Decided to rent for a while

gemima

Well, after a fruitless search for our next property and not finding anywhere suitable or at the right price we have decided to STR. Our buyers have been exceptionally patient but we do realise that if we don't do something soon we will lose them.

The issue is I run my own internet business from home (part time around children) - it has low overheads but I do need a separate telephone line set up. Do you think this will cause any problems when renting? I phoned up and enquired about a property yesterday and the lady seemed a bit concerned that I ran my own business from home and it could be a problem - not sure why......

Any advice please? Also as a newbie renter does anyone have any advice on what we should be asking/potential pitfalls we could get ourselves into when signing up for a house. If we were to sign up for a long term let ie. a year could we negotiate on the monthly rent?

Sorry to ask all these questions but renting is a new world to me.

TIA

Snooze

gemima wrote: »

The issue is I run my own internet business from home (part time around children) - it has low overheads but I do need a separate telephone line set up. Do you think this will cause any problems when renting?

I run my own internet business from home too. :beer:

Don't worry about the phone line issue. You can get mobile broadband from most of the mobile networks now for only a few quid more per month than a fixed line ISP would cost. 3 is the most popular it seems and I believe Vodafone and T-mobile do their own variants of it too.

When I've rented (and let) in the past I've never had any issues with people getting a line in if they want one and nor have LLs had any prob with me getting one in myself when I've been the tenant. Best check beforehand though.

Rob

PasturesNew

Don't tell them about running a business from home. Especially not an internet one. It's very difficult to make that sound "normal" and they pigeon hole you maybe as a dodgy freak. I know, because I do this and I never said a word.

You could, for the cross over times, investigate various methods of forwarding your phones to different numbers. There are quite a few ways to go with that. I won't run through them because I have no idea what your business model is.

I used to use Skype In and Skype Out to use the PC to make/receive calls - but that will require a good broadband connection to work. So I doubt that would work with, say, a mobile broadband solution.

Depending on your business model and costs/profits, it might even be worthwhile you taking up some serviced office space during the cross-over.