Pending council house offer!!

[Summerpepsi32]

Good Morning all :)

I know this probably should come under homes etc however I posted in there b4 and no traffic.

So after a long time (5 years) of moving from piller to post ( bnbs, hostels caravans and temp accommodation flat) after being served a section 21 no fault eviction 5 years ago!

My children and I have been shortlisted for a property through our local housing bidding site!!

I recieved a phone call on Friday afternoon from the housing team asking if I am still interested in the property as I have come number 1 out of 205 people!
Of course I said yes although was not given the number of the house just yet!
I do know the road it is on and the town it is in.

I was promptly sent application forms through by email and asked to provide bank statements, I'd, birth certificates etc.
I've been asked to make sure they are all sent in by Monday afternoon.
I've completed everything I need to and sent all the information needed back to them.

So I could do with some advice really from others that have experienced similar. I am feeling super anxious over my application and hoping nothing falls through, I suppose because I have bid every week for 5 years and no luck I'm feeling it's all a bit good to be true!
Is it likely this is now ours now?

Does anyone know how long the turn around is in this process? I am currently sat looking at all our stuff in our flat thinking I have so much to pack and move, by myself as little to no support, I need to book a removal company, which without an official date is impossible!

The housing team said tenants were still occupying the property on friday, however thier tenancy ends this weekend!

I havent been given a time frame at all it's just all been left up in the air.

I have no idea what it looks like inside, not sure if I need to buy flooring etc.

There are so many things going through my head this weekend.

Very grateful and excited dont get me wrong, however also very anxious , overwhelmed and worried about costs.

I will have to book and pay for removal company, rent upfront, flooring if needed and obviously food day to day expenses which is tough when a single parent.

The lady on the phone also said it's not yet yours until we go through your application so dont get too excited, however I have just logged into the council housing bidding site to look at other properties and it says you cannot bid on anything as you have an offer pending!! This looks good doesnt it??

Apologies for sounding all over the place with this post, I am so shocked, excited however also quote scary , not sure why I'm feeling this way tbh, I'm sure it will all work out fine! Any words of advice would be fantastic !

I cannot believe we will be getting our own home finally!!

🥳😮🤯😬

In our area the top 3 bidders are invited to view on the same day…if number 1 likes it them affordability checks and references are done….if all good then a formal offer or property made…otherwise start again with number 2.
my friend was number 6 but still got the property as I assume bidders 1 to 5 failed somewhere along the line
good luck

Aww how exciting, it could take a few week's, we had to wait a year to move into our. But that was exceptional circumstances due to the extensive work they needed to do.

They may repaint and do some improvements depending on the condition of the house and if things need updating. Also we had no flooring throught the upstairs and living room. So just be prepared for the cost.

I hope it all goes quickly they will check your rent account, you'll view the property, then they usually get you to sign a new tenancy and pay a first month's rent upfront if you want it. That's how it worked with us you don't really get time to decided it's there on the spot. Then they give you the key's all on the viewing day. I'd have a little nosey around the area check out the road and neighbours

Great advice , thanks x

Amazing news and yes it looks very good for you if you can provide everything they’ve asked for.
Are you going to go and walk past the property today to see what it’s like?

You can claim for 2 properties if you claim housing benefit but and the but is - you need to be living in the new to you/offered property for this to be looked at.

This doesn't cover council tax, so you would be charged 100% council tax on the second property and not receive any tax relief on the second property - please be aware of this

I got keys within 2 weeks. I'm pretty sure this is yours now, they will just be checking you're not a convicted yob that doesn't pay rent. I had to get new carpets they always rip them up for h&s

My advice would be to move asap and claim if you can for overlap of properties, even if you just move all your beds in and start sleeping there - then put in your claim for overlapping property asap.

Then contact council tax and sort out a payment schedule for the second property

you may also want to look at DHP from your local council if money is really tight - this is a pot of money from the government given to local council to allocate every 3 months - nothing to stop you claiming this as a one of to help you budget - your district council or county council should be able to help you and give you the forms

Congratulations!!

Please be aware that it's pretty much a certainty that you will need to get new carpets, they almost always rip them out in council properties. I don't know if you have a budget for that or can get a grant of some kind.

You will now have a forever home for you and your children, enjoy it. ❤️

Our council also had removal firms who they had links with, we were able to book at short notice. Ask about local firms.

I have no idea which property it is! Only the estate it is on which has alot of houses on it. I tried to look for it yesterday, couldnt see any signs of anyone moving out etc, all houses looked very lived in so hard to tell right now

Thank you for this , it looks like I will be on the phone to the council alot tomorrow morning! Great advice

Congrats on your tenancy. Councils/HAs do ask leaving tenants to try and leave some curtains up, as it deters squatters, so it can be hard to see what place is vacant.

We did a county transfer, by the HA, some years ago. They phoned us on the Monday to say we were Number 1, we came up on Tuesday to view, and they did the sign up that day. They gave us keys, and they kept a set, temporarily, for gas/electric inspection before we moved in. We wanted to have a couple of weeks for organising a quick pain job, flooring, fitting new lights, curtains etc, so we paid rent on both places for 3 weeks, and batted back and forth between the two places.

Hope you love your new home. 💐

@Summerpepsi32 Don't ring them tomorrow, give them 3 business days to sort out their paperwork and then get in contact. If paperwork was only signed and sent in on Friday they are unlikely to have even seen it by Monday morning.

I wouldn’t buy brushes or rollers unless you really need them.

Ask friends and family for lends of theirs or see if there’s a street WhatsApp group where you could ask to borrow or someone may give you these.

Hi, I didnt mean ring the housing, I understand they need to process my application, I meant the housing benefit team to ask about the overlap in rent etc

Op. It sounds like this could be yours.

start making lists and packing as you won’t get much notice when the time comes to sign a tenancy and move.

there are specific criteria for claiming double housing benefit so check your council website.

changing utilities, inc water
post office for change of address
get bubble wrap and marker pen to label boxes
start weeding out what needs to be donated, chucked before you move.
GP/health professionals
school
work
bank
council tax

you may need to decorate, carpet, curtains etc. moving is expensive so look at local free sites for what you need.

very exciting time, and expensive, congratulations 🎉

You don’t need a lot of things straight away and there are charities they can help with costs. There maybe places that give white goods to new homes, I’ve seen a few - do some research.

I hope you’ll be happy in your new home.

A lot of people moving these days don’t know exactly when , eg people buying are often doing exchange completion on same day, so things fall through or get moved back. So removal companies often have flexibility. Might be worth getting a few quotes as I found they can vary quite bit and you can see who has availability on the day. Might be also worth putting out a shout on freegle/freecycle etc for boxes, packing materials , and congratulations, hope it works out and you are all happy!

It was like this in my old area. Felt really awkward with all three tenants arriving just for the 1st one to say yes straight away and the rest sent away to carry on bidding. I was number 2 once then number 3 who didn't understand how it worked got upset because nobody asked him if he wanted it.

Where I am now the property is offered to number 1 in writing straight away and if they decline on viewing it gets offered to number 2 if they are still looking.

Thank you for the replies. Just an update. I havent heard anything back yet since submitting all the paperwork needed on friday.

It takes time to process I understand this , I'm just excited and impatient I guess after all this time waiting I'm extremely eager to see this house!

I drove up to the estate again and I still cannot see any sign of any properties that are empty or people moving out. This may be as someone suggested before the curtains may have been left up.

I just cannot wait to see the property and measure up inside, see what needs doing etc

I'm posting on here as I'm currently at home with my children around me and I cant talk about it on the phone to my friend as they will hear me ! 😂 I'm not getting thier hope's up or telling them anything until I get an official offer.

Any tips for distracting myself while I'm waiting for news? Feeling in limbo
💁‍♀️ tia

That's awful! Must of been heartbreaking for you both at 2 and 3!!

Are you in SE London OP? A property near us was vacated on Friday and over the weekend…

Excited for you OP. It will be lovely to have a home you can call your own after all this time. 🤞

No , not in london at all x

Check if your local council has a household support fund open for applications; it's a cost of living initiative. You can apply with them for white goods, school uniform, food, energy etc. They are limited funds and gone when they're gone. You can apply if working as well, up to a certain salary.

https://www.gov.uk/cost-living-help-local-council