Are we doing the right thing? And advice on renting please!

[stevieknicks]

Our FOURTH house has fallen through. Our flat has been under offer since June, since then we have had another DC, our buyers have been married, and we are all fed up waiting to move!
We are looking at a rental property on Monday, looks promising, but I am a bit nervous about being at the whim of a landlord again after owning our own property for so long.
We just figure better to have money in the bank and be quick to pounce than be stuck in a flat we can't sell.
Are we doing the right thing in this market?
And any tips for renting from a private landlord? What should we be asking?
TIA!

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

How frustrating for you. We finally managed to buy our house after nearly six months of twatting about with the seller.
I would rent while you look for somewhere else. I am a landlord, but our agents look after the property for us. Badly.
IIWY, I would be asking about garden maintainence it is a real bugbear of ours that the tenants expect us to provide a gardener to go and mow the lawn, despite us providing a lawnmower.
I am sure there will be other replies. Well done on selling your flat though.

[iloverhubarbcrumble]

Poor you. We sold 2.5 years ago and hadn't found anything to buy. Ended up renting for 18 months+ before finally buying.

Can't offer advice on the market as things change all the time. We rented through an agency but met the landlords straight away, and felt we could trust them - good vibe, nice people. I'm sure this is key. We felt we were treated with little respect by the agents, and only ever having 6 months security of tenancy was unpleasant. I didn't enjoy the period of renting. But it served its purpose and as long as the tenancy agreement includes safe deposit arrangements, it sounds like it might be a good idea in your horrendous circs - 4 houses! Poor you.

Best of luck

[lalalonglegs]

I think you are doing absolutely the right thing, rent a house as similar to the type you think you would like and see how you like the fit and, if possible, in your ideal street. Will give you a good feeling for the area and mean that your ear is close to the ground should anything else come up.

Landlords vary - just make sure you get everything in writing if you have any worries.

[stevieknicks]

Thanks everyone, will see what tomorrow brings - it's so hard to know what the right thing to do is. If it were just me and DH I wouldn't give a monkeys but the little'uns complicate things...