Looking all the daily needs locally or anything I'm missing in the area, handy shops, butchers, keypad topups, cheap shops etc. I walk everywhere so nice to know the local stops 👍 any shops or places you also really like/regularly visit?
Cheers (Specially top of woodvale park/tesco area)
Long story short, I have had a health hazard in my current rental since Oct 25 and have only now got an offer for a house, I have UC benefits and Pets which immediately puts me at the bottom of the totem pole. BUT I learnt a lot, and finally got an offer (2 offers in two days after nothing for months) and wanted to give some other maybe going through some advice.
Don't listen to anyone else, Ironic I know, but really you are the one doing the viewings, doing the work and seeing the absolute shit show our housing is right now, you gotta be responsible for trying your best to be an outlier and be the best candidate you can. Anyone who looked at renting even as little as last year, has no fucking idea how bad it is, so don't let them sway your opinion.
Start a spreadsheet, figure out your must haves and sacrifices you can make, no you don't need 3 bathrooms, no gardens aren't essential, really say to yourself "it's not permanent if I don't want it to be, but what can I absolutely not live without?" And then do it all, Propertypal, Property news, Gumtree, Facebook, Rightmove, HomesNI, RentHero, Bookmark every letting agency, ask family friends if they know a landlord, and spreadsheet the info, the address, time of viewing, next step, agency, price of rent etc. this will save you so much time cause you will be talking to A LOT of different estate agents, and CHASE, if someone says they will call tomorrow and they didn't, callback, if an agent says the landlord is making a decision, call and ask is there anything you can do to help. You aren't just gonna get the first one you find.
Prepare for disappointment, God this sucks, so many homes me and my fiance fell in love with, or were told is basically ours, just to have the rug pulled last minute, ESPECIALLY landlords seeing the interest in a property and relisting it £250 more a month (happened to us 6 times) it's grueling and fucking horrible work, we travelled to Belfast every day, to view 5/6 houses only to have half of them covered in mold/photos where lies/landlord was a menace or cancelations without telling us.... It fucking sucks, but I believe our determination paid off.
Get your shit together, if you even think that someone might need X document, take a picture or scan it, have a folder of everything you could possibly need, a lot of agents ask the same questions, so we made a "Tenant CV" that basically has all our information for at least the initial stage, so things like, landlord references, guarantor, current property, pets/smoking info , contact details for all occupants, reason for leaving, income sources and proof. YOU WILL need all this shit eventually if you do get a house, may as well get it together now, and trust me, estate agents appreciate someone who has their ducks in a row.
Clear out the clutter now! It goes from zero for potentially months, to 100 real quick, we got an offer, acceptance, and move in date all within a week, and this was after nothing for ages, now we are cleaning our old property, whilst packing everything, and then moving across the country. It's so hectic so the more prep you do prior is a huge advantage.
Be a decent fucking human, this seems obvious but goddamn the amount of entitled arseholes I saw at open viewings, demanding the property as they know such and such, or offering more rent in front of everyone, pushing in the lines to view first or purposely blocking people from viewing rooms... This all happened while I looked and the estate agents showing the house know you're a prat, I've heard them, also they may "take" your application, but there is every chance that the application is binned as soon as you leave cause they know you're an arse. Be a decent human, everyone is struggling out here your circumstances doesn't mean you have preference. Please and thank you go a long way to build rapport.
Now it's not lost on me I've had INSANE luck and fortune to find a house currently, and I am blessed beyond measure to even have an oil fume leaky house to complain about in the first place, but what worked for me might help you out too, I really think you treat it with the dedication of any job, and you are putting yourself in a much better mindset to deal with it.
Fingers crossed and best of luck 🤞