Please help....advice needed, badly

sunlord_clave

This is a (UK) moving house question. Quite a unique situation I think.

I am moving house from Birmingham to Manchester. My contract job ends next month and I haven't yet found a house in Birmingham. I am looking for a job immediately. Is there some sort of rule in the Estate Agents system which means they can't give me a house until I have found a job? I am definitely going to find a job, there's no question about that. But do I have to wait till I've found a job in the new place (Manchester) before starting to look for a house?

If this is the case then could anyone advice me on what is the best way to go about this? Because my son starts his 1st year at the Uni of Manchester in a month and we're moving to Manchester with him. My contract actually ends at the exact day his University is starting. I'm looking for a house and a job at the same time. The job I am sure I will get but do Estate Agents look for proof that I am starting job soon before showing houses? If this is the case could anyone please advice me on how best to go about this situation by not spending a bundle?

Thanks.

Doozergirl

Are you renting?

I would look now (you need to!) and when you apply give your current employers details for a reference. I would tell them that obv with moving house you will be moving job - if you have the cash available, you can offer to pay the six months upfront to show that you are at least solvent. I reckon most landlords would be very happy with that, especially if your other references are good?

sunlord_clave

I am renting, yes.

I have the money to pay 6 months up front but I'm not sure about it....I mean paying like £6000....It just seems a bit overwhelming.

Do all estate agents ask for money to be paid upfront in this situation? Wouldn't just a reference, like you said, from my current employers do?

olly300

sunlord_clave wrote: »

I am renting, yes.

I have the money to pay 6 months up front but I'm not sure about it....I mean paying like £6000....It just seems a bit overwhelming.

Do all estate agents ask for money to be paid upfront in this situation? Wouldn't just a reference, like you said, from my current employers do?

If it is known that your employment is ending or you are moving to a different area then it means you may not have money to pay the rent in future. If you pay the rent up front least the landlord knows they have got their rent for the duration of the contract, and you know you have a home for 6 months.

Doozergirl

When they run the reference, credit checks etc with which ever compnay they use, the answers are all generally black and white. If you don't come up white for everything it starts getting silly and they ask for guarantors etc. My income is erratic - for some employed people to see that perhaps self-employed people have decent incomes even if they don't arrive in the form of a paycheck every month? Impossible.

I prefer to pay rent up front because I am a grown up and I can't stand the prying. The benefit of paying up front might be that you can negotiate the rent in a downward direction

Otherwise you use your current employer and fail to mention that you won't be working for them anymore and hope that it isn't mentioned.
Are you with your wife? Does she work? Would her earnings cover the rent?

sunlord_clave

My wife doesn't work no. Would have made everything easier.

PasturesNew

If I were you I'd rent first. You don't know the area probably so don't know where you'll want to live. And you won't know where is best to live until you get a job.

I would find somewhere to live - can one of you go ahead 2-3 weeks early and do the finding/organising? Then once in, start looking for a job.

I am in the same position. I moved 200 miles and am renting. This way I am free to check out the area and look for a job. Then when I get a job I'll know where that is, what the travel routes are and I will meet people who will be able to tell me about the areas they live in.... so when I choose where to buy I will be better informed.

Buying a house is a big commitment. Crazy to try to do it from outside the area.

Good luck with the job hunting and house hunting.

sunlord_clave

I am not actually looking to buy a house - I am looking to rent. You said that you are looking to rent but don't have a job; this is related to my original question. Will they not say you need to have a job first before you can look for a house to rent?

daisyroots_2

I was confused because you said Estate Agent, (sells houses) but you actually meant Letting Agent (lets houses) My letting agent always asks for 3 references: bank, employer and previous landlord. The one I always trust most is previous landlord, because banks lie and are very vague, and decent people do get fired by unfair employers. You have to look at the whole picture. If you can provide good refs from previous landlord, from your bank and from your previous employer, you sound like an ideal tenant - you should be fine.

There are no "rules" really, all you need is to convince a Letting Agent that you will treat the place properly and pay your rent on time.

macaque_2

sunlord_clave wrote: »

This is a (UK) moving house question. Quite a unique situation I think.

I am moving house from Birmingham to Manchester. My contract job ends next month and I haven't yet found a house in Birmingham. I am looking for a job immediately. Is there some sort of rule in the Estate Agents system which means they can't give me a house until I have found a job? I am definitely going to find a job, there's no question about that. But do I have to wait till I've found a job in the new place (Manchester) before starting to look for a house?

If this is the case then could anyone advice me on what is the best way to go about this? Because my son starts his 1st year at the Uni of Manchester in a month and we're moving to Manchester with him. My contract actually ends at the exact day his University is starting. I'm looking for a house and a job at the same time. The job I am sure I will get but do Estate Agents look for proof that I am starting job soon before showing houses? If this is the case could anyone please advice me on how best to go about this situation by not spending a bundle?

Thanks.

The term joint honours means one person doing two subjects in their degree (not two people doing one degree).

pinkthinks

I did exactly this when I moved, although I am renting from a private landlord.

When I came to view the house I explained my situatuon, i.e. no job but could pay 6 months rent & deposit in advance.

My landlord used a tenant referencing service, but ultimately the decision was his (he's a really good guy).

All I can say is it worked for me, and I agree with the comment above - although you say it's a lot of money to give away, at least you know the initial term of the tenancy is all paid for.

HTH