Houses

[rachhere]

10 hours ago, Ian Nacho said:

Exchange and completed today. Got a bit farcical in the end as I collected the keys from the house but the previous owner was still fannying about removing their stuff at aboht 1pm (I’m a first time buyer so luckily didn’t have anything to move in).  I decided to go home and come back later at 5pm but they were still there taking their stuff out. Just walked in and pretty much kicked them out in the end. They’ve still left stuff out in the garden to collect tomorrow (hopefully). The sheer ignorance of people never fails to amaze me. 

A friend of mine ended up in this position when they were selling their house recently. Despite the fact that they had a 5 bedroom house which they had lived in for 20 years, the removal company turned up with three removal vans the size of Sainsburys food vans! They finally were out the house hours after they originally intended and felt awful for the people moving in. Extremely stressful for everyone involved. 

[FoyleFox]

On 26/11/2022 at 11:01, rachhere said:

A friend of mine ended up in this position when they were selling their house recently. Despite the fact that they had a 5 bedroom house which they had lived in for 20 years, the removal company turned up with three removal vans the size of Sainsburys food vans! They finally were out the house hours after they originally intended and felt awful for the people moving in. Extremely stressful for everyone involved. 

That's mad. They normally estimate well from the inventory. Our removal people booked 2 days to do ours. Unfortunately, on day 2 they were a man down due to Covid. They were 2 hours late finishing, so our buyer arrived, despite being advised of the delay and spent the 2 hours stomping around the house shouting that we had his money and should f@ck off. It was a very unfortunate situation but he just made it so much worse being threatening and abusive. We were all bored on the evening ferry so a delay definitely wasn't ideal. 

[Izzy]

On 24/11/2022 at 10:44, steve555 said:

I had this problem, had extractor fan, dried the shower walls & screen with a Karcher window vac  after every shower. The black mould would still build up, I would get some off with anti mould spray but about every 6 months I had to paint the ceiling to cover it. However in the summer I bought a more expensive fan & painted the ceiling with Ronseal anti mould paint , this suppose to have a 6 year guarantee & at about £18 for a tin, it wasn't cheap, but touchwood the mould hasn't reappeared. I still dry the shower with the Karcher & open the window after each shower.

Was the new extractor fan easy to fit?

 

We dry our en-suite shower down exactly as you've described but still get a build up of mold on the shower ceiling which we re-paint every year.

 

I'm guessing our extractor fan is as old as the house (30 years) but I've no idea how to replace it or what with. 

 

How much did your expensive one cost and where did you get it from?

 

 

[FoxesDeb]

6 minutes ago, FoyleFox said:

That's mad. They normally estimate well from the inventory. Our removal people booked 2 days to do ours. Unfortunately, on day 2 they were a man down due to Covid. They were 2 hours late finishing, so our buyer arrived, despite being advised of the delay and spent the 2 hours stomping around the house shouting that we had his money and should f@ck off. It was a very unfortunate situation but he just made it so much worse being threatening and abusive. We were all bored on the evening ferry so a delay definitely wasn't ideal. 

I don't understand people like this. It was a situation out of your control, and although unfortunate, hardly life or death. What did he think you were going to do, just leave half your possessions there?! Did an extra couple of hours really mean that much to him?

[StanSP]

On 26/11/2022 at 00:37, Ian Nacho said:

Exchange and completed today. Got a bit farcical in the end as I collected the keys from the house but the previous owner was still fannying about removing their stuff at aboht 1pm (I’m a first time buyer so luckily didn’t have anything to move in).  I decided to go home and come back later at 5pm but they were still there taking their stuff out. Just walked in and pretty much kicked them out in the end. They’ve still left stuff out in the garden to collect tomorrow (hopefully). The sheer ignorance of people never fails to amaze me. 

Congratulations  

[steve555]

21 hours ago, Izzy said:

Was the new extractor fan easy to fit?

 

We dry our en-suite shower down exactly as you've described but still get a build up of mold on the shower ceiling which we re-paint every year.

 

I'm guessing our extractor fan is as old as the house (30 years) but I've no idea how to replace it or what with. 

 

How much did your expensive one cost and where did you get it from?

 

 

Our original fan was just a cheap £15 quid one & had been up a long while. The one we replaced it with was a Blauberg UK 100, which was about £50 from Amazon ( looks like it's on today for £47.40). Just make sure the one your'e replacing is the same size, you don't want to be chiesling the wall to make the hole bigger or buying too small & having to fill it in. I think most are standard 100mm , so your ducting should be 100mm to fit ( i think some are 125mm ). It was easy enough to replace just take a photo of the wiring on the one you're taking off & re-wire the new one the same ( I know you're suppose to get a qualified electrician these days, but my wife's great with the DIY). I'd definitely recommend painting the ceiling with the Ronseal anti-mould paint. Doing both these things seems to have cured it . Also stopping the kids from showering for 15 minutes at a time helps, it was like walking into a sauna after they've been in.With being on a water meter & the cost of everything these days I've told them too be quicker, which to be fair they have been.

[ajthefox]

For anyone looking at thermal upgrades to their house to improve energy efficiency, the Gov have announced extended funding for insulation. Details to be available in the new year hopefully.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-joins-with-households-to-help-millions-reduce-their-energy-bills

[Lako42]

3 hours ago, ajthefox said:

For anyone looking at thermal upgrades to their house to improve energy efficiency, the Gov have announced extended funding for insulation. Details to be available in the new year hopefully.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-joins-with-households-to-help-millions-reduce-their-energy-bills

Bit late for me. Spent a fortunate on loft insulation 2 months ago 

[FoyleFox]

We've just ordered more. Still going ahead.  It's a Gov scheme which will be massively difficult to work out or even qualify for. 

[The Blur]

3 hours ago, ajthefox said:

For anyone looking at thermal upgrades to their house to improve energy efficiency, the Gov have announced extended funding for insulation. Details to be available in the new year hopefully.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-joins-with-households-to-help-millions-reduce-their-energy-bills

 

Nice one! Is there a subscription or something that I can be alerted to.  My house EPC is D so hopefully I can qualify.  

[ajthefox]

2 hours ago, FoyleFox said:

We've just ordered more. Still going ahead.  It's a Gov scheme which will be massively difficult to work out or even qualify for. 

I wouldn't be so sure. The whole point of this is extended it beyond just the poorest households to a much broader range of people. Also, the last scheme they did was hugely under-utilised and then withdrawn and they were criticised for that. I think they will be keen to make it a bit simpler this time round.

 

2 hours ago, Lako42 said:

Bit late for me. Spent a fortunate on loft insulation 2 months ago 

Annoyingly so did I - I'm hopeful I can top it up a bit although that's not really my priority. Nothing has been announced regarding other energy saving measures but I'm keeping my fingers crossed they provide some funding for other bits and bobs such as window replacements as that will make a much bigger difference to me now.

 

  

2 hours ago, The Blur said:

 

Nice one! Is there a subscription or something that I can be alerted to.  My house EPC is D so hopefully I can qualify.  

I couldn't find anything no as they literally announced it today. Just check back in a couple months I'd say.

 

Edited 28 November 2022 by ajthefox

[FoyleFox]

35 minutes ago, ajthefox said:

I wouldn't be so sure. The whole point of this is extended it beyond just the poorest households to a much broader range of people. Also, the last scheme they did was hugely under-utilised and then withdrawn and they were criticised for that. I think they will be keen to make it a bit simpler this time round.

 

Annoyingly so did I - I'm hopeful I can top it up a bit although that's not really my priority. Nothing has been announced regarding other energy saving measures but I'm keeping my fingers crossed they provide some funding for other bits and bobs such as window replacements as that will make a much bigger difference to me now.

 

  

I couldn't find anything no as they literally announced it today. Just check back in a couple months I'd say.

 

You may well be correct and hopefully are, which would be a massive benefit to people. My naturally cynical reaction to these things makes me assume we'll not qualify and they'll make it difficult. I hope I'm wrong and it's a useful easy scheme. 

I'm sure we'd have scope to top up our insulation, we're just adding another layer. I'd certainly rather get it done before the winter weather really kicks in anyway.  

[WigstonWanderer]

I’m selling a house in Salisbury, and have had a query back about cavity wall insulation. On the EPC that I had done in 2021, it is described as having a “filled cavity wall” and I am being asked about a guarantee. The mystery is that I have owned the house since 1995 and have no recollection or records of ever having had cavity wall insulation installed. Could this description mean something else? The house was built in the 1920s.

 

Also, with cavity wall insulation, what happens when an electrician needs to run cabling? Cavity walls were always used for this in the past.

Edited 29 November 2022 by WigstonWanderer

[kenny]

7 hours ago, WigstonWanderer said:

I’m selling a house in Salisbury, and have had a query back about cavity wall insulation. On the EPC that I had done in 2021, it is described as having a “filled cavity wall” and I am being asked about a guarantee. The mystery is that I have owned the house since 1995 and have no recollection or records of ever having had cavity wall insulation installed. Could this description mean something else? The house was built in the 1920s.

 

Also, with cavity wall insulation, what happens when an electrician needs to run cabling? Cavity walls were always used for this in the past.

1920s houses typically have a cavity of around 1/2 inch and isn't suitable for insulation. This is why you see the fairly ugly external insulation being used.

 

Electricians/plumbers chase out the brickwork to install cables and pipes on older houses.

[Raj]

Finally exchanging contracts a tomorrow  after what seems an eternity and rollercoaster ride.

Just a couple of little issues to resolve and then hopefully it'll be completion day soon

[ajthefox]

On 29/11/2022 at 00:37, WigstonWanderer said:

I’m selling a house in Salisbury, and have had a query back about cavity wall insulation. On the EPC that I had done in 2021, it is described as having a “filled cavity wall” and I am being asked about a guarantee. The mystery is that I have owned the house since 1995 and have no recollection or records of ever having had cavity wall insulation installed. Could this description mean something else? The house was built in the 1920s.

 

Also, with cavity wall insulation, what happens when an electrician needs to run cabling? Cavity walls were always used for this in the past.

Who did your EPC?

 

They are a pretty blunt instrument and are often based on a load of assumptions with very little grounding when it comes to houses, particular older ones.

 

 

[WigstonWanderer]

34 minutes ago, ajthefox said:

Who did your EPC?

 

They are a pretty blunt instrument and are often based on a load of assumptions with very little grounding when it comes to houses, particular older ones.

 

 

I’ll have a look when I get the chance. It was just something my property agent said I should have, so they arranged it. Never real paid much attention at the time. I passed it on to my solicitor for the buyers and they came back with a query about a guarantee for cavity wall insulation that I wasn’t aware I had.

 

Loads of regulations these days, but most seem to be just box ticking exercises that probably add very little to actual real world improvements in standards. Just an opportunity for some people to be able to make some money by filling in forms.

[grobyfox1990]

57 minutes ago, WigstonWanderer said:

I’ll have a look when I get the chance. It was just something my property agent said I should have, so they arranged it. Never real paid much attention at the time. I passed it on to my solicitor for the buyers and they came back with a query about a guarantee for cavity wall insulation that I wasn’t aware I had.

 

Loads of regulations these days, but most seem to be just box ticking exercises that probably add very little to actual real world improvements in standards. Just an opportunity for some people to be able to make some money by filling in forms.

EPC, gas safety and EICR are anything but boxticking exercises and will have saved lives in the real world by rooting out dodgy electrical systems in patchy rental homes. Mandatory C grades by 2025 is a very good move 

 

Ps if you got your agent to do your EPC you’ve likely paid 50% their commission and 50% to some rogue drive by epc shop 

Edited 30 November 2022 by grobyfox1990

[ajthefox]

10 minutes ago, grobyfox1990 said:

EPC, gas safety and EICR are anything but boxticking exercises and will have saved lives in the real world by rooting out dodgy electrical systems in patchy rental homes. Mandatory C grades by 2025 is a very good move 

 

Ps if you got your agent to do your EPC you’ve likely paid 50% their commission and 50% to some rogue drive by epc shop 

EPCs aren't saving anyone anything. Different kettle of fish to gas safety and EICR.

[grobyfox1990]

4 minutes ago, ajthefox said:

EPCs aren't saving anyone anything. Different kettle of fish to gas safety and EICR.

Fine maybe not an EPC, although it will give you an indication to efficiency, but the original post is suggesting all these new regulations are not adding anything. No idea where they’ve got that idea from other than probably ignorance or a crap letting agent 

[dsr-burnley]

1 hour ago, ajthefox said:

Who did your EPC?

 

They are a pretty blunt instrument and are often based on a load of assumptions with very little grounding when it comes to houses, particular older ones.

 

 

That's true enough.  I've been nosying at my next door neighbours, and the two houses below are identical back-to-back (except one faces west and the other east), but one has a theoretical maximum grade B and the other has a theoretical maximum grade E.

[kenny]

34 minutes ago, grobyfox1990 said:

Fine maybe not an EPC, although it will give you an indication to efficiency, but the original post is suggesting all these new regulations are not adding anything. No idea where they’ve got that idea from other than probably ignorance or a crap letting agent 

The EPC relates to the cost of energy to the householder rather than the environment. As such, gas heating is rated higher than electric as gas is cheaper.

 

The EPC is fairly rubbish really. Correct about gas and electrical safety certificates though.

[WigstonWanderer]

1 hour ago, grobyfox1990 said:

EPC, gas safety and EICR are anything but boxticking exercises and will have saved lives in the real world by rooting out dodgy electrical systems in patchy rental homes. Mandatory C grades by 2025 is a very good move 

 

Ps if you got your agent to do your EPC you’ve likely paid 50% their commission and 50% to some rogue drive by epc shop 

In principle yes, but I’m sceptical as to how much is actually done. Here to be educated though as I don’t have any inside information.

[Tommy G]

Anyone felt any signs that the market is slowing? Prices reducing yet? 

[FoyleFox]

57 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

Anyone felt any signs that the market is slowing? Prices reducing yet? 

If you look on Rightmove lots of properties have been reduced recently. Talking to a couple of agents, and from trade newsletters, they advised that properties are just returning to realistic levels circa 2021 and early 2022 rather than the over inflated ones of summer 2022.

 

The latest figures for sales completions the past Q, they are lower than the past couple of years, which were exceptionally high, but are on a par with pre covid averages.

 

The market for sales is traditionally slow in late Nov and December, so there is less coming to market at present. Although, I'm just waiting to list a house.

 

So, it's slower than it was but returning to normal levels rather than being slow.