Perth

The OH and I have decided on late Sept early Oct 2016 to return to the UK. We will be looking for an off-season holiday let to rent for 6 months as we have no property to return to. Can anyone suggest a reputable agency that will deal with us in the USA? We are interested in the Welsh-English border area but have not pinned down a specific location yet.

brits1

Hi Shrewsbury and Ludlow are lovely areas both in Shropshire as is Oswestry which is right on the Welsh/English Boarder. You can have rental homes on a short term lease (usually cheaper than holiday lets) We have used Cooper Green Pooks for Shrewsbury and Samuel Wood & Co are good in Ludlow and for holiday lets Countryholiday-lets (Shropshire) are also good. All the best with your search

mikelincs

Assured shorthold tenancies are best, you do have some guarantee that you will not be kicked out during the time, however you will be tied into the 6 months.

fulwood

Perth, I think that is what PistolPete is doing. Think he's rented at least 2-3 holiday let with great succcess. Maybe he'll pop online and let you know. Sure it's him..

Pistolpete2

Indeed we have done one winter let already (six months) where the property comes fully-loaded (everything except linen and towels) and this was arranged while we were in the Caribbean. Apart from the convenience of fully-furnished, IF these properties are in a recognised vacation area - in our case in Dorset - they typically come on the market well ahead of time so you can make plans, which you mostly can't with 'traditional' rentals for which one only gets a week or two in notice.

Last winter (January) while on our winter let I was doing my nut in trying to find appropriate furnished rental properties that we could rent more long-term at the end of our winter let because the timing was never right on top of very limited supply*, which is partly why we've kicked things on another year.

We had to put down a deposit to secure and then do the paperwork when we arrived in the UK. I will say that some letting agents (for their landlords) don't like to let property that has not been physically inspected by the prospective tenant.

We had to pay the six months rent in advance but this year when we use the same agent again we can pay monthly. Winter lets often come cheaper than a regular let though to counter this cost. They are a proper lease and you have to take 'on board' utilities and council tax but our lease came with the TV hooked up to a carrier. WiFi typically also comes as part of the deal.

For next year, since the insecurity regarding the summer period is starting to grate a bit, we may look for a longer let but we may be lucky with something in the summer (fully-loaded) where the landlord quits the UK for the season to their other place in the Med or wherever.

Timing can be an issue, so we've done a couple of holiday lets (at a discount, typically) to fit in with our overall accommodation needs and these have been extremely good value overall. We are on a monthly let in France right now which has fitted in well with everything else - but we return to the UK today, c'est la vie!

We are retired and are trying ever so hard to make sure that we only pay for accommodation for one place at a time and that makes the whole thing work from the financial side of things. It is also nice not to have to worry about 'home' in any way while 'away'.

This year's winter let starts late September.

We have been thinking about renting long-term, or even buying, in the Dorset / Somerset area and the winter let and then holiday lets have been deliberately set-up in different residential areas so we get a good chance at testing those areas out to see where we particularly like. I will say that the winter lets give access, in our case, to extremely good residential areas which would and do cost a fortune in season.

Note that most of our worldly goods are with us in the UK and we use back-up self storage facilities for when we are away or the premises we are in don't have enough places to hide things away.

*we are finding that furnished property is becoming more and more of a rarity as landlords see greater risk in letting with furniture and appliances

Perth

Thank you all very much, especially Pete! Will definitely go for a fully furnished holiday let for as long as they will let us have it while we find something permanent. Much as I like your idea of moving from let to let Pete, the OH would never go for it. Pete, is there an agent you would recommend who specializes in holiday lets, or would they only be regional?

Perth

Thanks, brit1, I will look into those agencies. Shrewsbury is actually an area the OH has his eye on.

Perth

Also Pete, what did you do about signing up for the NHS when in holiday lets? I assume they are not considered permanent addresses, even if you do reside there for 6 months?

Pistolpete2

After arriving and staying in b&bs for a short while we moved into the winter let. When registering for the NHS we simply showed the lease - it's a proper six month lease that you get with a winter let, which would indicate that you are settled and resident but our doctor's surgery is more worried about whether you are in the right catchment area than any degree of permanency and have said as much.

The property may be a holiday let property but you still get the necessary lease over that winter let period and you pay council tax.

Holiday lets came later when there were gaps that needed to be filled but by then we had well established residence for NHS purposes and for HMRC.

Pistolpete2

I have to say that doing a search on rightmove of short-term rentals within 40 miles of Ludlow, then Aberystwyth, then Haverfordwest, I was only able to find one property that one could consider a holiday-type let but it is being rented for the summer (available from May and still not let) near Llanelli - looks absolutely gorgeous though at 600 a month.

Down here in Dorset, which we also like because it tends to be a bit milder in winter, there are dozens of winter lets, of which a dozen or so have already been marketed for this coming winter.

Perth

Thanks again, Pete! Did you bring your wife back on a spouse visa? And did you use your property in Canterbury as accommodation assurance? Only asking because I am getting conflicting reports regarding whether holiday lets are acceptable for the visa.

PS: 600 a month is totally doable Will have a look for that property.

Pistolpete2

No we are all Brits so no visa required. My Canterbury property has now gone so that we have more flexibility if/when we ultimately decide where we want to settle on a more permanent basis.

Here is the Llanelli property:

1 bedroom barn conversion to rent in Felinfoel, Llanelli, SA14

all bills included.

feelbritish

Oh what a lovely property to rent. However looks remote so you will need a car. Look around Gloucestershire as well. Public transport may be problem in Wales.

formula

Only if the landlord has received permission from their mortgage lender to let the property. That's why renters should always check that it's not an unauthorised let.

Perth

OMG! LOVE LOVE LOVE! And for 600 bills included

It would be almost worth it to buy a car, Gail!