To want somewhere to live!!!! (preferably with some form of heating)

[noughty]

Ok; I'm not really asking AIBU but want to know if anyone has any suggestions that could help us. Have name changed as am embarrassed by the situation I find myself in. Builders have renedered my house unliveable at the mo, don't want to go into big details as it makes me feel like sobbing. I am trying to sort it out but know that we won't be back in till Feb at earliest. Still paying mortgage of course so not able to afford to pay a London rent on a second place til we can get back in. Meanwhile stayin at Mum's accross London; boiler has gone on her entire block of flats so no heating for who knows how long; it's already been a week. She's gone to stay with friends and me and 2 yr old DS are sleeping in tracky bottoms, socks and woolly jumpers and DH is squatting in our building site of a house looking knackered so he can be near work and also he's kind of had his fill of staying with his in laws now. May need to pursue builders through the courts, etc. etc. nightmare nightmare. Has been like this for two months, not living with DH, staying at Mums and getting in their way. Can't bear the thought of doin it another 2 months or more. Luckily we are going to jump in the car and go to friends up North for Xmas. Back Jan 4th. Wonder if anyone had any helpful suggestions re accomodation. Clapham or nearby. Any housesitting opportunities? We are very reliable and nice people (just having terrible luck!). Can give glowing references as have house sat an American family's home two years ago (before baby came along), fed their three dogs, watered their plants and even supervised some work they needed done on their house while they flew back to US for medical treatment for 4 months. Or maybe a landlord has a place that is in between tenants and could do us a deal on? Or you'd be happy to rent your home short term if you'll be out of town. Or maybe some nice family has a Granny flat we could stay in in exchange for rent or childminding. Am hanging out with my 2 year old every day so if it mean a place of our own would happily have another kid tag along with us. WE'd love to negotiate any deal as I am so desperate to have a little home now that is just us, me, DH and DS. We've had so much upheaval since DS was born I don't feel like my feet have touched the ground.

I can't help you with accommodation but I found a useful trick with builders was to give them a deadline to get their arses into gear or you would report them to inland revenue. Not a builder in the world who pays all his taxes so, if they are arsing you about, might be worth a try.

PS - I live in Clapham too - don't have spare property to lend you but it really will be worth it in long run (I renovated two places last year and this so, believe me, I do know what you're going through).

Sorry, I can't help either but I really feel for you. Here's a bump in the hope that someone out there can think of something to help you.

We are about to launch legal action (our building insurance has legal cover). While I was typing away he's(ds age 2) gone and got the Vanish carpet stain remover spray my Mum keeps in a low cupboard and sprayed it everywhere!! Totally toxic stuff; God I want to be in my own space that i can set up all safe and kid friendly; It's so bloody stressful. Thanks for your advice about threatening gits with inland rev. I think I will probably get them in trouble but am more obsessed with finding a little space at the mo cos whatever happens we won't be back in till FEb.

There must be some housesitting websites - I'm off to do a search.

Sending you good thoughts in the meantime

And try not to be a embarassed about yhour circumstances - ain't noone I know who isn't a mortgage payment away from disaster

Thank you Lauriefairycake! I don't know hat's happened to us since DS was born; everything is just not going to plan!! We used to be pretty lucky. Seems these last two years our luck has run out. We have not had a home for him that isn't either my Mum's flat or a complete building site since he was 4 months old when we foolishly sold my neat little one bed flat and moved into a nightmare.

Have you tried Westbury Court above Clap Sth Station? It is a big Art Deco place - completely horrendous common parts but flats themselves tiny but OK. It is vast and usually have one or two things spare - managed by JS Estates - 8885 3800 - it is cheap and they may be willing to do a deal for a short-term tenancy but can't promise anything.

If you are going through legal action with builders, you may be out of house longer than you think anyway...

What needs doing in your house? I may be able to pass on the names of one or two tradespeople who didn't f* us over.

Thank you Lala; we have people sorting it out hopefully but it'll be abit of a long haul; well feb at least. Thanks for tip on Westbury Court. I'll try them. I fantasize about a little flat with carpet and radiators and a kitchen sink with taps, ahhh, bliss!

It looks like the biggest one is homesitters.co.uk and they are looking for people according to their website.

Is there no chance you could book into a Travelodge - you can get them for £24 a day - and I read an article where a couple live in one and they had a deal where they only paid £11 a day. Just looked at first week in January and they are £29 a night at the Romford and Ilford Travelodge - not Clapham though

and the Travel Inn (now Premierinn.co.uk) has 9 nights for £575 at Barking - £751 at Putney for 9 nights - this is much more expensive

Appreciate the hotel thing might not be an option.

I've just done a search on lastminute.com and they have a basic hotel for £268 for 7 nights - £283 for one with an ensuite and continental breakfast - actually they have 10 under 300 quid for 7 nights.

You can also stay 29 nights (whole of january) for £1377

Good to see we're keeping this bumped too

Thanks Laurie. Just looked at Homesitters.co.uk. I'm going to email them and offer myself and hubby up as homesitters. It doesn't mention kids so I suspect they may not let couples with a 2 year old housesit, but if they really need housesitters maybe they will. I guess it's poss they may be nationwide so not sure if it's feasible-we can't run off to Cheshire to housesit as DH works in London. Also think we'll get turned down cos of DS. thanks for bumping it for me though. I will email them on the off chance. I'm looking at Gumtree but most of the ads at present are folks hoping to rent out thier flats over Dec for big money for those wanting to spend Xmas in London. Generally short lets ask for higher rents than long term anyway so we prob couldn't afford the ones on Gumtree but i'll keep looking. Hav been living out of suitcases and cardboard boxes since Feb 2006!!! Losing my marbles.

Have left a msg for Westbury Court managing agents; thanks for the tip. Cheap sounds good, Clapham South sounds good, Art Deco sounds good! I know the one you mean- bit grotty but it's in Clapham and presumably has heating so- PERFECT!

And Noughty - you'll have the best fishmonger in London just downstairs if you do go there and the Common across the road. Good Luck!

Not sure what the rents will be on Westbury and we are paying a mortgage so can't afford a big London rent so please keep suggestions coming thick and fast!! Any other ideas still very welcome!!

bumpster

bumperama.

so frustrated I can't help you - my sister has just long-let her flat in Clapham, after it was empty for a few months ... But I have a fantastic charming joiner/odd-job man, should you need one?

Aghh! SantaslittlePBE! That's just the sister of a Mumsnetter I'm hoping might come out of the woodwork! Let's hope there are other Claphamites like your sis that'll see my post.

sorry probably shouldn't have said - but look, it's bumped you again!

Was thinking about this as I walked out in bitter wind this lunchtime.

This is the conclusion I came to:-

Your mother's heating will not be off forever - presumably there are managing agents for the block and you and your neighbours should be ringing them up every ten minutes to get them to get off bums and fix problem.

It does seem very bleak at the moment because you have been doing this project for 2 years or so and you are absolutely fed up with the stress and relentless grind of it. This is the most difficult thing with building work - just keeping on with it and not letting builders off hook as apathy and despair take over but, if you really think that it is possible to have it finished by February, I would look forward to going to friends' house for a nice long stretch over Christmas and then going back to your mother's. Forget about alternative accommodation and put your energy into getting the house finished rather than paying mortgage on place that you cannot live in.

In a way you are lucky that it is Christmas and New Year coming up. It gives you a break in the whole nightmare and means that you can restore your energy levels a little and get organised for one last push come January. Try to get as much rest as possible over first week of Christmas then sit down with dh and formulate an approach for getting work finished asap - try to be honest and work out what went wrong with original builders and see if there is any room for negotiation with them (if you haven't given up on them entirely) and work out how to avoid similar situations with new ones.

Good luck.

Thanks Lala. Yes, heating won't be off at Mums forever. Hope the boiler part is arriving Thursday. And the managing agents have been sacked this week! Yes getting away for Xmas will be brilliant! DH hasn't more than one day off in a row since last Xmas! (Self employed). My Mum and Dad have very politely said we should find somewhere else for when we return from OOp North in Jan. they have been very kind but a two year old and their flat do not mix well. Everyone is on top of each other and Dh is not gonna hang out with inlaws for another tow months plus; he's a good man but not a saint. If I knew it was only till Feb I would maybe feel better but the prob at the mo is that it is unknown how long it'll take to sort out, investigations are underway.

No, SantaslittlePBE it gave me hope that folks out there have flats that may in fact occasionally stand empty. Glad you posted and thanks for the bump.

I know it's a tall order but any ideas welcome...

bumpsadaisy

Oh I am talking to myself now; that's really sad. I'll go cuddle up to my hot water bottle (self-pitying sob)