Renting/storage

Guy_Montag

At worst rent out your place at £200 less than the going rate. That's still better than the going rate, but then paying £250 pcm storage.

Just make sure you take anything you want looked after with you.

cobbingstones

The agency (Finders Keepers) mentioned that only 1/25 would accept furnished. We won't know if we are going til the minute, so worried the house will be empty if no takers.

Sorry if I'm naive, but have you experience with people not looking after others property? I personally would be very careful.

Thanks for all your advice

MM

Melissa177

I remember when my parents rented (albeit in the US) for a period of time, there were about as many furnished places on the market as furnished, and furnished places were very popular.

I've always rented furnished accomodation - until I bought - and so I too am not sure the rental agency know what they are talking about.

Try another agent perhaps?

littlesaint

madsmum wrote: »

The agency (Finders Keepers) mentioned that only 1/25 would accept furnished.

As a tenant living in London, I find that most properties are furnished. In London there are a lot of people on working holiday visas, students or "immigrants" - and when I use that word I include the likes of me who are from the north. There are also a lot of people who don't want to put down roots. These people don't want the hassle of finding furniture.

The market in your town might be different, but personally, I would be reluctant to move into a property for 6 months and have to buy loads of stuff. My personal preferance as a tenant is to find a place with all the big bulky stuff, ie beds, white goods, hoover, wardrobes - maybe sofa and to provide the other furniture myself.

As for looking after things, I think this is your most important consideration - not what agents' think. I'm a pretty careful person, but it still easy to spill coffee on a sofa. Even if you deal with it quickly it can sometimes leave a mark. In my first property in London we had a professional buy to let landlord. Every piece of furniture was low maintenance, hard wearing - and I got all my deposit back. Other properties have been furnished expensively with less durable stuff. My advice to you is think about what you don't want to replace and only include the essentials if you are letting furnished.

Some estate agents give you the option of furnished and unfurnished - this is really popular with tenants.

pingu79

I think i would contact a few other agents and see if the unfurnished route is definately the way to go and to whom the house would most appeal to (family/students/groups of professionals). Sometimes its much easier to rent furnished as you tend to move quite often renting so perhaps you could furnish accordingly and put just your best stuff in storage.

Storage can be expensive, it cost me £70 a month for half of one of those big metal storage containers (fitted contents of a 2 bed flat in). Think i also got a discount rate as my dad built the place.

MJMum

---

cobbingstones

thank you all.

We were thinking of using one of the downstairs rooms to store our things (dining room) or using a bedroom.
Would this be advisable?

MM

lesley1960

Try getting a quote from a removal company that has its own storage , self store is very expensive and on the whole no one who places their stuff in store ever needs the access to their goods these places claim they can provide !.......a lot of people dont realise removal companies can provide storage ............( I am in the business lol )

paddy's_mum

If it is of any help - when I married and moved into my husband's home, and rented mine out, I let it with the detached garage specifically excluded. Parking was available on the double width driveway.

I then had sturdy locks fitted and stored all my stuff in the garage until I was able to deal with it bit by bit.

I also stayed in a British owned apartment in Spain for two weeks last year and the owners had stowed stuff in the smallest room, securely locked so your idea of retaining one room might work and save you a bundle on storage costs.