Most blog posts about moving house will assume that you’re simply going from one house to another. While this can be the case, there are so many instances where things don’t go as smoothly as this. What if you have to sell your home for a particular reason, but you haven’t got enough time to buy a new one? Or, and this happens a lot, you’re renting a place, the landlord makes you leave, and you haven’t been able to find a new home to buy? There are even instances where someone wants to buy your house, and they’re willing to pay a premium price if you’re out by a certain date. However, you’re unable to move into a new home before that date.
All of these scenarios have something in common: the need for temporary housing. You need somewhere to live for a period until you find a permanent home. If you find yourself in a situation like this, here’s how you should deal with it:
Downsize to save money
If you currently live in a three-bedroom home, don’t go looking for the equivalent as a temporary place to live. While your future house may also be of the same size, there’s no need to splash the cash on a temporary one of a similar ilk. Instead, you should downsize and find something smaller and more affordable. Remember, this is a temporary home that you will only be in for a couple of months max – hopefully, anyway. So, you don’t need it to be the biggest and best property ever – it just needs enough space for you all to sleep!
Put your items in storage
The biggest issue you have with the previous tip is that you’ve got loads of stuff to transfer to the temporary home. Firstly, you should try to cull as much of your things as possible, ensuring only the necessary items remain. Secondly, look for secure storage options to keep your stuff in while you stay in the temporary home. This allows you to downsize as you no longer need a place with loads of storage space. Plus, it keeps the majority of your belongings unpacked, making it so much easier when you move again into your permanent abode.
Look for flexible leases
This is very important as you may move out at a moment’s notice. Ideally, you want short-term leases that are flexible and can be extended as required. Find the shortest lease possible, just in case you only stay in the temporary place for a few weeks. A flexible lease means you can extend it by a set amount of months if you’re still struggling to find a new home. What you don’t want to do is rent a home with a 12-month lease, as you can easily leave within a month or so, meaning you might pay for the remainder of the lease because you left early.
Hopefully, this gives you some good advice on how to find a temporary home during a move. Ideally, you won’t even need to do this. Nevertheless, it’s good to arm yourself with a plan in case you have to temporarily live somewhere else before moving to your proper home