Best Fit Scheme
If you have one or more spare bedrooms, Southway may be able to give you extra help to move to a smaller property. This would free up your home for a larger family - but there are big advantages to you as well!
How we can help
Moving house can be stressful. That's why Southway can help you look for a home and plan your move. We can also help to organise your packing and removal, reconnect your appliances and contribute towards your decorating costs.
Benefits of downsizing
If you under-occupy your property, you could save money on household bills by moving somewhere that is better suited to your family size.
The table below gives an idea of how much money you could save* every week by moving to a smaller property.
|
|
Number of bedrooms downsized by
|
|
Saving
|
1 bedroom
|
2 bedrooms
|
|
Rent
|
£10
|
£21
|
|
Council Tax
|
£1.85
|
£5
|
|
Water
|
£1.10
|
£2.60
|
|
Gas and Electric
|
£5.50
|
£13.50
|
|
TOTAL
|
£18.45
|
£42.10
|
....that’s savings of up to £2000 per year!
And, even more importantly...
If you currently receive Housing Benefit and have a spare bedroom(s), from April 2013 you may be entitled to less - meaning that you will have more rent to pay yourself! You can avoid this by moving to a smaller property.
How do I look for a new home?
There is more than one way for you to start looking for your next home.
- Homeswapper is the national council house exchange service. It's free to join and allows you to swap with council tenants across the country.
- You should join the Manchester Rehousing Register, if you have not done so already. This will allow you to bid for properties on Manchester Homefinder.
- If you are looking for a smaller property, private rented accommodation may be more affordable than you think - and may avoid long waiting times and red tape
*Figures are based on average difference in running costs of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom properties in 2009 without Housing Benefit
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