Council House

Pinkxxxx

Hya I'm so upset, We were offered a house in February just before the lockdown.  So weve only seen the outside of it.  The house itself is in a beautiful area not on a estate so I was really excited.  Well we received a telephone call 4 weeks ago, weve got to wait 3 months due to their being no central heating the house was rented to a elderley lady who hadnt touched it.  Today we drove past it there was a contractor working there he told me that this house was the oldest houses hes ever worked on.  The walls were bright purple artex which had been made secure and filled in to allow the electrician to do his job.  We walked through the lounge and into the kitchen to the biggest shock the only toilet in.the house is in the adjoining out house.  The bedrooms were all together on the top of the stairs no landing.  It really breaks my heart the council arnt doing anything to get rid of the artex and we carnt afford a professional to get rid of it.  And I carnt believe the only toilet is in the outbuildings.  I really wanted my own house and finally stop private renting but this is awful.

FtbDreaming

Thats what you get when you get a council house, mine was a hovel. There were mice and bugs, spiders everywhere. Layers of wallpaper dating back to the 1950s. Lots of dodgy diy things done by previous tenants, asbestos ceilings. None of the floors are level. 


I have been here 8 years and am now in the process of buying it. I decorated the whole house 3 times making it a bit better and spending a bit more money each time and now I'm waiting until I own it to do a big full renovation. Think of it as a blank canvas you can do what you want to it. It takes time to make a house a home. You will have the security you will never have private renting. 

dimbo61

Can't really understand what your asking.
You have been offered a run down house in a nice area.
Now the council/housing association can't rent a property or sell a house without a working kitchen and bathroom.
So the council have some work to do before they can start to rent out the property.
So new kitchen, new bathroom and new central heating plus modern insulation.
Complete rewire to get EICR or Electrical installation certificate.
Major works but you might end up with a Fabulous home 
Keep on top of events to make sure it's your new home

theartfullodger

Poster's other thread...

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6153756/council-house#latest

### I really wanted my own house and finally stop private renting but this is awful.#####

No offence but if you want "my own house" that usually involves buying it.  When renting it belongs to the landlord ..... Or did I misunderstand your comments:

Best regards

Splatfoot

Here in Sussex, waiting lists for council houses are years long. You're lucky.  You can make it homely. Move in, decorate it to your tastes, feel good in the knowledge that you'll be secure there. 

[Deleted User]

I have arthritis quite badly.  On benefits so not a fortune for decorating.  I was given a council house with badly done brown artex (I hate brown) in the living room, lower hallway, 4m high stairway and upper hallway (here they glossed it).  In some places its falling off the walls, in others its like its been concreted on.  So I couldn't leave it.  I apply water liberally and scrape it off.  Bit by bit (hint you need a very very rigid trowel, I can't remember what its called but look at some Youtube videos).  And believe you me, its not fun when you have arthritis.  I put plastic down and roll it all up when I'm finished for the day, easier to throw the mess away.  Use lots of water.

The council say its decorating so even with the physical problems I have, they won't do a thing.

I am pretty sure the council will have to put an bathroom somewhere in the house.  I assume this was an unofficial viewing, which probably wasn't a good thing.  But you can phone and ask if a bathroom will be put in and where.  You can also contact your MP - did you get any photos?

In the past I moved into a council place that had been subject to damp.  The lower wall was remedied, but not the upper level.  It was cracked like wood.  So I spent a few days sanding it down.  Never having done it before, I put a kitchen in.  Slowly, checking how to do things or thinking it through as I went.

Its your choice.., the rent for my council place is a third I would be charged in private rental.  Topping up the private rental rent was costing me £150 a month, now it would be over £300.  And for that, I had to insulate the roof, put up with a badly done bathroom and kitchen extension with no insulation (ceiling, so couldn't easily remedy the problem) that sucked the warmer air into it like a black hole (there was no radiator in the extension).  I had a boiler that broke every couple of months (LL refused to replace it even after a couple of years), a mouldy bathroom, mice, hole in the roof that I had to sort repair myself because somehow LL couldn't get contractors in.  Yep I was played.  And you can get bad attitude from the council.., but in my experience they do do far more repairs than my private LL did.  Because I was on benefits (and the difference between LHA and private rents meant I just could not afford to pay private rents) I had no choice.  

It will take a while, but eventually I will have a nice property.  And not have to worry about the LL deciding to sell.  I suspect you will have central heating put in.  That's been done in my place.  Means more than I can say to be warm, quickly and economically because of the new boiler and central heating.  So it is going to be a long job to make it look nice.., I can live with that.  Like I said, I think the council will have to put a bathroom in.

I know from experience, when people say you are lucky its almost enough to make you froth at the mouth (why they had to give me this place rather than others that were vacant given my disability I will never figure out), but whatever state its in, it will be our home.  And it will look like our home.

KatrinaWaves

Some of the things I can understand feeling a bit ‘meh’ about, but complaining there is no landing?! Sorry but beggars (Figuratively) can’t be choosers! 

MovingForwards

Join some local Facebook selling groups in the area you are moving to.
When you move in put a post up saying you've just moved into a council property, are disabled and wonder if anyone has any white paint they don't need and could give to you.
I've seen loads of posts like that.

Alternatively, get to B&Q or other shop, buy some trade white paint, rollers and hand it over to your kids to paint the house.

So what if it's not to your colour scheme, they never are. 

What's the alternative? Decline it and stay in private renting, knowing you will have to move to another because of costs.

Many people in private rentals would kill to have a secure home for life, cheaper rents, knowing repairs will be done and that they can change the décor / hang pictures, change carpets etc.

Even those who buy a property have to decorate etc and put up with whatever the previous owners taste was in the interim, or have original wooden windows, no central heating, original bathrooms and kitchens, they have to fund it themselves but are so grateful to have a home they can call their own after moving from rental to rental, saving every penny just to buy that property.

[Deleted User]

I'm not sure the OP is disabled, you might be confusing the OP with my post?

KatrinaWaves

deannatrois said:

I'm not sure the OP is disabled, you might be confusing the OP with my post?

OP does state in her other post that she is due to an accident at work. At the same time taking issue with the fact the only bathroom was downstairs, so I questioned whether that would be better for her long term. That wasn’t answered as OP never returned to that thread. 

[Deleted User]

Ahh ok, sorry.  Not everyone is right for council housing.  You have to be prepared for a place that is a bit of sty.., if it isn't when you move in, count your blessings. I'm lucky I have downstairs and upstairs loos but have lived with just a downstairs loo.  As you say, you spend most of your time downstairs so that's not been a problem for me.