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Any point buying a council house if rent is free and you're long term disabled

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Comments

  • Gentoo365
    Gentoo365 Posts: 579 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    If you believe you would require a job to own your flat, then it may be best to focus on that first. 

    .and if course you would need to assess whether, financially, taking a job would leave you worse off.  Which depends on the specifics of your situation.
  • silvercar
    silvercar Posts: 50,284 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Name Dropper
    If its so terrible why did literally eighty percent of .uk neighbourhood do.it
    If your figure is 80% that must include home owners who were never council tenants. Then the reasons are mixed, but would include not ever being given a council property.

    There is a big difference between buying your council house and buying your council flat. The latter could leave you with big bills down the line and problems in selling.
    I'm a Forum Ambassador on the housing, mortgages & student money saving boards. I volunteer to help get your forum questions answered and keep the forum running smoothly. Forum Ambassadors are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an illegal or inappropriate post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com (it's not part of my role to deal with this). Any views are mine and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.com.
  • Chavez2012
    Chavez2012 Posts: 14 Forumite
    First Post
    It's a four in a block not a flat per we

    Why does Emma day it's a no brainer yet very other respondent says it's dumb ?

    Feels like the answers are in bad fatigue not wanting me to get money
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 19,199 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Are you now saying it is a "cluster home" rather than a flat?


    Buying a council flat is no longer recommended because of both the possibility of horrendous repair/maintenance costs the freeholder can impose on leaseholders and the poor resale value as would be purchasers would be aware of such costs, so the flats are not an attractive proposition.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
  • EssexHebridean
    EssexHebridean Posts: 25,296 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 4 July 2024 at 1:50PM
    Bear in mind if your plan is to buy at a significant discount, then sell on and take the profit, most local authorities are now taking steps to ensure that there is a clause written in that for the first X number of years if selling you have to offer it back to them for first refusal, and there is always a period of time at the beginning after you have purchased where if re-selling you have to pay back the discount, IIRC. 

    Also, if your plan suggests working in order to be able to get a mortgage, then bear in mind it may not be as simple as  just saying you are unable to work again once the mortgage is cleared. If your long term plan is not to return to/stay in paid employment, then staying put as you are would be far more advantageous for you. 
    🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
    Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
    Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
    Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
    £100k barrier broken 1/4/25
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