small kitchen

[agi]

I have recently have been given a council house the problem is that my kitchen is so small my fridge don't fit in there,the only place for a cooker is by the front room door and all the conections are showing next to it is my bathroom door with the gas meter in there.On top of everything i have no heating in my toilet it gets so cold it might as well be outside.I have a young child and am very concernd with the conditions we have to live in.Are there any regulations council have to obey for decent standard homes?and what are they?

[redcrx]

Fridge: place in another room if it doesnt fit or buy a smaller fridge
Cooker: when you say connections show do you mean live wires?
Toilet: who hangs around in a toilet, you dont have to have heating.
Speak to your housing officer if you feel it doesnt come up to standard, but dont hold out much hope of getting better. Either that or think about renting privately or purchasing a property

[bednobs]

hi, maybe you could put a small heater in the toilet? A two bar electric fire should be ok surely? If you are unhappy with the acommodation, try looking at privately renting a flat

[agi]

I don't care how often or not a room is used I should still have a choice whether i want to freeze in there or not.I think I will use bednobs advice and if the council won't do nothing about it I will put my own heater in there.Thanx

[JanineG]

With so many people waiting for housing, I'd just be grateful the council gave you a house.

With regard to the toilet, do what everyone else would have to do and sort out your own heating or just be quick in there.

As far as the fridge is concerned is it an under-counter fridge? If not, get one and get rid of your other one if its too big.

I own my house, have no heating in my toilet and wish I could afford a fridge that was too big - nobody I can ask to sort it for me.

[samuel23]

Solution for toilet ~ you can buy a special, large bulb that fits into a standard light socket that will give off heat. Look in B & Q Homebase or similar (focus, jewsons, builders merchants etc). you won't be able to use a lightshade with this as it is a bit like a spotlight in shape and it gives off too much heat to safely take a shade.
Fridge ~ get a counter top fridge that fits on top of the work surface. �79 on-line from trade appliances.
Connections showing ~ Is this a danger, or just a cosmetic problem? If it is safe the council have no obligation to do anything about it , so ~ if you have a gas cooker you will need a corgi registered plumber to move any pipes that are in the way, if you have an electric cooker then either get a cable tidy (�6.99 from PCWorld) or ask the council to send an electrician to move them for you.
Lastly ~ The council have a legal obligation to ensure that the property is sound and fit for habitation, so that means there are no bits falling off it, that the electrics are tested and safe, that all plumbing (gas and water) is leak free and the doors and windows are secure. e.g. no glass missing or broken, the doors are lockable and have keys,and the upstairs windows can be secured so that children don't open them. if the place you have meets all this criteria stop being so ungrateful. There is NO obligation for the council to provide any form of heating, and if they have, then consider it to be a bonus. There are families in my area that are living in one room bed and breakfast accommodation because there are no houses for them.
Yours is a typical selfish whinging 'give me it all attitude'

[agi]

Please don't call me selfish for trying to find things out.I have lived in bedsits and hostels and know how hard it is.I have a 2 year old and work 2 jobs if i could afford the morgage it would be great.I wish i had a big fridge it's only small and i can't put it on a work top as i have only got one the size of a choping board.Maybe i want too much or maybe i shouldn't have listened to my relatives telling me that all these things are council responsibilities.Anyways i do appreciate all your answers.

[bednobs]

im absolutely astounded there is no obligation to provde heating!

[bednobs]

also, just to let you know, my fridge wont fit in my kitchen either ... we keep ours in the porch!