Home improvement grants for single parents

mambury

Mods - please move to the right forum if I have got this wrong!! TIA

Right basic run down.....
I am a single parent of two children under 10, ex has let me have the profit of the sale of the house (£120k) to buy a house with to ensure that the kids are in a decent house. I am taking a small mortgage of £40k with a few thousand left over to do essential work on the house and have a little emergency nest egg. The house I am buying needs a lot more work than I can afford and the lovely ECO scheme wont help because there is no gas heating (economy 7 heaters).

The house needs new windows, kitchen (not 100% essential but cupboards are a bit dodgy), bathroom (again not essential but will ned doind sooner rather than later), rerendering (blown, builder has advised dealing with cracks and painting for the time being but will need doing in the next 12/18 months) and the economy seven heaters replacing with something more economical.

I live in a rural area and the choice of housing consists of two bed (no good as I need a three bed) for about the same price as the one I am buying, £200K plus (out of my prce range) or face moving 20 miles away from work, friends, kids friends etc.
I receive CTC and WTC with an salary of approx £9500. Maintanance is approx £200pcm.

So my question is does anyone know of any help available out there? I have spent all day searching the net. I have called Energy Saving Trust, Charris grants and tried to get hold of local authority to no avail. All I have been offered because of the existing heating is green deal loans which I am loath to do. I would rather take a loan out with the bank direct if that is my only option.

I feel a little let down as if the property had a old gas boiler the ECO scheme would replace it. I realise that not everything that needs doing will be covered but a little help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Mambury

marliepanda

You're going to be left with a much smaller mortgage than most working people so I would doubt, with that amount of money being put into a property, you will qualify for grants to fix it up.

I would suggest putting your money into a home that you can afford to maintain in a proper state. I honestly cant fathom how you could have £120k, spend it all knowing you cant afford to fix it up, then expect grants to fix it...

Bank loan may (and should) be your only option.

mambury

Thanks for the reply.... just a bit miffed that if I lived somewhere that had gas mains and a gas boiler that I would have help with it but not with E7 heating.

I can afford to do most of the work but it will have to be over a longer time scale (ie 10s of years).

I am purchasing this particular house to offer my children stability in the light of a recent separation and soon to be divorce.

I know it seems a bit cheeky but I always think its worth asking the questions......

Mambury

bestpud

You've got a tiny mortgage compared with the cost of the house and you have a pretty healthy income once tax credits and child benefit are factored in.

Maybe it will help to prioritise and do jobs as you can afford them?

ETA: It's not cheeky to ask :-)

Dunroamin

Can't you just take out a slightly larger mortgage to pay for essential works?

sulkisu

I doubt if there is a grant specifically for single parents (although nothing would surprise me), they are usually based on addressing specific problems - such as replacing boilers - or your financial circumstances. With £120k to play with, it's unlikely that help will be available. Your options are taking out a loan, or a bigger mortgage to cover the work.

Agreed it's not cheeky to ask what help is available, but the ' I feel let down/I'm miffed because other people get help for other things' line, is irritating.

whiteg2

... And there I was thinking I had heard it all on this forum lol

mambury

thank you all for your help and sincere apologies if I have upset/offended anyone.

Mambury

cutestkids

Do what the rest of us have to, a bit at a time, prioritising things that will actually have an impact on the building such as the rendering.

To be honest as long as you have a kitchen with the basic cooker fridge cupboards, sink and worktop then it can wait, my own kitchen is 30 years old and while not to my taste and a bit tatty it is functional, it will be replaced eventually when I have the money.

Bathroom as long as there is a working toilet, sink, bath or shower then everything else is cosmetic, a good clean and a lick of paint.

Windows again probably not essential straight away, you can manage if wooden frames then repairing filling and painting, the buy draught proofing strip. if Upvc then often a good clean and sometime replacing the rubber gaskets is all that is needed.

Economy 7 heating to be honest if you are sticking will all electric then you are best to keep the storage heaters, they will be the cheapest option.
If you plan to change to a different system eg oil or gas the again not an essential but something you can budget for in a couple of years.

We are all electric with storage heating and panel heaters in the bedrooms along with hot water tank, although it is certainly more expensive than Gas central heating you can live with it until you can afford to change.

To be honest reading over your post the only essential work seems to be to the outside rendering everything else is cosmetic, I would probably take out a mortgage big enough to cover the replacement of the rendering so as to make sure the house is not compromised by water but everything else I would just save and do bit by bit.