Advice please, don't know what to compromise on

[dooneby]

We've to leave our rental property in September. We're been to see a mortgage broker and have our decision in principle.

The market where I live is slow, properties are being snapped up and way over the asking the price. We're on a very tight budget and have the added issue of property value vs mortgage amount from the lender.

I am on an upwards trajectory at work so this house will be a stop gap until we can look to move somewhere better in 3 or so years when my salary increases.

At this rate we will have to go to the council as homeless. We've already applied for social housing through them and various other housing associations.

Our original must-haves have been abandoned including downstairs toilet, south facing garden, larger garden, decent sized garden plus others.

Other things we're really reluctant to compromise on are 3 bedrooms, needing a new bathroom/kitchen, no central heating, location due to our kids schools. We are 2 mins away from their school just now and going any further than 5-8 miles would be unmanageable. Plus we have 1 car and I will need to get to work 30 miles away a few times a month by public transport which isn't possible in a rural location.

House 1 would be suitable but backs onto flats right at the end of the small garden that overlook the house with lots of windows facing the it and the house. I looked at streetview and the (many) flats have several boarded up windows and doors and lots of beer cans and rubbish discarded out the front. It's been on the market a while...

House 2 is 14 miles away with no central heating, only electric storage heaters

House 3 is as cheap as anything and I can't see any heating whatsoever and the area looks not great

House 4 would be ideal but at the top end of our budget and that's without offers over

Any others we've seen online as potential are in what looks like really rough areas when I've looked on streetview

I'm at a loss and really stressed out about it all.

You really have the option of buying the best you can afford of what’s on the market, or finding a new rental. If you’ve got money for deposit and mortgage, you won’t get housed by the council as homeless in need.

Put in an offer for house 4. If you don't get it, go for house 1. If proximity to schools and work are your priority, your compromise will have to be living in an area that you do not think is very nice.

if you need to be out by September even if you found a house tomorrow there wouldn’t be much of a chance you would have the house by then. What’s your stop gap plan? I would get that in place first and then continue looking and get something you want rather than offering on something your not keen on and if you have to go into short term rental anyway then I would prioritise that first and take your time on buying a home

We can't afford a rental property. There are 3 within 5 miles with 3 bedrooms and we can't afford them. There's no way we would pass affordability.

We'll be housed by the council if we can't get our own property in time.

We don't have money for a deposit, it's being gifted by a parent.

I have been doing everything possible to get us rehoused but we have limited options as we're priced out of the rental market.

Go for 2 beds and the children can share. Look for the best 2 bed in the area you want and move to a bigger house when you can afford it. I think most people would prefer a slightly smaller house in a good location rather than a bigger house in a not-so-great area.

2 decent bedrooms with kids in bunk beds is much better (for primary age kids) than a tiny 3 bed in a rough area.

in order, I'd go for House 4 then House 1 or 3 (you didn't say much about 3) but not 2.

For medical reasons we need 3 bedrooms unfortunately. That is one of the things we can't negotiate on.

I have been poring over rightmove all day and tweaking our requirements to give us more options. I have a list of 5 houses to call about tomorrow however I fear 4 of them are out of our absolute maximum budget.

Fingers crossed for the one we can afford!

Housing by the council will probably be temporary accommodation, maybe a b&m, and could be miles away from the area you want. Are there 2 bedroom places available in your preferred area? Can you expand your preferred area? Kids are quite resilient so moving schools at primary age isn’t too bad.

Could you look for a two bedroom that has a box room or a dining room or even a sunroom that could be a makeshift third bedroom?
My sister and had to share which wasn't ideal as she often needed were bloods checked during the night (diabetic type 1)
Eventually my mum got a sofa bed I. The living room for her to sleep. To anyone seeing our house during the day. My sister and I shared. But at night mum would get her duvet and pillows from a cupboard and take the bed out.
It was fine until her divorce was finalised and we had a bit more cash and could move.