Okayish today then FOUR days of sustained heavy rain. I don’t know what we will do stuck in this horrible holiday cottage with only the internet to keep us occupied.

The roof is already leaking, I’m going to have to go up in the filthy mouse-infested attic with poly sheeting and try to collect the drips and channel them into a bucket.

I’m going to have to go up in the filthy mouse-infested attic with poly sheeting

why are you doing this and not the owner of the cottage? And why are you still staying there?

Globalti, could you not get you both to a Premier inn or similar just to give yourselves a weekend break from this?   A little space might do you good.

We have 17mm of rain forecast over the next four days.

Met Office for Aberfoyle (IIRC you are in the Trossachs?)

Friday:
Bright or sunny spells and scattered showers, some heavy but mostly in west and across higher ground. Fresh perhaps occasionally strong southwest winds. Maximum temperature 11

Outlook for Saturday to Monday

A windy few days with bright or sunny intervals and showers, perhaps some longer spells of rain at times over the weekend.

We have 17mm of rain forecast over the next four days.

That’s not even rain in Scotland.

Indeed @Drac. Looks like my plan to cut the grass this weekend is safe.

@globalti is this your house? If not as said above, you need to get out or get the landlord to fix it. That seems to be the main cause of your other issues/anxieties.

Others need to chill a bit, this person is clearly in a bit of a bind and we’ve all been there. Don’t read the threads if you have no intention of empathising.

Others need to chill a bit, this person is clearly in a bit of a bind and we’ve all been there. Don’t read the threads if you have no intention of empathising.
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<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>To acknowledge Globalti’s thread one would surely know this one amongst others is a cry for help.  How can we help?  </span>

Why are you still there? There’s not exactly a shortage of choice at the moment, is it because it’s cheap?

you need to get out or get the landlord to fix it. That seems to be the main cause of your other issues/anxieties.

Others need to chill a bit, this person is clearly in a bit of a bind and we’ve all been there. Don’t read the threads if you have no intention of empathising.

I’ll agree with both parts of this. I also like the “find a Premier Inn” suggestion. A brief change of scene would help an awful lot of us at the moment, but you especially I feel.

You aren’t stuck inside because of rain. Get some waterproofs on and get outside.

Sounds pretty grim. It’s easy to say just get the landlord to fix or move but:

http://sites.psu.edu/rclerin/wp-content/uploads/sites/17217/2015/04/maslow.jpg

If you think about Maslow’s hierarch of needs the situation above is threatening bottom two levels of basic needs (shelter & safety). I’m stuck in a long drawn out house move as well (no mice though) and when you’re struggling to sort the basic needs your capacity for any sort creative problem solving or objectively looking at things evaporates.

That said it does sound like you need to remove some of the external stress by getting out of that cottage. Is there anything anyone can do on here to help? It’s amazing how much temporary accommodation is available but not advertised. A wanted add on FB market place can do wonders as well.

Put a roll trap on top of the bucket and take the cat up to the attic with you?
2nding the query about LL though – though this will pass.
You’re in Scotland, yes,? So have slightly more options.
Good luck.

Sympathise. It happened to us. We rented a holiday cottage on an agreed long let that turned out a health hazard from undeclared damp, wound up sitting in the garden in October to keep warm and dry.

We legged it. Two weeks after deciding enough we found somewhere warm and dry (indoors!) and pulled out every stop to make it happen. Health is important.

Move into one of those big motorhomes. The Scotch love ’em.

In the OP’s position i’d be getting the builder of the new build house, who I imagine is local and is in regular contact, to send a roofer with a ladder round to effect temporary repairs to the roof of the rented cottage. Today. While it’s not raining.

I’d let the landlord know that’s what I was doing and that any costs would be getting deducted from his rent.

I wouldn’t be clambering around in a filthy loft to try and protect someone else’s property if they can’t be arsed getting it fixed themselves.

@perchypanther’s is a good suggestion. I suppose the risk is that it adds (extra) stress in terms of the landlord to @globalti’s list of things getting him down.

That list is pretty long, but the most pressing items on it (including worrying about a landlord) are all temporary. And the longer term ones will be a lot easier to handle from the new home (even if the suitability of that home remains one of them!). That’s obvious to us, but it doesn’t necessarily feel that way to him…Getting through the shorter terms things – like being trapped inside by rubbish weather *on top of everything else* (this makes a big difference) – is the key thing that can be controlled here.

Anyway, I’d send someone else up into the roof for starters (you obviously don’t fancy that job, its looming over you is just making things worse). Baby steps.

Medium term: can you move into another temporary let? The move itself will be a hassle, but once it’s done everything else might seem more manageable. Spend your internet weekend investigating that maybe?

Surely you can simply move and break the contract when the house isn’t habitable?

Global

I live in Stirling/BofA and will be heading out for a skoosh up Dumyat tomorrow morning with a friend (Friday),

Just a couple of hours of old blokes bimbling but it’s always good to get out and you are very welcome to tag along.

Finishing with a coffee and a bacon roll. Forecast is just dreich rather than heavy rain.

If you are in Callander / Aberfoyle this is perfectly OK under local restrictions as Stirling is same local authority.

PM me if you are interested,

I’ve met crispin a couple of times, can vouch he’s not a psycho. I think. 😃

Does seem like some of you guys saying just tell the landlord… haven’t experienced renting a from a unhelpful landlord. Unfortunately sometimes its probably easier and less harmful to move out than getting stuff fixed.

Short term, just remember it’s only temporary and you will get sorted.

NBITF – Cheers: I’ll add that character reference to my LinkedIn profile 🙂

Thanks all for the sympathetic posts.

It’s a holiday let but “long term” and we’ve paid until mid December. It belongs to an elderly lady who now lives in care in the city. Her son in the same city uses it for holidays with his family and there’s a managing agent. The positive points are that it’s warm, very quiet indeed and a short walk from our plot. The negatives are that it’s unsuitable for letting as it’s unhygienic, full of family rubbish and the fridge is about to die, along with the leaky roof, dangerous glass panels and a few other things I expect. It does have smoke alarms. We have our cat here and not many landlords allow pets.

There are other holiday lets around but not long term as bookings are still strong. As somebody writes above, when you are suffering anxiety, depression, insomnia and a touch of paranoia the smallest victory feels like a huge achievement, just sorting the car after the mouse damage was a battle. Moving to a different holiday let a few miles away would be a huge stress and then moving again and again would be too much to bear especially as most places have mice at this time of year and I’ve got the mice out of this place.

Long term lets are mostly pretty grim flats in town or they are 20 miles or more away. The postie here knows us and brings our mail over, which is dead handy.

If the owner threw a wobbler and gave us notice to leave we could be in trouble at Christmas if something prevents is from moving into the new place.

I know I’ve droned on ad nauseam about this but as some of you know depression saps you of energy and the will to do anything all to help yourself.

Thanks for the offer of a ride out, I don’t want to leave Mrs Gti here alone and I have no interest in cycling at the moment. A 2 mile totter is all I can manage.

I wish I could tell you the size of our folly, it’s much worse than you can ever imagine.

The negatives are that it’s unsuitable for letting as it’s unhygienic, full of family rubbish and the fridge is about to die, along with the leaky roof, dangerous glass panels and a few other things I expect. It does have smoke alarms. We have our cat here and not many landlords allow pet

Why did you take it then ?

I do appreciate how anxiety and depression lead to the smallest thing becoming quite disabling. Coming back to your OP though, the weather forecast doesn’t look at all bad so there’s a good chance that you are worrying over nothing.

I’m interested in this comment too…

most places have mice at this time of year

I don’t think that’s true at all and you may be unnecessarily stressing about the new house suffering the same fate.

We took it because in June we panicked thinking wee Nickie would close the border (I know, I know) and we booked another place nearby for 3 months. It turned out to be pretty grim so we left early, got a refund and in desperation found this place – beware the rental that has no bookings in August! This is better in size and location and as I wrote above it’s warm, quiet and draft-free as it has good double glazing. It’s just that being a holiday let it’s not suitable for long-term rental, not to mention the cost at holiday rates. So yes we’ve messed everything up big time, a string of bad decisions and now we’re deep into the incident pit.

 wee Nickie

See, while I have lots of sympathy for you, that, and your previous “Braveheart neighbours” comment, make me think you’ve definitely picked the wrong country to live in.

You got a CO alarm in there
You got a copy of the gas safe cert
You got a copy of the electrical safety certificate
Is there eqiip potential bonding fitted.

Bet your deposit isnt being held under the surety scheme either

If any of the above you have leverage to get the landlord to fix the leaks
As for the mice, buy a shed load of traps and or poison.

The owner is paying a vermin control firm. We’ve had dead mice and smell and flies.

The roof is coated in thick moss, which is why water penetrates in heavy rain.

When do yiu think you’ll be in on the new place?

Itll all be worth while. Winters always a test especially if your under a load of stress.

If your only paid till dec look around or say no rent and I’ll fix these issues in lue of payments

most places have mice at this time of year

They don’t definitely move in but i’ve caught and deaded 3 this week as per usual this time of year when they go exploring for food.

Very little sign Of them other than one solitary turd i saw. Nothing for them to eat so they are obviously just scouting.

Weather in the Scottish Borders looking like a belter tomorrow (assume Op is based here?) get out and enjoy, take a break from tinternet for a while it’ll make all the difference….

I feel your pain OP. I have a very leaky bathroom roof. Two big holes in it now. Ones above the toilet which is a bonus because you can just leave the lid up. Downside is when you need a poo and it’s siling it down.