Two approvals how do i choose?

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Some of you may remember our house dramas last year, four months to find a rental property and when we did find one it was through a private landlord.

Well.... we applied for a house with an agent the other day and were missing half our information (rental ledger, payslips) so didn't expect to be approved, especially with our luckless search with agents last year.

Then on Saturday we looked at a private rental and he offered to us on the spot. We of course accepted and paid one week deposit in the property.

Today I have just got a phone call from the agent and we were actually approved for the agent property.

So how the heck do i choose which one?

If anyone has been in this position can you outline some of the things that helped you choose? or questions that prompted you to go with a certain property.

Also - i think what landlord guy did the other day taking a deposit without a signed lease was illegal isn't it? so thats another strike to that house i think

[Visitor7]

Which house suits you better? Which one do you like better? Which one is in a better area? Which one is cheaper? The list goes on.
Make a pros and cons list with them and compare that way.

Did the landlord give you a receipt for the money you gave him on the weekend? For all you know, the house could be rented out by night!

[Arimeh]

AJ - I don't think its illegal what the landlord did - I don't think there is any governing legislation about taking "deposits" on things - after all, its just a deposit. Jodi makes a good point though - did you get a receipt?

And as for the house - well take the one that you think suits your needs best, is one bigger than the other, nicer, have a nicer toilet - car accommodation, in a better area, yard friendly for kids etc etc etc..

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Yes, we got a receipt for it, not that i know where the monkey has disposed of it

Argh. sigh, i just wrote a post and it got eaten

[~Saram~]

I agree with the pros and cons list! I also like to ask someone else which one and see how I feel about their answer. Depending how hard I fight for each one generally answers the question for me.

[fionas]

Depends what's important to you. We may have to move to a rental next year and on my list would be: bedrooms a fair way from living room, safe yard for DD, no front steps cos too much hassle with a pram, decent kitchen because we like to cook, good heating and preferably aircon too AND lots of storage. Depending on the layout of the house I may also want a carpeted hallway because I find I'm paranoid about waking up DD walking up and down the house with floorboards. I don't drive so it's also essential for me to be close to public transport and walking distance to shops.

Sometimes it helps to write a list about all the things that annoy you about your current house and then see how the other two compare.

[Danni]

we were in the exact same position 2.5 years ago. We ended up going with the private landlord as it was a better price and a bigger house.

The only problems arose when things starting going wrong and he was too slack to get back to us and get them fixed. If we had've gone through the agent, things would have been done quicker

[mountain mummy]

If we had've gone through the agent, things would have been done quicker

Not necessarily ... it just took our agent a whole year and then some to fix a leaking toilet!! 3 inspections and constant reminders, not to mention an ever increasing water bill (water usage actually doubled in a year, all because of the leaky loo!)

Just saying that sometimes agents aren't as on the ball as you'd expect!

AJ - I agree with the pros and cons list, hun - work out which one suits your needs best!

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Whoops forgot about this thread

We ended up picking the nicer house, that as advertised with the estate agent.

As it turns out, it is actually a private rental through him anyway so we ended up with the 'best of both worlds' seeing as i wasn't keen on the other landlord.

Smaller house will be more maintable it's also in a better position to transport and for if i need emergent help from PIL. It's across the road from a park and it generally felt more homely.

The only reasn i still wanted the bigger house was that because i knew it was ours, so i had all these images in my head of what 'our' home would look like.

Anyway, we are moving in two weeks and i still have heeeaps to do.

[mountain mummy]

AJ, I was just lurking and thought I'd add my

[Visitor8]

I think it would be wrong to go back on the one you have already accepted.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

That's why we hesitated, however we hadn't signed any documents and he knew that we had already applied for another house. Considering he still had six weeks to find someone it asn't really a big deal.

[widdly]

Id take the agent house, purely because from my experience private landlords can be a royal pain in the A. Great that you got a place so quickly this time!

I dont know if its illegal to take your money before signing the lease....I paid a deposit of 2 weeks rent this morning to the agent and will sign the lease on Wednesday when I move intot the house...

[DoubleK]

Widdly we were approved for a rental property 6 weeks before it was available. i was told that we needed to pay a full months rent within 48 hours of being approved, otherwise they'd have to advertise the house again i almost died as we had our rent due for the current place, as well as needing to pay rent for the new house... thank god for PIL!!!

Ash where is the new place??

[The[cookie]Doctor]

We're moving to Yass in NSW Rach. About 50kms from the ACT border (and Belconnen area)

[mountain mummy]

LOL AJ, my grandparents used to take me campipng at yass when I was a kid ... we used to pass this macca's sign that loked like M Yass (you know the olden arches!)
Wonder if it's still there??

[The[cookie]Doctor]

It is!!!!
I am however yet to see it
Anth told me that they took it down for a while but all the locals complained so they put it back. I think it's hilarious!!!
I should upload the photo to the gallery

[DoubleK]

wow thats a big move!!!!!