Finding property to rent

LittleMapes
CanuckAbroad Regular



Joined: 27 Sep 2007
Posts: 60
Location: Ontario

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:15 am

 

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I still have a few more months until I get to leave. But I'm anxious, and I've been looking on a few websites for places to rent.

I'm looking for a place in the Cornwall Region, I have a feeling I won't get too much response if I send an email to an Agent saying, 'I'm moving to England in a few months can you help me find a rental?' They are going to think i'm wasting their time.

Can people share their experiences! Did you use a letting agent? If so, which one? How did you decide on the house going in blind. meaning no pictures of the inside of the house, no knowledge of the area?

I'm concerned no one is going to spend their time finding a home for someone that currently lives in Canada.

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Joanne
Senior Member



Joined: 18 Jul 2003
Posts: 77
Location: Stockport

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 5:03 am

 

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It will be very difficult to find a place to rent before actually being in the UK.
You are correct in saying that letting agents or estate agents will not really be interested at this point.
The difficulty is also to find the correct place without seeing it, it will be very difficult.
If you end up in a bad area (here bad areas can be very close to nice area so it is sometimes difficult to judge).

I think it would be better if first you book an hotel for 3-4 weeks (or youth hostel) or if you rent a holiday type of rental (house/flat or cottage) because all they will ask from you is a deposit and this will give you time to visit the places before committing to anything.
Once here , the best way to find a house to rent is to look on websites such as http://www.propertyfinder.com/ or to go to the local (to the area you want to live in) estate agents.
Usually they will ask for references and proof of a job and often ask for a deposit (3 months).it can be difficult to rent a place because you will not have any UK references when you first arrive (or credit score) so maybe it would be also a good idea to look to share an accommodation with someone already renting a place.

Joanne

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LittleMapes
CanuckAbroad Regular



Joined: 27 Sep 2007
Posts: 60
Location: Ontario

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:13 am

 

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Thanks Joanne,

I was afraid of that. I've looked at holiday homes. That seems to make the most sense. They've most likely dealt with a lot of overseas transactions, they can rent for shorter periods, they are furnished already. The problem is that they aren't cheap.

Correspondence with an Estate agent would be so much easier for me.

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mari-mac
Senior Member



Joined: 01 Sep 2006
Posts: 83
Location: U.K.

Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:20 pm

 

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You might try looking for a "relocation agent" rather than an estate agent - you will pay a fee for their services, but their job is more around helping people find property when they aren't in that location themselves. It does depend if you want to pay a fee though.

Otherwise, you could start looking closer to before when you leave. Rentals turn over pretty quickly - so an estate agent won't be interested in you at this stage because they want to fill the place quickly. If you start looking a couple weeks ahead of time, you should be able to line up some viewings for when you arrive.
_________________
We've got rocks and trees, and trees and rocks, and rocks and trees and trees and rocks and.water!

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LittleMapes
CanuckAbroad Regular



Joined: 27 Sep 2007
Posts: 60
Location: Ontario

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 5:16 am

 

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Mari-mac that is fantastic news. I've been trying to find an agent like that. Relocation agent . I'm going to do a search on that right now.

Thanks for your help!

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SW1392
Junior Member



Joined: 18 Jan 2008
Posts: 13

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:50 am

 

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You may want to try checking a website called spareroom. This site lists rooms for rent throughout the UK some of which are short term. Most of these are in peoples homes, so if you find the right landlord it may help you settle in your new location. You can also put an add on the site (free) describing what you are after (not sure if you need UK address to do this).

Good Luck.
SW1392

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Steven
CanuckAbroad VIP



Joined: 28 Sep 2007
Posts: 496
Location: Calgary

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:06 am

 

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You have to be really careful with location in Cornwall, you could be facing a ferry ride every day or being stuck in traffic on the main road in St. Austell. It's not so bad since they built the A391 but as soon as you merge onto the A390 in the centre of St. Austell it's horrific.

Fortunately with the internet nowadays you can at least find a local real estate agent and ask them directly.

Cornwall is a really popular place to move to in the UK because of the weather, a lot retirees moving there, etc. so be careful choosing.
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Steve.

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