Jamz3k

I hate estate agents, I hate their websites and I hate their bull****. Having 2months left on my contract, I started looking at rental properties at the end of last month and as of yet I haven't seen anything that isn't a complete dose of ****. Near enough every house/apartment I had been keen on has been long since gone but the estate agents just haven't updated their website/window display or as I sometimes suspect never existed. Then the ones I have went to view have all been somewhat challenging visually.

One particular apartment I went to see had lovely pictures up of it, nice pastel coloured walls which didn't look offensive etc. When it got there it was clear that the pictures had been photoshopped as the walls were bright almost dayglo orange, yellow, purple and pink, the carpets were completely ruined, it didn't have a shower and the newly fitted kitchen that the ad mentioned was probably newly fitted by the Chuckle Brothers in the 1980s.

But what irks me as I have my coffee at hand for my morning drawl of the estate agent website just incase I missed anything yesterday is that I have a choice of renting 2 types of properties. Overly expensive cramped 1 bedroom apartments in more affluent areas or 3 bedroom dated houses in run down ex-dole bludger territory. Why is this? Well my opinion laced with a bit of fact and alot of bitterness is that all the 2 bedroom houses/apartments in nicer areas are now being rented by people on the dole for extortionate amounts that normal guys cannot afford.

My rant is over!
More rants to follow as I seem to be back to my old pissed off self.

thenewgalaxy

I've thought that it's more because there's a recession and it is difficult to get a mortgage.

Landlords are asking for more than a property is worth at the moment. They have their own bills to pay and know that they've got their market over a barrel.

I guess the situation is that if you don't like renting and paying over the odds you can always go and buy a house. As an awful lot of us don't have a 10-20% deposit running a hole in our pockets we're forced to live somewhere crap or pay up for something decent, albeit at the cost of saving more slowly and having to rent for longer.

Jamz3k

Back a few years ago I wrecked my credit score by defaulting, so I can't buy. At the minute I am concentrating on paying it all back as soon as possible rather than the 1000000million years debt plan my bank advised on. If I keep going the way I am, I will not only have default paid back but also be debt free in 12months. Due to this renting and renting modestly is the plan, max I am planning on spending is £450pcm which gets you jack but if I up that amount, I will have less to pay off debt per month with, so at the minute I'm trying to compromise but also wish to live in a comfortable home.

The current house I'm living in is terribly cramped and uncomfortable but clean, it has served its purpose but coming home to work from it depresses me greatly.

davegtt

Thats why we have pubs!

Seriously though I feel your pain. I'm a home owner but Im going through the process of renting a property for a couple of collegues via work. Absolute nightmare, Estate Agents have to be the worse group of people to deal with. Havent got a clue but you need them, no choice but to pick up the phone and speak to these bunch of retards

thenewgalaxy

I lived in a tiny cramped flat as a student when I had a massively restrictive budget too. It's a means to an end.

Once you're out of the woods it can only get better and you can stick two fingers up at it all, onwards and upwards and all that

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

My daughter is a rental agent. She as waiting lists and they don't rent to Benefit claimants anymore. It's gone very wrong since claimants get their rent direct.

I am renting until my accrued debt (post split/divorce) is paid. Try Zoopla or Rightmove, and filter away the dross. If it says no DSS, pets etc then these tend to be better.

What area are you in?

john banks

Big detached houses are usually good value to rent, when we rented from 2006 to 2011 there was very little difference, but this was near St Andrews rather than Northern Ireland, and rich students paid lots to rent small town properties, country houses out of town were not much more.

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

http://www.propertypal.com/37-oakdene-larne/236253#

Assume you are looking in and around Larne? Seems reasonable for the money, although I dont know the area.

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

I was told its down to this new bedroom tax meaning landlords who rent to the council can now rake it in as they get paid per bedroom ? Someone I know has quite a few properties he rents to the authorities and they have asked him to tell them if he has rooms spare.

EddScott

I'll be renting our old house in the next month or so. I'm hoping to rent through the local hospital intranet notice board. Means I can do it without an agent. I've met 2 locally who were ok but wanted 10% of rent to call me when something goes wrong. A third didn't turn up and when I called she said she had already been to house and met me???? I was so annoyed I went to office but they didn't seem fussed that the girl was full of **** and had gone on a scive rather than meet me.

Hopefully the hospital will provide decent reliable tenants.

Fat Boy

corner shop ads used to be my route - cut out the estate agent and usually renting a big house between a few of you or moving in to a room in a house oftern worked out better. I remember once moving into a house full of nurses when i first came to London. ... it would kill me now but it was close to heaven at the time

dpb

http://www.gwyneddgreadigol.com/wp-c...13/05/yurt.jpg

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

I can't believe some the rental rates that some properties are commanding now.
There is just no way that we could afford to rent a 3 bed house if we were looking now.
Our mortgage is around £700 per month and most rental 3 beds are around £950 per month!

Jamz3k

I work in Larne these days TT, I literally would rather slit my wrists and bleed out than live in the place. It truly is a dream killer that place.