My woes with trying to rent & waiting to exchange

pastmybest

G_M wrote: »

No risk involved in asking! If the buyer says no, then suggest 4 weeks which is pretty normal and still gives ample time to find a rental.

What gap between Exchange/Completion are you considering at present?

Three weeks was the aim but sounding like this is tight!!!

I have the option of stuff in store and staying at friends place while he is away for a couple fo weeks. But trying my best to avaoid that.

Hopejack

Know how you feel. We were looking to rent 2 years ago this Christmas. We had one weekend to travel 160 miles to the area to see the properties available. We needed a family house and that was where the prob lay - if we'd wanted an 'apartment' we could have had them in abundance!

We were looking to rent from 3rd Jan - made an appt to see 5 properties in the weekend we were there (mid Dec). Ended up only seeing 2 as one was sold STC the day before we visited, 2 were rented by the time we made the trip!! Was a nightmare! We did get sorted but obviously it wasn't great due to lack of choice. The EA who handled the tenancy finding took about 2 weeks to sort it as it had to be done before they broke up for Christmas so that wasn't bad.

As others have said, best thing is to just ring round all the local agents. Sometimes they know of a property coming up which they haven't advertised yet.

Good luck! I know what you mean about moving to avoid chain falling through. My Mum has sold her house (completing Monday) to a cash buyer and has moved in with us over the Christmas and had to put all furniture in storage - not ideal for anyone least so them as they are losing their home at Christmas, but hopefully in the New Year more properties for sale will appear!

theartfullodger

Go round & talk face2face with all the letting agents in the area you want & explain your situation & what you can do to help them.... and 'phone every add (online and in local papers...) then call agents every couple of days... eventually they'll realise you are real & serious...

If you want to get people's attention offer them something nobody else does - eg Magnum of Champagne when you move in.. - Yes, of course I know they get paid to rent places out, but you want their help & attention...

Also, make a few bookings for hotels (cancellable.,.) just-in-case...

What happened to your plan of somewhere to live when you sold?? What went wrong with the plan???

Cheers!

Lodger