Houses

[FoyleFox]

1 hour ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

So you'd rather buy a car with a flat tyre here?

I'd expect the seller to replace it, like for like or give me a reduction in the cost, to enable me to buy the tyre. A working tyre or 4, was in the agreed price. Which is what has been suggested for the log burner. 

I thought with your cat story you were suggesting that he just accepts the seller can take it without recompense? 

[kingcarr21]

Well my house move still hasnt happened 6 months later. The house im buying is under Probate with 3 trustees. Unfortunately 1 of the trustees has passed away. Their solicitor is saying we can proceed with only 2 signatures but my solicitor is saying absolutley not. Been at loggerheads for about 3 months now. Its the final stumbling block. They also dont want to provide the documentation which describes the probate and what its worth. Which is standard procedure. Apparantely they dont want to provide it because it contains 'sensitive information'. Presumably the valuation. Its only my solicitor that would see it so its not like it will be shared with the world so whats the issue?

 

Honestly i feel like they are trying to get this sale through with little exposure, red flags waving. HAving to look at other houses in the meantime as i believe its going to fall through. Nightmare

[FoyleFox]

In the midst of the selling and buying angst, I'll share my good house news. The polycarbonate conservatory roof is in the bin  Technically, it's actually in the van of the new roof fitters, enroute to be recycled. Hopefully, by Friday I'll have a new warm and insulated one. 

[JonnyBoy]

glad i'm not buying this year, most houses for sale don't offer a lot unless your are interested in new builds (live in Charnwood area) hoping a better selection come onto the market next year when we look to move 

[sdb]

Hello. I'm in the market and weighing up 2 very different properties. One is seemingly very straightforward but the other needs a lot of work. It's stuck in the 1980s but aesthetics are generally OK for me to slowly tackle. However, I do need some advice on the following, please, if anyone is in the know...

 

- the layout is not great. A very small kitchen and no open plan living spaces. All the internal walls are solid. What are the likely issues, costs, timings for knocking a couple of walls through? Would it even be possible?

 

- electrics, et.al. A smaller issue but clearly nothing has been touched for decades. It feels like a very well built house, but are there likely to gebe hidden issues with other such aspects?

 

Any help much appreciated. It's a big project and I've no experience or expertise, but if I could make it work then I'd be very happy there I think. 

 

Thank you

[jgtuk]

48 minutes ago, sdb said:

Hello. I'm in the market and weighing up 2 very different properties. One is seemingly very straightforward but the other needs a lot of work. It's stuck in the 1980s but aesthetics are generally OK for me to slowly tackle. However, I do need some advice on the following, please, if anyone is in the know...

 

- the layout is not great. A very small kitchen and no open plan living spaces. All the internal walls are solid. What are the likely issues, costs, timings for knocking a couple of walls through? Would it even be possible?

 

- electrics, et.al. A smaller issue but clearly nothing has been touched for decades. It feels like a very well built house, but are there likely to gebe hidden issues with other such aspects?

 

Any help much appreciated. It's a big project and I've no experience or expertise, but if I could make it work then I'd be very happy there I think. 

 

Thank you

If you’re not sure yourself you need advice and prices from a builder/electrician. 
I’ve recently had a wall taken out, involved a huge amount of work with props and pins, a huge steel which needed a machine to lift and move into place and cost over £12k to complete not including plastering. 
You’ll probably need an architect and building control involved too. 
The electrics will not comply with current regs so any changes you need to make will require an electrician to at least test and sign off. 

If you’re reasonably competent you could arrange to do some of the work yourself and get the electrician to oversee and sign off. 
I would ask estate agents if you can take a builder or two to assess any work required. 
 

 

[Wolfox]

1 hour ago, sdb said:

Hello. I'm in the market and weighing up 2 very different properties. One is seemingly very straightforward but the other needs a lot of work. It's stuck in the 1980s but aesthetics are generally OK for me to slowly tackle. However, I do need some advice on the following, please, if anyone is in the know...

 

- the layout is not great. A very small kitchen and no open plan living spaces. All the internal walls are solid. What are the likely issues, costs, timings for knocking a couple of walls through? Would it even be possible?

 

- electrics, et.al. A smaller issue but clearly nothing has been touched for decades. It feels like a very well built house, but are there likely to gebe hidden issues with other such aspects?

 

Any help much appreciated. It's a big project and I've no experience or expertise, but if I could make it work then I'd be very happy there I think. 

 

Thank you

Depends if the solid walls are supporting or not…. A good builder should be able to guide

 

A rewire is a few £k…. A four bedder cost me £8k

 

You can work out how to do more than you’d think…. I use YouTube tutorials where I’m not sure 

 

Leave the real skilled stuff to the pros

[sdb]

4 minutes ago, jgtuk said:

If you’re not sure yourself you need advice and prices from a builder/electrician. 
I’ve recently had a wall taken out, involved a huge amount of work with props and pins, a huge steel which needed a machine to lift and move into place and cost over £12k to complete not including plastering. 
You’ll probably need an architect and building control involved too. 
The electrics will not comply with current regs so any changes you need to make will require an electrician to at least test and sign off. 

If you’re reasonably competent you could arrange to do some of the work yourself and get the electrician to oversee and sign off. 
I would ask estate agents if you can take a builder or two to assess any work required. 
 

 

 

4 minutes ago, jgtuk said:

If you’re not sure yourself you need advice and prices from a builder/electrician. 
I’ve recently had a wall taken out, involved a huge amount of work with props and pins, a huge steel which needed a machine to lift and move into place and cost over £12k to complete not including plastering. 
You’ll probably need an architect and building control involved too. 
The electrics will not comply with current regs so any changes you need to make will require an electrician to at least test and sign off. 

If you’re reasonably competent you could arrange to do some of the work yourself and get the electrician to oversee and sign off. 
I would ask estate agents if you can take a builder or two to assess any work required. 
 

 

 

2 minutes ago, Wolfox said:

Depends if the solid walls are supporting or not…. A good builder should be able to guide

 

A rewire is a few £k…. A four bedder cost me £8k

 

You can work out how to do more than you’d think…. I use YouTube tutorials where I’m not sure 

 

Leave the real skilled stuff to the pros

Thanks both, very much

[kenny]

1 hour ago, sdb said:

Hello. I'm in the market and weighing up 2 very different properties. One is seemingly very straightforward but the other needs a lot of work. It's stuck in the 1980s but aesthetics are generally OK for me to slowly tackle. However, I do need some advice on the following, please, if anyone is in the know...

 

- the layout is not great. A very small kitchen and no open plan living spaces. All the internal walls are solid. What are the likely issues, costs, timings for knocking a couple of walls through? Would it even be possible?

 

- electrics, et.al. A smaller issue but clearly nothing has been touched for decades. It feels like a very well built house, but are there likely to gebe hidden issues with other such aspects?

 

Any help much appreciated. It's a big project and I've no experience or expertise, but if I could make it work then I'd be very happy there I think. 

 

Thank you

You won't need an architect for a knock through, just a structural engineer but make sure they are chartered. 

 

www.findanengineer.co.uk is a good place to start.

 

As mentioned, you will also need building control approval.

 

You can pretty much remove any wall you want. However, the more load bearing elements you remove the more expensive it is. If it's just a regular 3-4m knock through then the structural works will be reasonably cheap.

[FoyleFox]

I'd definitely follow the suggestion of taking a couple of builders to have a look and they'll be able to give you some ball park figures. 

You'll want to have the plumbing checked too. 

 

We took two walls down, both solid brick, one load bearing and one not. Both were 7 ish ft long, although the steel needed was 11ft and cost £5k ish. 

 

Long term it's usually more profitable to refurbish than buy ready done. As long as you don't go mad or find very expensive, unexpected issues, hopefully unlikely in an 80's house. It's a very rewarding experience though, when it's finished!

[sdb]

11 hours ago, FoyleFox said:

I'd definitely follow the suggestion of taking a couple of builders to have a look and they'll be able to give you some ball park figures. 

You'll want to have the plumbing checked too. 

 

We took two walls down, both solid brick, one load bearing and one not. Both were 7 ish ft long, although the steel needed was 11ft and cost £5k ish. 

 

Long term it's usually more profitable to refurbish than buy ready done. As long as you don't go mad or find very expensive, unexpected issues, hopefully unlikely in an 80's house. It's a very rewarding experience though, when it's finished!

Thank you. I'm nervously excited about the proposition, but it's likely going to be out of my reach financially anyway. Appreciate the advice 🙏 

[Bilsthorpe Blue]

22 hours ago, sdb said:

Hello. I'm in the market and weighing up 2 very different properties. One is seemingly very straightforward but the other needs a lot of work. It's stuck in the 1980s but aesthetics are generally OK for me to slowly tackle. However, I do need some advice on the following, please, if anyone is in the know...

 

- the layout is not great. A very small kitchen and no open plan living spaces. All the internal walls are solid. What are the likely issues, costs, timings for knocking a couple of walls through? Would it even be possible?

 

- electrics, et.al. A smaller issue but clearly nothing has been touched for decades. It feels like a very well built house, but are there likely to gebe hidden issues with other such aspects?

 

Any help much appreciated. It's a big project and I've no experience or expertise, but if I could make it work then I'd be very happy there I think. 

 

Thank you

Need any steel beams if you are knocking through, PM me I run a steel fabrication company, FT special rates👍

[Tommy G]

34 minutes ago, Bilsthorpe Blue said:

Need any steel beams if you are knocking through, PM me I run a steel fabrication company, FT special rates👍

Go with suggestions like this - I found someone through our builder who sorted our steels out - we had 6 in total - different lengths and weight - got them delivered at the front of the house, used scaffold as rollers ourselves to get them around the back, saved a load of ££ - paid cash and he definitely said it was going through his tax return 

[kingcarr21]

Well it's taken 6 months but I've finally received my contract for my house move. Finally things are progressing 

[PAULCFC]

On 06/08/2024 at 08:41, kingcarr21 said:

Well my house move still hasnt happened 6 months later. The house im buying is under Probate with 3 trustees. Unfortunately 1 of the trustees has passed away. Their solicitor is saying we can proceed with only 2 signatures but my solicitor is saying absolutley not. Been at loggerheads for about 3 months now. Its the final stumbling block. They also dont want to provide the documentation which describes the probate and what its worth. Which is standard procedure. Apparantely they dont want to provide it because it contains 'sensitive information'. Presumably the valuation. Its only my solicitor that would see it so its not like it will be shared with the world so whats the issue?

 

Honestly i feel like they are trying to get this sale through with little exposure, red flags waving. HAving to look at other houses in the meantime as i believe its going to fall through. Nightmare

Feel your pain mate!We sold up in Leicester and moved up north.Put an offer on the house that was excepted,but going through the solicitors......that was 5 weeks ago!Living in a campervan,so not all bad,but our new house is empty and just need the solicitors to get their act together!Just annoying!......still got to rent a Bedford van to get all our stuff (which is costing us storage) from Leicester!Only 4 and half hours from where we are now!

 

 

 

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Edited 9 August by PAULCFC

[FoyleFox]

A friend is doing a house clearance and posted some furniture they're selling. I'm not sure if it's the correct era for any of you but, remembered a few posts of old stuff some of you liked so, I thought I'd share and if it was of interest. 

[adejo92]

So, it's time to change my mortgage deal.

 

Does anyone have any ideas which is likely to prove best out of 3 or 5 year fixed?

[Zear0]

1 hour ago, adejo92 said:

So, it's time to change my mortgage deal.

 

Does anyone have any ideas which is likely to prove best out of 3 or 5 year fixed?

If I knew that, I wouldn't be hanging around here!  I've just gone for a 5-year term.  Toss up between the chances of interest rates falling 3 years from now against having certainty of payments.  Coming off a deal in the 1% range, this has been painful.  My thinking is that interest can go up a hell of a lot more than it can go down and god knows what's going to happen in the world.

[adejo92]

1 minute ago, Zear0 said:

If I knew that, I wouldn't be hanging around here!  I've just gone for a 5-year term.  Toss up between the chances of interest rates falling 3 years from now against having certainty of payments.  Coming off a deal in the 1% range, this has been painful.  My thinking is that interest can go up a hell of a lot more than it can go down and god knows what's going to happen in the world.

Yup, very torn

 

I was on a 2.19% 5 year fixed.

 

I am siding with 5 years but now very tempted with the 3 year. 

 

Gamble isn't it really.

[Izzy]

Why do people view houses before selling their own (or haven't even put theirs on the market yet!)

 

Had a bloke view ours today with his son. Feedback from agent was positive, liked ours best of three he saw, and now he wants to bring his wife on Saturday to have a look.

 

When I asked the agent if they were cash buyers or in a chain, was told they haven't even listed theirs yet.

 

Fvckin tyre kickers.

[Tommy G]

1 hour ago, Izzy said:

Why do people view houses before selling their own (or haven't even put theirs on the market yet!)

 

Had a bloke view ours today with his son. Feedback from agent was positive, liked ours best of three he saw, and now he wants to bring his wife on Saturday to have a look.

 

When I asked the agent if they were cash buyers or in a chain, was told they haven't even listed theirs yet.

 

Fvckin tyre kickers.

That’s your agents fault not the people coming to view 

[Izzy]

28 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

That’s your agents fault not the people coming to view 

Just don't understand why people would want to view houses when they haven't even listed theirs for sale yet. They're not ready to make an offer so I can't see the point.

 

Seems a waste of everyone's time to me.

[Tommy G]

Just now, Izzy said:

Just don't understand why people would want to view houses when they haven't even listed theirs for sale yet. They're not ready to make an offer so I can't see the point.

 

Seems a waste of everyone's time to me.

I agree 

[Xen]

16 hours ago, adejo92 said:

So, it's time to change my mortgage deal.

 

Does anyone have any ideas which is likely to prove best out of 3 or 5 year fixed?

We've gone for 5, as first time buyers.

 

Figure that we can afford the mortgage payment at the current rate, so i'd rather have the security that we can afford it for 5 years rather than the potential that we might save a bit of cash for years 3-5 (but could equally go the other way). One less thing to worry about, really, even if it proves not to be wholly optimal.

[grobyfox1990]

16 hours ago, adejo92 said:

So, it's time to change my mortgage deal.

 

Does anyone have any ideas which is likely to prove best out of 3 or 5 year fixed?

All depends on the individual. I prefer short fixes, flexibility, allows bigger overpayments, 5 years is a long time. You’re young and may want/need to move. What you can afford today may look very different in a few years time. Then again certainty of 5 years of a guaranteed payment gives comfort