sheltered flat

dollie my hubby and I live in a supported apartment after living in a large family house and after we got used to the difference in size (we had lived abroad prior to coming here after our house sale) we can say it is the best move we have ever made,with regard to noise we have had no problems as all the neighbours are in a similar position (I am the youngest on our development of 16) we are not "sheltered" by way of having help everyday but just "supported" by way of having emergency contact available for my OH if ever I am away,you will find you can be as friendly or as private as you want,I would say go and visit the area at different times and see what it is like and make your decision from there and check on the transport/chemists/shopping facilities in case you are ever kept in doors for some reason.

thankyou glammanana....the council flat is in the same village as me so central to everything and i know the area very well ...it is supported housing ie emergency cord...i am high on the list so there is a good chance of getting it if i like it.....i think deep down im finding it a daunting task and am finding fault with downsizing at every step...i am on my own so ive no support ...family or otherwise...ive got till wednesday to decide as thats when the bidding ends...

Hi dollie, I completely understand where you are coming from as I was in the same position 18 months ago.

But I took the leap of faith and went for it, and can honestly say it is the best thing I have done in a long time!

I went from a large 3 bed house to a 1 bed flat (converted semi, so have upstairs and next door neighbours). To cap it all, I went from a town to a village, although only 10 min drive from anywhere. It was daunting, and a bit scary, but I am SO glad I did it.
And I actually found the 'downsizing' bit quite cathartic. I was amazed at how much I had accumulated over 15 years in the house, some was great to rediscover, but on the whole, I couldn't even tell you why I had it in the first place.

My neighbours are lovely, and although I can sometimes hear their telly (upstairs peeps) or them talking, it doesn't bother me, and, to be honest, I like it, because it means I'm not totally alone!

It sounds like you want to do this deep down, but are slightly worried by it too!
I'd say 'go for it', it sounds ideal as it's somewhere you know well already!
Good luck with the bidding, and I wish you well in your new home, whether it be this one or somewhere else.

dollie just a quick note with regard to help if you decide to go ahead with your move your local Age UK will direct you to the best way to go about it,they have volunteers who would help you pack things up and are so helpful with all the other things you may find daunting Age UK have a befriending service where you can sit and chat to someone and discuss your needs and you could also donate anything you want to get rid of which if like my house was full of stuff I had not used in years.

ive googled the flats and have decided not to apply theres no where to hang washing...no gardens...and the flats are closely surrounded by trees ...there are walkway balconies which over hang the downstairs flats so that will block a lot of light..to be honest my first reaction was ' it looks like butlins at bognor regis ' lol

Dollie maybe buy a bungalow instead? That way you won't have to worry about people living above you, plus you'd have outside space.

Riverwalk the problem I have found with bungalows when helping a friend to house hunt was that the gardens at the rear were huge and one wants to downsize the garden as well.

I also agree that one needs a small area to dry clothes if one is not used to living in a flat. I have lived in a house all of my life and could not cope with drying clothes indoors during the summer months.

im in council riverwalk and dont have the finances to buy a property..there are very few council bungalows in my area and the waiting list is very long..the last bungalow that was advertised on the list over 100 people applied for!!! i didnt even get a look in!!

Personally, I think you would regret it if, like me you are a light sleeper and value some peace and quiet and indeed the privacy that your own house brings. I moved into an upstairs sheltered housing flat (only 2floors) on a small complex 3 years ago after returning from living abroad, and as I write this, I can hear next doors radio 4, and the downstairs new tenant's radio 2, plus his belching (he's a drinker) and coughing, huge sneezes etc, The smell from his flat is extremely unpleasant and the slamming of the outside communal doors is a nuisance. When I approached him about it, he was very aggressive. The housing office are dealing with the slamming door problem but it has caused an uncomfortable situation and I am most unhappy but trapped here. I am thinking of applying for a bungalow but that could take forever and the thought of moving again is depressing. Previously a lovely old lady lived there and things were fine, she was so quiet, but now I use ear plugs when I go to bed and go out as much as possible during the day. When I talk to my friends, they all say, thank goodness I have my house.

Can you not go and view the flat Dollie - it might be nicer than you think.

I would have thought you'd be high priority as then the council could give your large house to a family.

thankyou for your comments ive decided to stay put for the time being as i really dont want to be in the situation like cazthe bookworm...hopefully a suitable bungalow will come up soon..

Good luck Dollie I think a bungalow would be a much better option and worth waiting for.

dollie I do think the comment fromRiverwalk worth thinking about and just go and have a peek at the flats you may be pleasently surprised and with you freeing up a family home may give you some leverage as regards to be placed higher up the list as regards to a bungalow,such a shame you are in a place you do not like caz cannot the housing officer help you with the disturbance problem maybe a quiet word in the ears of your neighbours may help with the TV & radio noise but then the tenants may have a hearing problem and don't realise they are causing a nusience.

^^ sorry spelling all over place to-day

Oh Dollie, what a shame! Hope something else turns up soon!

Have you looked at maybe an exchange/swap..there may be a family in a small flat or bungalow that would like to 'upsize'. Might be worth investigating?
I had registered for that too as you can look at them all online, and contact the tenants direct if you spot something that may be of interest. Gave me more of an option, instead of just relying on an empty property coming up!

Caz, sounds like you are in a bit of a pickle there, you poor thing. Maybe 'swapping' may be an option for you too?

Wishing you both all the best in a solution to your situations

tried looking into swapping grateful gran but the problem is theres no one in a one bed place that needs to upsize to a 3bed house...its a lot worse since this bedroom tax as theres loads of people needing to downsize...

Yes, I am registered with Home Swapper and have had a few enquiries but nothing I am prepared to move to. The housing Officer is dealing with my complaint but basically, it is just poor sound insulation that is common in flats. The man downstairs is just, for want of a better description "a big bullish man" who would find it difficult to act quietly, I don't think he can help it, although since the Housing Officer has intervened, it has improved immensely. Sunday was not a good day but all quiet after 2.30pm and always in the evenings, so I am grateful for that. Even though I originally asked him politely to be more considerate with closing the doors, he was very aggressive and defensive which was upsetting and has created a bad atmosphere where we don't speak. Maybe I should send a Christmas card to say thank you for his efforts. He may take it the wrong way though and think I am being sarcastic.

I live in a two bedroom flat with a nice garden and close to all the amenities and ten minute walk from the sea. I've lived here for 28 years, my children lived here too, and I've always been very happy here. My neighbours are all ages. Retired couple upstairs, married couple with a child next door, above them two chaps who share. My street has a diverse population of age, race and profession. We even have someone famous in my road, Mungo Jerry of 'In the Summertime' fame.
That's why I like it here. The trouble with sheltered housing is that it is almost an elderly ghetto, perhaps not much mixing with other ages other then children and grandchildren. I'd hate that. One of the reasons why I like to work though I'm passed retirement age.

You are right dorsetpennt about the "elderly ghetto" in sheltered housing. I am surrounded by electric buggies and walking frames and visits from home carers. It is very depressing and I am not ready for that yet, I am TOO young!!

caz Such a shame for you that you are not happy where you are,we are fortunate that even though it is classed as supported housing the ages range from 50ish to a very sprightly 86yr old lady who lives on 1st floor and she is up and down the stairs all day,there are only 16 flats and we also are surrounded by family housing with younger families and children,its a pity you can't add New brighton to your Home Swapper list we would have a laugh I'm sure.

dont know about calling it 'an elderly ghetto' more like gods waiting room lol...

Thanks Glammanana you cheered me up, it would be nice to live in a more lively environment, but never mind, it's the luck of the draw, I have lots of interests and am out and about every day so it's not all bad, I always try to be positive. Noise wise, things have improved since the Housing Office intervened and my evenings are always quiet thank goodness. I think it is just the thought that it is an inevitable move from here to the nursing home that is depressing.

caz so glad to hear the problem has improved for you

glamm didnt you miss your old home?