[rubymoo]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Do you not think? ah well I may be mistaken it seemed the tone had changed and it was distinctly negative towards social housing tenants.
I know in some areas this was the case and during the advent of social housing there were those who felt a council house was tantamount to a state handout too, had they been given the foresight to see 40yrs down the line that the sell of would occur and would benefit from being a social housing tenant they may have swallowed their pride?
There are also huge sections of council housing that are prefabricated jerry built concrete boxes, Livett-Cartright homes for instance, they're steel framed structures built in 1953 to last 25yrs... still here and being sold with the rest of the stock as perfectly habitable dwellings.
Maybe it isn't fair, but they want these 'houses' off they're hands asap before they all collapse preferably. The fact that it's creating an 'us and them' divide also is perhaps just a happy accident.

Both my sisters live in housing association houses, one lives in a victorian terrace property, the other in an ex local authority house, they have both claimed benefits for most of their adult lives.

The victorian property would normally go for around £100,000, so is it right she gets it for £30,000?

Absolutely not!

We need these houses to be kept as social housing as not enough houses are being built.

And i live in an ex local authority house (we did not buy it off the council!) and it's a good solid strong house and not on the verge of collapse

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by rubymoo

Both my sisters live in housing association houses, one lives in a victorian terrace property, the other in an ex local authority house, they have both claimed benefits for most of their adult lives.

The victorian property would normally go for around £100,000, so is it right she gets it for £30,000?

Absolutely not!

We need these houses to be kept as social housing as not enough houses are being built.

And i live in an ex local authority house (we did not buy it off the council!) and it's a good solid strong house and not on the verge of collapse

I'm not sure why you're cross, because your sisters don't work or because your house originally sold for less but you didn't benefit?...
What would the alternative be, to not sell any.. to turf out the current tenant and sell at full market value?

[rubymoo]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I'm not sure why you're cross, because your sisters don't work or because your house originally sold for less but you didn't benefit?...
What would the alternative be, to not sell any.. to turf out the current tenant and sell at full market value?

I just think if you want to buy a house you should save for it, and social housing should be kept for the most needy and vulnerable in our society, and to be honest we bought our house when the prices were good, so we didn't lose anything in fact we've gained, it's the fact that our neighbours have been given a house whereas we've had to work for ours.

I could say the same about my dad, is it fair that he's never worked a day in his life (only cash in hand if you know what i mean), then he gets to buy his council house at a rock bottom price, when other hard working people have to work for theirs, my dad would get a full refund as he's been in social housing for over 40 years, however he's paid no tax, no national insurance.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by rubymoo

I just think if you want to buy a house you should save for it, and social housing should be kept for the most needy and vulnerable in our society, and to be honest we bought our house when the prices were good, so we didn't lose anything in fact we've gained, it's the fact that our neighbours have been given a house whereas we've had to work for ours.

I could say the same about my dad, is it fair that he's never worked a day in his life (only cash in hand if you know what i mean), then he gets to buy his council house at a rock bottom price, when other hard working people have to work for theirs, my dad would get a full refund as he's been in social housing for over 40 years, however he's paid no tax, no national insurance.

How on earth would he get a mortgage then if he'd never worked?
If you work and have a lifetime tenancy, agree to take over the responsibility for the maintenance of the house then maybe this is the reason for the discount? It's on a sliding scale therefore if you haven't been a tenant that long the discount would be relative.
Again social housing isn't and never was for the poor and needy it's for everyone, not everyone wishes to buy and affordable rents were and are preferable to some.

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by rubymoo

I just think if you want to buy a house you should save for it, and social housing should be kept for the most needy and vulnerable in our society, and to be honest we bought our house when the prices were good, so we didn't lose anything in fact we've gained, it's the fact that our neighbours have been given a house whereas we've had to work for ours.

I could say the same about my dad, is it fair that he's never worked a day in his life (only cash in hand if you know what i mean), then he gets to buy his council house at a rock bottom price, when other hard working people have to work for theirs, my dad would get a full refund as he's been in social housing for over 40 years, however he's paid no tax, no national insurance.

What a simply refreshing and brilliantly honest post Ruby.

[rubymoo]

Do you think the government want to sell these houses, so that they are off their hands? It must be very costly to keep up maintenance on these houses, that way if social housing no longer exists, it will all be down to private landlords to offer rented housing.

Council budgets are getting smaller and smaller, maybe that is what the Conservative government are thinking, get rid and they're someone else's problem!

I do worry for my daughters, how the hell are they going to afford their houses?

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by rubymoo

Do you think the government want to sell these houses, so that they are off their hands? It must be very costly to keep up maintenance on these houses, that way if social housing no longer exists, it will all be down to private landlords to offer rented housing.

Council budgets are getting smaller and smaller, maybe that is what the Conservative government are thinking, get rid and they're someone else's problem!

I do worry for my daughters, how the hell are they going to afford their houses?

I've said exactly that, you're not reading my posts are you?

[rubymoo]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I've said exactly that, you're not reading my posts are you?

I have read your posts, it's just you've articulated your posts better!

But some of the council and housing association stock are very well made as in my family and neighbours instance, around my area 2 years ago, all council houses had new kitchens, boilers and central heating, and new kitchens put in, just for 1 house that would be over £10,000.

My neighbours got a good deal!

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by rubymoo

I have read your posts, it's just you've articulated your posts better!

But some of the council and housing association stock are very well made as in my family and neighbours instance, around my area 2 years ago, all council houses had new kitchens, boilers and central heating, and new kitchens put in, just for 1 house that would be over £10,000.

My neighbours got a good deal!

Ruby friends of mine sold their house in this area as the wanted to trade up to a bigger house in the same area, their house was well maintained as it has been their family home for 10 years, a housing assocation came in with an offer and bought the property for market value so whilst I would agree some Council properties are not well built or maintained, this is not the case for all of them.

[rubymoo]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Ruby friends of mine sold their house in this area as the wanted to trade up to a bigger house in the same area, their house was well maintained as it has been their family home for 10 years, a housing assocation came in with an offer and bought the property for market value so whilst I would agree some Council properties are not well built or maintained, this is not the case for all of them.

I agree Cherie, all of my family live in very well built housing association/council properties, my house is ex local authority, built in 1949, nice big rooms, big garden, drive to the front, as i've said in a previous post, i did not buy this house off the council.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by rubymoo

I have read your posts, it's just you've articulated your posts better!

But some of the council and housing association stock are very well made as in my family and neighbours instance, around my area 2 years ago, all council houses had new kitchens, boilers and central heating, and new kitchens put in, just for 1 house that would be over £10,000.

My neighbours got a good deal!

They had 2 kitchens put in, was it Ed Miliband moving in?

I agree if they had family living with them they could raise the cash between them and avoid a mortgage, but in London? even with the full discount that would be a massive amount of money to raise. They would then have to sit on it for 2-3yrs.

[rubymoo]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

They had 2 kitchens put in, was it Ed Miliband moving in?

I agree if they had family living with them they could raise the cash between them and avoid a mortgage, but in London? even with the full discount that would be a massive amount of money to raise. They would then have to sit on it for 2-3yrs.

Lol

Well spotted with the typo

[Vicky.]

This will benefit me if it sticks around for long enough. But I still think its an awful idea tbh, we need more social housing, not less.

[Vicky.]

Hmm apparently houses in my area go for 90k.

Which means if I stay here long enough (and this is still about) I can buy for like..just under 30k. Seems ****ing crazy.

Been here just over 5 years..and apparently I could buy this place for 58 grand right now.

[Josy]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

Hmm apparently houses in my area go for 90k.

Which means if I stay here long enough (and this is still about) I can buy for like..just under 30k. Seems ****ing crazy.

Been here just over 5 years..and apparently I could buy this place for 58 grand right now.

I know someone that lived in an end of terrace, cottage type front and back door, front and back garden with driveway etc, the family lived in the house for 18 years (the person that bought it never but the housing thought otherwise) on the market the house is worth 95k, they got it for...£16k and it's now up for private let.

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Josy

I know someone that lived in an end of terrace, cottage type front and back door, front and back garden with driveway etc, the family lived in the house for 18 years (the person that bought it never but the housing thought otherwise) on the market the house is worth 95k, they got it for...£16k and it's now up for private let.

My friends mum when I was at school, bought hers for around 10k. God knows how as I havent looked into this right to buy thing properly but I *think* she had been there literally her whole life. She sold the house 2 years ago for near 200k Mind the area itself had a massive price rise too..I think it was worth about 100k when she bought it. Still a massive profit though. She bought another house outright and now has savings ... 190k profit in |10 years...

[arista]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

My friends mum when I was at school, bought hers for around 10k. God knows how as I havent looked into this right to buy thing properly but I *think* she had been there literally her whole life. She sold the house 2 years ago for near 200k Mind the area itself had a massive price rise too..I think it was worth about 100k when she bought it. Still a massive profit though. She bought another house outright and now has savings ... 190k profit in |10 years...

Thats Fair Play
to Her.