To take advantage of the once in a lifetime opportunity?

[Noifsnobuts]

DH is a teacher and we are expecting DD in February (DS is 3). I am the main breadwinner and so will be back to work in September. I have just realised we will have 8 weeks in the summer holidays as a family with no work commitments at all!

I'm thinking about trying to do something to take advantage because this is probably the only time it's going to happen. Was thinking going to live somewhere else for 2 months, either abroad or somewhere else in the UK. We could rent out our house to pay for it. Do you think having two young children is hard enough and would you want to be away from home with a 4-5 month old or would we be crazy not to take advantage? What would you do given the same chance?

I would take advantage 100% and go abroad! Never let a baby stop you doing things. It would be a fab experience for you all and people have babies all over the world. In my experience the thought of travelling with little ones is way worse than the reality. Hope you go for it and enjoy x

Life is what you make of it. I think you would struggle to rent your house for 8 weeks unless you live in a tourist area. In your position I would be wary of renting your house out as tenants don't tend to be kind to properties.

Where would you like to go? I suppose that you and the children go fly out earlier to avoid term time flight prices and then your husband could join you. Are you a teacher as well? Otherwise you could fly back a week later than your DH to avoid stupid school holiday prices.

OMG, have you any idea of what it will entail to let your house out for just 2 months

Rather than rent your house out for 2 months couid you try and do a house swap?

I would go for it as you are thinking live somewhere not getting stuck in a hotel room. We took DS to Canada at 9 months and it was a fab fortnight we could have stayed much longer. My criteria would be decent health care system and English widely spoken but I'm not hugely adventurous.

The renting out of your house would be the stumbling block for me. Suspect it'd be tricky for just 2 months.

But yes, I would 100% try to maximise the opportunity. In my current mindset I'd probably opt for a summer in Europe possibly even just France doing camping/gite touring.

It would be bliss

I was also going to suggest a house swap.

I think life's for living, do it if you want to and enjoy.

But just be sensible and practical when planning this and be honest with yourself about what would constitute a good time for you with two kids in tow, rather than just lovely pics and posts on Facebook

We emigrated when DD2 was 4 months old. I won't say it was the easiest thing in the world (and there was a dramatic temperature difference, which did make me a bit anxious at times), but it was a good experience. DD2 was young enough to be very portable and just came along, DD1 was 4, and was old enough to take in a lot of the places we visited in our first few weeks.

I wouldn't necessarily want to be travelling the whole time, but a new country, with a single base for the whole time - Yep, I'd definitely do it.

In your position I would be wary of renting your house out as tenants don't tend to be kind to properties.

Nothing like a disgusting generalisation on a Monday morning...

Great idea. I agree a house swap is the way to go.

If we had that much time off together I would do it!
Where do you want to go?

Or several house swaps even to go to a few different places.
My Auntie used to do this and went all over the world but she did have a low maintenance house in a tourist area and very helpful neighbours.

If you can find a way financially, then I would go for it!!

I'm actually quite jealous you can do that

Thanks all - I'm encouraged to do it! Agree about faff of an 8 week rental but a house swap is a great idea. Any website recommendations for setting it up? I'm easy about where we go, but think I'd like some sun. We are in the SE easily commutable to London.

GO FOR IT! Sounds amazing. I think a house swap is a good idea too, if you're OK with picking and committing to going to one place.

Otherwise, you can find an agency to deal with the rental details for you. Or Airbnb?

I'm really !

Depends on whether your house would let for such a short time. I know someone in Edinburgh who rents his flat out during the festival (for an astronomical price) and heads off abroad.

you can't safely rent out your house for 2 months. Why? Because in England/Wales the minimum term for a tenancy is six months, and you cannot start eviction proceedings before that. So if you are unlucky and get non-payers/non-shifters, it could be the best part of a year before you have your house back. Absolute worst case but it DOES happen.

you'll also need all the insurances, consent to let, gas safe, deposit protection, someone on call for fixes/maintenance...

it is NOT worth it. Get a friend to house-sit, or do a swap and go on a cheap trip.

check with your insurers but house-sit/swaps are a different thing to formal lets.

We've met lots of people doing exactly what you describe on European camp sites in summer, generally driving around Europe in big motor homes with a crawling baby and sometimes a toddler, taking advantage of more generous paternity leave as well as maternity leave often. Only one British couple, maybe due to more limited paternity leave.

I'd say its a holiday/ chance to travel around Europe, not really to "live" elsewhere as 8 weeks is not long enough to really "move in" anywhere, and I have no idea about the mechanics of paying for it by renting out your house just for 8 weeks... but if you can afford it and your 3 year old is a laid back, flexible good sleeper, and the new baby isn't an especially bad sleeper it could be brilliant... The variables of what "type" of baby you'll get would be the only thing that would hold me back from committing to it before the baby is born... or even before you know whether you're going to get a newborn who sleeps all the time for 4 weeks and then apparently believes they've done the sleep thing and doesn't sleep for more than an hour at a stretch again for the next 2 years...

I'd say its potentially a great idea but could be expensive and how fantastic it is will depend a bit on whether your new baby sleeps, whether he or she is collicy (you could still be in the throws of collic when you plan to be away if you are unlucky), and how your DS reacts to gaining a sibling...

On the fence... -We went to Italy for 10 days when DC3 was 10 days old and we had a 3 and a 5 year old though :o So travel with small people can be fine... its just committing to a potentially expensive 8 week trip with no home to come back early to if its rented out, in advance I'd wobble about...

DO IT!

But don't rent your house out.

I thought teachers had to work during school holidays?

Pah to holiday work for teachers - Dh could work from a sunny verandah somewhere!

Suggest seeing if the finances still work if you can't get short term income for your house!

You could list your house on AirBnB
Loads of listings on there for houses available for a night/week/month
Do you have friends, family or a cleaner nearby who could do changovers for you while you are away?

It sounds like potentially a great idea. In your shoes, I'd go to the south coast of France

you can't safely rent out your house for 2 months. Why? Because in England/Wales the minimum term for a tenancy is six months

So how do holiday lets work then??

We went away for many weeks this summer & put our house on Airbnb. Worked out well, but DAMN it was stressful getting the house clean and cleared sufficiently for it!

Homeexchange.com is great - we just had a weekend away down the the county using it, and have stayed in lovely cities.

Holiday lets do not convey the same rights to the person renting the place. That's how they work. special is absolutely correct.

I know someone who toured Southern Europe in a camper van for three months in a similar situation. They stayed on campsites.