So where does that leave the 4.5 million households on the waiting lists nationwide? The current coalition Government will scrap regional housebulding targets without introducing an alternative. Since Grants of 1.16 billion have been cut from grants to local authorities to help with building it all speaks of an ill thought out plan. Housing Associations fund 60% of building costs with the rest coming from these grants. Pity the poor HA’s who have invested in developing land for your new home  only to have that money now withdrawn.

250,000 new homes were planned to be built every year to reach the target of 3m new homes by 2020. We will be lucky if we get 20,000 this year.

An ill wind doth blow methinks.

The National Housing Federation Statistics show just over 7000 people exchanged their homes last year (thats the reason I said “huh?”). At least our membership total is a figure you can trust.

So a word of caution – if you do join a site with a large membership total …. it might not always be what it appears to be. Just because it looks like a duck …. on this occasion it might not waddle and quack like one!

The old site for the forums is closing soon and all the mods are coming across adverts which state what the advertiser wants but that same advertiser doesn’t respond to any replies.

Some advertisers are very very specific in what they are asking for. Some advertisers aren’t so specific. So should an advertiser always respond to every reply even if the replier isn’t offering what they want or should they not bother to repond if its not what they want.

Its difficult because if you have been specific – why should you reply if a respondant isn’t offering what you want? But then you may be considered a timewaster or just simply rude. Maybe they only reply by private message.

Then there are advertisers who say they want anywhere but then reply “oh its not an area we want”  to a respondant.

So what are your thoughts? Do you have any answers?

We are so pleased and delighted to be able to offer a brand new forums service for council & association exchanges.

Although this new forum is extremely cheap there is no shortage of features and benefits. These forums are brought to you by CCHE and we have been helping tenants find exchanges since 2000. The value is absolutely exceptional considering the features we can offer you. Here are just a few of the best ones as there are too many to list.

• Advertise your own Property
• Place wanted adverts for those that do not want to list their own home
• Private message conversations
• Join using your facebook account
• Attach Photos to your adverts
• Attach Photos to your private messages
• Live chat box for quick conversations

Very low membership fees from just £1.75

Join our home swap forums today.

According to official Government figures, around 3.5 million households currently spend more than 10% of their income on heat and fuel – the official yardstick for fuel poverty. In 2003, only 1.5 million were living in fuel poverty but huge price hikes in electricity and gas bills in recent years have seen numbers rocket.

The government has a long-standing vow to end fuel poverty in England by 2016.

Their main is to get homes insulated but that does not help people when energy companies are hiking prices when stock is in short supply and not lowering them again when stock levels are normal. OFGEM does nothing to help – perhaps the staff all have shares in the major energy companies. The government does not rise benefits in line with the 10 – 25% rise in bills.

Its an ill wind that blows when you have to decide whether to starve or be warm.

So has your property been done? Yes? No? Good standard? Are you happy?

Let us know your views.

I’ve had a number of complaints from tenants of Habinteg Housing Association. It appears they have no wish to bring some or all of their homes up to the 2010 Decent Homes Standard. These homes affect peoples lives. The majority of their homes are for disabled people.

I have many issues with my council – Birmingham City Council. Not so much with the housing department (though the CBL’s are about 8 months behind schedule & I do wonder how much of my rent & council tax has been wasted whilst they flaffed around), my gripe is mainly the repairs department. But this area is getting shot of Mitie in April. Whoopee.

Any issues? Pop them down here. Name & shame.

If you are reading this blog in full, then everyone else reading it can assume you are serious about exchanging your property. This a paid members only site – so you can be sure that all others advertising are also serious about exchanging their property.

The problem mainly occurs on sites that are free. We get it on our other sites. So what is this problem? The problem is timewasters. Timewasters and window shoppers. They come in lots of different forms as well.

As a company we often wonder why people register but never put an advert up. They must be the windowshoppers.

So who are the timewasters? People who view your property but are then never seen or heard from again? People who reply to your ads and then disappear?

Vent your frustration here.

I could go on and on about this programme and the MP’s. I won’t. What I will say though is that I will be very surprised if the MP’s in the programme don’t show a true representation of all the MP’s lounging around in the Houses of Parliament and putting their clothing, carpets and food on their claim forms at OUR expence. How can we expect them to help those on benefits and in Social Housing when they don’t even know the price of a loaf of bread. Its truly shameful and embarrassing both for MP’s and us – the people that elected them.