Worried about my son who can’t find anywhere to live.

[justacastle]

(nc for this)
DS finished university and has spent 18 months applying for jobs (450+). A few interviews who say they recruited internally or need someone with more experience (that old chestnut). Most just never reply. We live in London.

He finally gets a job but it’s in Oxfordshire. The company will let him stay at their accommodation (usually for customers) for a maximum of two weeks.

He cannot find any accommodation after this time. He has tried spare room app but when he gets a response people are asking for females only or more often there is no reply. He messages them a couple more times but nothing.

He doesn’t drive but willing to walk/cycle. He does have T1 diabetes so that is a consideration with distance.

He then put an ‘I’m looking for’ ad another site and a woman contacted him to say that, following throat surgery, she would be renting out her 2 bed house and moving in with family. It looked amazing and the woman said that the bills & council tax. A 25 minute walk to work. Paid the holding fee and arranged viewing for Sunday (he starts work on Monday).

DS was excited about job & house finally the months of angst were coming to an end.

So this morning he received an email from the lady saying that the rental company (?) wanted an extra £750 deposit before they would let him view the property. She said that she would pay £500 but he would need to pay another £250.

DS asked who this company was (not found on companies house) and their contact details so he could discuss it with them. She replied that they ’do not speak to prospective tenants’.

She also sent him her passport details by email as proof of her identity. Trouble was that the Passport had a spelling mistake in her name 🙄 🚩

Bank notified & they’re dealing with it.

Big problem is now DS is starting work on Monday but will have nowhere to live by the end of the month. As it’s quite a tourist area the Airbnbs and bed & breakfasts are thousands. He’s on the list at local estate agents but he has no salary history yet. They are really out of his price range but we’ll help him.

Just as an aside UC have paid him nothing for months, just the odd £15 here and there.

He’s desperately worried that he will lose his job.

Any ideas folks?
I’m so sorry for the long post.

With respect, I think OP has enough on her plate atm without your negative/bullying input.

The station for Wallingford is only in cholsey. So he can cycle to from station in a few minutes. So he has tons of choices of places he can live along the line from cholsey.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/89170599#/?channel=RES_LET

this is close to reading station. Reading to cholsey is 16 minutes then short walk cycle to Wallingford.

good luck for him for Monday, He’s getting to live in a lovely area.

I really feel for your son. My dd has T1 diabetes and I know how hard it is to stabilise it. Those writing to "get over it" are idiots. Don't take any notice of them.
I hope he can sort out his accomodation soon and will remove that element of stress from his life.
All the best to both of you!

Wouldn't he just commute from London to Oxford untill he finds somewhere? Loads of people do that commute in the other direction

There is a youth hostel at Streatley, a town nearby to Wallingford, and it looks like there may be a bus service between Streatley and Wallingford. Worth looking at.
Best of luck to him

Most unis let their student accom over the summer break. I have stayed in student halls in London, Bath and York. This is a possibility and they are usually reasonably priced.

Can you step up a little more and help him financially? As his parents. I appreciate things may be tight for you and you’ve already helped but kids of all ages are an ongoing commitment …

I’ve got a similar commute time, door to door. Also buses and a walk. It’s not amazing in the winter, but it’s perfectly doable. I’ve done it for many years.

Hi Op, there's good transport links from Abingdon and Didcot to Wallingford. The local agent doing rooms is Martin & Co, so worth calling them direct.

There's a lot of rooms/houseshares around Milton Park as its huge, so Abingdon/Didcot/Milton as well as regular buses from the Reading side too. Cycling from any of these places to Wallingford is an easy commute by bike, mostly on tracks, 15 miles at that age is nothing, and a cheap e bike is only £1k. I'm sure he'll find somewhere.

https://m.spareroom.co.uk/flatshare/oxfordshire/abingdon?aff=1134&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21520555663&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-frTBhCvARIsADv4XY4kpBJjYGCFhrPLhPul-JMPTvs-BHEgYjMru0BTEOX7wmftu2y909caAhyOEALw_wcB

https://m.spareroom.co.uk/flatshare/oxfordshire/wallingford

I have to be somewhere in Sept and the Premier Inn is 165 pounds for one night. I really don't think 2640 pounds a month (based on staying only four nights a week) is a viable option for him.

Agree with this option. I've done that too.

I know the area well because I have family there. Somebody else has already suggested it but I came on to suggest Bridge Villa camp site as a curveball area - a temporary, affordable solution until he finds his feet? Alternatively there’s a bus (X40 from memory) that goes to Reading one way and Oxford the other - it takes 40 mins or so to both these places from Wallingford. That would considerably increase his accommodation options… good luck to him, it’s a lovely part of the country xx

tthe Reading bus is his best option. Didcot also has a frequent bus service, Cholsey is the closest train station and people do bike from Wallingford to leave from there, it’s probably a 10 min bike ride. This is a rural area so frequent is different to urban areas, I would avoid Oxford as it will be expensive. Do try groups on Facebook such as Wallingford piper for advice and someone may have a spare room.

You've had some great suggestions here. If he's still stuck then an electric bicycle may help extend his cycling / commuting range. Obviously he's then a bit limited to finding accommodation that can also house a bicycle unfortunately.

Are you confident he’s able to live alone? You trust that he manages his diabetes meticulously? He’ll be able to manage bills, insurance, groceries, looking after himself, laundry?

Electric bike…brilliant suggestion

He starts work on Monday??? As in…. Immediately after this weekend??

I was wondering the same. I went to uni with someone that commuted Oxford to London on the coach to Shepherd’s Bush for months before they sorted accommodation. Not ideal of course but if temporary and the links work

Can he try a town like Reading? It's one train, depending on where he is working in Oxford or Newbury?

This. And he could ask for a discount on an Airbnb if it was an arrangement that would run for a few weeks.

Just want to add support here, my daughter is in her 30s and was diagnosed at 9 with T1. She managed it beautifully for years then late teens started a bumpy road. She recently got a pump after a very long wait but has had a lot of issues and a friend recently had to call an ambulance for her, thank god she wasn’t alone. Such a worry.
I hope you son has a great start to his new job and manages to sort out his accommodation soon x

Agree. My son has a couple of days of valuable work experience miles away from where we live, I had a quick look online and premier inn, which is the nearest hotel (still 20 mins walk) will cost him over £200 for two nights. Or it’s getting up really early on the first day and just staying one night.