take it, but you need to go into it with the understanding that you’re likely to be there forever because you will not be getting a house or ground floor flat with a garden if you have two bedrooms. Realistically, very few people are going to want to swap with you. So you need to be sure you’re not living underneath a family of karaoke fans or that your block hasn’t got dealers going in and out all night.

And stop bloody bidding on properties you don’t really want!

I'm confused if you can afford to rent then why are you getting a council flat? Personally if you can afford the place you have then I'd keep it

Exactly I’ve seen the same people on swapping sites for years trying to move! I’m talking 5+ years the same faces still trying to move