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.

Hello, it's me again. just in case anyone out there can help. Have name changed as appalled and embaressed and depressed by my situation. Still not able to live in our house that we're paying huge monster mortgage for, still going through legal action with builders, still homeless. Had last three/four weeks in a friend's flat that she then found proper tenants for; then moved to a house sit in Brixton feeding someone's cat. They'll be back Feb 16th and we have to find somewhere to go next. Am becoming so miserable at this moving around, living out of cardboard boxes routine. Was at my Mum's for months and months before that. Feel like my life is in limbo. If anyone has or hears of any house sitting opportunities in Clapham, Balham, Brixton, Stockwell or Battersea please please let me know. We are so responsible and can provide refernces. Are great at feeding cats/dogs/plants. Or we can pay a low rent on an empty property if anyone has such a thing. Thank you for listening.

oh dear, this sounds like a terrible mess, have you taken legal action against the builders? It sounds like they need to compensate for more than just inconvenience!!!

I guess it is a long shot, but you could offer a pet sitting service. Make yourself up and advert. Do you have experience with dogs, as this would help? Maybe restrict it to cats or something. But people who sit pets in their own home charge shed loads for this. Approach vets in areas that you want to stay in. Also, it might be worth asking if there were elderly people with pets taht need taking care of while they are in hospital, if you were to do this just for the price of the roof over your head, im sure that would be worth a punt.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. HAve you approached your local council for some emergency accomodation? Get doctors letters etc to back you up. What about the builders, is there any mileage in trying to get them to pay for you to stay somewhere.

Ive not read everything really, just last post as its bedtime here, but what about your insurers? Will they not provide accomodation? My cousin was flooded this year and they put their family up in a really posh local hotel for six months whilst the house was being sorted out (sounds great but it was a bit shite after a while, 2 small children hard to entertain in swanky hotel!). Surely if this is not your fault you could make a claim, especially in leiu of legal action. Just a thought, probably one you have already investigated.

As for your builders it just makes me , my DP is a builder and woudlnt dream of leaving someone in such a state. Thse bloody cowboys make me want to spit. Sue their bloody arses to hell!!!

Thanks LucyEllensMum. Good idea about the pet sitting advert. May do that tomorrow at a rather glamourous vets near here. We are trying to sue them. Our insurance doesn't cover us (as per bloody usual!)

bumperama

Disaster!!! Sorry can't help, but bumping and good luck.

also approach Social services and Age concern re the house/pet sitting. I guess you might need CRB check and that costs about £40 but worth it, if you get a result.

Thanks. Yes, it is a disaster. I keep trying to get perspective on it; I can't quite tell how to feel about it- I veer from completely depressed to feeling lucky that we've got our lovely DS and at least we're not living in a war zone, etc. etc. Every day is different. Very up and down!

I really hope you get sorted soon.
Go kick some builder butt it'll make you nice and warm

LucyellensM, do Social services and Age Concern really take on housesitters? We could probably pass all their checks as we are fairly respectable. That would be so good!

I honestly don't know, but it seems like a wonderful service to me. I used to work in a vets and it was very sad when elderly clients had to either rehome or kennel thier pets because they had to have a long hospital/respite stay. I just thought that those organisations might be able to point you in the right direction.

I'm going to phone round the vets today.

Bumpsy daisy

Have been on the phone to loads of vets, plus other pet sitters to let them know we're available for house/pet sitting opportunites so fingers crossed. they seemed to think there was a lot of demand for house/pet sitters so i hope I hear something. Thanks Lucy E M

keeping my fingers crossed for you noughty - is there no way the council can provide you with some decent temporary accomodation?

another few thoughts: It might be worth you getting a CRB done, it will be a good selling point. I think it costs about £45 and i dont know how long it takes either. Also, set about getting some refferees. Can you make up a poster too? Take that around to the local vets, put in local shop windows? Also, contact local dog rescue/training centres. Actually, the dog rescue centre would be a good place to enquire about elderly people needing pet sitters, as i imagine they would contact rescue centres to try to arrange care of their pets. You could advertise your services in local papers, also the dog mags, but they tend to only come out monthly and im not sure how much they would charge.

Maybe have a look at doggie websites etc. There must be stuff about this on the net - i dont have time to trawl today,else it would have been a good misson. I have a date with the soft play centre, god help me

Sorry, if i seem a bit pushy, just want to offer some ideas.

I would be stamping up and down on the councils doorstep though

GOOD LUCK XX

Lucy EM-Thanks for your posts. My council is probably the worst in the UK- Lambeth, so don't think they'll be of any help unless they maybe find me a grim homless hostel and I couldn't face that with my DS. I've been in touch with a lot of vets and other pet sitters to let them klnow we're available to pet sit. Am gonna put posters up in vets on Monday. Might phone Battersea Dogs Home. You arenn't sounding pushy, just really helpful!
I've had a CRB check done in the past, takes about ten weeks I seem to remember. I'll try and find out if the one I had a few years ago is still current. Just went to look at a flat on Gumtree. The Mum was going out to Germany to join her DH who's out there on business for 6 weeks so wanted to rent out her flat whilst she was away. It was bloody perfect but she wants a huge rent. She leaves on Tuesday and has no one else lined up so I'm hoping she might take a very low offer. I'll take good care of it!! Pity she doesn't have a cat.