To refuse a council property

[Violetroseyjane]

My children & I have been in temporary accommodation moved around alot for 3 years. I have to bid weekly on properties that become available through the council.
I bid on a property in a town 3 miles from me , the town itself its absolutely lovely.
So I realise I was number 1 out of 128 people, got excited drove to the address , however the council doesnt not provide a house number etc so I walked around trying to find an empty property.
There it was in all its glory an absolute s**t hole 😭 there is no garden as it is completely and utterly overgrown and I mean like a forest, both front and back.
I looked through the windows and from what I can see it has been treated like some kind of drug den, dirty mattresses and rubbish on the floor, two of the windows are boarded up with planks of wood. It's a very old council property too. The pathways leading up to the front and back doors covered in junk and rubbish , food containers, boxes, old toys , one of the small windows has been left open and u can smell the stench off wee as you get close coming from the house!
So the thing is I dont expect a property to be perfect in the slightest, howeve rthe amount if work needed to get this property up to standard would cost an absolute fortune.
I am a single parent & I an constantly skint now ! I work as much as I possibly can with little help with childcare etc.
How would I ever get this property decent enough to live in?
If I refuse this house I may get thrown off the list , atleast I will be told I cannot bid on a property for over a year and we are sick of being in temporary.
I'm in a pickle really.
I have not one person to help me with the garden.
What exactly will the council do to this property before we move in? Does anyone know? Obviously they must have to replace the windows, but a friend of mine has just said to me that is all they will have to do & clear some rubbish, they wont do the garden or anything and that will all be left to me.
Any advice over what to do in this situation please?

Council will clear the inside. They may cut the garden down as well

It will be made better than a lot of private rentals. Contact the council and ask to be sure!

Oh no!
The garden does sound terrible, but spring is a messy time of year.
If you could tolerate not having a garden for a while, when it all dies back in October/ November time it’ll possibly be easier to see where to start?

I’m hopeful for you that if it’s really bad the council may sort it for you though (just razor it to the ground type of sorting!)

Don't worry, they probably don't give a house number for this exact reason. Wait until you see it cleared then make a list of what you need to do and prioritise it so you can work through jobs gradually but I bet it is all cosmetic and nothing significant.

I can understand feeling a bit daunted, but every day people move into shells of houses and then slowly turn them into wonderful homes.

I was talking to someone who has bought a total wreck as it was all she could afford, she has been removing and replacing floor joists all on her own.

She is not a magic person, she is just learning as she goes.

There's no rush to sort it out. Get it in perspective; this is a secure tenancy for you and your children. Even if it takes a couple of years for you to sort out the garden, it will be worth it. See it as a challenge!

A fixer-upper that’s your own home has to be better than temp. I love a good home makeover! You can do a lot with found furniture and second hand, Facebook, gumtree, etc. Get the kids involved with tidying up. You’ll feel really proud when it starts looking nice.

The void team will get it back to living standards. They will more than likely cut the forest back.

This.

You can ask some people in the village for a help?

You’d be utterly mental to turn it down.

I know it’s daunting but imagine how wonderful it will be once you have it set up how you want it, and it’ll be yours forever. Go for it @Violetroseyjane if it wasn’t the other side of the country I’d come and help you sort out the garden - you might find there’s a volunteer gardening club locally that would love to be let loose on it!

Try to see past the state of the property. You say the area is lovely, this is huge bonus.. many people dream of living in a nice, safe area.

Or they could, you know, cut it themselves.

A garden is a bonus OP. You can make it beautiful over time, and private! I’d see it as an enjoyable challenge but not everyone likes gardening, I get that.

I know I would be mental to turn it down. The last 3 years have been hurrendous after being served a no fault eviction on a previous property as the landlord decided to let it as an air b n b after long letting for 8 years we have been moved to caravans, b and bs, bedsits , flats etc. I would enjoy making a house a home, I just worry about money and being able to afford help to clear it etc.
I'm local and have the strongest local connection in my area for the property and a key worker so that is why I am number 1. I just felt so overwhelmed seeing it in the state it was in and freaked out.

I’m not sure if it’s scythe length though! A photo would be good.

Yes you are right a garden is an absolute bonus ! Thank you

I moved to a council flat that reeked of dog piss. I thoroughly scrubbed with zoflora and bleach and opened all the windows. Put new carpets down shortly after and it was good. I think it's the thought of people being there before and using it in a way that's awful that makes you feel icky but once you thoroughly clean and disinfect and put your stuff in it takes on a different, more positive light.

And the garden really is a positive and can be very easily sorted.

Well tbf if I was moving into a private let, I'd expect the landlord to sort out a jungle garden and the Council are landlords after all.

Honestly, after all that, see this as a gift. Out of all those people!

It is in a very sought after famous village in cornwall, very lucky I know , however I am local and grew up down here

Definitely take it. You will have a secure tenancy and once you are in you will be able to request any necessary repairs to the property which they haven’t already carried out.
Do you have friends and family who can help? Just take one job at a time & go online for inspiration.
My stepson & family took a council property which needed decorating throughout. The council repaired ceilings and painted them white. He had the keys a week before moving in and with lots of us helping we managed to paint it & put down most of the flooring whilst it was vacant. It’s now a lovely home.

I work with kids doing D of E. Lots of them get stuck at the help in the community bit. Maybe ask locally for volunteers to pull up/ cut stuff down?
The worst gardens look better quite quickly. Be ruthless and chop down/ back as much as you can.
Ands it's May when everything is growing like mad. Having a garden will be anazing thus time next year.

Well done, I bet you love it now. That's another expense I have to bare in mind also. I will have to pay for all new flooring/ carpet throughout.

You might be scared/overwhelmed because you have lived through the absolute hell of three years of insecure housing which is immensely stressful and now you fear the prospect of taking a house that turns out not to be right.

Logically this house is a secure home. The garden is a complete non-issue, it can be put right.

Real concerns would be: antisocial neighbours, serious mould issue, crime.

I wish you the strength you need for the next step you take, I hope there are no serious issues and you can make it wonderful

Insecure housing is dreadful. You have had to be strong for a long time.