The highs and lows of house-hunting.

Highs: haven't found any yet!

Lows: not enough houses to go around and all too expensive.

Next!

It is depressing searching for houses to rent as the number of people wanting them way out-number those available. I was told that the average waiting list time is 5 to 8 years here..........so NO CHANCE!!! And if I am to look, then in order to find somewhere quickly, I should look at the houses and area no-one else wants to live in. Great! How to feel cheerful, three easy steps!

So I am looking at the private house rentals, but in all honesty, that feels more difficult for me. Analysing my feelings I have come to the conclusion that a house rented from a housing corporation would feel more like mine than one I hired from someone like me. Maybe this is down to previous bad experiences with letting my own home, in England, and being totally ripped off severely, or fear that the owners might want it back at any moment............there is a niggle in the back of my head about this that I don't seem able to shift, so it is niggling me!

And the art of working out what benefits one is entitled to is scary indeed. What a pain!! It is like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack I can tell you! Some folks are just able to weave in and out of all the technical jargon and figure analysing but to me it is simply gobbledegook. What one appears to be entitled to on one line is counter-balanced by what one cannot get in the next - how does anyone get anything I wonder?!!!!

There is a house coming up in an area highly desirable and good but way out of my price bracket. And another I've been told about that looks lovely too and more reasonably priced. But they are both over the budget I need to stick to to get rent rebate - one only by 3 euros which is crazy! So I am in over my head right now and I have a headache from going over the pros and cons of the situation constantly and being unable to make a decision as it is all such a gamble after all. HELP!!!!

Sue xx