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Originally Posted by Flubflow
Yep, that's what most people do when they scrape together a deposit (providing the area is reasonably nice to start with).
Trouble is that sometimes, unless most of the properties end up being privately owned in one estate, the council ends up wanting to demolish the whole area at some point in the future and start all over again with some new "vision".  .
One of the other problems is that Johnny Two Jags Prescott in his infinitely fat wisdom saw fit to impose a cap on the right-to-buy discount. This cap has not risen along with inflation or with house price increases. The cap varies depending on the region and in this area it is still at the same old £22,500 cap as when it was introduced by Labour in the late 1990's (except in Scotland where no cap whatsoever was imposed). So, if say in 1999 when your council house was valued at £45,000 then, with your 60% discount, you were still laughing so nobody thought anything much of this new cap back then. Today however, when your house value has rocketed to £130,000 and the RTB cap has remained the same, then you are knackered. Its still cheaper than normal but not by much and not as cheap as rent for a long time. The RTB cap was introduced to stop the sapping up of council housing by proxy RTB purchasers in places like London for the sake of people making a fast buck (with the loss of badly needed affordable housing) but that simply has no bearing up here. They can't get rid of council houses fast enough because they are a financial burden to the councils.
The council up here don't want the burden of housing and all its maintenance problems. That's presumably why they set up these ALMO's. It is the first step in pushing them fully off in to private management companies and rid themselves of a problem that gives them so much public grief. |
Well I'm going to have a rant now. (Not personally aimed at you Flubflow)
Council housing has always been run at a loss, I am not up to date with things recently but I used to socialise once a week with the local housing officer a neumber of years ago. They were happy to sell off all their council houses to tennants because the arrears were a massive debt, they were in the situation where they could not kick the people out for not paying because it would then cost them three times more to put the person into sheltered accomodation. In many cases the debts were written off or the debtor had to repay a small amount over many years to repay the debt.
I also disagree with the discount, why should someone who rents a council house be allowed to have a huge discount when the same doesn't apply to peopel who have been renting privately. Many people who were renting privately did so because they didn't earn enough money to pay a deposit and get a mortgage etc, but on the other hand the single parents and general scroungers were able to be given priority housing by the local authority. Many single mothers in my area were given houses during the 80's and 90's, they later moved in boyfriends and were able to buy the properties at a hugely discounted price. I am buying a property from a close relative, I have lived in it for over twenty years with him and paid all the bills and maintenance. However any discount below the market value is liable to tax, there is no upper limit for me so why should there be for council tennants.
The whole problem with council houses started when the government was throwing around cash after the war to buil cheap affordable housing, this was much needed but as always councils never think about maintenance costs. They love grabbing any grant money that's available and then have problems when maintenance is required. My local council is going to shut three schools, the schools are in such a bad state of repair that they say it will be cheaper to build new ones. The largest school is about 30 years old and the council want it shut quickly so they can sell the land to a developer who is planning to build 500 executive homes.
I have long since realised that going out and getting yourself a job, working hard to buy posessions is for mugs, I should of walked out of home at seventeen and presented myself at the council housing department as a homeless person. then I could of gone on a car stealing and house breaking spree, possibly even sell a few drugs........ Theres always someone who would of taken pity on me and given me a second chance.
Sorry Flubflow not having a dig at you, just on my soapbox again
