Council properties trade-in?

netgear11

This may very well be the wrong forum, but I'll give it a try, and I apologise if I've gotten it wrong!

Myself, my partner and my daughter are currently living in a 3-bedroom housing trust property.

Due to troubles with our neighbours upstairs (on going unrelenting noise for 3 years), I, for the sake of my health and wellbeing, have to move properties.

Now, as we no longer jave a need for a 3-bedroom, I was pondering the chance of trading it in for, possibly, 1 2-bedroom and 1 1-bedroom. Because my daughter is 21 now and just graduated from uni - so a good time for her own place too.

Can anyone share some advice/experience with me? I'd very much appreciate any input! Thank you all very much for your help!

- Marie

Felicity

Can your daughter not wait until she has a job and then either rent privately or purchase her own house?

I am not up on these things, but I am assuming you are asking if she can have a council house of her own?

rsykes2000

It's likely your daughter (if she requested one) would be well down on the list of potential council house occupiers. She's got a degree therefore has earning potential, isn't a single parent, has no dependents etc.

seven-day-weekend

From my (admittedly limited) experience, single people stand virtually no chance of social housing unless they have disabilities or social problems or are single parents.

PasturesNew

I took it to mean that the daughter would be going off and privately renting/sharing, as is the norm at that age. Not that the OP was assuming she'd get a council let, which she won't.

What you need to do is to find some of those house swap sites, where people swap council housing. Must be loads of people wanting a 3-bed that only have a 2-bed!

Just read it again. No, no chance of trading in two for one.

Your daughter's on her own two feet now. And with a Uni education has no excuse not to fend for herself like everybody else does.

dmg24

I would agree with rsykes2000.

If social housing is in short supply in your area, you will be rehoused to a two bedroom property (for the three of you). If your daughter is wishing to move out, then you may only get a one bedroom property.

If three beds are in v short supply and one/ two beds readily available, you may even be paid to move. You would need to check if your LA/ social housing landlord has such a scheme.

netgear11

My daughter is good. She will be renting privately in the city.

But what I want to do is trade-in this 3-bedroom for a 2-bedroom within the same area, preferably in one of the newer developments (which have sprung up everywhere).

What are my chances of this and what time-frame am I looking at?

netgear11

And I'd juat like to say "thanks" and "wow" for the rapid replies! Don't expect that on most forums! Thought I was going to have to wait 48 hrs or so . Thanks guys.

silvercar

If you put notes up in newsagents etc that you are looking to swap a 3 bed for a 2-bed I'm sure you will get lots of people contacting you.

Most councils have swap schemes; provided neither of you have rent arrears and the people increasing their property size can justify their need for a bigger pad, it should be easy to organise.

netgear11

Rent arrears? Well I have been living here for 12 years and often have had to pay 2/3 months rent in one shot.

So my chances are good?

netgear11

I also would like to point out that my initial idea was not to simply swap properties with another tenant, but to move in to a vacant 2-bedroom property, whilst giving up the 3-bedroom I am in.

Not so much a swap.