It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

DdraigGoch

Kidcat, there a scheme - can't think of the name of it at the moment, I'm sure someone will find it for you and I'll keep looking! - whereby people are taken on as "temporary property guards" and live in office buildings/development properties. This may be a last resort, but your pets would have to be somewhere else, I'm sure.

Best of luck
DG

I found these links for Property Guardians, it may be of interest to someone ...
http://uk.cameloteurope.com/
http://www.wharf.co.uk/tag/property%20guardian
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/property/article-1127830/Im-property-guardian-angel--60-week-I-11-bedrooms-12-bathrooms-Hampstead.html

I have no links with or knowledge of anything to do with this, just trying to help.

wigglebeena

I believe there's also a respected magazine for people looking for someone to live in their home while they are on holiday/working elsewhere and keep an eye on things/look after pets etc. Can't think of the name, will look for it - I think they mention it a lot on Barbara Sher's site.

[Deleted User]

oh kidcat, I wish I had a pot of gold and a magic wand to help. I can`t help at all but I expect you have tried googling` emergency accomodation + your town` maybe just maybe there are some links you can follow

Reading about the truly awful situations here, I am so so hopping mad re the lack of decent cheap accomodation for families

Just a thought, maybe someone somewhere could offer you a caravan at a cheap rent. As a stop gap for a short while

wigglebeena

You might try a Camphill village. I'm not sure they are really intended for families as opposed to individuals (they look after, provide work for and educate special needs people as part of the community) but it's worth asking if you could come to some short term arrangement.

Confuzzled

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

we have a rayburn coal fire in the living room with a back boiler so it heats the water and heats the house.. ok the glass front as now gone a dingy colour, but i would rather heat my house for free and have a clean bit of glass on the front of my fire:rotfl:

i know some parks can be ridiculous about people taking sticks home etc but if you are near any woods where you can get away with it then you might make a habit of taking walks carrying a ruck sack and pick up some of the thicker pieces of deadfall wood to use for kindling at least if not for some firewood

also you can make your own fire bricks/logs without the special maker (though they are handy) one thing you could try is tightly packing all your used kitchen towel and toilet rolls with slightly dampened junk mail (nothing shiny, just matte paper) and pushing it in really tight, allow these to dry thoroughly and they should burn slowly, the brick makers allow for tighter compression but you should get a reasonable burn from these.

don't forget to collect pine cones whilst out these burn too or can be made into fire lighters, if questioned say you're making christmas decorations with the kids, helps if you have kids to pout about possibly not getting their pinecones

you could also try putting a post in freecyle and/or swapcycle (if you have one in your area) to offer to take away old wood and trees from peoples gardens, many people get them chopped down for safety reasons but have to pay to have them removed so you'd be providing a valuable service.

if you have a forestry commission anywhere near you check with them, they offer some of the best prices for wood you'll find and they may offer to allow you to come chop up your own (from trees they've felled) for a pittance, this of course would be facilitated by having a chainsaw (or borrowing/renting one for the day) but could make a huge dent in your fuel bill should you get the oppourtunity.

good luck and i envy you your rayburn, i have a fireplace in my rented flat but it's not safe to use and i wish i had an option to use these tips myself again, how i miss my plentiful FREE hot water i used to get from our old back boiler/fireplace combo...ahhh those were the days

Confuzzled

ceridwen wrote: »

Well...barring a move to Detroit, U.S.A. anyways! I saw a throwaway comment on a U.S. blog today about "maybe moving to Detroit - where they are virtually giving houses away". 'Course couldnt resist looking up house prices in Detroit - and saw what she meant:eek: - a choice of houses for $3,000 - and, nope, that wasnt a typing error......cor! - but I dont think many of us would want to live there somehows....:cool:

trust me, you wouldn't want to live there even for a house that cheap! the abject poverty and the still extreme racial tension that is indemic to detroit makes it a definite no go for all but the toughest of the tough and uber street smart.

still, the thought of getting a home so cheap is appealing...we can dream eh?

ceridwen

wigglebeena wrote: »

I believe there's also a respected magazine for people looking for someone to live in their home while they are on holiday/working elsewhere and keep an eye on things/look after pets etc. Can't think of the name, will look for it - I think they mention it a lot on Barbara Sher's site.

Dont know - but wonder if this might be "The Lady" magazine??

ceridwen

Confuzzled wrote: »

trust me, you wouldn't want to live there even for a house that cheap! the abject poverty and the still extreme racial tension that is indemic to detroit makes it a definite no go for all but the toughest of the tough and uber street smart.

still, the thought of getting a home so cheap is appealing...we can dream eh?

ie - re my quote on cheap Detroit prices:

errr.....somehows I didnt think I would....:cool:

I've just been having a little "virtual discussion" with someone who reckons "only the hard (people) will survive" - to which my main rejoinder "well....I dont agree with that - but (if thats what you think) then who would even want to live amongst only hard people anyway?" The thought of even trying to live amongst the "toughest of the tough" is:eek::eek::eek: - I like my company nice/well-mannered/etc.....

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Confuzzled wrote: »

i know some parks can be ridiculous about people taking sticks home etc but if you are near any woods where you can get away with it then you might make a habit of taking walks carrying a ruck sack and pick up some of the thicker pieces of deadfall wood to use for kindling at least if not for some firewood

also you can make your own fire bricks/logs without the special maker (though they are handy) one thing you could try is tightly packing all your used kitchen towel and toilet rolls with slightly dampened junk mail (nothing shiny, just matte paper) and pushing it in really tight, allow these to dry thoroughly and they should burn slowly, the brick makers allow for tighter compression but you should get a reasonable burn from these.

don't forget to collect pine cones whilst out these burn too or can be made into fire lighters, if questioned say you're making christmas decorations with the kids, helps if you have kids to pout about possibly not getting their pinecones

you could also try putting a post in freecyle and/or swapcycle (if you have one in your area) to offer to take away old wood and trees from peoples gardens, many people get them chopped down for safety reasons but have to pay to have them removed so you'd be providing a valuable service.

if you have a forestry commission anywhere near you check with them, they offer some of the best prices for wood you'll find and they may offer to allow you to come chop up your own (from trees they've felled) for a pittance, this of course would be facilitated by having a chainsaw (or borrowing/renting one for the day) but could make a huge dent in your fuel bill should you get the oppourtunity.

good luck and i envy you your rayburn, i have a fireplace in my rented flat but it's not safe to use and i wish i had an option to use these tips myself again, how i miss my plentiful FREE hot water i used to get from our old back boiler/fireplace combo...ahhh those were the days

thanks... funny enough there are some pine cones on the ground near work, so will pick them all up, well it saves the council doing it:D

the rayburn is just like a parkray glass fronted fire, and last year when we decided just to burn wood, when we came home from work rather than use coa, even after buying a log splitter, and axe and an electrical tree pruner thing ( a bit like a big electric knife) we still saved loads of money,

this weekend we are going to clear out our out-house so we can start collecting wood/pallets etc early, as i think this winter more and more people will be looking for surplus wood. as i have spoken to loads of people who have bought wood burners ready for the winter.

i have looked at those paper brick maker things, and i have read mixed reviews on them, will have to take another look, and see if the prices have come down on them

Rummer

Morning CTC you should look on gumtree free section as there are often companies giving away pallets for free as they have to pay to have them taken away. Failing that go to your local industrial estate (especially fireplace shops) and as if they have any. We have got loads of wood for the garden that way.