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Been offered a council flat, what do I do now?

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  • dekaspace
    dekaspace Posts: 5,705 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    Don't give up the chance of a council flat. You may have a bit of overlap but as other have said, you can claim HB for up to 4 weeks. Councils do usually give themselves plenty of time but don't always make you wait that long. Don't stress - you are very fortunate and should be looking forward to a new place on an affordable rent :)

    Curtains - cheap as chips on ebay, I've picked up fantastic lined curtains on ebay for <£5 you just need to measure up right and know what size you need. Use some sheets or blankets from a charity shop for the time being.

    Ask round mates and family or look on shop notice boards for a man with a van - you could hire your own for less than <£100

    I should be clear, its not curtains I am worried about as much as curtain rails, I have a B+M a mile away that sells them cheap,

    When I moved to current property I bought curtain rails for the bedrooms which due to the length of the windows came to £25 each, and the living room windows are the same size.

    The time issue as well was with Christmas coming up, so even if they told me in 2 weeks time the property was empty that would be 1 month before Christmas.

    As it stands most of what I own is already boxed up anyway the biggest issue would be moving the boxes, as I say it easier to move boxes first in a small van, that leaves the furniture so its easy to move that rather than 1 big journey.
  • teddysmum
    teddysmum Posts: 9,522 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    You may get a cooker from freecycle (I think fitting an electric one would be cheaper; it's illegal to fit gas yourself and advisable for electric, too).People donate their freestanding one when they have a cooker fitted into units or have one with a small problem (charities can't accept them if not less than 5? years old).


    Mine will go on as it's grill element has gone (£100 to replace) but the fan oven and 4 plate halogen hob are excellent.
  • Pixie5740
    Pixie5740 Posts: 14,515 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Eighth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 11 November 2016 at 6:50PM
    What about your friend that stays with you sometimes? Couldn't he help you move if you hire a van? Just hiring a van would be a lot cheaper than hiring a man with a van.

    Why are you putting obstacles in the way? I thought you wanted a council home? Maybe your current curtain rails will fit the wi does in the new place. Maybe you'll find some cheap ones in the January sales. They're just curtain poles and not as important or valuable as a secure tenancy.
  • dekaspace
    dekaspace Posts: 5,705 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    Pixie5740 wrote: »
    What about your friend that stays with you sometimes? Couldn't he help you move if you hire a van? Just hiring a van would be a lot cheaper than hiring a man with a van.

    Why are you putting obstacles in the way? I thought you wanted a council home? Maybe your current curtain rails will fit the wi does in the new place. Maybe you'll find some cheap ones in the January sales. They're just curtain poles and not as important or valuable as a secure tenancy.

    My friend stays for a few days every 2 or 3 months but he isn't a very close friend he to put it bluntly is quite miserable in personality.

    I never said my curtain rails from current place won't fit new one as the buildings are the same its just the council ones got modernised more than the private one, and the current one had a few sets of blinds left by previous tenant that are quite manky.

    With me its not that I am putting in obstacles but for one I can get quite anxious and/or overthink things so either way I am moving just trying to keep disruption and costs to a minimum, in some ways I was thinking maybe it cheaper to get rid of current furniture and buy more as it often comes up cheap at charity shop (bar the beds fridge, tv etc) and would overall at most cost the same as removal costs but then means until I get lucky in the random charity shop sales no furniture.

    So I am a bit worried about the costs mounting up, id still rather move than stay, I could worse comes to worse take the manky old ones from previous tenant (LL outright told me when I moved in they are not included in inventory they were left by last tenant)
  • Pixie5740
    Pixie5740 Posts: 14,515 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Eighth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    Miserable git or not it wouldn't do any harm to ask your friend, or maybe your family could help you move.

    Lots of people start getting rid of old furniture in the run up to Christmas as they buy new furniture for entertaining the family over the festive period so you might be able to pick up some quite nice new stuff from Gumtree, charity shops and Freecycle. Talk to the council about help with the costs of moving.

    If all else fails you could take a leaf out of one of my really tight friend's book. He refused to pay for blinds and curtains and just wore sunglasses indoors. :)
  • dekaspace
    dekaspace Posts: 5,705 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    Well this is a ground floor flat next to a road a bus goes past and right next to a community centre and shop and takeaway so many people will go past.

    If worst came to worst I would just put some old bedsheets up, or buy some curtains and pin them to window, I actually did this before and someone else has mentioned it.

    Annoying enough about 2 months ago my local Wilko was getting rid of old stocks of blinds reduced from £20 to £1, they would of been perfect for kitchen and bathroom as the same size.
  • dekaspace
    dekaspace Posts: 5,705 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    Apologies for bumping thread but I am also now thinking about cleaning/tidying when I move.

    There was no deposit and inventory was a few lines such as stating lighbulbs in every room(and there was just 2 when I moved in) cooker (and not the state of it),

    Cannot remember if it mentioned the carpet was new or not but don't think it did.

    In fact the washing machine and even the shower left by previous tenant and the blinds I was told were not on inventory so if they break they cant replace them.

    The biggest worry was the rent is 2 months in advance but council pays 4 weeks in arrears and LL is paid direct, meaning if its 30 days notice then no more money is due and means about 2/3 months rent will be due back to me from LL when I move out

    I am worried they may mess me around.

    The other thing was I have 2 hoovers at moment, a cheap basic one and a good Vax, and a unused Vax carpet cleaner. I was planning to take the cheap one with me at first to clean up and leave the good one here then when the furniture is out hoover everything, then use carpet cleaner to clean it, I admit I have 2 stains in carpet one in living room in the corner where tv is where I knocked something over but as it was grease based I just spread it and same in bedroom.

    Apart from that apart from darkening of carpet since I got it (as in it looked more orange than brown when I moved in, now its a light brown but no black marks/dirt) its fine.

    And another property I saw of this landlord before I moved here had the same carpet but was years old and was black marks everywhere and deep.

    I was thinking, like I did years ago to borrow a shopping trolley and move what I can i.e the boxes myself leaving the furniture, or hire one of those things like they use at train station where you load things like pallets and drag it to new place that way its only a few journeys maximum.
  • You do like making problems for yourself
  • dekaspace
    dekaspace Posts: 5,705 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    You do like making problems for yourself

    Correction, I am very anxious but what problems are you talking about?
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,323 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 12 November 2016 at 4:44AM
    Please remove, double posting in error
This discussion has been closed.
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