WWYD if you can't get a mortgage ?

[ALittleBitOfMagic]

DH and I live in a 2 bedroom council flat . We have dd who is 8 and ds who is 9mo . We planned to move after Christmas but found out dh has an old default on his credit report . So now we can't get a mortgage . So our options are :

• stay here another 4 years until the the default drops off . This would mean we would have a 12yo sharing a room with her 4yo brother .

• private rent . Our rent would likely double which means no way of saving for deposit and other buying costs

• try to get a house swap but we only qualify for a 2 bed so would mean going through all the house move hassle and they would still have to share a room .

Dh wants to private rent but I want to try and get a swap . He says there's no point in swapping to another 2 bed but I think if we get a 2 bed house then it will at least be less cramped and we won't be living in a hoarders paradise . I don't want to spend loads of money on rent on a house we don't/will never own . AIBU ? Should I just private rent and get the dcs their space ? WWYD in this situation ?

Absolutely. I'd happily rent in Germany or Spain. UK law - and culture - in this area is dire.

'I own so don't practice what I preach but I wouldn't rule it out.

Renting is common practice abroad.'

We're not abroad. We are in the UK, where you are never more than a few months, usually 4 at most but often only 2, from having to move. Over and over.

But then, you own.

That is the downside to private renting, you can be asked to leave with minimal notice, in our case, 1 month! However, we have been in our flat for almost 4 years. The rent has remained the same throughout and we get left to our own devices, except an inspection every 3 months (they spend 2mins in the flat each time, hardly thorough). So it's not all bad.

OP, I would stay where you are and try to sort the debt out.