Property pickle . . .

I would really appreciate any pearls of wisdom regarding my present property pickle.

As a result of enduring 8 months of misery with the neighbours from hell, having a week on the sick with an immense load of tears spilled, I decided to take the plunge and take the only option available which was to simply get away from here and enter into private rented accommodation (which is going to be a massive financial struggle), but there seemed no other choice.

OK - well, after viewing several places and trawling estate agent pages online I found something really lovely, paid the exorbitant fee of £250 to have the honour of getting a few bits of paper photocopied and someone making a few phone calls and basically I've been offered the tenancy - things are moving forward.

Now then I have been worrying ridiculously, about the prospect of forking out the rent for the foreseeable future and don't see any way out of the situation and no way I could ever propel myself onto the property ladder, the thought of just paying someone else's mortgage with nothing to show for it at the end, and having to seek permission for putting pictures on the wall or putting up a shelf or two, isn't really making me feel too happy but needs must.

I received a phone call today from a local estate agent asking if I'd ever considered buying my own property as they have a new scheme to assist people who assume they won't be able to afford to get onto the property ladder. I told them that being a single waged household I simply never imagined it to be an option - however when I gave her the details of my income and tax credits she seemed to be very positive about it being an real option for me, now then I'm very skeptical and always look for the catch, she wants me to go into the office to discuss it with her as she seems to think it very likely they could help me out. Now then - is it a load of blarny? do I commence with the private rented house and leave my council property? Do I pursue the route of looking to buy for myself? I'm stuck, I'm scared about the thousand quid I have to part with in two week's time and also scared of risking the tenancy as its a lovely little house we've got the let on.

I also need to add that I handed in the Termination of Tenancy to the council yesterday which gives me four weeks from Monday to leave here. I have been a nervous wreck, I fully understand how stress can make you age 30 years in a month now - what route do I follow? I feel like my head is going to explode, I've never been in this situation, have no previous experience with which to draw upon - all I know for certain is that my daughter and I have felt a weight has been lifted, by being given the tenancy on the really lovely house we've found and we really want to move, despite it being a financial nightmare, and I realise that staying put is the cheaper, safer alternative, however it is making us thoroughly unhappy - we are still sharing my room and are tripping over each other, the neighbours are still on their best behaviour due to them being informed that they are under investigation, but I am still able to hear their general noise and regular door slammings and top-of-their-voice conversations - they don't seem to know another way. For now the violence has ceased, but its only been two weeks. We need to get away - any advice I will grab with both hands, I have absolutely no idea what to do, I feel like an egg timer has been turned upside down and the sand is slipping away . . . . . and I feel like i'm in the sand flailing around . . . . . . can anybody help me get my head straight?

Thank you so much. xx

The offer is probably rent to buy where you pay half rent half motgage depending on your circumstances, got to be worth a listen imo.

I remember you posting about the neighbours from hell, I am in a similar position although my situation isn't as bad.
My advice would be to take the new place and give yourself some time to settle your mind. You cannot think straight as you are, so move and enjoy the new surroundings.
Maybe when your mind is more settled you will be able to make more changes if you feel they are necessary - it's time to put some distance between you and your problems.

Good luck.

hi karma ..bless you ..your head must be in a right muddle ..maybe move into your lovely privatley rented house ..and look into the part buy scheme later on ..its a shame you have given up the tenecy on your council house ..wasnt an exchange considered hunny ..also ..being a single parent you may be able to get help with the rent ..via housing benifit ...good luck karma ..hope you will be both settled soon .in your lovely new home ..xx jools

I think you also have to consider cost of repairs if you buy. If anything goes wrong you will be responsible for putting it right, whether that be a new central heating boiler, to a blocked drain.

Now, at my age, i wish i didnt own my own home, as i have to find the finances should anything go wrong, whereas others of my age that i know who live in council property dont.

I have insurances for gas/heating, electrics and plumbing and drains, but these dont cover every eventually and just last year i had to cough up 1800 for a new boiler. Ok i dont pay rent obviously, but neither do many of those who live in council houses who are pensioners either.

The financial aspect of all this, its a worry. Paying rent would be worth the peace of mind that would come with it, and the cost of my insurances would be unnecessary. If i had my time over i wouldnt buy at all.

i thought if you had a council property then you could do an exchange?..with council or housing association..
i suspect it takes time but might it not be a better long term option?

Are you a first time buyer ? If so the government have a new-ish scheme called First Buy . They pay 20 % of the value of the property interest free for ( I think ) 5 years .

My eldest son is looking into this scheme because even with a fairly well paid job AND a deposit , he is still struggling to find a decent flat he can afford . I'm not sure of all the details but if I remember correctly it's available on new builds and is in conjunction with builders . There are co-ownership property schemes too where you part buy and part rent. Maybe one of those options might be what she wants to offer ?

Karamgirl, as LJ has stated homeownership can sometimes be a burden. I currently pay £100 a month for insurances: gas, electric, plumbing emergency cover, building insurance and boiler & central heating servicing and breakdown protection.

Renting from private landlords can sometimes be problematical as despite the law saying they have certain obligations, some are quite shy in carrying out repairs that mean they have to pay out money. if you are going with a private landlord deal, please see if you can find out anything about him/her before you sign on the dotted line of a contract.

Is it too late to retract the council housing tenancy termination? and instead get the council to address the nuisance neighbour issue either by evicting them or bumping you up the exchange list. Once you are in a reasonable council property, you could buy that under the right to buy. The Govt are increasing the discounts I understand in the next year.

The shared ownership schemes are part of the Govts initiative to provide affordable housing and you do pay x amount per month to rent the part you haven't taken a mortgage out on. Some of these schemes require you to purchase the % that you were renting within 10 years so if you go with one of these schemes, please read the small print and save for the day you have to find a lump sum to buy.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

I'm with toughbutcute on this one. go for an exchange. Go see you Doctor and get a note, words to the effect
that it's all effecting your health, take it with you to the Council and also local Housing Associations and I'll bet you have a new (affordable) place within a few months.

Good luck.

NiD I think has a house on one of these schemes, I think they're a great idea as you get the chance to buy more of the property if your circumstances change, and you can sell your part of the property too. I would think its more secure than tenancy would be, especially with the governments plans to make people move into smaller houses once thier children leave home.

Go and talk to the woman and see what its all about, make a list of questions and write down the answers, have a look at what the houses are like and where they are, its won't be commiting you to anything. If you decided to go for it, then whether you can stay in your current house or not is a bit moot, as there'd be nothing keeping you in a privately rented place other than the faff of moving.

Im in a similar situation but cant take the leap you have bravely done for the very same reasons .. not sure my nerves would take it to be honest .. but how i would love and how i long for Peace

However i wish you loads of Good Luck whatever happens and whatever you decide to do x

If u can get a foot on the housing ladder, I`d do it. Personaly (in your shoes) I`d buy a place if I could afford to and rent it out, let someone else pay the mortgage while u live in the nice little place you`ve found. My suspicion is that property prices are going to continue to fall so holding back, could pay off.

Not everyone is cut out to be a landlord, you need to be firm at times and a bit shrewd. Of course I`m sure buying it to let isnt part of the deal but what have u got to lose? Watch yourself with letting agents, some are pretty dodge! Don`t be afraid to go tto Court if they try and turn u over.

would just like to add that from experience, when one is under stress and feeling desperate, they often take drastic and desperae action, which is not always the best choice.
Its very easyto hit the panic button/emergency stop/ ejec But this can have consequences which afterwards on can regret.
Ive been there an made a bad decision to save sanity. however, it could have be seen as good decision if sanity saved.

I Agree with Made -In - Birmingham ..
I did an impulsive leap when i was under pressure re a Property and i lived to regret it .. so thats why i hold

back now ..

i wish i could turn the clock back ,as over they years, that decision ,has caused me endless pain and hardship

I know a Man too who did a similar thing to me he had built and designed his own Home ...he suddenly fell under alot of Pressure and Sold it and went abroad ..he regretted it later...came back to nothing ..to start over ,,,however some years later he fell on his feet again fortunately and his father died and left him his house.. all was well that ended well for him ...

Rushing into Property Decisions is a huge gamble to me .. try to take your time ..investigate it all thoroughly and then make your move ,if you still feel comfortable go ahead

Ive done this over the last few years and then after exploring the property and perspective move, in the held back and stayed put .. as it happens things did change just a little for me ... although my neighbours are still difficult they are not quite as bad as the last lot ,they still have their moments of noise though which makes living here somewhat awkward , but im biding my time for the right moment and right property to turn up

I say buy if you can, but be fussy! Better a shoebox in a good location than a bigger place in a not-so-good area! Also take interest rates into account, they will go up at some point and are currently ridiculously low! Could u afford a 5 point interest rate rise? If you need to sell up, so will lots of other people, leading to a buyers market.

I'm another home owner struggling to keep up with the maintainance of the property on a single income.

In your situation i'd take the private rental and relax for a while ... go and speak to the people re the mortgage and do some research . When you feel the time is right, and you've had some breathing space from the awful situation you're stuck in regarding your horrid neighbours, you'll be able to think more clearly.

Above all, don't panic yourself into anything that you may live to regret xx


When you are in doubt, be still, and wait;
when doubt no longer exists for you, then go forward with courage.
So long as mists envelop you, be still;
be still until the sunlight pours through and dispels the mists
-- as it surely will.
Then act with courage.

Ponca Chief White Eagle (1800's to 1914)

Exchanges can take forever and it's a bad time to buy.

You like your rental place. Go for it.

Dustybin 9-Oct-2011 00:13
Exchanges can take forever and it's a bad time to buy.

You like your rental place. Go for it.


Why do you think its a bad time to buy? Property prices have fallen significantly and interest rates are at a historic low. I think its a good time to buy-so long as you can cope with future rate rises! Remember if you can get a lodger in, you can claim £81 a week, tax free. Don`t even have to declare it.

I still think house prices will fall further though.

I think that mortgages are becoming available again (100% in some cases) indicates the financial services industry believes that they shouldn`t fall much further because no lender wants to lend against an asset likely to fall further in value.

Thank you so very much everyone for sharing your experiences/advice, it means a lot. I'd like to address the home exchange issue that Jools and toughbutcute have mentioned, you see I did join the mutual exchange list and have looked into it, however, when you exchange you have to give reasons for wanting to move - I simply wouldn't be able to bare-facedly lie to someone for them then to move in here and have to endure what I have to endure and then I'd have to go into hiding because they'd hunt me down and want their house back! The only people who seem to want to exchange to the location (not such a good one) where I am situated, are people from the same estate who want to move about on it, I have no idea of the logic of that one!! I am wishing to get away from the estate and all its negative associations.

I really appreciate your advice folks - its funny how it soothes you to hear (read) people saying go ahead with the rental as in my heart of hearts thats what I do want to do, its just nice to know I'm not doing something unhinged as I am a bit overloaded in my brainbox just now. Knowing we are going to go is making it easier to hear all the shouting and far too loud TV sounds as I am now from next door - Starlight M I know exactly what you mean abaout wanting peace - peace and quiet is such a luxury and you don't realise it until you can't ever get it. :o)

Thank you for highlighting the financial aspects of ownership LucyJ - I hadn't realised - I think i've been in a protective bubble for the last 11 and a half years knowing that the council would fix this or that (about a year after you report it broken but they get around to it eventually!!).

I'd also like to mention to Lorrainechase - thank you by the way, but I have to tell you that the council are well aware of my nuisance neighbours - I even wrote to my MP and three local councillors, the children's safeguarding HQ, the Ombudsman, the Letting Agent of the house next door (this is why the council can't do anything). There is a social worker involved with them I'm happy to report - because of my action, so at least I can leave here with a clear conscience and know I did my bit for their little child, which is another issue - its all been going on I can tell you! So - having had to live with these people swimming around in my head for 8 months and having to listen to their racket as I am even now whilst typing this - it is going to be a very happy day when we can leave. Although I have been getting a bit nostalgic and going around my garden saying goodbye to my trees, I know it sounds daft, but I have lovingly pottered around that garden for a long time and I am very attached to the plants. I'm going to try and take cuttings of everything before I leave. I am far too sentimental I make life harder for myself I know!

I will definitely go and speak to the mortgage advice lady and hear what she has to say - I'll suss out whether its pie in the sky or a feasible option - I think there is definitely changes afoot for me and my little un, getting out of my comfort zone to say the least - good job I've read 'Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway!' think I'll have to go and read it again though!!

Thank you so much, and love to all! XX

Karmagirl 9-Oct-2011 11:06

" its funny how it soothes you to hear (read) people saying go ahead with the rental as in my heart of hearts thats what I do want to do,"

There you go, i think you've answered your own question...good luck. :o)

I think there is definitely changes afoot for me and my little un, getting out of my comfort zone to say the least *

Karma ... it's amazing just how empowered you'll feel once you've carried it through. You'll be able to sit back & think ... 'I did it! ... What's next?' :-))

Good luck xx

Aw thank you Milky and Clocky - change is definitely scary - am literally going on gut instinct you know.

Clocky, I'm mortified - can I please amend that sentence to say "I think there ARE definitely changes afoot . . ." I'm so embarrassed now. :o)

Thank you lovely people. xx

Bear in mind too, that rent only goes up, a mortgage in time, will reduce. And you`ll have something to show for it after 25 years. Good luck!