Do council modernise their properties

[Sweetheart1990]

Hi everyone, currently bidding for a council house and just wondered if someone has been in one for many years, elderly person let's say, and they pass away or move home, do the council update the property? I'm thinking full house of wood chip walls and artex that would be costly and hard work to get done along with carpeting and decorating. May sound like I'm being daft but just more curious that's all.
TIA

It's very, very unlikely. I've lived in six council/HA properties in my life and each one has been (at least) basically sound, with a good boiler, working heating system, functional bathroom and kitchen (only just in one case) and no damp.

They have been varying levels of clean when I've moved in, none have had flooring, other than in kitchen and bathroom, decorating has been fully my responsibility to sort out except once when the decor was was so old and scruffy that I was given B&Q vouchers and another time when they'd done a new damp course and then they painted the whole flat magnolia before I took on the tenancy.

So woodchip, artex etc would almost certainly yours to live with until you can afford to make it more your taste. I think this is okay - it's amazing to get a social housing tenancy and, even if it takes a while, it's a pleasure making it your home.

Thanks for the reply, yeah I known if I get one I'm extremely lucky and would be very grateful. Inknownil definitely have to carpet any property I get as they stipulated in the application that they have to get rid of carpet, risk of flees I think. Hopefully I don't have too much to do but will be happy to make it my own xx

I haven't usually been able to afford carpeting straightaway but have managed with a mismatch of rugs for a while (from marketplace or local free sites). That's trickier if you've got baby/toddler aged kids of course. You'll need all your own white goods too. How I approached it was to sort out the functional basics then work on making one room at a time how I liked it. It takes a while but it's all just part of making a home. Good luck with your bidding.

They usually strip them. If the kitchen/bathroom is more than 25 years old it would be replaced

Actually maybe more than 35

The government good home standard policy means the HA is responsible for making sure the hose is of a certain standard with a fully functioning boiler/heating system. Kitchens are replaced every 20 years and bathrooms every 35 years.

Currently private renting at 2 x price of council rent and kitchen and bathroom is about 40 years old! So I really don't be too fussy, il be glad of the cheaper rent and secure tenancy xx

Yep, I moved into a house of woodchip walls once. No carpets but there were fleas in the floorboards which was fun!

They will do the bare minimum. Better to be prepared for that. But you can make it nice over time.

A tip if you do get wood chip. It's way easier to just sand it down with an electric sander, than trying to strip it off. Takes hardly any time at all.

Thankyou, I should just about be able to carpet (very cheap carpet) with the deposit I should get back from my private rental. Think I will hopefully be able to just take my washer and fridge as they're mine. Cooker I can hang on for as do most stuff in air fryer so can get by. But I like your idea of a room at a time, it seems manageable and won't have the whole house in chaos at once xx

Oh really, id never have thought of that so thankyou. I will definitely be doing that if I need to xx