Renting a place within commuting distance to London

[Primrose]

You,re right about gardening Stravaig. It's certainly a release for frustrations.

And you,re right about no responses too. . Itss just bad manners not to reply and keep people hanging. When I worked in HR I always insisted on people getting a reply to a job application no matter how many applied,, even if it was a pre-printed rejection letter. If people give their time to try and invest in you they at least deserve to be treated with courtesy.

[Stravaig]

What a swizz!

I expressed (again!) an interest in that expensive property I liked. This time I got a reply by return (probably automated) basically saying "put your money where your mouth is. Pay nearly £500 to show us you're serious". OK, why not? We're serious. The money would then be put towards the first rent payment.

If we withdraw our interest then they (the agent or landlord, I'm not sure) get to keep our money. But it doesn't work both ways.

We later had a message from the landlord saying that he had another family interested. So then we got an email from the agent to tell us our money will be refunded in 5-10 business days because that's how the banking system works.

I know life ain't fair but I do sometimes feel like we're being shafted from all sides.

[Primrose]

I think those of us who live permanently in our own homes are beginning to see what it must be like having to live an itinerant life because of your profession.

[Stravaig]

Thank you, Primrose. I did choose this type of lifestyle. Nobody forced me into it. But it's getting a bit too much, especially since I'm older and now have mobility problems. Two evacs in the one posting. No home. Possessions, gawd knows. Having to live in large cupboards via Airbnb. I so rarely get any replies to anything. If it wasn't for this forum and the people on it I don't know what I'd do. Someone to talk to. Now I'm in tears and I'm a rufty tufty. Done the Afghan thing and later Iraq. But I am at my wits end.

At least I have a new "boyfriend" - it's not a sexual thing. As an old lady I get away with chatting up young men. It's fun. (My husband is amused by it.) Now I've found one in a nice restaurant here in Poland. His name is Oskar (with a K). He told me that I'm the best/funniest customer ever in his life.

My last "boyfriend" was in Kyiv. I've offered him all my gardening equipment, including hydroponic stuff, and a fridge/freezer. Guess what.. I've had no reply.

[Stravaig]

I saw a place that might suit so I mailed about it. No response, of course - and I'm a bit deaf so it's not easy for me to use the phone.

My husband followed up with a phone call expressing our interest but it's already been let to someone else. (Oh, wow, thanks for telling me.)

And anyway, so they told him, landlords don't like to let propertiess to people who don't want to view first. We're not interested enough and more likely to complain that the photos didn't represent the property honestly.

I've got to the stage where I'm getting willing to pay a small fortune to our current tenants to upgrade them to a bigger/better house in our agent's portfolio. And then I can have our own house back - all designed to suit my specific needs/wants. It's gotta be better than paying a fortune every month towards someone else's mortgage.

[Stravaig]

No further forward. I'm starting to think maybe I should look for another Airbnb place so at least we have somewhere to go to whilst looking for something longer term.

I found a couple of properties that might suit. The landlord of the first refused to even consider us unless we met the lettings agent in person.

The second one went a bit better - we've just had a virtual viewing with the lettings agent giving us a personal guided tour. We're keen to take this house! However, the lettings agent mentioned that there's 12 parties interested, and we are only one of them.

[Primrose]

This must be very dispiriting and stressful and serves to highlight the serious lack of suitable rental accommodation available. i can,t immediately think of any more unusual routes you could use.
I know local councils have been compiling lists of rental accommodation available to Ukrainian refugees. It may be possible that they have a one or two vacant properties on their lists if some of them are now thinking of returning home?

[Stravaig]

Thanks, Primrose. I'll keep looking but I'm also thinking along the lines of finding someone, perhaps younger people who really need the money, and saying we could pay x months rent upfront a (big help towards their deposit to buy something) if they'd go and live with their family/friends for a few months while we live in their house.

If it comes to it we'll maybe just need to look at a different area, eg Scotland where the pressure's maybe not so full on. And just say that it has to be remote working because a commute to London just isn't possible/sensible from there. We'll not end up on the streets but it sure as heck would be good to have somewhere to move to and even look forward to it.

I thought the lettings agent liked us today, because we had an enjoyable time on our virtual tour. But as one of 12 interested parties I've no idea if we might get the place.

[Shallot Man]

Stravaig. Last resalt, come ashore at Ramsgate in a life jacket.

[Stravaig]

Very funny, Emperor Shallot. I note you live in Essex, from where a commute to London is possible. Don't be surprised if we turn up on your doorstep.

I'm a good cook. The last time we stayed in someone's house he was raving about how it was like a holiday for him.

[Geoff]

Move North and work from home with the fastest broadband in the country, you could video conference with multiple colleagues!

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[oldherbaceous]

I knew we had got a few hedgehogs back in the village but, sadly one of them was squashed on the road this morning….how people run them over in our little lane, I just don’t know!

[Primrose]

It's sad OH. They meander so slowly and drivers just never spot them quickly enough, especially if driving in the dark.

I suppose the only blessing for them is that it's usually a pretty instant death .
I don't know how you ever teach a hedgehog that roads are definitely places to be avoided when they're such small creatures and walking on a clear road instead of shuffling through tangled undergrowth is the quickest and easiest way to travel.

Sadly in this part of the world even their corpses don't remain long. The ever circling red kites overhead are pretty much down instantly on our country lanes once road kill of any kind is spotted.

[Stravaig]

Nope. We didn't get that place. I don't know why. We ticked all the boxes as potential tenants. Maybe we should have said we like hedgehogs and would never harm one.

If we can't find a place then I think we'll just have to tell "the office" that this is how it is and we can naff off to Newcastle or Scotland or somewhere.

[oldherbaceous]

Ooops, sorry Stravaig, seem to have put this in the wrong topic…