Hi girls, not sure if this is the best place for this, but is pregnancy related?

Me and OH live in an inverted house (living room and kitchen upstairs and bedrooms and bathroom downstairs) there is also a small spiral staircase and no normal stairs. This is fine for just us two, but obviously is far from ideal with me being pregnant, or having a baby to manouvre up spiral stairs...also as the main living area is upstairs you can hear every movement of whoever is upstairs, its a new house so not built very well.

We got a really good rental deal when we moved in, but now we are stuck as we cannot afford to move into a "normal" house as we are looking at around £100 more extra a month which we cannot afford.

We have applied to go on the council list, and would probably be offered a one bedroom flat even with a baby on the way(if we are offered one at all). Also the rent for a council flat is only going to be £30 less than what we are paying at the moment..

We just dont know if it is worth us moving, we have 2 bedrooms here..but its not ideal to carry a baby up the stairs...they are pretty tretcherous (Sp) tbh!!

We seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place..it seems like its going to be more hastle for no gain moving into a council place.. OH seems to think that it will be a great idea..but i cant see it ever being worth it..

What do you think?

xx

Thats a tough one hon, I think you're the only one who can know how realistic staying where you are is, but its frustrating that it would cost more to move into alternative rented, or only marginally less for council. Has the landlord got any other properties you could see about moving into, or doing a swap with?

i agree if landlord has other properties a swap may be possible (is always worth asking) and if you inform council you are pregnant they are more likly (not garenteed (sp)) to wait until a 2 bed comes up and offer it to you
x

if you have a 2bedroom property and not being kicked out it will take ages to get a council property.. Have the council given you a band rating ? if not im guessing you would be put in band 3 if your lucky and that can take years to get a property..

I went on the council list as pregnant living with parents put in band 3, mum gave them a date she would be kicking me out and i moved up to band 2 and told that i would not get a place before i was kicked out because of the amount of people on the list and would have to go into a hostel/BnB for anything up till baby was about 3months old, and even once baby was born they did not have to give me a 2bed place till baby was 1 years old and then yet again i would be on a waiting list that could take up to 2years.

So i would try asking your landlord if there are any other propertys he/she has and about going somewhere else have you ever looked into housing benefit since you say it would be hard to pay an extra £100 per month?

When I was pg with my first I was still at home with my mum. When I went into hospital to give birth, I told them there and then I was in effect homeless as Mum was gonna kick me out (she said it to help things along) I had to go to the council the day I came out of hospital and wait to be housed in a B & B, was there for 6 months, then given a temporary 2 bedroom flat. I was there for 3 years and then was given the 2 bed flat I'm in now which is my permanent place. We're gonna have to apply for a 3 bedroom now as my daughter is too old to be sharing her room with a baby/toddler but we do know that it'll probably take years before that happens!

do you have local housing agencies near you? get on their lists as well. i had been on the council list for nearly 6months when some1 told me to contact the agencies and within 3months of doing so i was offered a flat. i had been in the flat for nearly 6months when the council sent a letter saying that they could offer me a bedsit.