Furniture for a flat?

dekaspace

I cant afford to live in the halls so currently stay in cheap student private accomodation but almost everyone is foreign and only socialise with the other foreign students and there is no common room.

Anyway for like £5 more than im paying now I will get a proper flat and will work out cheaper as I will bothered cooking more etc plus get a bit of housing benefit and I get a higher rate if I get a flat than a bedsit.

Anyway my local freecycle is small as im in a small town(Scarborough) I did place an and someone did offer me a double bed and another a wardrobe but I have no storage space and cant drive so couldnt collect and over the following 2 weeks people kept offering the odd wardrobe etc but despite me asking for them someone else got them which annoyed me as it was obvious I asked and needed furniture and others got it.

My brother lived in Cumbria a few years ago and went to a local charity thing where people donated furniture and the charity would give you an entire flats worth inc delivery for like £100

Anyone any idea on how to get this?

Fire_Fox

Why are you getting annoyed? Maybe the attitude or your transport issues is why you didn't get offered the furniture?

GonzoAston

I think the donated thing is run by the church. Or was, dont k now if its the same thing.

Have you looked on Gumtree too? They often have freebies, and some (not all the time though) will deliver if you cant get it.

PasturesNew

If you get a proper flat though, won't the bills be £100-200/month more than in shared accommodation?

And I thought students didn't get any housing benefit.

dekaspace

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Why are you getting annoyed? Maybe the attitude or your transport issues is why you didn't get offered the furniture?

Not in the way you think but annoyed as I made requests for furniture and other people didnt so it was obvious I was wanting some so if others needed them they should of started a request and it feels like they just saw a good freebie and took it.

Oldernotwiser

I agree with PasturesNew; you aren't eligible for LHA (HB) if you're a student and you will have all the bills to pay yourself. You must take this into account when budgeting.

Fire_Fox

dekaspace wrote: »

Not in the way you think but annoyed as I made requests for furniture and other people didnt so it was obvious I was wanting some so if others needed them they should of started a request and it feels like they just saw a good freebie and took it.

So you think you are more worthy than others? Assumption is the mother of all ..... fill in the missing words! Anyway you were offered items but were unable to collect.

welf_man

Someone who Offers an item on Freecycle isn't necessarily going to remember that you placed a Wanted ad - it's up to you to convince them to give something to you!

If you have no storage, can't drive and haven't sorted out someone to collect for you, how exactly were you intending to take up any offers you had?

As others have said, you won't be eligible for HB / LHA unless you have a child under 12, an unemployed partner or are disabled, none of which you have mentioned. However, if any of those apply and you receive other benefits then you might be able to get a Budgeting Loan through JobcentrePlus.

Mel.

bitsandpieces

Charity shops sometimes sell furniture, and you can often get secondhand furniture cheap on ebay (if you find any local) or in local classifieds. In lots of areas, though, it costs similar money to rent a flat furnished as to rent unfurnished?

If a flat works out that much better for you - about the same money or cheaper, and more comfortable - could you move to a flat, buy a cheap desk, blow up bed and bean bag, and make do with that until you can get other affordable furniture (or save to buy slightly dearer stuff)? Hopefully you'll be able to get a flat that comes with heating, cooker and fridge already in it, so you shouldn't be *that* uncomfortable (the mattresses in some student places I've stayed in have made air beds look appealing...) Although you should double-check that you're right about benefits etc.

dekaspace

Fire_Fox wrote: »

So you think you are more worthy than others? Assumption is the mother of all ..... fill in the missing words! Anyway you were offered items but were unable to collect.

No, you just ASSUMED that lol I was annoyed since if people did need them they could of placed an ad like me, it feels like they just saw a good deal and went for it.

As for the other posters, im not a teenager I know how the system works as I am 26 years old and recently found out I could get money as im disabled(took years to be fully assessed)

I have had flats in past and use next to no electric, even last year running a tv, pc etc I used no more than £10 a week combined gas and electric but more like £5 so taking into account price rises im ok, plus the fact is I get more money for a flat than a bedsit, i.e my Council pays a maximum £45 whilst my current rent is £60 so thats £15 top up each week, when getting a flat I get the whole lot paid so save £15 and can use that for bills.

But then the council says as im over £25 I get £15 extra so they will pay £80 so essentially £30 better off a week than a bedsit! crazy!

As far as I know the flat has a cooker and fridge so I just really need curtains, a desk, a bed and a wardrobe and set of drawers but pref 2 wardrobes and desks so I dont have boxes everywhere and I already own 2 armchairs but would ideally want a sofa.

Fire_Fox

dekaspace wrote: »

No, you just ASSUMED that lol I was annoyed since if people did need them they could of placed an ad like me, it feels like they just saw a good deal and went for it.

I asked a question to clarify why you were annoyed and then another question to ask if you thought you were more worthy than others, I did not post my 'assumption' as fact. :rolleyes: