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| x_zero_x |
on Fri 31 Jul 09, 7:04 PM to x_zero_x's blog.
Well, it's been a year since i was first offered my council flat in a Dundee high rise. It's not a bad place once you learn to turn a blind eye to a few things, for instance, the guy who lives directly below me with his two teenage sons who, despite living with their Dad, like to throw parties where i could sing along with most of the songs, if i knew the lyrics to that kind of music. Sometimes while i'm trying to get to sleep for nightshift during the day, or sometimes when i'm trying to sleep for dayshift just never when i'm not trying to sleep. Then there's the skip hire place across the road that fires up at 7am every weekday morning, despite the double glazing i still get woken by this every morning.Then there's the couple a few floors above me who feel that using a bin is too much work and just throw their rubbish out the kitchen window, sometimes it even lands on my windowsill, once even, on my open window! If you can ignore that then it's ok, well apart from the discarded needles sometimes found lying around the outside of the building, not to mention the unconscious drug addicts lying in the stairwell on occasion and the rather rough looking friends of some previous tennent, long since gone, banging on my door looking for "Charlene" or "Bob-o". Luckily most get a fright when i answer the door but, it's not the point. Visiting a friend, in his new flat, for the first time the other day, i commented how much i love his house. His response to ask me how much and when i told him which part of my anatomy i would give up to live in a place like that he informed me that wouldn't be necessary but half the rent would suffice. The flat, which is in a converted mill, is a 4 bedroom affair (more house than flat) and, since there's no HMO only 2 of the rooms are allowed to be rented, my friend has his bedroom and a gym, i would have my bedroom (en-suite no less) and another double bedroom for the little one staying over. Which leads me to my dilemma. Not only would i be giving up my freedom (living alone does have it's benefits, especially when this guy is, as far as i know terribly vanilla) but, although this guy is a friend, i don't know him 100% and that's not a good thing when i have my daughter coming to stay (that part's still to be ironed out for thse that know my situation). So now my decision hangs in the balance. Being offered a flat like this seems too good to be true! i don't want to attempt to describe the place but let's just say it has a mezzanene in the living room which sports a pool table!
it's times like this i miss my Mum's advice the most!
zero
Edited Sat 1 Aug 09, 7:42 PM by x_zero_x
| 31 Jul 09, 7:11 PM Elven_Eyes UK, 5 yrs |
I don't know you at all but you mention little one and a daughter coming to stay- if I were in that position I'd give up my freedoms to a vanilla's company for my children's sake. I'd rather show them a nice place and a nilla housemate than roughs in the middle of the night and needles outside the building. Just my thought. Good luck with your decision. "The chaperon is there to make sure no one else has any fun, but nobody chaperons the chaperon. That's why I'm so right for this job." -Jane Russell as Dorothy Shaw, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" | |
| 31 Jul 09, 7:13 PM x_zero_x UK(DD), 10 yrs |
the little one and daughter are the same thing. This place would certainly be a place she would love, it's right in the city centre but is far quieter than where i am now.
Your day has finally come - | |
| 31 Jul 09, 7:18 PM cosmick UK, 6 yrs |
Depends how bad the area really is, i wouldn't give up a flat on my own to share again, i'm well past that. Even when you have decent house mates its hard to go back to sharing, there is always a sense of loss of freedom to do whatever you want/. Dunno what its like up there but down here takes years to get a council flat or house, so giving it up to go private and it doesn't work out would be a nightmare because the rent for a council house here is just over half the rent for a one bedroom flat rented privately. Is there any HA stuff up there, tend to be quite nice down here anyways and a bit quicker to get than council flats. As for noisy neighbours i had a young couple move in next door playing crappy music quite loud, got sick of it and went out on my motorbike leaving them to an evening of Motorhead full blast, after that never had any more problems with their crap music. | |
| 31 Jul 09, 7:27 PM x_zero_x UK(DD), 10 yrs |
i could pull a similar stunt, the folk upstairs from me are deaf so they wouldn't be effected by me playing something like that full blast, apart from, of course, the vibrations. But yeah, the loss of freedom is my biggest fear, though i do get a floor of the house to myself, it just isn't the same. There are loads of housing associations round here and am on the list for them anyway. Your day has finally come - | |
| 31 Jul 09, 7:41 PM Masters_Delight UK(WD), 5 yrs |
It sounds ideal but if it was me i would rather keep my council place. Living with someone is all well and good but if you don't know them that well it is a big step to take. Down the line a bit he may want his house/flat to himself and then your stuck. Private renting is sooooo expensive compared to council. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.x Im so fucking fabulous, i piss glitter. | |
| 31 Jul 09, 7:42 PM x_zero_x UK(DD), 10 yrs |
It's things like this that are playing at the back of my mind, it all seems to good to be true! Your day has finally come - | |
| 31 Jul 09, 7:51 PM Masters_Delight UK(WD), 5 yrs |
Im so fucking fabulous, i piss glitter. | |
| 31 Jul 09, 11:10 PM Arbuthnot UK(E), 7 yrs |
Cosmick is dead right. You've got a Secure Tenancy now and that's not to be chucked away lightly, especially for housing with no legal security at all and which depends on a friendship. However solid the friendship may be at the moment, things can change, including the other person's life and needs. A secure tenancy is a tradeable commodity (including for an Assured Tenancy of a housing association) so very much worth hanging onto. It took me 30 years to get one! In the medium term, what might be done to tackle the problems on your estate? No, I don't mean complaining to the council about other people, pressing for ASBOs etc. That's always counter-productive and no way to relate to your neighbours, however problematic they might be. What I'm thinking of is getting together with others to make it a better place to live and to care for each other and the estate. This can be a transformative and empowering experience as long as you don't take too much notice of the council, use them only for the (limited) things they're good for, and otherwise take the power into your own hands. Do memo me if you want to discuss any of this further. | |
| 1 Aug 09, 12:44 AM Dovetail UK, 3 yrs  |
Not all Local Authorities are the same. Some, if you give up a council property and then when things don't work go back to them, deem you 'Intentionally Homeless'. It can then be very difficult to get any assistance from them, even when you have a child. Check your LA's policy - although it can change the policy at any time if it is not already the case. Good luck, whatever you do. | |
| 2 Aug 09, 9:00 AM Ariane 8 yrs |
Pros and cons...but...
I live in a very nice council flat with good neighbours. There weren't always good neighbours, but even the slightly trashy ones are easier to get on with if you make friends with them. Making your own place nice is in your own hands, you can do whatever you want inside. The council even gave me paint vouchers! So, how hard are you prepared to work to make a really nice place for the little one? You're entitled to two bedrooms if you have a visiting child. Exactly how bad it is outside may take some time and patience to tackle, but if anyone tries to use it against you, citing that this is council property and that they have a responsibility to keep it safe for tennants is a good argument to government officials.
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