Advice

Plasandrunt

Ok so here goes.

I'm 28 and recently gone through some bad times in the past few years. I'm an only child and both my parents passed away. Things ended with my girlfriend of 4 years last September (nearly a year ago) and then last November i left my job of 7 years after the relationship between me and manager became strained.

I was left a house when my mother passed away but the reality is it was quite run down and needed about 35/40k put into it in order for me to sell it and make a fresh start.In around Febuary my friend offered to put money into the house and he got new windows and doors and we arranged for a plasterer, plumber and electrician and they made a start but however he then had a bit of a financial problem and the money dried up.

Basically atm i've got temporary electricity running out of one outage, i've got no kitchen whatsoever and the floor has been taken up, i've had no hot water for the past 4 months and i've no central heating. I estimate it's gonna take another 10/15k to finish the house and have it ready for sale. I'm also finding it harder getting work then I expected and bills are pilling up. (Phone and UPC has been cut off. Electricity bill is pretty large.I got a bank loan out last summer and that's in arrears too. Plus it's in the back of my mind that I owe my friend about 15k and he's not in a great position either.

People have advised me to go to the Vincent De Paul but iust feel this is a problem that could be out of their reach.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Lux23

I would go to them and see, they may be able to point you in the right direction. Plus, I could be wrong but depending on the location of the house, there may be buyers willing to buy a house that needs work.

Typer Monkey

Could you put it up for sale as it is? Lots of people would probably see it's potential and make an offer in spite of the work that needs to be done? Obviously the offers will reflect what they need to spend but it would all be money in your pocket to get you back on your feet.

Family homes are really in demand at the moment and some people would actually like to put their own stamp on the finish

Taltos

Go talk to the bank and/or mabs and get some budgeting advice and try to put a repayment plan in place.

You could also get in some quotes on how much it would take to do up the house - get written quotes.
And then maybe approach the bank for that amount as well - with the intent of either selling it or letting out some of your rooms to tenants - which in turn would be used to pay back that loan over the next while.

Of course you can always sell as is, but then do you have a home yourself?

No harm in going to SVdP, they are there to help and may also have some other suggestions for you. But do engage with some support groups, doing nothing will in the long term really hit you in a bad way.

Best of luck

beatlesfan3333

You could talk to MABS as well, The Money Advice and Budgeting Service. They might be able to sit down with you and go over your finances and come up with a plan. Sorry to hear of your recent circumstances. Hang in there, hopefully things start to look up for you. Best of luck with it all.

cactusgal

Hi OP, I don't actually have any advice to add, but just wanted to say that I'm very sorry to hear about your troubles, especially the loss of your parents. I hope things start looking up for you soon, you deserve a break x

Plasandrunt

Thanks very much for all your replies.

I have thought about selling the house as is but the reality is I'd be taken to the cleaners because I'm in a desperate situation.

for example.

The electrician has started the wiring and put in the sockets but hasn't inserted the new fuseboards or any of the light switchings. The plumber has inserted the new radiators fittings and some of the new pipes but hasn't fitted the new boiler. The plasterer has plastered the living room and done the bathroom ceiling but hasnt done two of the bedrooms that need done and the kitchen (which has had all the plasterboard taken down and the floor taken up). Effectively the house is a building site atm.

As for going to MABS. I'm currently on the social welfare which gives me to get €188 p/w. €50 of that goes to the bank as part of a loan i got out last year, I pay €20 p/w to the ESB, I pay €20 a week on a Provident loan i got out (stupid I know) and i'm currently in the process of paying arranging a €20 p/w payment to a debt collector that both Vodafone and UPC have used for me. Then with stuff like phone credit and laundry (i use a laundrette) it doesn't really give me much chance to manouvre.

I really just need to get myself a job I suppose, i'm pigeonholed in that I've only really had one job (working in a stockroom/warehouse/admin) role in which i worked my way up to manager but yet without getting certs (forklift licence, safe pass, manual handling cert) so it's proving harder then I expected.

Easyliving

Do you have any other family you could borrow from to finish the job?

Or could you get a credit union loan with the house as collateral or similar?

You just need to get the job done quickly, sell and then move on with your life.

Plasandrunt

I actually don't have any family, i'm an only child and both my parents have passed away.

I'm not a member of the Credit Union so surely i'd have to save up for a little bit in one first before they'd even entertain me, even putting the house up as collateral?

Easyliving

Sorry to hear about your parents.

Do you have any Aunties or Uncles or cousins?

Check your local credit union, they are generally more flexible, organize a meeting and explain the situation. Another financial institution might be able to help and as other people said talk to MABS. Your not in a bad situation owning a house outright you just need to try a couple of different things to get to the finish line with it.

bmwguy

Tell the debt collector to get stuffed for a start. Read up on it here, they have no powers. Might send you letters, even with a solicitors name threatening court but that's all, you won't go to court. You are in a bad situation and need to look out for yourself first and foremost.

meeeeh

Plasandrunt wrote: »

I really just need to get myself a job I suppose, i'm pigeonholed in that I've only really had one job (working in a stockroom/warehouse/admin) role in which i worked my way up to manager but yet without getting certs (forklift licence, safe pass, manual handling cert) so it's proving harder then I expected.

I am not sure about this but anyone we seem to employ from welfare comes with the safe pass and some other certs. At least talk to your welfare officer if there is any chance you doing some upskilling and safety courses.

Owryan

Go to mabs and they should be able to restructure the loan, provident and the debt collectors to reduce your payments.

I ve a small amount of 1st hand experience with mabs and they were able to reduce my outgoings to cover my debts. Of course it ll take you longer to pay them off but at least in the short term you will free up money.

An added benefit is, as I found out, provident won't give you any more loans which is a good thing imo

d1980

Op, are you in a position to work?

Plasandrunt

d1980 wrote: »

Op, are you in a position to work?

Yes. Currently unemployed and looking

Plasandrunt

Thanks everyone for advice.

I don't have any family that I'm in contact with, My mother was English and she lost contact/feel out with her family and I haven't heard from them in years.

I certainly won't be getting another Provident loan anyway, i've about €200 left on this one and when I finish this one i'll be deleting the collectors number.

I've had a word with my welfare officer and while she's really nice she wants me to undertake lengthy courses. With my experience, a forklift licence (which takes a week),a safe pass ( a day) and a manual handling cert ( a day) would be really beneficial in order for me to get employment but all she was worried about was the cost of the courses and instead wanted me to go on a 14 week construction course.

Like i said, instead of feeling sorry for myself i feel the only option is for me to continue to look for employment and hope something turns up.