Renting a place within commuting distance to London

[Stravaig]

Well, I spotted an absolutely ideal place on RightMove a couple of days ago. Yeah, it was a bit further out than we might like but otherwise it was perfect. Three bed bungaIow with garage. I was really keen. By the time my husband went to look it had already gone. That's not how things used to work.

Then I saw this:
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/ ... ing-market

OK, the gloves are off. Fortunately we're not skint. If/when I see something I like, I'm seriously (aggressively?) going for it. You can have the deposit and three months rent upfront TODAY.

(We do have our own place in Kent but we have tenants in it. Didn't expect to be back in the UK and needing to rent for ourselves. I'd rather not break our contract and make them homeless if we can avoid it.) Life ain't easy right now. But I don't want to unexpectedly chuck them out on the street and make it their problem.

[Stephen]

I understand that the housing market is like that and has been for a while. It is also significantly overpriced in large parts of the UK.

[Stravaig]

It's all trade-offs. I found a really beautiful place, even has a wonderful summerhouse in its lovely garden. It's a little bit expensive but we could manage. Problem is it's in the middle of nowhere so husband would have drive to and from the station any time he had to go to London (which could be quite often). It doesn't have a walk-in shower - makes life difficult for me. And then how could we hope for any kind of social life if we're living out in the sticks?

There's something not suitable with everything - too small, too far away from station, shower/bathroom not suitable, etc, etc. Yeah, I know we can't expect perfection but surely we could find something we like. Well, we need tto get sorted out soon but don't want to jump at the 'wrong' place. I did spot something that would mostly suit and enquired of the lettings agent. No reply. Husband also enquired the following day. Also no reply.

I had got the idea that lettings agents were in business to let out their clients' properties. So when you have reasonably keen people willing to put money on the table TODAY, why are we just being ignored?

I've also seen some horrors where the landlord/agent is stipulating the minimum salary of the propective tenant. I find that a bit of an intrusion. One stated a minimum amount, another said the tenant had to earn at least 30 times the monthly rent. Gee,this is all new to me.

One thing that's making me favour the more expensive property - 4 bedrooms, garage, summerhouse, - is that we're expecting to get all our worldly goods from Kyiv sometime at last. Husband estimated that we'd be nearly £100 per WEEK to store them at our usual self-store place. (We currently have a couple of lockers.) It seems to me that it would be easier to pay a bit more for a bigger house, especially one with a garage. LOL! The shock of the likely cost of storage made us both agree that the more expensive house seemed very attractive after all! With four bedrooms and a summerhouse I guess people could stay overnight if they wanted to visit or come for dinner or whatever. Ah - but I forgot, that one's not furnished.

[Stravaig]

Well, I've found a place that ticks all the boxes. Unfortunately, it's not in the town where I was initially looking. Even so, it would be ideal. Jumped through a lot of hoops this morning to express an interest in it. I told them right upfront that we wouldn't be able to view because we're currently abroad. No problem, we're happy to take it on the basis of the photographs. I've since had four emails from them trying to arrange a viewing. (I suppose it's better than being ignored, like we were on the other property site.)

"We won't be able to view because we're currently overseas. What bit of that did you not understand?"

Then I later got a burbled message from them saying we're the 12th party to express an interest in the place.

On the subject of getting our possessions from Kyiv - they were supposed to do the survey today but the Pickfords (removals) agent couldn't find the keys to our flat, and then the Embassy bod responsible for facilitating the move is going on leave tomorrow.

[Primrose]

Very frustrating position to find yourselves in.
It would be good to try and find something sooner rather than later because qi suspect the rental housing market here is going to get a lot tighter and more competitive as autumn & winter approaches. Economic conditions will undoubtedly mean, as happened in the last recession, thwt many people will no longer be able to afford their mortgages and banks will foreclose on them. Thwt,s going to mean a lot more people chasing a ompetitive rental market. And some landlords will inevitably be selling up as the rising bank rate means more expensive mortgage costs for them which financially pressed or unemployed tenants will no longer be able to afford.

Any chance of you being able to offer your own tenants a financial incentive to move out early ?.

[Stravaig]

Yeah, Primrose, that would be good, but that the legal costs alone of us breaking our current lease (breach of contract) would be in excess of £6,000 and that's before we start thinking about offering them incentives. If we really can't get anything then it may have to come to that. I'm trying to think outside the box. What if we bought a static caravan?

I'd not really thought about demand for rentals increasing as people give up their mortgages. Part of our problem is that it must be within a reasonable commute to London. Otherwise we could naff off elsewhere in the short term. One of my cousins has a log cabin near Aviemore. I'm sure she'd let us stay there till we got sorted.

[Stravaig]

Blimey! I'd not realised how expensive some of these places are. It would be cheaper to buy a house!

It's getting pretty worrying not having anywhere to stay and it's only a few weeks till we leave here.

[Primrose]

If you could live with minimal possessions, had you thought about renting one of these large touring holiday motor homes.
With the school holidays virtually over now the firms hiring them out may be experiencing lower demand and they presumably have to store them somewhere over the "empty" non seasonal months so might be able to offer a living base as well as that might provide them with a little income too.

[Stravaig]

Well, we'll do whatever we have to to get a roof of some description over our heads. But we were evacuated at the end of January and have moved from pillar to post on Airbnb ever since. Now in a smallish one-bed flat in Warsaw until almost the end of October. That's nearly a year of living in cramped little places without our belongings. I really would like to get a nice house soon and maybe we'll have our possessions too.

It's a good idea but I don't honestly think we'd be very happy long-term (up to a year) in a campervan. Another thing is that my husband's driving terrifies me. He's bad enough in a car. Can't imagine him in anything bigger. Yeah, I can drive but I don't like it in busy SE England so I don't do it - I'm too nervous when sober.. You get the idea.

[Stravaig]

Stephen, you're absolutely right. And it's even worse than I'd originally thought.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/ ... ng-tenants

Actually we don't mind going for a place we've not been able to view - otherwise we'd be constantly commuting from Warsaw just to look at this house or that. I just didn't expect bidding wars and so much competition.

[Primrose]

I,ve just read that Guardian article. It seems there,s a great deal of racketeering going on. As ever in these situations where something is in short supply those who are able to outbid others get the best deals but it,s sad. Everybody should be able to have a secure roof over their head, without worrying they,re going to find themselves out on the street.

If all else fails, and I don,t know know many occupants are in your house in Kent, would a potential house share for the remainder of the lease, at a very reduced rental for them , be a last resort worth considering?

[Stravaig]

Hi Primrose, good idea, thanks for trying to help. But no go on that one. It's fully occupied and anyway I'd probably go mental at having to share with several people.

We'll not end up on the streets. One way or another we'll find a solution. Perhaps a studio flat for our suitcases and a fridge freezer and live in a hotel room short term if necessary. Maybe yet another Airbnb for a couple of weeks or so.
Or maybe we will just bite the bullet, pay the breach of contract and upgrade our tenants to a 'better' property within the lettings agent's portfolio.

Another thing I've found recently is landlords tend not to say along the lines of "My property of x bedrooms, etc, will be available whenever...". They wait till the 31st Aug and advertise it as being available from 1st Sept. So I have to be up early and pounce if I see anything. Fortunately we're an hour ahead of the UK but this is a silly way to go about things.

Edit: a 'better' property, ie a bigger one or one with more rooms won't necessarily be suitable for me. I have mobility problems and like the walk-in shower with grab rails we have in our own place. Highly unlikely to get that in another property. Also the kitchen and separate utility room - all set up to my exact design.. I'm not by any means saying it's the best property in the world, but it's pretty good for me. And it would be very difficult to beat it for suitability.

[Stravaig]

OK, I've learned not to look for perfection. And have fired off enquiries into what looks good but ain't quite perfect.

[oldherbaceous]

You will get there, Stravaig….determination always wins through.

[Stravaig]

Thanks, OH. You made me laugh. (At a time when I'm tearing my hair out.)

Yeah, determination wins through. Well, I'm quite a determined little lady. Less than 7 stones but I can punch above my weight.

What's making me mental right now is writing off here, there, and everywhere, expressing an interest in various properties - and then I hear nothing back in response!

I'm grateful for this forum where I can come and talk to lovely people. Just give me a few weeks and I can do some gardening again, albeit culinary herbs on the windowsill.