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Original poster

Aunt wants to swap big house for small.

75 replies

Maybe111 · 18/04/2020 12:40

My aunt lives in a very big house. It's 6 bedroom with 30ft attic room. 3 bathrooms .30ft kitchen ,unity room, double oven , 120ft garden very wide aswell and in back of garden granny annexe the size of a small apartment with power and toilet. She also has separate dining room and 2 living rooms. Space for 4 cars on drive.

I live in a flat she has proposed to swap my flat for her house ?. This will be temporarily as she doesn't like to be by herself in a house that size and she doesn't like the cleaning. The grass in very long garden and doesn't feel safe in house on own as she only uses one room.

I am used to living in a flat . I would have to cover the bills but not council tax . She will pay my bills will it be a big difference from my 2 bedroom flat. I have 3 children ?

OP posts:

Angellegna · 18/04/2020 14:21

I think it's a ridiculous idea.

What about all your belongings and having to move everything?

What about your post, and her post?

It's not an essential reason to leave your house, it's a crazy idea.

Original poster

Maybe111 · 18/04/2020 14:22

All her bedrooms have built in wardrobe in my flat I have the basic IKEA wardrobe. She has around 10 TV one in each room. In her bathroom she has jacuzzi bath. I would offer to buy it but can't afford it. She has skylight in kitchen and in receiption upstair to watch planes and see wildlife with telescope.

I think she regret my flat it's tiny

OP posts:

slipperywhensparticus · 18/04/2020 14:23

How long is it for

Thisismytimetoshine · 18/04/2020 14:30

This sounds so very weird. She lives in a huge house but is so intimidated by the space that she lives in one room? . Does she have mh problems? Because not downsizing in her position (despite liking your flat because it's so small, wtf?!) makes no sense at all.

Original poster

Maybe111 · 18/04/2020 14:32

Until this is over . She feel alone but in my flat it 6th floor so she be around other . We have balcony she can use. Only problem is delivery but we have a Tesco about 2 mins away.

OP posts:

nancyjuice7 · 18/04/2020 14:36

Go for it! Treat it as a break and I'm sure you'll children will love it and remember it as the summer they stayed in the big house.

Mummyoflittledragon · 18/04/2020 14:36

She lives in one room. You need to find out if she will pay the bills on the basis of living in the house as a family or based on her current costs. This is going to be wildly different. Maybe ok in the summer, but mega expensive in the winter. I’d suggest swapping for a short time, two months maybe and see how it goes.

Original poster

Maybe111 · 18/04/2020 14:37

Its her favourite room . It next to wash room and kitchen. In my kitchen I can only fit a washing manchine and microwave and oven and a few stools to sit. Where as she has double oven, coffee manchine , kettle ,toaster , even more stuff you can fit. she has a TV as well.

Have people moved from a flat to a house how did you feel. How did you feel with the extra space. Is it worth it. I could move for 6 months

OP posts:

Mummyoflittledragon · 18/04/2020 14:37

Cross post, just for lockdown then...

Theodoreb · 18/04/2020 14:43

Go for it lovely idea for kids

Winter2020 · 18/04/2020 14:57

Living in this lovely big house sounds like an amazing opportunity but your worry about the cost of bills (when you are living rent free and council tax free) makes me think you must be on a very tight income. Yes bills are likely to be expensive - ask your aunt what she pays. If you use the heating it will cost a lot. Make sure you use energy saving light bulbs which these days can be bought cheaply from discount stores - they can still be expensive in the main supermarkets.

If there is no council tax because your aunt receives council tax benefit you must tell the council when you move in. To not do so would be fraud and where council tax is concerned quite serious.

If you are used to a small space could you live in the annexed? You could help with and enjoy the garden and possibly even rent out your flat to a key worker that doesn't want to go home to family (cheaply).

hammeringinmyhead · 18/04/2020 15:00

If she is a tidy person, 3 kids in 23 rooms is a buttload of cleaning.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 18/04/2020 15:09

What is your financial situation like? Energy bills for a house that size will be enormous.

Readyme · 18/04/2020 15:15

You need to think carefully about if you can afford it the electricity costs will be huge although with the warmer weather at least the heating won't have to be on too much. If it's an old house the cost of maintaining them is enormous.
The cleaning and gardening alone can take up a lot of your time, just dusting our old large property used to take a huge amount of time.
We downsized to a smaller property I've gained so much time I would now hesitate to take on another large property.

The garden sounds great similar size to my own it takes an enormous amount of work during the summer but at least you will have the time to get stuck into it.

My concern would be lack of deliveries for your aunt having to regular pop out to the shop no matter how near by puts her at greater risk. Surely if she is lonely the best thing to do would be to combine households with her living in the granny flat for at least two weeks until she decided if she wants to stay in the granny flat or move into the main house.

Dragongirl10 · 18/04/2020 15:15

It sounds very very kind of her and a great offer. Can you afford the extra running costs and are you happy to maintain it?

If so jump at the chance for your childrens sake...

returnofthecat · 18/04/2020 15:23

Based on what you've said, she should move into the annexe for now and see how she gets on living in that smaller space.

Maybe after the lockdown you do a swap if she's still keen then, but for now, it doesn't seem necessary at all.

Ellmau · 18/04/2020 15:30

Council tax will go up as your aunt will have a single person discount, unless you are the only adult or otherwise exempt.

Electricity will be higher, especially if you make use of all these extra appliances. Water may be higher too especially if she has a meter.

TV licence will need to be paid if aunt is over age.

The other thing is, when the six month are up and you have to move back into your flat, will that be tough on you and the children?

It does sound like an amazing opportunity though.

HoffiCoffi13 · 18/04/2020 15:32

She has a TV in 10 rooms but only uses 1 room? Has she always lived there alone? Does she have mental health issues?
You don’t have to use the dishwasher and tumble dryer, or the coffee machine, or 9 of the 10 TV’s and it’s warm enough for no heating so you could keep bills down if you wanted to.
Maintaining the garden... has she got a lawn mower?

BilboBercow · 18/04/2020 15:42

This sounds like a humble brag

memememe · 18/04/2020 15:43

if she only uses one room wont the others all be dusty and dirty, youd have to take all your clothes and the kids toys etc, seems like a lot of effort for lockdown. i think you like the idea of it but the reality is going to be very hard.

reefedsail · 18/04/2020 15:45

I think the biggest issue would be how you would ever go back to living in a 2 bed flat with 3 kids.

FlamingoAndJohn · 18/04/2020 15:50

Is this in the U.K.? If so you shouldn’t need the heating on too much. Perhaps just a bit in the morning to take the chill off.

WanderingMilly · 18/04/2020 16:15

What an absolutely fantastic opportunity, go for it and don't look back.

ScarletFever · 18/04/2020 16:20

What country are you in?

NotStayingIn · 18/04/2020 16:21

I don’t really understand this. Why would she want to live in a flat during lockdown and not in her own house. Why would she want to live in her own house again afterwards? I just don’t really get the logic behind this.

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