Help - 3 month house rental need. Any ideas??

[slowwww]

We're about to have some fairly extensive work done on our house.

With 2 young kids, the prospect of trying to live in there while the work is being done is a non starter as first phase is to rip out one of their bedrooms, the kitchen and both bathrooms.

We managed to find a house-rental for 3 months via a friend of a friend, but just as we were due to sign the contract, the owner received an offer to buy it (we didn’t know it was being marketed!) and they’ve now pulled out.

Builder has agreed to put the start date back to March, but we’ve trawled around all Letting and Estate agents in the vicinity and when you suggest anything other than minimum 6 month term, at best you’re regarded as a leper, and most a peado!!

I’ve tried local ads, Gumtree, Craigslist (flippin ‘eck that was an eye opener!! – I didn’t find a property, but spent an enjoyable hour being amazed at some of the available depravity there!!) to no avail.

Only option currently on the table is serviced apartments. Small 2-bed flat in a not very nice part of neighbouring town - £5200 for 3 months!!

Has anybody got any inspiration as to other places that I could look?

 

[redcard]

Why not try a Travel Inn, or a small b+b or hotel? Might get a decent discount for 3 months

 

[Spinney]

Where do you live?

 

[simon.r]

Large caravan in your garden?

 

[slowwww]

Thanks Redcard. That's a good thought but the prospecting of eating out every night for 3 months would see me needing to invest in a new range of clothes too, adn so we really need something with cooking facilities

 

[ASC1951]

Builder has agreed to put the start date back to March, but we’ve trawled around all Letting and Estate agents in the vicinity and when you suggest anything other than minimum 6 month term, at best you’re regarded as a leper, and most a paedo!!

There is a good reason for that. If you are given a tenancy of less than 6 months, it isn't an Assured Shorthold Tenancy under the 1984 Housing Act, which can give the owner all sorts of problems if it goes pear shaped.
Why not try to negotiate a 6 month term where you have some of your rent back if you leave early? That is still an AST because the option to terminate is yours not the landlord's.

 

[slowwww]

Thanks everyone. Caravan won't work because there will need to be room at the front of the house for the buidlers to access, and the house is too far away from the road to crane it over!!

ASC - aaahh! that explains a lot. I thought that it was just that the agents couldnt be arsed for such a short term

 

[Black Sheep]

where a bouts are you looking for somewhere?

I have a two bedroom house I'm trying to rent out and the letting agent isn't doing anything useful at the moment so it's sat empty and waiting.

 

[Maz]

With extensive work, one would like to think everything would be done and dusted within 3 months. Reality is ends up taking more time. e.g. redecorating, second fixes, retiling, etc etc.
My point is it might stretch out to more than 3 months.

 

[Archie_tect]

Slowwww, where do you live??

 

[Sandra6]

If you only lose one bathroom at a time and make the kitchen a priority you could live through the works. It wouldn't be pretty but it would be possible.
We were flooded a few years ago, weeks before the arrival of baby no6, and lost the use of our downstairs.
We moved into the bedrooms for about three months and got on with it while the downstairs dried out and the kitchen was replaced.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

We did the same early last year when we had building work done and ended up getting 2 offers after putting a card up in the local shop when we couldn't find anything through agents etc. private deal so there was no fixed term. Worked well for us and the people letting the house.

Deffo move out though, living through work will be Hell!

 

[srw]

If the builders say 3 months it'll be 6. Even if the house is vaguely habitable after 3 you'll be more comfortable somewhere else.

Try and negotiate a penalty clause with the builders so that they contribute to your costs if the house isn't ready when they say - but don't push it too hard in case they get pissed off and bugger off into thin air.