Have to sell house because of health

TOBRUK

Just thought I would update (to those who may be interested! ) my situation. I am now in the process of (hopefully) moving house - after the property being on the market around 14 months!! I have now sold my house and buying a bungalow near family - I haven't yet received the documents for date of completion to move!

I received an offer on the house at the right time really; I fell downstairs on 14th February (don't remember a thing) and ended up in hospital with fractured skull, smashed (broken in many places) right wrist, broken finger on left hand and a whopper of a black eye!!

Anyway, I received an offer on the house on 2nd April, found a bungalow the week after to buy - there is no chain as the bungalow is not occupied (vacant) and the buyer for my house is a cash buyer!

I think it was after the February incident that I really accepted that I really do NEED to move and accept help - the GP is really happy about it and told me a couple of weeks ago that I really needed to move after the first collapse!

I have been packing boxes (about 2-3 a day!!) when I am able, and I accepted help to pack - especially china and breakables ha!

I really don't know what the DWP will have to say, but my GP has written a cracking letter stating that the move is very necessary!

Before I was allowed out of hospital in February I had to see the facial injuries consultant, a physiotherapist, but also the Occupational Therapist ... who made me make a cup of coffee, sit on a bed and get up etc etc. She advised (very strongly) that I had a commode for downstairs aswell as many other adaptations - which really made me feel totally useless and worthless!! She also wanted me to have an alarm fitted (under a scheme) in the house and have a button around my wrist or as a necklace so that I could press if I got into difficulties!

I didn't think they would discharge me and let me out ... Arghhh! Yes, it is definitely the right thing to move!

Tehya

TOBRUK wrote: »

Just thought I would update (to those who may be interested! ) my situation. I am now in the process of (hopefully) moving house - after the property being on the market around 14 months!! I have now sold my house and buying a bungalow near family - I haven't yet received the documents for date of completion to move!
Congratulations on selling not an easy thing considering today's market.
I received an offer on the house at the right time really; I fell downstairs on 14th February (don't remember a thing) and ended up in hospital with fractured skull, smashed (broken in many places) right wrist, broken finger on left hand and a whopper of a black eye!! Ouch (((((massive gentle huggs))))), I hope you have recovered well.

Anyway, I received an offer on the house on 2nd April, found a bungalow the week after to buy - there is no chain as the bungalow is not occupied (vacant) and the buyer for my house is a cash buyer!

I think it was after the February incident that I really accepted that I really do NEED to move and accept help - the GP is really happy about it and told me a couple of weeks ago that I really needed to move after the first collapse!

I have been packing boxes (about 2-3 a day!!) when I am able, and I accepted help to pack - especially china and breakables ha!

Take it easy and take your time, get friends and family involved and don't feel guilty if you need to rest and leave them to it.

I really don't know what the DWP will have to say, but my GP has written a cracking letter stating that the move is very necessary!
Don't worry about the DWP, you're entitled to move lots of people do it while on benefit even when they don't have a reason as important as you do.

When my hubby and I moved in 2009 (for the same reasons as you) we rang the DLA department but for his ESA we rang them as well as wrote to them. Nobody asked any questions as to why we'd moved and there was no disruption in any of my husband's payments. They just updated their records and everything carried on as was.

Before I was allowed out of hospital in February I had to see the facial injuries consultant, a physiotherapist, but also the Occupational Therapist ... who made me make a cup of coffee, sit on a bed and get up etc etc. She advised (very strongly) that I had a commode for downstairs aswell as many other adaptations - which really made me feel totally useless and worthless!! She also wanted me to have an alarm fitted (under a scheme) in the house and have a button around my wrist or as a necklace so that I could press if I got into difficulties!

I didn't think they would discharge me and let me out ... Arghhh! Yes, it is definitely the right thing to move!

Living in a fully accessible property really does make such a difference to every day life as does living closer to family or friends. I'm sure you'll find things a lot easier when you move, good luck.

Mupette

Glad that you have managed to do this, having family around you to help you with day to day things.

Well done

TOBRUK

Tehya, thank you so much for your kind words, comments and advice.

I have been thinking of drafting a letter ready to send to the DLA and DWP as soon as I move, however, I'm not sure how it works as I am moving to a different county!

I wonder if you can tell me how to go about it; there isn't a problem with DLA, but with the DWP will I have to contact my current regional office to say I'm moving and then have to apply again to the county I'm moving to - or do they contact the other county? Did you do this?

I thought rather than phone them I should write as then it is on record and I can also send them a copy of my GP's letter in case they need to question it.

Living in a fully accessible property really does make such a difference to every day life as does living closer to family or friends.

Well, when I told my GP that I had found a property, the first thing she asked me was 'is it flat'? I told her yes, it wasn't on a bank AND there wasn't any stairs - to which she replied 'GOOD'!

Yes it will make a massive difference as firstly I shall see someone everyday, and if anything needs doing there won't be a problem. I just can't even think of changing a lightbulb ... I would probably end up in hospital! It's hard to believe it has come to this ... and I'm only in my forties!

As to my recovery from my recent accident, I'm afraid that there is a big problem with the wrist and have been told I will probably need an operation as it has collapsed! Oh well!

Barneysmom

Oh dear. Bless you Tobruk, the hardest part of a big move is the fear that things will go wrong.

It's a huge upheaval for you but I'm sure you have have a much better summer with loving family around you.

I really hope the move goes well, what a lovely area you're going to, I'm envious I wish I could live in wales!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I just wrote in with the change of address and the date of the change to everyone and it pretty much sorted itself out. I was lucky enough to not actually get to the point of doing myself permanent damage at the last place, but that was because I took the first place I could safely get in the front door of. Had I been at the old place, I imagine that I would have been in a similar situation with the snow and cold over the winter.

Keeping a notebook of everything to jot down stuff as you think of it is very handy - you need to get your mail forwarding sorted out before you leave, as your payment card has to be registered at the old address, not the new if you want to avoid a long trip to the main post office.

Be prepared to have to get some slightly different adaptations to be needed after you've been living there a bit - I have trouble opening the front door from the outside, for example, and a couple of the rails in the shower room need to be horizontal, not vertical and vice versa.

But also be ready for not feeling 'at home' for at least 6 months. I'm only getting there now and a couple of other posters have said similar when they have moved.

Best of luck, Tobruk - hope that the medical things are sorted out pronto, as you will find it much easier to cope after discharge if you have your bungalow ready.

Tehya

Hi Tobruk,

You really have been in the wars haven't you? Please take care on those stairs whilst you're waiting for your move. I know how it feels to have bones that won't heal; I have brittle bones and broke my shoulder 2 years ago, I now need an operation to fix it. Oh just realised from your post we're in the same age bracket, (I'm 39 hubby is 44) it's not fun having disabilities when you're younger than the norm especially when some people believe it's only older people who are. You should see the looks my hybby and I get when we actually manage get on a bus because both of us have a disabled pass, I was accused by one older lady of fraud.

Even though we didn't move far we must have crossed a boundary somewhere because the office which normally dealt with his ESA claim changed to a more local one. All we did was write a standard letter with hubby's details including old and new adresses but we also rang them to explain the situation. They received the letter on a Friday by recorded post and our normal payment of ESA went into my bank on the followng Monday as scheduled so there was no differnce at all for us financially. We didn't have to submit a new claim or even fill in any forms.

Hopefully your move will go as smoothly as ours did. I know it's stressful but once you're in your new place the weeks leading up to the move will feel like they never happened.

TOBRUK

Barneysmom wrote: »

Oh dear. Bless you Tobruk, the hardest part of a big move is the fear that things will go wrong.

It's a huge upheaval for you but I'm sure you have have a much better summer with loving family around you.

I really hope the move goes well, what a lovely area you're going to, I'm envious I wish I could live in wales!

You are right Barnseymom, that is the fear, and yes you are right it will be so much easier with family around me as at the moment I live alone 100 miles away from them, and with the scrapes I've got into the past couple of years my family are worried each time the phone goes!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

I just wrote in with the change of address and the date of the change to everyone and it pretty much sorted itself out. I was lucky enough to not actually get to the point of doing myself permanent damage at the last place, but that was because I took the first place I could safely get in the front door of. Had I been at the old place, I imagine that I would have been in a similar situation with the snow and cold over the winter.

Keeping a notebook of everything to jot down stuff as you think of it is very handy - you need to get your mail forwarding sorted out before you leave, as your payment card has to be registered at the old address, not the new if you want to avoid a long trip to the main post office.

I have to write things down everyday anyway as I don't remember the simplest of things!

I have a list everyday these days of 'things to do', and I have a printed list of everyone I need to contact. I shall be arranging change of address with the post office - I can do this on their website.

Be prepared to have to get some slightly different adaptations to be needed after you've been living there a bit - I have trouble opening the front door from the outside, for example, and a couple of the rails in the shower room need to be horizontal, not vertical and vice versa.

I won't have any problems there as I have members of my family who are prepared for any further adaptions. Luckily the bungalow has a shower room with a double shower cubicle where you can place a stool in it. I noticed that the floor is like the 'wet room', it had been done for the previous owner.
There are other touches there as there used to be someone with disabilities living there previously.
Other jobs will be done as and when is needed.

But also be ready for not feeling 'at home' for at least 6 months. I'm only getting there now and a couple of other posters have said similar when they have moved.

Yes, I am prepared for a period of adapting to my surroundings etc, however, it is very strange for me as I am 'going home' to where I grew up, and when I 'go home' at the moment I stay in 'my bedroom' (as I still call it) at my parents'! It is going to be very strange not living in the house I grew up in and living at another address!;)

Best of luck, Tobruk - hope that the medical things are sorted out pronto, as you will find it much easier to cope after discharge if you have your bungalow ready.

Thank you Jojo the Tightfisted for your thoughts and best wishes.

Tehya wrote: »

Hi Tobruk,

You really have been in the wars haven't you? Please take care on those stairs whilst you're waiting for your move. I know how it feels to have bones that won't heal; I have brittle bones and broke my shoulder 2 years ago, I now need an operation to fix it. Oh just realised from your post we're in the same age bracket, (I'm 39 hubby is 44) it's not fun having disabilities when you're younger than the norm especially when some people believe it's only older people who are. You should see the looks my hybby and I get when we actually manage get on a bus because both of us have a disabled pass, I was accused by one older lady of fraud.

Yes, you are right ... it isn't any fun having disabilities at our age!! It's so strange to find myself in this situation ... I'd never have thought I would end up like this, but who does!

Even though we didn't move far we must have crossed a boundary somewhere because the office which normally dealt with his ESA claim changed to a more local one. All we did was write a standard letter with hubby's details including old and new adresses but we also rang them to explain the situation. They received the letter on a Friday by recorded post and our normal payment of ESA went into my bank on the followng Monday as scheduled so there was no differnce at all for us financially. We didn't have to submit a new claim or even fill in any forms.

Thank you for that Teyah, it is a good idea to ring them and also send them before I post the letter (send it by recorded delivery) perhaps I could ring and explain as soon as I get a moving date.

Hopefully your move will go as smoothly as ours did. I know it's stressful but once you're in your new place the weeks leading up to the move will feel like they never happened.

I do hope it goes smoothly (I don't think I could handle another drama at the moment! ha!) but I know that my brother, sisters and their spouses are on standby, plus my nephews and nieces to help on the moving day and ofcourse my parents will be at hand!! I told my mother this week that once I move I shall be in bed for a month and I won't want to see another box for a while. She laughed and I told her I wasn't joking ha!:D

[Deleted User]

we are about to move(all things being equal)as we sold our house for cash and are buying a brand new park home which we hope will suit us both as we both have disabilities and the smaller property will mean less upkeep etc
one of the main reasons tbh is the coming benefit changes we just wanted rid of the mortgage
as far as benifits go ive spoken to 2 different people at the DWP office who deal with our claim and have been assured that even though we are moving areas and it will be a new office all we need do is tele them with our new address,we`ll wait and see on that score!
we seem to have a 101 list of things to do going atm but we`ve moved 5 times in 30 years so know the score.

Savvy_Sue

Tehya wrote: »

I have brittle bones and broke my shoulder 2 years ago, I now need an operation to fix it.

well, my sympathies with that!

TOBRUK, skimming the first part of the thread without realising it was a few months old, I was going to say "Start packing and sorting out NOW!", and that advice is redoubled now. Get as many friends and family to visit as you can, and no-one leaves before they've emptied a drawer / filled a box / sorted something into 'wanted' and 'not wanted'. They also take away with them as much as possible of the 'not wanted' for appropriate disposal - charity shop / tip!

If that's not possible then ring round all the local charity shops to find one which will come and collect on request, especially any which will take furniture you no longer need.

Would a professional de-clutterer help? (other organisations may be available!) The one I know would take things to charity shops / the tip on your behalf. Oh, and find a cleaner to come in on moving day rather than attempting to do it yourself! I'm not suggesting your house is a mess, but sometimes the most sensible thing to do is to throw money at a situation rather than attempting to DIY!

If that's really not possible, and family can't help much, then see if that lovely chemist can put you in touch with your local volunteer services, to see if you can find a volunteer to help out!

Can family take things you want long- but not short-term away with them for safe keeping and to reduce stress on moving day? Yes, the house will start to look bare, but the more that's gone, the less you have to move later!

If there's a charity for any of your conditions, can they offer advice or support on what you need to do? Although it all seems to be well covered so far.