TraceyW

I lie awake pondering our move back to the UK, and if all goes to plan that should happen sometime in October. So, maybe, we've only got 4.5 months left here. So that's 4.5 months to sell the house, arrange shippers, organise cats, sell cars and furniture, sort money transfers, quit job etc etc etc.

Despite that list being rather scary, there is one thing that worries me more than anything else: where the bloody hell are we going to live when we get back to the UK? I've looked for rentals in the area we want to live in, I've been looking for months just to see what comes up........very few houses, and those that do come up most say "No cats" and some even say "No Children". We've got both.

I've e-mailed letting agents and not one of them has replied. I've emailed holiday rentals and no reply there either.

We don't want to stay with the in-laws because, well, it just wouldn't work for lots of reasons, and we really don't want to fall out with them and if we lived with them.......we would!

I'm getting really scared we'll be here at the end of September, house sold (we hope) and nowhere to go in the UK.

Triboy

Loads of people in the godzone forum can't sell their house before coming here. Why not try with them?

(mind you be prepared to be asked to move out again when they find out how truly captacular it is here )

TraceyW

Fleaflyfloflum

Chin up Tracey

I have found that on both sies of the world estate agents cant be bothered with anyone who doesnt turn up on their doorstep with wonga in hand!

Before i went back last year (supposedly for good) I was worried about how we would find somewhere to live. It was a whole different story once i got there.
If you can pay a bit up front you should have no problems. I started a chat one day with a guy fixing some wiring in my daughters apartment block. Turned out he owned the whole block and said if i wanted a place he'd throw me the keys!! Only prob was i had no job to pay for it..lol
I get the feeling that once htey clap eyes on you, see you are not a chav family and appear quite respectable you wont have too much trouble

Best of luck sweetie

Pugsy

You've really got to be there in the flesh to get their attention. Or get mum and dad to do viewings for you, otherwise the agent's just think you're timewasters. Plus they're probably rushed off their feet right now!

Kath & Graham

I wouldnt worry really when you get back you might have to stay with inlaws just for a week or so, remember not all rentals are advertised on the net and local papers will do them... No letting agency even bothered to reply to me when we were in Oz, but they fell over us when we got back (luckily we bought).

Dont get too stressed Tracey it will all work out.

Kath

Emilylots

Hi Tracey

We found getting a rental tricky too. The area we were looking at was in a praticular school catchement and only one property came up for rent. It said 'no pets' and we have a dog - we managed to get a friend to look round it for us and we then had to pay 6 months up front as we were overseas. Once it was sorted the landlord contacted us for a chat, my hubby then tentatively mentioned the dog and he said - no problem - so long as we leave the property in the same condition we found it. We've had to take it on from now even thought we aren't moving until mid-July but needs must.

I've heard of others that just take a larger deposit to cover professional cleaning at the end of the tenancy. I think most agents put the 'no pets' on as standard but when you wave large amounts of money at them and promise to scrub it clean at the end they seem to be more flexible.

I certainly can relate to the 'keeping awake at night bit' we move in 7 weeks time and still have a house, 2 cars and stuff to sell and sadly we have to re-home our cat (not got pet passport and 6 months quarantine would kill him) we also have family coming on holiday (pre-planned before we decided to bail out) the week before we leave just to add to the stress of it all.

Good Luck with it all

Nikki

PS we used Moneycorp to transfer funds and they were excellent!

Jay Bird

Hi Tracey
Can I be impertinent and ask if you had a place to go to before your move to the arse end of the planet? I'm assuming if you didn't you soon found somewhere, and you will again.
Mr Oldbag always says there are two types of worries:

Bloody Great Big Ones you can do nothing about, so what's the point in worrying?

Little Tiny Ones you can do something about, so what's the point in worrying?

Things have a habit of "cropping up", so don't despair.....it will all come right in the end.

SarahInTX

Yep, I'm with you on this one. And it's the dogs that make it an "issue." Not that I've got my ticket to go yet, but I think about it A LOT!

I may kennel them for a week or so when we get there so that I can do the "in person" thing with landlords and agents. But I have sister who can probably do some reccying for me, so I might be able to land something before I leave.

That's depressing about people not contacting you back. I was planning to contact agents by email once I know when I'm leaving. But maybe it's not worth it . . . .

R2D2

We too are looking at going back September/October time, and I e-mailed loads of estate agents re rentals in our area. Heard nothing. Got fed up, decided to phone everyone instead and found them all really helpful.

The general consensus, is that rentals are going pretty fast, and if you can pay 6 months up front then the credit searches can be by-passed. These can slow things down a bit, and if you have been away from the UK for any length of time, not sure if the credit check will even come up with anything.

We are budgeting for 6 months in advance, to speed the process up. A week in a Travelodge first. Had asked parents, but got a pause and an "Ermmmmm", so maybe thats a no no. !

stariston

I think its another problem created by the so called credit crunch
Not a lot of movement in the property market is having an impact
on rentals seems thay are booming due to people not buying ye got
to live somwere i guess

SarahInTX

I spoke to my brother earlier today. He says word on the street is that this credit crunch will start easing in a couple of months, so hopefully it'll be looking up by the time we're (hopefully) going back.

Then again, my brother isn't any kind of financial wiz, but he does keep his ear to the ground . . .

Jay Bird

I hope he doesn't keep his nose to the grindstone at the same time......could be uncomfortable

SarahInTX

Heh, heh.

Nah, he's no contortionist . . . .

LizaJane

Hi TracyW, sounds like we have a very similar bedtime routine...worry...lists...pondering...its exhausting! Would love to get some decent sleep, its like having a new born again

I don't remember being this concerned about coming here (NZ)...well just maybe that it explains it...if I had been, maybe we would never have come over and therefore wouldn't be going back! kching!did u follow that little sidetracked rambling??

I do feel for you and like I have said am going through a very similar thing,we are hoping to go back in Feb and I have just signed up for a course for a year and now have to complete it in 6 months!!! What was I thinking!

We are taking 2 cats back with us so have spoken to my vet in depth and the kennel/cattery man that would look after all travel arrangements etc. We have decided that we need 'time' once back in UK to look around and find the area we want to live in (focus is on Norfolk and Suffolk) for schools and work etc so will be putting cats in cattery for a month or so, as all the moving around would be awful for them, they would probably run away!

Haven't attempted sorting out accom from here as don't think I would get anywhere with it, agents would probably not give a crap until we were actually there face to face (or had a stand in as someone suggested).As we will not have our cats with us on landing we will be booking into a motel or B&B initially as can't stay with family and need the freedom to come and go as we please until rental/schools and jobs are sorted. Shipped container will take 2-3months to arrive so will work that into equation.

Can you not arrange something similar it would take the pressure off you, with a dog you wouldn't have to do it for so long as they are happy as long as they are with you, but a couple of weeks, just so you can get your head straight and do a reccy of your chosen areas?

Hope you have got your house sold, fingers crossed for you, ours is going on the market in a couple of weeks but being it is a large lifestyle block maybe harder to shift who knows

Can I ask you, have you made any arrangements about schools yet? Have you spoken with the admissions dept or chosen schools etc? Am asking because this is actually my biggest worry am losing lots of sleep over this onewould be really grateful if you would let me know of your experiences

We survived coming here so surely we will survive goin home!

Heres to a goodnight sleep and pleasant dreams

ps which part of England are you planning on going to?