Big Badger House (aka Noisy Lodger) HE'S GONE!

Slinky

pulliptears wrote: »

We used to joke that my single, middle aged next door neighbour chose boyfriends based on their occupations, gardener (did a great job!), gutterer (not such a great job), builder (cracking wall).

Maybe there is something in it

My Dad said my aunt only went out with his mate long enough for him to teach her how to drive.....

Badger_Lady

OK so here's a brand new question.

For those who don't know, I'm leaving in five weeks' time to go exploring: http://emilysearlyretirement.blogspot.com. That means I won't be visiting the house for months and months at a time, making lodger selection at this juncture even more important than usual.

So I've been selling everything I own on eBay, and have thought that I would get in two new lodgers - Joanna can have my bedroom (it's by far the biggest) and then we can let out the other two doubles. The little bit of personal gear I have left can go in the single bedroom, where it can be locked away until I come home, and the things in there (hoover, ladder and toolbox) can be kept under the stairs.

If I get £900 rent each month, that'll cover:
- mortgage £404
- council tax £135
- water £45
- electric £80
- gas £50
= £714, leaving a little room for maintenance.

But I've just been thinking - should I employ an agent to manage it while I'm gone? I know it's a little unconventional, not being a full tenancy, and all my experiences with letting agents in the past have been horrible! They may take another £160 a month, which would swallow up the maintenance fund, although there might be room for negotiation.

Whaddayareckon?

BitterAndTwisted

Emily, you are out of your bloody mind! Months at a time? Are you absolutely and completely certain that by not living there, even temporarily that you won't be converting these lodgers into tenants?

Have you discussed these arrangement with JoannaLodger and got her feelings about it? That you're going to ship in complete strangers into her home that she won't have any control over? What if they turn out to be doppelgangers of the stripe you're just getting shot of now?

Where are you going and how far?

Actually, what's of even more concern is WHAT"S GOING TO HAPPEN TO TUFTY?

jayss

Is Joanna lodger likely to be sticking around the whole time you're away?

With your stuff in a room will they still count as lodgers? Will you be popping back during the european leg?

Will the gas and electric stay at those amounts without you around to switch things off, turn things down?

If they are still lodgers what happens when things dont work out?

Hope you have a great trip, I left within days of my house selling in 2004 for my adventures and had a great time. But I had no responsibilities back home.

Emmzi

Will you be contactable and have internet while away? If so I'd be inclined to give JoLodger a small discount while away and have her bank details handy and your list of preferred tradesmen so she can cope with emergencies, if she is amenable. Or give an emergency fund to a trusted UK based relative (so not your sibling as I recall) so they can cover emergency repairs.

Emmzi

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Emily, you are out of your bloody mind!

.......... um.

BitterAndTwisted

B_L: please don't even dream of taking Tufty with you on your travels. Cats are territorial, as you know, and become much more firmly attached to their surroundings than their people. Dog: OK. Recall and on a leash. But not a pusscat, No. No. No.

Badger_Lady

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Are you absolutely and completely certain that by not living there, even temporarily that you won't be converting these lodgers into tenants?

It is a concern... any advice on the best way to avoid it would be most welcome! I just want to be able to go home when I need to.

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Have you discussed these arrangement with JoannaLodger and got her feelings about it? That you're going to ship in complete strangers into her home that she won't have any control over? What if they turn out to be doppelgangers of the stripe you're just getting shot of now?

I have, yes... she's fine with it. She's actually going to try and find some colleagues to live there rather than strangers... but I'd always ask her to meet and approve any PotentialLodgers.

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Where are you going and how far?

Everywhere... I want to tour Europe in the campervan until September, then go to Australia for 6 months... I've got an invitation to Canada to fulfil, plus one to Columbia and I'm really keen to visit India and Asia.

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Actually, what's of even more concern is WHAT"S GOING TO HAPPEN TO TUFTY?

Poor old cat I always thought he'd be dead by now! In the nicest possible way. No matter what, he'll be staying in the house as Cheif Lodger. Joanna is in love with him and will look after him well.

jayss wrote: »

Is Joanna lodger likely to be sticking around the whole time you're away?

Nothing's ever guaranteed...

jayss wrote: »

With your stuff in a room will they still count as lodgers? Will you be popping back during the european leg?

I'll be popping back in September. That really doesn't seem like such a long time to me any more

jayss wrote: »

Will the gas and electric stay at those amounts without you around to switch things off, turn things down?

Let's face it, I'm hardly there to turn things down now. In fact I haven't turned anything down since May.

jayss wrote: »

If they are still lodgers what happens when things dont work out?

They're out on their ear!

Emmzi wrote: »

Will you be contactable and have internet while away? If so I'd be inclined to give JoLodger a small discount while away and have her bank details handy and your list of preferred tradesmen so she can cope with emergencies, if she is amenable. Or give an emergency fund to a trusted UK based relative (so not your sibling as I recall) so they can cover emergency repairs.

I'll have my Kindle 3G

I had originally thought of Joanna but I don't think she'd be suited to it... she's extremely wary of confrontation and just wants a quiet life. She works very hard in her job and doesn't have money troubles (one look at her shoe collection will tell you that!) so she wouldn't really have any incentive to take on the job.

Who remembers LovelyNeighbour, though? He's still a self-employed writer working from home... and he might take it on for a bit of regular income...

BitterAndTwisted

I'm really worried about that Lodger transmogrifying into a tenant business. All it would take is one bloody busybody lodger and suddenly you've got an HMO on your hands. I dunno how you could go about it to prevent it.

Another concern is that, your lovely but wanting-to-avoid-confrontation JoannaLodger, should she find the people uncongenial, could just give you notice and find somewhere else. And then you've got a load of party-animals trashing your lovely home and no-one knows about it until you get back.

If you're going as far as Colombia I'll put you in touch with my lovely pals in Lima and you can visit them in Peru. Roasted guinea-pigs on a stick! Cusco! Ceviche! Machu Picchu! The Amazon!

Badger_Lady

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Roasted guinea-pigs on a stick!