Hmm, where shall I start? A brief summary of the issues behind my need to rant may be appropriate at this point!
So, the basics of the situation are, the powers that be, ie: the local council, have an evil plan to build, sorry I would probably be closer the mark if I said 'a plan to sell to developers' the land upon which my house is built! Now don't get me wrong, I'm not alone, you'd have trouble fitting a corner shop on the land my house takes up. Oh, no, by golly, they would like to kick out 2+ streets worth of peasants.
As far as the evidence shows, they would appear to have excelled themselves in the preparations for this project. The streets have gradually been reduced to the metal-shuttered affair they now exist as.
You'll recall how the council decided they wanted no further part in the 'housing business' some years ago and went to great lengths to sell off all their properties, well, a large number of these (certainly in our area) were sold to 'housing associations' (I personally suspect some of these were merely a 'contract-type' set-up and still governed to some extent by the councils themselves). Anyway, what happened here is, as tenants moved out of houses, they were 'boarded-up' and left empty. None of this pansy wooden boarding you get, oh no, we got the modern day classy sheet-metal eyesores they all seem so fond of these days.
And here we are today, a handful of residents in an undervalued area being pressured into turning our lives upside down for the convenience of the local authority's back-pocket.
So, if they were so intent in selling houses not so long ago, why do they now desire so badly to buy so many houses back? You see, they claim there is no decision as to the future of the properties, just that they are in such a state, that something must be done to improve the area!! OPEN THE DAMN THINGS BACK UP AND LET PEOPLE LIVE IN THEM!!
I should mention that all the 'housing association owned' properties have now been bought back by the council, along with one or two privately owned ones whose elderly owners they have successfully chased out for minimal, unfair and incredibly 'un-princely' sums.
The reason the properties are worth so little now is all down to the councils' behavior in closing so many up. The houses are now worth so little that it is impossible to find any alternative, in any area in the same price bracket.
This leads me to another highly irritable point, the government keep banging on about getting all of Britains 'peasants' onto the property ladder, now I've got myself a house to call my own, to call 'home' indeed, they want to kick me out on the street (of course, not out onto my street, that'll be a car park or something by then!!)
They must be aware, even from their ivory towers, that it will be impossible for any of us to replace our homes. I do appologize, that makes it sound like they might actually care! The fact of the matter is, and, Yes I am aware that everyone has their own circumstances, but I personally bought this place (in the nick of time with the way the housing market went) because I cannot afford to rent in this day and age! I work hard 6 days a week by the way, I just don't get paid enough like so many people these days.
Anyway, I digress, back to my rantings! So, they have now put in for 'Clearance' due to the findings of their 'comprehensive' survey. I received an estimation for allegedly necessary works to my home, which they had the gall to describe as 'In a state of serious dis-repair!' Serious Dis-repair! That's just slander, plain and simple. Yes, the place is still a bit tatty I'll grant you, but its all cosmetic. Please, a little respect, I bought a 'bondy' less than two years ago, it had been empty for about 12 months and there's only little, old me, working 6 days a week on a poor wage to do the work! Admitedly, I don't live entirely alone, but if you know of a way to convince dogs to help with the painting, please get in touch!!
Hmm, where was I? . . . oh, yes, the estimation!! It suggested, it will cost 28 thousand, something or other pounds and 92pence (92 pence no less) to get my home 'up to scratch' For a start, it's not a legal requirement to have 'plastic' windows or central heating (which incidentally plays merry-hell with my breathing!) so, you need not insult my home for those expensive reasons. This is of course all things which they comprehensively surveyed before making any judgements . . . from the other side of the street, I presume because their surveyor has never set foot in my house!! And before you suggest it, no they didn't break in while I was at work, I have our Max's solemn promise that he has never let any strange men with clipboards any where near the place, that's his job!!
Of course, I'm still waiting for a breakdown of these costs, it is only what, maybe 2, 3 months since I requested a copy. I did get 4 . . what d'ya call 'em, suggestions, insights, insults(!) listed on my estimation letter. 'Lack of ventillation' Ha! My house wasn't built by Jack mate, this place was created back in our 'Stanley's' day, I've got real wooden floor boards and air-bricks!! I have no intention of ripping any of the skirts off the walls, but I suspect you'll find the plaster work (not plaster board you'll notice) doesn't reach the floors either.
I'm not a builder, it's not my specialist subject at all, but I really do believe that I'm not daft, my Dad is a clever man and he excelled at his job as 'my dad' I 'helped' with every job he ever did on the house while I was growing up, to this day, we laid a garden path together recently! I like 'meddling' with things, finding out how/why they work, making them work again. I'm one them sad people who stands back, looks at a job just done, and feels better!!
Which brings me to another fact that winds me up about this "Ooo lets knock those peasants' huts down and flog the land below for an exhorbidant amount of money"! I ventured bravely into the art of laying tiled floors some time ago! Thats MY FLOOR in the kitchen, it's brand spanking new - 'out-last me that floor will', I BUILT that floor, it's mine an' I'm SOO proud of it!!!
I've done a fair whack of work here, it's getting better all the time, I don't want them to take my home from me. I so very much want to see if I can get to the end of the decorating before it's time to start again!! I'm aware thats the age-old 'fact of the matter' with decorating, but I don't know if this makes sense, but I'm 'at that age' or 'fed up of packing boxes' or 'wotevva' that I'm happy here, behind this front door, with these neighbours, in this place - this is "My Castle". And yea, I want to strip the wallpaper that I put up one day. I never again wish to attempt the removal of antique woodchip which was seemingly applied with 'araldite'!!
On one side of me, I have a 'shiny-mint' house with a great neighbour in it and on the other side, I have metal shutters and a solid metal front door and a boarded up extextion roof. It was like that when I moved in! There is a 'need' for these types of houses, they're only little houses, but the rooms are decent sized nearly all have had an extention at some time, you lose a bit of 'back-yard', so what? I've got dogs, it's perfect, scrubbs in 4mins or so of a morning (not good at mornings!) And I've got enough 'line' for my washing!!
Let's be perfectly honest here, if you moved this house, say, 20 miles down the road, it'd be called a "MEWS" and you'd expect a price-tag anywhere above a hundred thousand, all day! Without spending any 28thou . . 92p!!
Anyway, quite ironically, I'm off to strip paint off one of my doors with a hope of it rubbing-down good enough to varnish!! "Serious state of dis-repair Indeed!"
I can't imagine anyone actually ever reaching this far through my rantings but If you're reading this bit, then 'Cheers!' Betta out than in!! - Qx