Would you put a new bathroom in a council house?

[jennakong]

I rent our house from the local authority (Housing Executive, in Northern Ireland). The tenancy is secure and most people live in these houses for years. Only working p/t atm, but if I got the chance to buy the house in future, I would. That seems unlikely though.

It's in reasonably good condition, but the bathroom is pretty miserable. Very basic, bath sink and toilet, two rows of files and the rest paint, lot of exposed pipework, vinyl floor, just very basic and old fashioned and not a nice room to be in, if you know what I mean. It looks like something from fifty years ago. Which it probably is, to be fair.

The authority has massive delays because of Covid so even a routine upgrading improvement (which would just mean updating the sanitary ware I think) wouldnt take place until 2025 at the earliest.

There are a couple of firms near me who will install a new bathroom (it's only a 8x6) for about £3000. I would love a shower and just some nice new fresh walls and a tiled floor. I could probably get permission to have it installed as I will be using accredited plumbers. Except it's not my house!

I have some savings and can afford it, but have/would other people do this as tenants?

Unless it's like an avocado bath suite or somesuch, I'd probably not bother replacing the actual bath etc, but look to tile it nicely, replace the flooring etc. My logic here is that a loo is a loo, ultimately, but the overall space could be made much nicer around that loo without you needing to spend as much.

I'd save your money for your deposit for buying your home! Can you plan increasing your hours soon, 3 months track record of better wages and you'll be mortgageable.
In the meantime a lick of paint and some inexpensive accessories could really improve a drab bathroom.
Good luck.

I'd install the new bathroom like a shot! You're presumably going to live there for a long time, if not forever! Why not be comfortable and enjoy your bathroom? If you were in a privately rented place, then no, because you could be evicted by a private landlord, but in your situation if you can afford it, then yes.

I'd put the shower in over the bath and re-tile it and also see what you could do about boxing the pipes in.
But I'd leave the suite alone.

Agreed!

If it makes you happy then do it. It's not wasting money as it's your home and you're there for the foreseeable.

Yes I'd do it, definitely. I'm in a HA house and there's a couple of things I'm dying to change! Trouble is, it's a new build so I've little chance of getting permission.

In your situation I'd firstly enquire as to the likelihood of being able to buy it and if so, a rough timeframe. If it's a yes you can but not for 5/10+ years, then go ahead with the bathroom. Less than 5 years then I'd probs put the money towards the house purchase and then look to improvements once it's yours. 🏡 Good luck!

Yes absolutely I would. If it's a house you love and you are happy with the area it's in then why not. I grew up in a council house and while my parents did eventually buy it they did a few home improvements prior to purchasing it. Actually most of the neighbours did. Although back then a council house was very much your forever home and you had no chance of being asked to leave (except non payment or anti social behavior) so I suppose people had a different mind set

Thanks for replies and thoughts...only thing about 'improving' it is that a getting tiler, getting a plumber to put in an overbath shower, etc, is likely to cost nearly as much as a complete strip out and reinstallation, I think this is why these packages exist. tbh, paying single tradesmen is expensive. The bathroom is a complete pain in a rental!

I would. I know exactly what you mean about a miserable bathroom, and as long as you can afford it without getting into debt, I'd see it as a good use money. You use a bathroom so much!

We installed an over the bath electric shower, ex council house, right to buy scheme.
Shower cost £100 and less than £100 for the local plumber to install it.
I knocked the tiles off first, they practically fell off 🤣
Then I re tiled it myself using YouTube videos, bought a tile cutter from b&q, I will admit I broke a few!
I also bought a pack of mosaic tiles, cut through the webbing to make strips then used them to create a border.
Quite proud of myself and tbh I'm not really that good at diy.
Put up a long shower curtain pole and hung a shower curtain, total of transformation.

@hannahcolobus I was just thinking that! Some people do quite a lot to council houses too, I know people who have put sliderobes in (not cheap) and even replaced doors and windows themselves because the authority takes years to do improvements.

@Campervangirl that is a cheap plumber! Did you buy the shower yourself then contact a tradesman? £100 is very reasonable for installation, I think, given what I've been charged for ridiculous things like installing an electric cooker!

Instead of looking at the total cost, why not look at it as a cost per month? If you have some idea as to how long you're likely to stay, it'll give you an idea if it's 'worth it'. So, if you are thinking 10 years, it would be £25 per month. How does this compare with other things you spend money on?

Personally I think having a lovely, welcoming bathroom is very important and I'd be willing to do it, even if it means foregoing a holiday or two. Others feel differently - your choice 😀

Do it! Can you put in a nice big shower, no bath... that will lower the later resale value.

The right to buy scheme ended in August this year for Housing Association tenants I'm pretty sure...

I would definitely put in a new bathroom though, this is a secure tenancy and could potentially be your forever home! Go for it!

Hi,

I usually just lurk here but I've joined specifically to post this. I am a housing officer in a different housing association in NI.

Things to consider - The Right to Buy has ended for housing association tenants in Northern Ireland, though is still available for NIHE Tenants. There is no guarantee that this will be forever, and it is expected that there will be an end to it eventually. Weigh this up as to when you may be able to purchase it if that is your plan-if it is ended there will probably be two years notice as there was for housing associations.

In NI, the NIHE will deduct the value of upgrades from the price you pay for the property if you buy. Get everything done by a professional, and keep every single invoice.

Additional thing to consider - the NIHE is not responsible for maintenance and repairs to anything you install yourself, so sometimes it's wise to keep work to cosmetic only. For example, shower breaks, you have a leak from your bathroom and damage other parts of your property-if this is caused by your installation the NIHE are under no obligation to repair.

I'd recommend having a look at the housing rights NI website or their live chat for impartial advice on the pros and cons of doing this, as there has been some incorrect advice on this thread already, which I'm sure is just due to regional differences.

I wouldn't spend £3k on a house I don't own.
We are in a shitty rental with a worse bathroom than yours. If I'd known we'd be here 10 years when we moved in, I'd maybe have spent a bit more on the place, but at the end of the day every £1k could be a house deposit.
I know HA is a lot more secure, but unless you plan to stay there forever, I really wouldn't bother.
Cosmetic stuff as PPs mentioned, like tiles and paint is fine. Also I'd worry if something went wrong, the HA aren't obliged to fix it.

NIHE deducts the price of upgrades @Luxylou? So it may actually be in the interest of the prospective buyer to do them? That's very interesting, if a bit confusing, I wonder why they do that?

No. Don’t pay to upgrade someone else’s property. Put the money into savings for your own property. It would be like burning money.

Step away from that thought... If you spend thousands in such a circumstance, you will never get the cost (nor any added value) back because you don't own it. Get your landlord to do what they should be doing WRT repairs...And put any extra money you may gather into a fund for a deposit somewhere else!

I hate it when people make the burning money comment about rentals.
Don't we burn money on everything we spend? You could spend £3000 on a 2nd hand car and it break down next year. Clothes and material things don't last forever. Your holidays are soon just memories... but isn't living in a nice house with nice surroundings you're happy with home for happy memories too?
I just really dislike this comment, I think it makes anyone who is stuck on rental, for whatever that reason is, feel like they're just wasting money when actually they are making a home.

I think you want to spend your money on the bathroom and if you see yourself there long term and you can afford it then I think it's a good idea.

Most definitely!
It is something that has a positive impact on you EVERYDAY! Definitely value for money!

Yes and I've put in a new kitchen it is my home for as long as I live and maybe my children after me, I want to be nice. X