Don't Panic!

October_Starter

Things have taken a turn for the worst...

I got home from work yesterday and found that things I had in the kitchen were missing. It turns out someone had been in the flat and deemed them as rubbish :eek:. Thankfully we retrieved them from the bin!!

I paid a visit to my letting agent today and told him that had I not found them in the bin, I would have called the police in. It turns out our landlord decided to make an unannounced visit yesterday (just to the communal areas which is allowed) and took it upon himself to do a little cleaning up. The agent wasn't even told he was visiting the property. The agent is going to tell the landlord that he can't throw out our belongings without giving us notification to move them beforehand. It also turns out that after the landlord visited he emailed the agent with some stipulations he wants in place, including not being able to hang washing in the hallway.. (there is no other place to dry washing except in our bedrooms..) I complained to the agent and he actually said to me.. "If you don't like it then move!"..:mad:

So that is exactly what my OH and I are going to do. We have two viewings on saturday. One is a room in a shared house where we can both stay and it has all bills in and an ensuite toilet. The other is a 1 bed flat which is a stone's throw away from our current flat and it would be all ours with bills on top.

The expense of moving is going to be a problem but for the short term we will borrow it. I am not staying in a flat where the landlord thinks its acceptable to come in and dispose of other people's property.

I have spent the entire day angry and I just can't seem to get it out of my system. I just hope we get the 1 bed flat. It will be a push on our finances but it will be so worth it.

In other news... OH has been signed off for the next two weeks as the doctor confirmed our suspicions and he has damaged the tendons in his foot/ankle. Nasty.

I hope you are all having a better day than me. :rotfl:

October xx

HarrysMummy

OMG October, as if your landlord let themselves in and then threw away your things! I would have called in the police.

I didn't actually know they could stipulate not to hang washing in places, sounds like they are a bit nit picky. Fingers crossed for the flat.

Hope you OH foot is on the mend and that your DM is feeling better.

please-let-me-be-lucky

Good luck with the flat, sounds like it's totally time to move Xx

AleMrsT

October as you might remember I work for a letting agent. I think the landlord is supposed to provide adequate drying facilities, so if he is saying you cant use the communal areas, aak him to provide a tumble dryer. Clothes should not be dried in a bedroom, it's bad for your health and encourages mould and condensation.

Send a formal written complaint to the agent. Then apply for the one bed flat. Shake their sh*t up a bit. Message me if you need any help!

October_Starter

We have a washer/dryer but it never fully dries anything. I gave up using the dry part which is why we had the washing on airers along the hall. It doesn't even impede walking.

The guy is just a jerk and someone who wants to do everything on the cheap. They are even going to charge us now to use the washer dryer.

We'll be out of here asap.

October xx

October_Starter

I would like some advice from you lovely people. As you know I am considering a 1 bed flat on Saturday. I am aware that if my OH and I want it, we are going to have to move fast. Currently my OH and I pay £430 a month, all bills included. This flat is £500 per month, plus bills on top. It is going to be a considerable increase in our outgoings. I have never been responsible for energy bills, water bills, TV licenses etc. etc. before so I only have rough guesses to costs. I know council tax will be roughly £100 per month. Overall I have estimated we will be paying up to £800 per month for the rent and bills (hopefully less). Juggling my finances, I have realised I can only just afford this and it leaves absolutely no room for savings or emergencies.

I am currently coming up to the last month of my temporary contract and it looks really positive that it will be renewed but there are no guarantees and I haven’t heard anything from the company. In addition to this, there is a role coming up which is just an extension of what I am already doing. I am going to apply but I feel at a slight disadvantage as I do not have a degree. (This is important to the company I work for). I am going to prepare as much as I can and try to convince them I would be a really good person for the role. Should I be successful I would be earning £20,000.00 per year and it would relieve the pressure considerably.

What I need your advice on, is this.. My OH and I have already been considering the financial implications of going into this flat. We have made the sensible decision not to go to Comic Con this October as it would just be too costly. He suggested that I extend my loan period so that I can reduce the monthly repayments of £160.42. Do you think I should do this? I like the idea of being clear of the loan by 2017. Extending the term will mean I won’t be able to be debt free until a lot longer in the future but would give me more breathing space. Another alternative would be to ask my aunt. She just gave a loan to my cousin for £10000, though and I feel that it would be a cheek to then ask her for the £4000 I would need. Obviously I would pay her back regularly but it would still take a lot longer and my DM would then know exactly how much debt I am in and I didn’t want that.

My current thoughts are to wait. We have to move quickly with the flat but I have time to consider my options when it comes to the loan. I could wait until I know about the job situation, whether it is a renewed contract or the new job. If it is neither then we can consider our options at that point. Can you all give me your thoughts?

October xx

AleMrsT

Honestly? I would wait. There is absolutely no point taking on a flat that is a financial stretch, plus, if you are only on a temporary contract you may be asked to provide guarantors etc when being referenced.
Is there any reason why you can't go for the room in the shared house instead, until you know about the job etc? With bills included it is easier to budget. Plus, there WILL be other properties, and if you need to factor in moving costs, will there be references required for the flat share?

As a guide, we pay 550 rent, 80 gas and electric,(duel fuel), water 27, council tax 110. We don't have tv license, but pay 15 for broadband, 15 for phone line and 6 for Netflix. We are both full time (more or less) in permanent positions, and still struggle.
A six month tenancy is a long time if you have no wriggle room whatsoever, especially with your car being on its last legs.
Just my thoughts, but others may say differently.

October_Starter

Thanks Mrs T.

The flat is something my OH and I have wanted for a long time and it is in exactly the right location for a price that is about £150 less then all the other flats we've looked at. It is literally only me who is going to be tight and that is because of the loan and mortgage. I am not too worried about references etc as I am a home owner etc.

I honestly think my contract will be renewed as the role I am doing has been here for a year now and there is definitely plenty of work to do. I just would like a bit more wriggle room. Both my DM and OH's DF will try and help us as much as possible financially and it will be a chance to have a home of our own. I never realised how important that was until I moved into a shared flat and have never felt at home.

I really do not want to miss the opportunity with the flat and I am sure that OH and I could manage if I lost my job.

I appreciate all the advise you lovelies give me, so thank you!

October xx

Calling14

October just catching up with your news,

Sounds stressful to stay where you are.

Flat seems a lot more expensive with bills on top I would estimate same figures as AleMrs T with another 12 pounds a month on top for a tv licence fee.
I understand you would like your own space as sharing isn't great experience always.
Good luck only you know whether you want to stretch yourselves or wait and see what else may turn up?

twiggy86

Hi October! Just caught up as been AWOL for a while! Sounds like you've been having a right old time of it recently! Hope your DM and OH are both on the mend.

Re flat, only you know your job prospects and exact finances (unless maybe you post an SOA?) so I can't give you a definite answer.

But to give you another example my bills are £130 council, £82 gas and electric (this was £99 but just switched supplier), £59 water (working off an underpayment at the moment though), £12 TV licence (but for the first 6 months you pay double), sky/phone/BB £75 (OH pays as he insists of having Sky Sports!). This is for a 3 bed house with 2 of us plus a lodger who stays for a few months at a time.

Hope that helps.