Terry had lived with his mother in his childhood home in Barnet for 36 years. The 3 bedroom council house belonging to Barnet Council and managed by Barnet Homes was the place Terry grew up in, together with his family of 8. Growing up, his siblings moved away and he remained living in the house with his mother, along with his partner and their pets.
Sadly, last May, Terry’s mum passed away and he succeeded to the tenancy but had to downsize to a property according to his housing need – a 1 bedroom property. Terry said, “My partner’s mum passed away at Christmas in 2020 and then five months later my mum passed away, so it was a horrible time. And then on top of that, you find out that you have to move! And I’ve been there as long as I can remember, basically my lifetime. I think my biggest challenge was going from a three-bedroom house to a one-bedroom flat.
When I spoke to Denise, Fresh Start Officer at Barnet Homes, it was a breath of fresh air! She was understanding, she told me what was happening. But that’s what you need, someone who can guide you and help you navigate this difficult situation. Denise was honest and did her best to deliver. She showed us a one-bedroom flat near to my work, and when we got the keys to this place we were over the moon!
We had two weeks to move in which was useful because we used that time to really prepare ourselves for the move. So, when it came to the actual move, we knew what colour scheme we wanted, and how we were going to decorate.
My partner Lee and I have been here a month now and this place is perfect. There’s enough space for our pets, two cats and one dog. The neighbours are lovely and that’s probably half the battle won of living somewhere. The property is a one-bedroom flat. But Barnet Homes actually made it really nice! We are on the ground floor, and we are lucky to have a garden with very nice views.”
Doubly good news!
The other side to this good news story is that the 3 bedroom house that Terry vacated is now being used to provide much needed housing for a large family in Barnet who have been waiting on our housing register for a rare property like this to come up.
If you are under-occupying your home, our dedicated Fresh Start Officer, Denise Bracken, can make the moving process as stress-free as possible and can help you find a new home which meets your needs.
You may even qualify for up to £4,000 to help your move! You will receive a choice of council and housing association properties in Barnet, help with choosing and viewing the properties, help and advice with removal arrangements. For more information, contact Denise Bracken on 020 8359 4695, email Denise.Bracken@barnethomes.org or visit barnethomes.org.