To ask what you’d do in this dire situation?

[ReallyStuck2024]

Posting for traffic.

I live in SE England. I’m trying to move to a cheaper part of the UK and I’m making plans to do so.

I work FT and have an additional PT job. I’m working around 55-60 hours a week.

No savings, can’t get a decent credit card or even a loan due to previous poor credit (which I’m working to resolve).I’m not entitled to any benefits.
I don’t drive so can’t take on work as for eg Deliveroo or Amazon or otherwise

Family can’t help me with financial support. I also cannot stay with family in the short term due to valid but complicated reasons.

the situation is: it’s going to cost me thousands to move: in terms of arranging a move but also because my current flat is furnished and I’d have to furnish an entire new house. So I need to save for six months or so.

whilst this is all going on, my LL announced he was putting the rent up by £450 a month, effective March. I can’t afford this and will need to move. But I can’t afford to move.

I am wracking my head for solutions here - even moving into a house share and getting rid of most of my belongings but that still wouldn’t work because I’d need a months rent and deposit up front and tbh, house shares and one bed flats aren’t that different in price where I’m looking.

What on earth am I meant to do? I’m seriously panicking

As you WFH can you make your move to a cheaper part of the country straight away. Rents in the north can be easily less than half what they are in the SE so you could presumably drastically reduce your current rent costs? You could even move into a temporary house share to make it even cheaper - even if that is for a short while whilst you save up before moving somewhere longer-term?

Also- I used bags for life and boxes from local supermarkets. Grab a couple every time you're on the walk home and you'll be grand x

Look at North East. I currently pay £550 for a very large 2 bed flat. Country Durham is even cheaper. Close to Newcastle/Durham/Sunderland for work.
Regarding furniture, scour marketplace and gumtree. I got a lot of furniture for free or very cheap. Only thing I bought new was the dc beds and our mattresses. Van hires you can get rather cheap. I paid £70 for the weekend when I moved earlier this year. All the best 😊

if you earn £27k for 60 hours a week op

you aren’t being paid anywhere close to minimum wage

The PT job is variable hours, but I’m on minimum wage for my FT job.

but if it does average 55-60 hours a week total…. your second job can’t be paying you min wage

@ReallyStuck2024 Oh that's not nice, I would hate that.

Would the company your work for be able to help you out at all.

They can’t, I have asked. They were broadly sympathetic though which was…nice?

@ReallyStuck2024 Sorry I was clutching a straws.

Contacting the council, CAB and Shelter do seem to be the way forward

Might you consider being a lodger? I know you'd have to put things in storage possibly but you wouldn't have to pay bills. My friend had a lodger and she worked away all week so the lodger had the place to himself. Even if not maybe the room would be big enough to work in?

@ReallyStuck2024

on the work front maybe it’s worth looking at professional hot-desking spaces? We have one that is £200 per month and has private areas for working etc, free tea coffee and heating. Saves me money on heating my home space too. Universities usually have one (sometimes called “incubator” or start up spaces and also local councils, our town also has a privately owned one that charges £12 per day. I also know of a couple of private companies that sub let desk / small office working space.

If you had that it might mean you could consider a smaller place/house share temporarily. So this would pay for itself in terms of saving on rent and heating etc and give you chance to finish paying off the loans.

also second what several posters have already said re nearly new furniture - I got a 3 month old leather sofa not long ago for £250 from Facebook marketplace.

Also I’ve just seen that you think your landlord is likely to withhold your deposit so if I were you I would just not pay the last months rent (as long as you are genuinely leaving the flat in the condition it was when you moved in). I know some people will say that is wrong and you shouldn’t do that but if you suspect that he will try to take money unfairly from your deposit then that would be a solution.

I haven't had time to RTFT so apologies if I'm repeating what others have said, but if you think the rent increase is excessive you can take the matter to a first tier tribunal:

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/rent_increases/challenge_a_rent_increase

Regarding moving costs, a lot of councils have a discretionary housing payment which you can apply for to help towards the cost of setting up a new tenancy, i.e first month's rent and deposit.

My friend did house sitting, there is a website for pet sitters. She spent a year doing this. Loads if amazing properties and you just have to feed the cat and stay. Some stays are for a months even. She saved a fortune.

Firstly - if you need to buy second hand furniture then most places deliver.

I got a bed from British heart foundation and delivery was included in the price.

Secondly - you don't need need furniture to start with. If you've got a sleeping bag or duvet and bedding then the floor will do for a while. I had to wait a while to afford a bed.

Moving stuff - you say you don't drive. Man with a van is the cheapest way to move stuff.

If you can work from home, work out the minimum you need to make a move, save it up, then just move. You can sleep on a mattress and cook with a microwave and kettle for a few weeks until you get settled.

Look towards the ends of the rail lines radiating from London. Somewhere like King's Lynn you're 2hrs from London by train and can rent a 2-bed terrace for under £1k/month, or 1-bed flats for under £750.

In terms of moving costs, when we moved in August, we rented a van from Enterprise.
We were moving a full flat, so it was a large van, and we were less than £100 for 24 hour hire. We collected at 8am and returned it at 8am the next day.
As you have no furniture, you wouldn't require a big van, and you said previously a friend could help with driving. Could be a lower cost option

Sorry if raised already (I got to page 5) - many professions or industries have charities than can give grants if you’ve worked in that area. Have a look at turn 2 us and their grant-checker page.

An air BnB for a few months is a great idea, particularly Jan/Feb/March as there won't be as many holiday makers and the air BnB hosts will be grateful for a steady income in their quieter months, no up front cost for you and gives you a few months breathing room to save up a deposit and get back on your feet.

Or Lightning Reach is a very good grant search platform that will match your circumstances to potential support available

I have had to move a lot.

You rent something like this, btw I’d probably just take it without even viewing as that gets you in the area to look for something else.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/132505592#/?channel=RES_LET

you pack your laptop and work stuff, special bits and clothes into suitcases and all other belongings you give to a charity shop. And then you get the train to Exeter and start a new life.

once there you buy a few things you need from charity shops each month and you go from there. The big move to the cheaper area is done then.

enjoy Devon, I currently live (am stuck in SE unhappily with a very high mortgage) but would love to go home to the SW.

The charity shops near me that specialise in furniture deliver it all.

you won’t need furniture initially you just get yourself there and use a sleeping bag. Not great to say on mn as I will sound like the worst parent ever but after a no fixed abode stint and my family refusing to help when I finally got an address my baby and myself slept on the bedroom floor for six months. You will be just fine as it’s just you.

is this where family is?

Agree with pps re selling possessions that are worth selling and getting furniture from freecycle gumtree etc as and when needed. And trying some of other options to get in a better financial situation eg house sitting etc. for a while . even if you can’t stay with friends or family , does anyone have a loft where you can store things thst aren’t worth selling but buying them again would add up eg kitchen stuff.

Maybe look at housing associations they might be able to help particularly if you have local connections, and in some places there are homelessness prevention charities that exist to give people low interest loans for deposits. Good luck!

Would any of the other 3 tenants in the building facing the same rent increases want to share with you?