Affordable Housing

datlex

I had to provide everything including carpets, curtains and white goods when I was in affordable rented accommodation. When I left it, I left the white goods as there were already some here. The carpets were in ok condition as well so the housing association agreed they could stay down. When I moved in there were pre-paid meters but I got those changed.

HampshireH

If its a new build and you are the 1st person in you may have carpets.

A lot of new builds come carpeted.

amizaki

Its wooden floor.

[Deleted User]

Like I keep saying on here, I live in social housing and pay 1/3 of what I would be paying for a private rental. So I don't mind that its in a worse condition with no white goods. Try freegle for free goods. Somewhere like the Heart Foundation often has slightly shabby goods they will let you have cheaper than their normal prices if you explain your budget.

I bought a non frost free fridge freezer for £46 when I moved into social housing. Wasn't what I wanted, didn't look brilliant but three years later I was able to buy what I wanted. Meanwhile I could freeze and chill food as needed. Same for a cooker, get one cheap that the owner can't be bothered to clean out, second hand ads in shop windows, facebook etc. Clean it til it shines and make do.

I still haven't got flooring in my house, but will have within the next six months. Will lay it myself even though I shouldn't really. Will be delivered for free by Wickes (a lot of places charge for delivery). Or you can make do with cheap lino until you can afford what you want, or second hand rugs/cheap rugs. I've bought them all over time lol. However if you are looking at a new build, there probably will be some kind of flooring.

You will just have to do without what you can't afford or can't get cheaply.., but you will be paying a lot less rent than in private rental. In London, where private tenants on hard times can be booted out of the area to cheaper housing by councils, this is an important advantage of social housing. What I have described isn't entirely 'comfortable' but at least I won't be asked to move on by a private LL after six months cause his pregnant daughter wants to move in or they want to sell etc. And yes, the rent is an absolute bargain.

EDF often aren't the cheapest provider of gas/electric but they replace prepayment meters for free. With a prepayment meter when I moved in here, I was paying half again for the same amount of utilities i was previously paying for on a credit meter. Its gone back down again now I'm back on a credit meter. Save what you can, where you can obviously.