AIBU to apply for a job that I potentially can't start for a year?

[Naicehamhun]

IABU- don't apply and wait until I am in a position to move.

IANBU- Apply and be honest about start dates.

Background: Through a series of circumstances beyond my control I have been left as a lone parent of one 7 year old DC. DCs father is local to where I live currently but is not allowed unsupervised contact, so I have no help. I work full time in a very intensive job and have no support within 100 miles if the area I live in. I am therefore looking to move back to my hometown where there is a bit more support from family and friends.
I have found the perfect job in my home town, I am qualified and stand a good chance. The job market in that area is very limited and this is a rare opportunity.... However. I am not on any position to make the big move any time soon.
My house needs building work before it can be put on the market. The market is stagnant in my area. My mortgage will not allow me to let it out. Hometown is a lot more expensive and I stand to lose a lot of money if I rush this process and I need all the cash I can get.

I can't get this job advertisement out of my head. I feel like I would be a fool to not apply but I can not start for many months and I feel this would instantly put off the employers. They do also specify that previous applicants will not be considered and the likelihood of the same role coming up again in the next few years is very slim.
My initial thoughts were to send an opening email to them before I apply formally, explaining my circumstances and potential start dates to gauge if they will consider me as an applicant. But I feel that this could put them off if I approach it the wrong way. I am desperate to move.

Portray you as being loyal? I don’t get that thought process?

Just sell the house as is?

Is it possible that the company would offer a relocation package?

You say you will lose money if you rush the moving process. If you don’t you’ll lose the job in your hometown, and the opportunity for an easier life for you and your son with family backup on hand. I would apply, move straightaway if you get it, and consider any financial hit the price you pay for that long term good change and quality of life improvement. I think if you apply with caveats you won’t get the job. If you don’t apply you’ll regret it. What in your life is going to make doing renovations easier in the next year than it’s been up to now? Cut your losses and go for it wholeheartedly.

@Naicehamhun, can you give us some idea of the type of building work that needs to be done? It’s a big difference if, for example, you have an unfinished extension or subsidence. Will selling without doing the work leave you in negative equity?

Honestly, op the company may not agree to wait a year if you were currently embroiled in a contract not due to end for a year, but at least it would be a straight no.
If you actually ask they wait a year because you are renovating your house they’ll think you’re a time wasting idiot, and your reputation will follow you.
Why can’t you just sell the house as it is? I doubt the cost of building work would increase the value to any significant degree.

I start a new job after Easter...they will have waited 6 months for me (due to completely ridiculous 'notice dates' imposed on teachers, where I missed the 31st October deadline for December exit by 2 days!) So I'm 'obliged' to abide by the next exit date of Easter...archaic system and very unfair!

It's felt like forever and the new school have been very patient. However, having to wait 6 months to leave (effectively working 6 months notice!) has been really bloody hard, and I am feeling more and more resentful as the weeks drag by. I would not recommend this length of waiting, personally. It's not great for your wellbeing 😩

Seriously, don’t bother if you’re not available.

I think asking them to wait a year is going to be too much. They have advertised because they need someone fairly soon.

Is there no one you can stay with temporarily in the home town while you sort and sell your house? Family/friends? Is it possible for you to rent a small place for you and your son until the house is sold? Might not be perfect but for a few months it would be ok.

Is the work on the house absolutely necessary to sell? If not, don't bother. You could sell at auction with a reserve price for a quick sale. My husband has recently done this with the house of his elderly aunt who died. The house, although clean and tidy was very dated and not in an amazing area but it sold no problem.

I'd start the application but also look into every thing possible to allow you to move if offered.

@Haveatem my husband got a job in late October for August of next year. It was a but tough working such a long notice period but we were too busy with other things. Dragged a bit around January but then suddenly it all went too fast.

Is their scope to wfh as you wait to move? Hand on heart is 1 year realistic? Have tradesmen viewed your house, given you quotes for work, estimated time to take and when they could start?

You'd get known as a time waster.
Not necessarily. It all depends on the recruitment process and the field. OP could also say that there has been an unexpected change etc. So they are not saying they didn't have intention.

Yes, it's annoying for recruiters when candidates are not super interested
but sometimes the initial phone screen (which I hope more companies would do) motivates the candidate or maybe the one who is interested realises it's not for them. Therefore I don't see the hurt in applying. To me it sounds like it might be a possibility for OP to relocate earlier instead of being totally impossible.

Take the financial hit. Being in a better place emotionally, with good career prospects and lots of support has to outweigh the £ lost.

You'll ruin your credibility if you tell them you can't start for a year. You're not showing them any loyalty at all, but expecting them to show you some, even though you're not even employed.

I can't see why any employer would wait a year to fill a role that could be filled sooner by a similar quality candidate.

I think you need to decide if you want the job, if you do, apply and make the house stuff work around the job.

Sell the house as it is, rent a one bed room flat short term, ask for a mortgage holiday while the work is done.....

There are options if you are serious about it.

I’d do what I had to do if it got me where I want to be. Can you stay with family? Get the house renovated and on the market? Realistically your house won’t be sold much before 12 months if it’s not ready to sell right now. You may even find a place to buy and swap your mortgage over.

It is FAR too good an opportunity not to apply. Give your parents (or someone locals) address.

Talk to your parents (or whoever) about the opportunity & see if you & DS could stay with them should you get the job.

You can work the rest out if you get the job. You can move your mortgage to a hugger ent lender, or you might be able to get their permission to do this (many of them are flexible on a 1:1 basis)

Don’t tell them you can’t start for a year, that’s madness. Try for the job. If you get it, push your start date out as far as you fans and work the rest out.

I’m very much a ‘planner’ but sometimes your plan has to be doing the BEST THING for you/your child/family and working out the practicalities around that.

Sometimes what we think would be best with a property isn’t. Speak to developers as well as agents and builders etc. They might give you better ways to move forward with your property.

What’s the difference between selling as a doer upper and selling post building work, allowing for cost of said building work? Probably not as much as you imagine.

I would apply, you don't really have anything to lose. The bigger question is whether they would actually wait for you - generally, I would highly doubt it, provided they have other equally qualified candidates. I would however do anything you can to enable you to take it earlier if at alll possible - eg move in with family, sell house for less etc. You say yourself the opportunities don't come up that often

My thought process behind being honest with them would best portray me as being loyal and fitting with the company values

More likely they'd begin to suspect that their emphasis on "work life balance" and "keeping things local" is the main attraction, driven by your concerns around family support. It's absolutely right that employers should consider these things, but there has to be give and take and I can't quite see that waiting a year for you would qualify as that

I honestly can't see a "really small company" going for this at all, so maybe it would be better to look elsewhere?

If it's the right job at right location, I would not even think about it. Apply.

Do not aplologise and explain you can't start for a year. Quite the opposite, you can tell them you are very keen to move back to home town. If this is the right opportunity, you can sort the house out, there must be options. Renovations often don't add the value people assume they do anyway, might be better to sell house as is, and not investing in repairs. Or, as a pp said, it's easier to renovate when it's empty, and you can hopefulyl stay with relatives or someone for a short while?

Would the renovation costs not be negated by the loss on potential sale cost? Surely you’re either paying for the build or losing a similar amount on the sale

I understand what some of you are saying about the house updates.
Unfortunately I really don't think it will sell without them being done first as the market in this area is pretty congested.
These are structural updates rather than cosmetic so some new steels, roof pitch. Not very expensive but disruptive. It could be a very short term option to stay with family but it is far from ideal as me and my mother have a strained relationship and are better at a distance.

I am reluctant to sell at a loss as the new area is a lot higher price. Even if I sell at what I want I would have to downsize from a 3 bed semi to a 2 bed terrace at best. I can't imagine fitting into anything smaller than that.

If you know you want to move at some point, start with the renovations straight away. Like right now. And send the application in. MAybe nothing will happen, but you will always regret it of you don't.

But won't you just lose/accept offers with the amount you'd need for renovations anyway?