I own a house but otherwise I am broke- do I sell?

Harry_Powell

Are you bored today, Mewbie?

PasturesNew

24 hours working, benefits on top, low overheads .... you should be rolling in it.

Keep the house, get a garden room for yourself to sleep in.

With £100k banked you'd have to go into private rented housing anyway. You'd chew that money up over the next 5-6 years or so, then wish you hadn't sold.

You're obviously wasting money on fripperies. Do an SOA.

amcluesent

>live off 24 hours a week (over4 days)<

So you have three days a week in which to earn by taking in ironing, house cleaning, selling on Ebay, answering 0900 pervent calls, whatever.

>there is nothing left to give a quality to my life. <

You have your children and roof over you head. There's millions starving in Africa who dream of that luxury.

Jenny_

Thanks to those of you who tried to answer my question and give me some usefull advice. Verymuch appreciated.
I think I must have misled you all though.
I'm not starving- we manage- the hours I work I've chosen to do so that I can also be a good mother to my kids, ie home in the evening to cook for them and help with homework etc- this I've done for about a year and my daughter is copping a lot better with school as a result of a more regular routine.
If I needed to work more to survive I would do any kind of work.
I'd like to clarify that I am not a sponge living off governemt handouts. I've not been out of work since my daughter was born, infact I scraped the barrel then paying for a 2month old to be in creche so I could train as a nurse to support her. I've workd ft shift work the majority of my career.
Two years ago I was also running a very succesfull local scout troup and a member of St Johns ambulance.
Neighbours from hell moved in and eventualy (along with another neighbour, not just me being pathetic) I had a break down. I wasn't off work for long though. I've picked myself up and carried on. I don't ask for any handouts and I didn't view the council house as a freebie- I'd obviously have to pay for it. I also didn't seek it out but came accross the information that I was eligable to get one accidentaly.
Also if I apply for one in the area I live I wont be depriving a homeless family of it as it has been empty for about 18 months as people keep declining it because it is too remote- only people with family conections in the village seem to want to live there.
I know there are millions of people in the world who are in horrendous situations and I am thankfull everyday that I am not starving to death having first watched my children die.

I am extreemly fortunate to have this valuble asset in my house- it just seems a little bit ironic that I'm apparently well off but can't actualy make use of it- why are you condeming me for searching out a way to take advantage of my good fortune.
I don't drink, smoke go out anywhere, I have an extreemly limited wardrobe, I value experiences in life rather than "things" I'd like to share experiences with my kids rather than struggle away until they dissapear on their own and then find I have the money.
Oh and the sarcy bit about the horse- short on time- no- just arranging my time in a way that works best for my family. Ive looked after horses before- for friends and neighbours and am well aware of the demands- we don't live in the city we live in the sticks- if it were something i persued then I would make sure it was very close by to where we live.
Short on cash, well yes, hence I don't have a horse- but the whole point of the thread is about freeing up cash, hence I wouldn't be short on cash. Don't you people read?

But actualy the horse is just my ultimate dream, not a part of a spending spree, and obviously theres a lot more involved with it that than is worth putting here.

You guys are all talking as though it's wrong to want things- well do you all live in overcrowded houses sleeping on matresses on the floor? With no nice furniture no phones? no TV? Nothing to make life a bit nicer- like a computer?
Do you all stay in every night of the week never socialising?
I'm expecting one of the comments to read
"In my day we were lucky if we got to live int shoe box int middle of road"
"And we were gratefull for it"

Ever thought for applying for a part in the grumpy old men/women programs.

I have no idea why i posted here first- if as you say you are hidden-I didn't seek you out espescialy to anoy you and the site didn't have a warning.

In fact I only came to this site because I found a thread about selling a house to have a round the world trip. The advice on there was all good- I mean some negative, some positive but all usefull- not an oppinionated biased comment in site


I was expecting a few bits of healthy advice from people with different life experiences- thanks to the few that chose to be unbiased. The rest of you- well it seems you just saw the word "single mum" and saw red- you didn't bother to even consider that you may be stereotyping me.

Yes this was my first post, on any forum ever, I may not have worded it well, the info I gave was trying to explain why I might want to do something bizare like sell my house without giving you my life story. It may even have seemed a bit tactless to some of you. If you thought I was tactless you could easily have said why without being horrible.
I wasn't looking for sympathy either, as I said, I make ends meet, I have enough left over to generaly cover extra expenses. I was just looking for advice- if you don't want to help don't bother but there is really no need to be nasty to people.
I'm really sorry that the council thinks I have a right to be re-homed- perhaps the whole system is !!!!ed-or perhaps I should just stay in an overcrowded 2 bed with horrendous neighbours who have made me nervous about going outside. And leave a 3 bed house that I could really use empty because it offends you small minded p***s.
Oh and heres a piece of advice someone in a chat room gave me- there are apparently scheems available where a council or other body will help you buy a house- say paying for a proportion of it- that bit remains theres so if you were to sell then they get their share of the costs etc or you can eventualy buy it off them.
I don't know all the details but maybe if anyone else in a similar situation is unfortunate enough to make the mistake of asking your forum for advice, now you've got some.

I'm actualy very dissapointed in the demonstration of humanity you have shown- If I heared of someone with good fortune I would be happy for them.
Don't bother to write a reply to this- I wont be checking back again
I was very tempted to write up a reply saying I was pregnant and thinking of quiting work altogether. But I am too honest. And as a nurse I don't want to be causeing problems with your BP- it must run constantly high when you imagine all the people who are so unfairly helped out when they are in dificult situations by the government.

Graham_Devon

Jenny_ wrote: »

I am extreemly fortunate to have this valuble asset in my house- it just seems a little bit ironic that I'm apparently well off but can't actualy make use of it- why are you condeming me for searching out a way to take advantage of my good fortune.

Because you will want to take your money, keep it, and then use ours.

Simples.

Harry_Powell

I think "jenny" needs to get a life. I think we all do.

lostinrates

I wasn't going to reply as Jenny said she wasn't cming back, but she did at 4.03, so I might as well.

Jenny, welcome to MSE.

In repy to your second post I'd first highlight this bit:

The rest of you- well it seems you just saw the word "single mum" and saw red- you didn't bother to even consider that you may be stereotyping me.

and suggest that you are stereotying us too.


My reply was based on the fact that having a horse would see any short term gain in free cash/ time to spend with your children gone. Taking care of afriends horses is not the same as taking care of your own. Its not unpleasurable, far from it. but it is a commitment. One horse shouldn't really be by itself: I know peope do, but ...

you're talking about a life you can enjoy more with your kids, and yet talking about something, which while wonderful, drains time, and as often as not, money. If you really want a horse I'd be thinking about it when your youngest is at exam stage and thinking about moving on...when your time will be your own again, and the a child having, for example, a sickness , doesn't preclude you getting to and feeding your horse (no livery means no one to cover for you, when you are sick, your car breaks down etc etc).

It seems to me you are right to consider what is going to make you happy and secure in the future, as it seems you are a little...strained..as things stand.

Good luck.

JanCee

If you have the chance of a 3 bed council house which will give you more space and get you away from neighbours from hell then why not take it. The main consideration for you would be that you may never be in a position to own again in the future, if that doesn't bother you then a council property would seem to be the ideal solution plus it would give you some cash in the bank to spend on your family.

smartn

I think some of the replies on here have been way too harsh. At least the OP still works for a living as much as she can under the circumstances. With benefits geared up the way they are she could probably easily have thrown the towel in and given up work altogether and been no worse of. What's so wrong with someone wanting to spend time with there kids and enjoy it, she was just investigating ways to get a better quality of life for herself and the kids.

jangor_2

Just caught your thread and just wanted to say that years ago I was in a very similar position to you. Unfortunately I was left with two children and a hefty mortgage on a very basic house. As there was absolutely no possibility of being considered for a council property and as I have always been taught that we are given nothing in this life, I eventually took three jobs to make ends meet. This did mean losing time with my children and left me without a social life but as compensation I kept a roof over the childrens' heads, lived in a decent area and managed to pay for all our needs on my income. I am much older now and my children have grown and left but I do sometimes sit and wonder whether the effort was worth it and whether I was foolish to worry so much about paying my way instead of watching my children grow and enjoying life. I don't know what the answer is but all I can say is do what you think is right and if that is spending time with your children and running amok in a field of daisies, go for it. I wish you well whatever you decide to do.