Right to buy

reformedEffortMaker_2

chinau9

I have read these posts and can see both points of view, not sure why some people are being so rude though!

I was 'luckily' enough to get a council flat at 18, after 3 years living in accomodation found though Barnados. I worked 3 jobs, as a shelf stacker in waitrose, a sandwich maker in a deli bar and a early morning cleaner, whilst doing a daily 2 hour commute to university. I struggled terribly, because by the time I had worked enough hours to pay my rent and essential bills (no benefits if you are a full time student over 19), I had no energy to study.

I was luckily enough to do well at uni, blagged a job as a computer programmer after competing with ox-bridge types for jobs, whilst, yes, still living in my council flat!.

Often people asked me if I would take up my RTB, I never thought I would. Why would I want to buy a property on the top floor of a high rise run down council estate surrounded by people who leave dirty nappies and their dog mess outside their front doors?. My view changed nearly three years ago when I realised it would be my only way to get on the housing ladder!.

I decided in oct 2006, after one too many arguments with my neighbour about why loud music at 4am was not acceptable, to sell up.

I have finally exchanged on the sale of my flat, however, that was after 9 months on the market and god knows how many viewings. People forget that when you have saved and saved and saved to buy a property in today's market, not many would choose a council estate as their first or last choice and so "making a quick buck from a government handout" isnt the reality as most would rather stay at home with mum and dad then live where i do (well thats what they told my estate agent).

In addition to this, as a private leaseholder, you will now be liable to pay a share of any major works the council do to the block, a friend of mine was ordered to pay £25,000 for the replacement of 7 windows. I had to pay £6000 to knock down a 3 metre high wall, paint a staircase and replace an entry phone system. If you refuse to pay, they simply add it to your mortgage as that is one of the conditions of sale.

Knowing that as a leaseholder I have to subsidise my neighbours who do not treat the communal areas in the same way is not nice-but a sacrifice for the knowledge that I am now on the property ladder.
A lot of people do not realise, that by the time the council has billed you for all their major works, you actually pay just as much as if you had bought a property on the open market!

To answer your original question, I doubt their is much chance of you getting the 22k, but please ignore the negativity this thread has generated. There are a lot people living in council accomodation who are not lazy government spongers, but have had hard times, usually in their earlier years and should not be stuck there, their entire lives.

No one complains when middle class girls (like the ones I went to Uni with) run to the big city for the london weighted salaries, cant hack the pace, but still get 'mummy and daddy' to funds the shoe fetishes and a apartment in Kensington. Some would argue those girls are equally as lazy as my neighbours, and the handouts they get (although not government funded) are greater. 'Not working hard for things' is effecting all walks of life, not just those in council flats!

After renting it for 6 years, I bought my flat in Islington, London from the council for 90k in july 2004, I sold for 183k last month.

Yeap, its an amazing profit and I am TRULY grateful, I didnt have parents who would help me with a deposit like most of my friends have-does that mean I should be cast into the darkness of Jose Morinho's armpit as punishment? If you anyone answers 'yes' to that, then please note that I have had to live in a property where

-I couldnt drink the tap water for a year because pigeons had infested the communal tanks and the caretaker was on sick leave with no replacement,

-I shared my balcony with a minimum of three rats a day attracted by the nice 'arrangement' of junk generated by my neighbour, that the council claimed to be powerless to act on.

-I was on first name terms with my local police team as they spent so much time on my estate,

-I was greeted daily by the hoody wearing, pitbull walking brigade and once I got over the embarrasement of inviting people round, they didnt want to stay anyway!

So if anyone has a problem with me profiting, what do you suggest as an alternative?

TheImportanceOfBeingIdle

reformedEffortMaker wrote: »

chinau9

I have read these posts and can see both points of view, not sure why some people are being so rude though!

I was 'luckily' enough to get a council flat at 18, after 3 years living in accomodation found though Barnados. I worked 3 jobs, as a shelf stacker in waitrose, a sandwich maker in a deli bar and a early morning cleaner, whilst doing a daily 2 hour commute to university. I struggled terribly, because by the time I had worked enough hours to pay my rent and essential bills (no benefits if you are a full time student over 19), I had no energy to study.

I was luckily enough to do well at uni, blagged a job as a computer programmer after competing with ox-bridge types for jobs, whilst, yes, still living in my council flat!.

Often people asked me if I would take up my RTB, I never thought I would. Why would I want to buy a property on the top floor of a high rise run down council estate surrounded by people who leave dirty nappies and their dog mess outside their front doors?. My view changed nearly three years ago when I realised it would be my only way to get on the housing ladder!.

I decided in oct 2006, after one too many arguments with my neighbour about why loud music at 4am was not acceptable, to sell up.

I have finally exchanged on the sale of my flat, however, that was after 9 months on the market and god knows how many viewings. People forget that when you have saved and saved and saved to buy a property in today's market, not many would choose a council estate as their first or last choice and so "making a quick buck from a government handout" isnt the reality as most would rather stay at home with mum and dad then live where i do (well thats what they told my estate agent).

In addition to this, as a private leaseholder, you will now be liable to pay a share of any major works the council do to the block, a friend of mine was ordered to pay £25,000 for the replacement of 7 windows. I had to pay £6000 to knock down a 3 metre high wall, paint a staircase and replace an entry phone system. If you refuse to pay, they simply add it to your mortgage as that is one of the conditions of sale.

Knowing that as a leaseholder I have to subsidise my neighbours who do not treat the communal areas in the same way is not nice-but a sacrifice for the knowledge that I am now on the property ladder.
A lot of people do not realise, that by the time the council has billed you for all their major works, you actually pay just as much as if you had bought a property on the open market!

To answer your original question, I doubt their is much chance of you getting the 22k, but please ignore the negativity this thread has generated. There are a lot people living in council accomodation who are not lazy government spongers, but have had hard times, usually in their earlier years and should not be stuck there, their entire lives.

No one complains when middle class girls (like the ones I went to Uni with) run to the big city for the london weighted salaries, cant hack the pace, but still get 'mummy and daddy' to funds the shoe fetishes and a apartment in Kensington. Some would argue those girls are equally as lazy as my neighbours, and the handouts they get (although not government funded) are greater. 'Not working hard for things' is effecting all walks of life, not just those in council flats!

After renting it for 6 years, I bought my flat in Islington, London from the council for 90k in july 2004, I sold for 183k last month.

Yeap, its an amazing profit and I am TRULY grateful, I didnt have parents who would help me with a deposit like most of my friends have-does that mean I should be cast into the darkness of Jose Morinho's armpit as punishment? If you anyone answers 'yes' to that, then please note that I have had to live in a property where

-I couldnt drink the tap water for a year because pigeons had infested the communal tanks and the caretaker was on sick leave with no replacement,

-I shared my balcony with a minimum of three rats a day attracted by the nice 'arrangement' of junk generated by my neighbour, that the council claimed to be powerless to act on.

-I was on first name terms with my local police team as they spent so much time on my estate,

-I was greeted daily by the hoody wearing, pitbull walking brigade and once I got over the embarrasement of inviting people round, they didnt want to stay anyway!

So if anyone has a problem with me profiting, what do you suggest as an alternative?

You make it sound like buying a house is a necessity. News for ya IT'S NOT!

That's all I'm gonna say. I'll tear this post apart when I'm sober

manhattan

There seems alot of jealousy here..........

reformedEffortMaker_2

i'm more than happy to listen to people's views/opinions on this. If you become abusive however, i'll simply ignore your posts.
You're right, owning a property is not a necessity or a god given right, however, I found an opportunity and used it-please don't begrudge me for that, I dont know many who would have turned it down if handed to them.

chinau9 just asked a simple question and got her/his head bitten off. That was out of order and not really in the spirit of this site