Where do I live?

I wonder if you'd have more success if you went for unfurnished Walkandtalk.

Do you have someone you could stay with temporarily.....children/ friends etc, just while you get yourself together. You could put any furniture you want in storage, and take your time.

The last thing you need is to go somewhere in a rush, and then find you’ve committed to the wrong choice.

Well done by the way, and I wish you every happiness.

People I know have stayed in a caravan or some other cheaper form of home temporarily while looking for somewhere so they don’t have to rush it and hopefully make a less rushed decision

Good idea BlueBelle better than rushing into something unsuitable and expensive.
Good luck Walkandtalk it will all be worth it in the end, I know as I did it too.

Would you consider being some ones lodger it might be an idea you could think about. I hope you get your self settled I wish you well.

I agree with Smilelesss When we rented out our home in Suffolk we were advised not to leave furniture and many agents wouldn't take the property on if it was furnished. Apparently it causes too many problems as regards the state of the f & f . I think that the only things you can expect are the white goods.

I agree, being somebody's lodger would be a much cheaper option and you could look around at your leisure for somewhere to rent or buy.

A mobile home/Caravan might be a good stop gap. My niece and partner have just moved into one and not too expensive ...that one is in the Oxfordshire area

One thing ..for your more settled home I really think you need to choose an area that you like/feels right for you before you settle on a home to live in. I expect you have ideas already. Where one lives, the surroundings, the amenities (or maybe the isolation depending how on preference) plays such a huge part in creating a life and you have an exciting new one to look forward to

Well done Madgran and ? to a happy future for you going it alone.
As others have said you could lodge in someone’s house, or there are some nice mobile home sites if you fancy something rural temporarily. Furniture wouldn’t be an issue as it is mostly built-in.
You might even consider a mobile home for a permanent place to live. They are very smart these days with lots of storage space and outside space too.

Tilly Um ...thankyou for the champagne but I think it is the OP walkandtalk who deserves it!

Sorry , you are right Madgran ?

I’d try Airbnb and/or RentaRoom. I let my top floor large en-suite room out on RentaRoom. It was lovely to have a nice lady staying. It’ll give you chance to find your feet and breathe a little. Good luck.

Walk&Talk Have you considered applying to your local HA to see what they can offer you,when we sold the family home we rented a caravan for 4 weeks after completion until we moved on, it gave us some breathing space after the sale prior to us moving abroad.

Have you tried looking on gumtree but don't pay a holding fee or anything upfront without seeing the property as plenty of scams but I did previously have a rental of gumtree and also it sounds old school but have you popped s post card in a window saying trustworthy local lady seeking rental property or an annexe or barn to rent. References available. Quite often farmers see postcards in shop windows and have converted barns or annexes to rent

Walkandtalk hello. ?‍♀️

I lead a charity for homeless and vulnerably housed people and at any other time I would have advised you to look for a 4-6 month winter holiday let, but I’m afraid that the holiday markets are overwhelmed too. Lodgings are a shrinking resource as many people who once let rooms now register for AirB&B instead and, technically you will have made yourself homeless, so won’t be eligible for LA or Housing Association properties.

If you do decide to stay with friends or family then please ensure they give you, in writing, a contract (actually a License Agreement) that includes a ‘leave by’ date. Then when that day comes, if you haven’t found somewhere to live, you can approach your local council or HA and present yourself as involuntarily homeless. Although I’m afraid the reality is that there just is not enough affordable accommodation in either the public or the private sector.

Spare Room is the place people advertise lodgings and at the moment that is your best bet, but do keep in close touch with your local estate agents. I wish you well.

I was thinking of cabins in a caravan park, do you have those? They are usually well equipped, bathrooms etc and self contained here and going into the cooler weather for you, they might have vacancies. Go online and have a look if you can do longer term bookings. Negotiate a cheaper long term deal rather than holiday rental prices.

grannyactivist
Thank you for your advice. This is exactly the problem I am encountering. I went to look at an unfurnished retirement flat today but it was tiny, barely enough room for a sofa and very depressing.
I shall continue to look at Spare Room
Thank you everyone for your suggestions.

Good luck Walkandtalk …