Becoming homeless for my dream job

[ForTidyFinch]

I've been offered and ideal job in the town where I currently live but my short term tenancy is due to end in a couple of weeks. I have tried everything to find a new place to live. There is nothing available in this small town and I have no friends or family living close enough to help. I have decided to start the job and then live in my car. I've reached a desperate point now where I think there is little chance of me being able to rent privately even if something does become available. A run of bad luck has drained my finances and a CCJ was taken out against me without my knowledge (for overstaying in a service station when my car was broken down!) This was taken out while I was living abroad and I have only just found out. So there goes the chance of renting privately. So the choice I see it is being homeless and destitute staying with relatives or living in my car and starting this interesting job opportunity. I think I will live in my car. WWYD

Have you looked for a private house share room instead of a full tenancy. Look on spare room.

I would stay with relatives until I get back on my feet.

no, at least find a caravan or similar - my friend who tried this ended up hospitalised with bronchitis and pneumonia within a few months

I don’t think any job is going to be worth living out of your car for. Have you got any long term plans, or you have literally nothing lined up?

You'd be crazy to do this. Before long you'd be so frazzled you'd be unable to do the job properly and then you'd be homeless and without a job.

Living in your car is just silly. Where are you going to wash etc? Would you just get a gym membership just for the showers?

I reckon someone would take you on as a lodger.

Depends how good the job is and how unlikely it is for a chance like this to roll around again.

Assuming it’s a very good job I would prioritise it, because a good job is what you need to get out of this mess.

Living in your car sounds dramatic, and for some people it’s done out of desperation and is horrendous, but actually I know a few people who have done it as a stop gap, and it’s been fine. Especially in the summer. I’d aim to be in a better situation before winter.

Unfortunately I live in a place very popular with holiday makers. Rooms are going for 100 pounds a night on air bnb

I'd look on places like spare room.com and Airbnb for room to rent or flat share situations rather than sleeping in your car. It soon gets damp and your clothes start to smell musty after a while. Depending on where you are I'd perhaps look at a longer term booking on a campsite (get a large, stand up 6-8 berth tent and access to shower and laundry facilities)

Yes a membership to the leisure centre. They have a summer deal for short term membership

Caravans will be out of my price range unfortunately. It's peak season and a popular summer destination for holidays. If it was winter I might have a chance

Any local universities? Many let their rooms out over summer. Local facebook group, ask if anyone wants a lodger for the summer. (Youth) hostel (can sometimes get a reduced rate if you're longer stay or can offer work in return. HelpX or Wwoof if your job allows flexibility to do some additional work around it.

Can't you move out of the small town and drive to work?
Living in your car is batshit, sorry.

How far away do your family live? Could you commute every day? Or do you know anyone in the area you could stay with sometimes?

Even a bed in a shared doom in a hostel, or a tent on a campsite, would be better than sleeping in your car.

how much is your car worth? In this situation things I would try would be : putting up flyers in local shops, talking to council for advice, identifying campsites, considering selling car to buy old camper, buying a tent. There are places you can wild camp. I would also look on spare room for a room share- these are different than Airbnb.

Can you stay put on what have the council said?

That's what I was thinking! Good jobs are few and far between here. It doesn't pay enormously but it is in a very competitive industry and exactly what I am trained and qualified for. I feel extremely honoured and lucky to have been offered the position and it would be ideal career wise

People living in London can commute an hour or more to work. People living outside London but who work in London can have a far longer commute time. Can’t you cast the net wider and find a room in someone’s house and travel further?

Have you posted on local Facebook groups that you are looking for a place for either sole use or for a room?

I have seen posts on my local groups and sometimes people who wouldn’t normally do that will help out,

There is nothing currently available anywhere close enough to commute. It's a countryside area. And even if something does come up it's unlikely they will allow me to rent with this CCJ!

Get a tent and a bit of wild camping at least you’ll be laid flat and get a nights sleep

This is interesting I hadn't heard of HelpX, will take a good look! I have tried some unconventional methods like looking on gumtree and craigslist for people offering rooms in return for some cleaning. They all turned out to be pervs expecting sexual services in return 😒

Can you ask your new employer to help you find somewhere? How did you find your current place and have you asked them if you can extend?

Housesitting/pet sitting? lots of websites and FB groups for those

A CCJ doesn’t stop you renting a room in a flat share or renting a spare room in someone’s house. These are not on air BnB, you are not competing with holiday makers.

Is there really not one single flat share within an hours drive of this large town that is so popular with tourists ?