Ex-council houses - would you invest?

Scarlett1

browney wrote:

From what I have seen its the privately rented houses that cause more trouble as the unemployed tend to go for these as they do not have to pay rent

not by choice, they can't get housed by the council as there isnt enough houses available cause they are being flogged off as RTB's

missk_ensington

Yes, but we accept that because they have money and speak nicely. I'm not saying you;re wrong, but the English class system is one of the things were most famous for and a few liberals aren't going to change that!

OK I won't specify particular regions, there may be some nice places outside London also, but in Greater Manchester there isn't. And I can assure you of that!

missk_ensington

Seven Day Weekend - well perhaps its different in different areas but as I mentioned earlier my friend was 8 months pregnant, sleeping on her Mums floor because she was served notice by her private landlady when she announcved she was expecting. She was an Amber priority, and she had to keep bidding in the paper for houses and it you didn;t know who has "won" until it was printed again. It would say "47 bids" (so far) The person who has been awarded this house is from Red priority" and you'd have to wait and see if that was you. All these people bidding for one little flat because there are no where near enough!

Baggiebird1nil

Missk can I just ask why, if you have two rental properties, you were prepared to let your pregnant friend sleep on the floor at her Mum's?
I was bought up on a council estate in the 60's. There were good families on there and there were a couple of bad ones but you get that mix anywhere.

As for all drunk people coming from council estates how do you account for Prince Harry who appears in the paper today dragiing on a ciggie and is usually shown swigging some drink or another? Is his behaviour any different

finc

missk_ensington wrote:

council houses are great, council estates are great. No idea why there are always police cars outside. No idea why everytime there is trouble in the pub its always 'the kids from the estate'.

I am not saying that there are area's in London that are okay, but the North is a completely different kettle of fish! Council Estates up here are like 'Shameless', what dya think they based the tv programme on! Because that is what its like up here!

I think its fair to say that London is a one on its own and shouldn't be included in these aspersions, I'm talking about everywhere outside London and its vicinity.

And no, i will not end up on a Council estate. I could have bought a 5 bed house for the same price as I bought my 3 bed terrace, but I'd rather lose 2 bedrooms. I'm sorry if I have offended anyone, but I am just telling you what it is like round here - Oldham, Bury, Bradford, Rochdale...greater Manchester in general. It's that bad, thwn I moved here from Lytham St Annes, I phoned my car insuarnce just for a change of address and my premium went up £400 a year!

Well I'm also from Manchester and couldn't disagree more with you on this. What you're saying is like me telling people that anyone called missk_ensington has no tact, makes sweeping statements and states 'facts' based upon her own small community! You can't generalise in this way as everybody is different no matter what their background, social standing or employment status.

I really believe you should think before you type as I find a lot of your comments offensive.

Back to the OP, I currently live in an ex-LA property after selling my private home. It has double the size garden of comparable private properties and much bigger rooms for less money. I would not have been able to afford a similar private property. I would definitely recommend buying an ex-LA as there will always be a market for them and prices will increase where other properties do; maybe just not as much.

missk_ensington

finc- perhaps so, either way Im fed up of arguing about it. The point of the matter is there is a peak that you can get for an ex-LA and this is what the OP was originally concerned about.

Baggiebird - I never said I had two rental properties?!?!?! I have one house and I live in it. I may have said my Mum has rental properties???

lowis

the english class system has been infiltrated by 'new' money. the upper classes don't accept you just because you have made a load of money - they may tolerate you (and sponge off you a bit as most of them are cash poor) but they despise you when your back is turned. money does not equal good behaviour, manners and class.

i know some people who coule be deemed 'common and working class' in appearance and manner but they are hugely wealthy.

really missk - stop generalising!!!

missk_ensington

I'm not generalising! I only said that the class system is something widely associated with England, I wasn't saying it was right, or that I agree. It was merely an observation, not a criticism!

I am not saying money = manners, our Chief Exec has the poorest manners in a man Ive ever seen!

seven-day-weekend

I also would just like to say to miss k_ensington that my mother-in-law bought her RTB property after she had worked hard all her life (to the age of 63) on low pay. She claimed no benefits other than a State Pension (which she'd paid for). She had to have a 7-year-mortgage to pay for the property (even though it was only £5k). The reason she bought it? The mortgage was actually cheaper than the rent she had to pay.

Please do not assume all Councill tenants are idle spongers.

missk_ensington

I don't assume all are spongers! My friend leaves the house every day, takes baby, walks a mile gets on 2 buses, works until 5.30 and does it all again, getting home at 7.00 and earns about 11k for it!

I'm not discussing this anymore, I was not trying to offend people but seems I have anyway, which certainly wasn't my intention.