Rental panic! - Advise please what would you do?

[Jayneypops]

Hi,

I need some opinions as am starting to stress.

We are renting ATM while we save a deposit and our landlord has sold the property so we have to move out on July 3rd (6 weeks time roughly). Hard enough with a 2 year old and a 3 month old but this is my dilemma:

We have only seen 2 houses we like in the area we want to live in. They will both be very popular as it seems every man and his dog want to live there as its close to park, good schools etc... anyway. Property 1 I am viewing tomorrow but property 2 won't be ready for viewing for at least 2 weeks (they are refurbing it). Property 2 is our preference. Both are with the same agent.

I don't want to pass on property 1 incase property 2 is so popular that we are pipped to the post as it would then leave us with only 2 weeks roughly to find somewhere to live! however, I MUST view it as we love it so much.

If I view property 1 and say we'll have it, pay the application fee and reserve it (as a back up), then view property 2 and decide we want that one instead, will it be bad? would the agents see us as time wasters, or feel messed about and therefore select another tenant over us for property 2?

Should I
1. Forget our favoured house (prop 2) and play it safe by going with property 1
2. View/reserve prop 1 (pay £165 fee) as a back up, then still ask to view property 2 when viewings are being booked?
3. Hold out for the house we really like and take a gamble on us getting it?

Will an agent even let us view another property when they have us down for one already?

Hope that makes sense!

 

[BellaBoo0512]

Sorry to hear about the crappy situation you have been put in. If it was me then I'd probably play it safe. If you put the holding fee on the property you really like and then don't get it, will you get the holding fee back?

 

[MrsMandy]

If they're both under the same agent be honest with them and explain your predicament - they may let you view it before its 'ready' if they know your desperate!
Good luck, moving is stressful at the best of times!! Xx

 

[maisie78]

I agree with pp. Speak to the agent and explain the situation. They may help you. But don't tell them you are considering holding the first.

 

[Smiler82]

If property 2 is your favourite and you are sure it's a really good house, can you not just tell the agent now that you want to rent it and get it secured? The rental market is brutal and I know people who have put deposits down without even viewing!

 

[Rachel_C]

I'd also talk to the agent so they know you're not messing them around. Get them to call the landlord of the property that's being done up and ask if there's any way you can view it now. Surely they'd like to know they have a tenant lined up before it's finished? It'll save them time.

 

[Jayneypops]

Thanks everyone. In the end I explained the situation to the boss of the agents and he took me to look around our fave property before its ready he told me to get my application in which I did so now just have to wait. They still have to show other people of course, and no they wouldn't let me reaerve it sight unseen unfortunately

fingers crossed they choose our application!

 

[BellaBoo0512]

Good luck

 

[MrsMandy]

Fingers crossed xx

 

[Smiler82]

Hope you get it!

 

[Jayneypops]

Thanks all. Feel a bit deflated as the agents have been instructed by the Landlord to let all viewings go ahead as planned regardless of our early application. The agents have bought the viewings forward to this friday (a block booking for everyone) and have said we should know 1 way or the other by Tuesday next week.

I feel a bit fed up of waiting to be honest, I love the house, and have imagined us living there but all the worry over what might happen has left me feeling drained and Im now feeling negative about the whole process

Surely the agent shouldn't have asked me to put in my application early, and imply we would be ok, if I was still going to have to wait for all other application to come in anyway 2 weeks later?

Im thinking the Landlord has looked at the fact we have 2 small children and 1 income (now I'm a SAHM) and wants to see if he can do better