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Original poster

Homeless - offered a dump of a house...am I being stupid?

42 replies

spagblog · 08/06/2005 07:12

I need some straight answers here.
We are being made homeless on Monday and with our current financial problems we cannot afford to re rent privately.
Yesterday we were offered a house. On the phone the lady explained that it was a bit further out that we wanted, but time being short it was the best they could do. She described it as a three bed ex privately owned house.
I got all excited and persuaded DH to track it down and do a sneaky drive past.

It was horrible.
The location was really bad. I couldn't have walked to DD's school. It would have taken about 20mins to drive if I had the use of our car, which I won't. It would have been a trek to the nearest bus stop too.
The house itself was a midterrace in a tiny close. It looked dark and claustrophobic, you had to climb steps to get to the front door. There was a dumped bath in the scrub of grass out the front - why?????
The whole area looked really creepy.

Now, this is my first experience with council accomodation and I will admit that I am a bit ladidah, but is this what I have to expect?

My DH is flatly refusing to accept the house.
I am getting panicky and am scared to decline the house. They will only offer you one alternative house and then kick you off the register.
What if they offer us something even worse?

OP posts:
misdee · 08/06/2005 14:00

as long as there is no damp, the area is verrun with louts, and its safe, then take it.

dont be too picky, you could up in 2 seperate b and b's if they cant find space in one for all of you.

i lived i na refuge for 6months, it was a nightmare. 3 of those months i was sharing a flat with another girl. then she left and someone else moved in. no privacy at all.

spacecadet · 08/06/2005 14:01

however from what ive heard about b&b's i would rather take the house, the garden can be tidied and the place made nice inside, you should at least look inside.

misdee · 08/06/2005 14:02

the area isnt overrun with louts please excusae my typing.

Fimbo · 08/06/2005 14:03

Is it in N or elsewhere? I don't mind if you don't want to say.

noddyholder · 08/06/2005 14:10

Don't judge a book by its cover A friend of mine bought a house on a local estate and people were a bit snobby to her and worried for her but every time I have been there it has been lovely really quiet and she has really lovely neighbours I on the other hand was living in a flat above a shop in a'posh'road and the windows in the shop below were smashed umpteen times and we had no peace so I would check it out thoroughly before you refuse A home is what you make it unless the area is very bad

Original poster
spagblog · 08/06/2005 15:57

Thanks everyone.
I need a reality check.
We may be homeless on Monday, but are prepared to squat until a court eviction. No one wants to do that though!
We spoke to someone and will view it tomorrow. Apparently our other choice is not much closer to where we want to be and even more dingy.

Fimbo, it's New Costessey area, sort of behind the Rouen factory.

OP posts:
Magscat · 08/06/2005 19:13

Hi there. Good luck with going to see the house. I hope it's better inside than the impression you've got from the neighbourhood. The advice you've had here is good - e.g. visit in the evening to get a feel for the place, the Council might be doing work to it & you can make it a nice home inside.
I guess you just have to weigh up your options. I know I'd rather rent from HA/Council than privately anyway. At least you know HA/Council will work within in the law - better than some private landlords do IME.

colditz · 08/06/2005 19:18

I would take it if I were you. Why should the council bend over backwards to give you a "nice" house? Someone has got to live in the not so nice ones, and in their defence, council rent is generally very cheap!

lucy5 · 08/06/2005 19:40

This happened to my sil, she accepted a house and then said she didnt want it because it was in the wrong area and was in a bad way. She made a decision based on fear she was fleeing a violent relationship and decided to leave London and ended up being rehoused in the middle of nowhere in Dorset. This one decision caused her no ammount of trouble, she was deemed to have made herself intentionally homeless and was told by council that it was her own fault and that it was perfectly acceptable for her and her ds to live with myself and dh in a studio flat. In the end we had to pretend to throw her out and she was sent to a womens refuge and eventually rehoused by a housing association after a long and drawn out court battle with the council. Sorry Ive started to rant, what I really wanted to say is try to make an informed decision either way beause these decisions have to be made at times of crisis. I wish you all the best and hope the house looks better tommorrow.

Fimbo · 08/06/2005 22:51

Good luck for tomorrow. I don't know the area that well, have only been to Old Costessey. Would see how it would be a bit of a nightmare to get dd to school tho'. Perhaps as the others have said it will be nicer inside. Couldn't you move in with your parents until you get sorted? Did the Spanish thing fall through? - email me or im me if you want.

assumedname · 09/06/2005 16:49

Have you looked inside yet?

Original poster
spagblog · 09/06/2005 18:16

Well, we looked around the house and it did seem a bit better. The front garden was a deathtrap of three tiers of broken up concrete and paving slabs, the inside was cramped but okay I guess. But the biggest problem was still that I would have had to have taken two buses and walked for 15mins to get DD to school.
We turned it down and took the area off our choice list.
This afternoon they told us where our second choice house was, so we went to have a sneaky drive passed. It was much better. Older and a bit more shabby with a jungle for a garden, but closer to the school and town. We hope to view tomorrow, but fingers crossed this house will be fine.
Only problem is that we can't move in until beginning of July, so from Monday we will be squatters!

OP posts:
spacecadet · 09/06/2005 18:20

the second house sounds better from the school point of view and every house i have ever moved into hashada jungle for a garden, but with hard work you can make it lovely, people always compliment us on our garden but you should have seen it 8 yearsago! sorry to hear you will be aquatters though

assumedname · 09/06/2005 19:38

The second choice sounds much better for you - hope it's ok inside.

Will the Council clear the garden/strim the weeds for you?

Magscat · 09/06/2005 20:05

Glad the 2nd house is better for you. The Council should sort out the garden & any outstanding repairs. Make a list and ask for an order number or reference if you report them over the phone.
Good luck

hewlettsdaughter · 09/06/2005 20:09

spagblog, I'm glad things are looking a bit brighter - hope you like the inside of the second house when you see it.

Kelly1978 · 10/06/2005 04:56

hi spag, glad to hear you are having a bit more success, hope the viewing goes well for you. I didn't know you were in Norwich, I used to live up in Norfolk.

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