Struggling to pay mortgage and Bills

Avani

Hey Sorry if my post was confusing...

To clear things up, I have two jobs - a full time job and a part time job making up 50 hours. I could take on another couple of shifts at my part time job but it would not be fair on the dogs. For instance, on a Wednesday I am out the house from 8:30am until 10pm, I could do this Thursday and Friday as well, but its just not fair on the dogs.

Sorry, rehoming them is not an option. One of them is elderly and terminally ill and the other is a cruelty case thats only just coming around. I could not do that to them. Yes, I would rather be homeless

OK, I will do a budget planner and I will also do the rightmove link. The flat was purchased for £116,000 and I have it listed for sale at £110,000 open to offers from £100k upwards, which is about 10k less that any other 'same' in the area. If I sell for less than £100k, yes I will be in negative equity.

My two dogs cost in total (per month) £80-£95 for the dog walker. £30 food and £15 insurance. This isn't negotiable. They are my responsibility and they will stay with me

midnight_express

Have you asked your estate agent for advice as to why the house isn't selling?

Avani

Well, house sales overall are very slow in my area. The flat is a typical first time buyer flat, and there seems to be a lack of 1st time buyers. Its competitively priced, quite large compared to newer builds in the area and neutrally decorated with a new bathroom. Its priced between £5k and £15k less than identical flats in the area. There are 4 identical flats in my area for sale (including mine) which have also been on the market for a while. The obvious improvement I could make to mine is a new kitchen, as mine is quite dated. I should be getting a new kitchen in January - ive been given a brand new one which was taken out of my parents new build when they moved in, and with a friend fitting it, it should be a cheap but effective improvement. The flat has just been taken off rightmove and will be 'relaunched' in January with the new kitchen to try and reignite interest.

I should still have the wording and pictures so will put them on the other area (selling etc)

Thanks

Hammyman

Avani wrote: »

Hey Sorry if my post was confusing...

To clear things up, I have two jobs - a full time job and a part time job making up 50 hours. I could take on another couple of shifts at my part time job but it would not be fair on the dogs. For instance, on a Wednesday I am out the house from 8:30am until 10pm, I could do this Thursday and Friday as well, but its just not fair on the dogs.

Sorry, rehoming them is not an option. One of them is elderly and terminally ill and the other is a cruelty case thats only just coming around. I could not do that to them. Yes, I would rather be homeless

I kept out of this thread because it is a subject that angers me beyond belief because as a child I was on the wrong end of such an infatuation with dogs but with that flippant comment and smiley saying you'd actually be homeless, as you're obviously living in cuckoo land maybe a wake up call is in order.

You are like my parents who also love their dogs like you do. At age 16 I couldn't wait to leave home because the animals were put over the kids and we lived in abject poverty living off egg and chips, living in one room in winter because thats all we could afford to heat and having the bailiffs constantly round - however the dogs never missed a meal of their favourite foods, had £100s spent on them on vet bills etc. The effects of living in such poverty and the crap you got at school as a result was for one of my brothers was so bad that he underwent years of counselling in his 20's to help him get over it and constantly suffers depression.

My parents had a house repossessed, have been bankrupt twice in the last decade and live on the bones of their backside despite the two of them having an income the equivalent that the four of us in my house are living on quite well and lower outgoings for everything else but their dogs. They rent but wherever they rent the dogs wreck the houses. When they left one council house, after 5 years of living there the damage from urine penetration of the walls was so bad that the council had to replaster the ground floor room the dogs were put in on a night time. And it wasn't as if they didn't let them out - being a council house in the country they had a 200ft long garden with kennels at the end that they used to let the dogs out in and put them in when they went out. Yours may not be that bad now but at the moment you've only got two compared to the five they had but you show all the signs of being someone who will own as many as they think they can so 10 years down the line you could be well towards double digits. They can't afford where they are and are looking to move but knowing they won't get the deposit back, won't get a reference off a landlord, have no credit and not many landlords will accept dogs they are stuck where they are.

None of my siblings or I go to visit that much because the house reeks of dog and they're immune to the stench. Even coming to visit us, they can't stay for long after having tea because "they must get back to let the dogs out". Their dogs rule their life. They can't afford to go on holiday because they can't afford the kennel fees. Because of the state of the house, dog sitters are out.

They are now approaching retirement and have only just started to see that the dogs have actually meant they've had a life of needless misery and poverty - the house they bought in the 70's for £6000 and were evicted from is now worth quarter of a million quid as it was a big 6 bedroom georgian house. They're also actually beginning to see that they were in some way actually cruel to their dogs by not being able to give them the time they should, the same as you.

You are starting to head down the path that they did as you're showing the same obsession about two animals who actually only appear to "love you" because you feed them and give them somewhere warm to live. Might want to think about that.

Hammyman

midnight_express wrote: »

Have you asked your estate agent for advice as to why the house isn't selling?

The overwhelming stench of dog when they open the door for a viewing is my bet.

Gothicfairy

Hammyman wrote: »

I kept out of this thread because it is a subject that angers me beyond belief because as a child I was on the wrong end of such an infatuation with dogs but as you're obviously living in cuckoo land, maybe a wake up is in order.

You are like my parents who also love their dogs like you do. At age 16 I couldn't wait to leave home because the animals were put over the kids and we lived in abject poverty living off egg and chips, living in one room in winter because thats all we could afford to heat and having the bailiffs constantly round - however the dogs never missed a meal of their favourite foods, had £100s spent on them on vet bills etc.... My parents have been bankrupt twice in the last decade and live on the bones of their backside despite the two of them having an income the equivalent that the four of us in my house are living on quite well and lower outgoings for everything else but their dogs. They rent but wherever they rent the dogs wreck the houses. When they left one council house, the damage from urine penetration of the walls was so bad that the council had to replaster the ground floor - yours may not be that bad now but at the moment you've only got two compared to the five they had but you show all the signs of being someone who will own as many as they think they can so 10 years down the line you could be well towards double digits. They can't afford where they are and are looking to move but knowing they won't get the deposit back, won't get a reference off a landlord, have no credit and not many landlords will accept dogs they are stuck where they are.

None of my siblings or I go to visit that much because the house reeks of dog and they're immune to the stench.

They are now approaching retirement and have only just started to see that the dogs have actually meant they've had a life of misery. They're actually beginning to see that they were in some way actually cruel to their dogs by not being able to give them the time they should, the same as you.

You are starting to head down the path that they did as you're showing the same obsession about two animals who actually only appear to "love you" because you feed them and give them somewhere warm to live. Might want to think about that.

OK clearly you have issues with this subject but I think the above is your issue no one else's.
The op has never once said they have children so who else are they hurting ?
Normally dogs do not pee in houses and there should be no smell of urine in a property.

Your problems are your parents and not the dogs so maybe the anger should be focused more towards the cause, dogs do not cause a life of misery..it is how you choose to live that causes the misery and I am sorry your parents loved the dogs more then you but truth told they probably would have been like that had they had cats, mice, rats etc..that is just how they are.

Hammyman

Gothicfairy wrote: »

Normally dogs do not pee in houses and there should be no smell of urine in a property.

ALL dogs pee in the house at some point or another, especially those left for over 13hrs a day as the OP said theirs is on a Wednesday.

Your problems are your parents and not the dogs so maybe the anger should be focused more towards the cause, dogs do not cause a life of misery..it is how you choose to live that causes the misery and I am sorry your parents loved the dogs more then you but truth told they probably would have been like that had they had cats, mice, rats etc..that is just how they are.

And the OP is showing all the signs. You've not lived it so you've not got a clue. You're merely stating your point of view from your own beliefs which bear no relevance to the OPs.

Oldernotwiser

Hammyman wrote: »

ALL dogs pee in the house at some point or another, especially those left for over 13hrs a day as the OP said theirs is on a Wednesday.

You're forgetting the dog walker.


And the OP is showing all the signs. You've not lived it so you've not got a clue. You're merely stating your point of view from your own beliefs which bear no relevance to the OPs.

I'm sorry you feel you had a bad childhood but I do feel that your hangups are inappropriate to this thread.

picard17

Avani wrote: »

Hey

Hopefully someone can help with a few ideas. I have a joint mortgage with my ex partner. He moved out a year ago and has left me to foot the cost of the mortgage while I sell the flat. I am struggling to sell the flat, and in the mean time I had a lodger move in which helped out with the bills. The lodger is now moving out and I cannot find a replacement. I have two dogs and its difficult finding someone who will move in due to this. I also have a part time job, but cannot increase my hours more as its unfair on the dogs. I am working around 50 hours a week as it is and pay for a dog walker.

I have gone through a benefits calculator and I am not entitled to working tax credits, council tax or housing benefit. I earn just over £1100 a month and my mortgage alone is £515. All together my basic bills are around £850 a month. On top of that I have to pay for food, dog food and travelling expenses. I've been trying to sell the flat for nearly a year as I desperately need to move somewhere cheaper. Not only that, but due to the house prices, I will be loosing money on the flat and I also have to fund the sale myself. Getting money from my ex is like getting blood from a stone.

My mortgage is at a fixed rate of 5.4% until July / Aug and I cannot apply for a new one as the early repayment fee is £3000 which I cannot afford.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can lower bills / up mortgage or some sort of benefit I could be entitled to?

Thanks

Well surely your ex partner cannot just walk away from his mortgage obligation, i'm no expert but he signed a contract as did you, if he expects his share to be 50/50 if any profit is made then he needs to contribute. If the flat is repoed then it will kill his credit rating as well as yours..Oh btw the dogs must go, the old one I would consider putting it down if its ill as you say. Sorry but you must come first not the dogs.

tomjonesrules

Avani wrote: »

My two dogs cost in total (per month) £80-£95 for the dog walker. £30 food and £15 insurance. This isn't negotiable. They are my responsibility and they will stay with me

OK, I understand that they are non negotiable, but you are not being realistic about what they are costing you. You cannot let your spare room because of them (£200?), viewers are being put off by 'dog' in house, whether they be physically present or not (the mortgage payment for every month you do not sell), plus you have not yet considered the implications if you intend to move to rented property (lack of availability, high deposit etc). That amounts to far more than £140 per month.

I don't know what the answer is, but you need to realise how much they are affecting your living situation.