Houses

[kenny]

17 minutes ago, grobyfox1990 said:

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 

Also worth remembering you are locking in a loan not a house.

 

If the rates are there then it's worth locking in even if you plan to move and port the mortgage with you.

[grobyfox1990]

56 minutes ago, kenny said:

Also worth remembering you are locking in a loan not a house.

 

If the rates are there then it's worth locking in even if you plan to move and port the mortgage with you.

Yeh defo a plus if you're staying in the country 

[Górnik Leicester]

We went for a 5-year fix, which is due to end next summer. As we only put down a 5% deposit, we were stuck on around a 3.5% rate at a time when the standard was just over 1%. Wasn't great at first, but it does mean that now we're coming to renew, the jump to around 4-4.5% doesn't seem so high. 

 

We've also made it a priority to overpay by a few hundred quid every month. In addition to obviously paying off the capital, it means we already have it in our monthly budget should our new rate necessitate higher monthly payments. Unless rates absolutely rocket in the next six months, we know we can still afford those repayments without taking a lifestyle hit at the end of the current deal. Would recommend doing that if you can. 

[dsr-burnley]

13 hours ago, 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.

Perhaps they haven't even decided whether they want to move, or where they want to move to.  If they can't find something better than what they have now, at a price they can afford, they may not want to sell their own.

[grobyfox1990]

15 hours 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.

How do you know they need to sell before buying

[Izzy]

1 hour ago, grobyfox1990 said:

How do you know they need to sell before buying

Because the agent told me (after they’d viewed when providing feedback)

Said they have a two bed in a nearby village they’re going to put on the market for them ‘soon’.

 

Hopefully we get more serious interest from people who are actually in a position to move.

 

 

Edited 16 August by Izzy

[Milo]

10 minutes ago, Izzy said:

Because the agent told me. 

Said they have a two bed in a nearby village they’re going to put on the market for them ‘soon’.

 

Hopefully we get more serious interest from people who are actually in a position to move.

 

 

I know it may be a bit late to say this, but we instructed our agent to only show ours to proceedable buyers, and to have done an affordability check on them. 
 

Saves a lot of faff/cleaning for unnecessary viewings! 
 

 

[FoyleFox]

36 minutes ago, Milo said:

I know it may be a bit late to say this, but we instructed our agent to only show ours to proceedable buyers, and to have done an affordability check on them. 
 

Saves a lot of faff/cleaning for unnecessary viewings! 
 

 

We did exactly the same. I know some people don't bother with any cleaning or tidying before a viewing I.e. the people we bought from,  but we did. It's time consuming which you don't want to be wasting if the viewer isn't procedeable.

 

It was a slightly different story a couple of years ago, houses were selling within days, the market is a lot quieter now though. 

[Izzy]

1 hour ago, Milo said:

I know it may be a bit late to say this, but we instructed our agent to only show ours to proceedable buyers, and to have done an affordability check on them. 
 

Saves a lot of faff/cleaning for unnecessary viewings! 
 

 

1 hour ago, FoyleFox said:

We did exactly the same. I know some people don't bother with any cleaning or tidying before a viewing I.e. the people we bought from,  but we did. It's time consuming which you don't want to be wasting if the viewer isn't procedeable.

 

It was a slightly different story a couple of years ago, houses were selling within days, the market is a lot quieter now though. 

Yeah, lesson learnt.

 

In the excitement of a rare viewing, I should have checked in advance that they were proceedable buyers.

 

Two hours getting the vac and duster out, hiding the wife's dirty knickers etc. in preparation, only to find out afterwards that they 'loved it' but haven't even listed their property yet.

[Zear0]

Conversely, went to see a place a few years ago and the owner showed me around.  She literally said "yeah we really love it here, not sure we'll actually move".  What's the effing point?

[grobyfox1990]

2 hours ago, Izzy said:

Because the agent told me (after they’d viewed when providing feedback)

Said they have a two bed in a nearby village they’re going to put on the market for them ‘soon’.

 

Hopefully we get more serious interest from people who are actually in a position to move.

 

 

Ah fair enough, that is weird then. yes good luck

[FoyleFox]

So, as with all of our home improvement projects at our new house, the conservatory roof replacement hasn't gone according to plan. With all of our other issues, in the end the project has happened as intended, although painful but just delayed, taken longer or we didn't pay the contractor and it's been redone.

 

But, this is different.

When we ordered the new roof, we agreed to a 300mm pelmet on three sides and one of 600mm adjoining the house, as it included the box valley gutter. The rest of the ceiling would be vaulted. We didn't actually want one or the spotlights that are included, but it was a condition of the roof style we choose.

 

During the installation, we noticed that it was larger. It's 700mm on three sides and 1000mm including the BVG. As a result, over half of the ceiling will now be flat. The ceiling is quite low and with more of it, it now feels oppressive. It might improve once plastered and not a metal cage.

We queried it with the fitter, nothing to do with him, obviously, he installs what is delivered. The response from his Boss was they had to redesign due to the configuration of our roof.

 

Now, I've sent a 'very disappointed' email as they never mentioned any of this redesigning prior to the installation. What we were expecting and what's arrived are aesthetically quite different. We would've looked at other options, had we known. It's an expensive project, which feels a lot worse when what we have been delivered isn't what we ordered.

 

I'm uncertain what I should be expecting as a response from them. We can't exactly say we don't want it and to put the old one back, as it's now in a skip!

 

Should we be expecting anything other than an apology?

 

[jgtuk]

4 hours ago, FoyleFox said:

So, as with all of our home improvement projects at our new house, the conservatory roof replacement hasn't gone according to plan. With all of our other issues, in the end the project has happened as intended, although painful but just delayed, taken longer or we didn't pay the contractor and it's been redone.

 

But, this is different.

When we ordered the new roof, we agreed to a 300mm pelmet on three sides and one of 600mm adjoining the house, as it included the box valley gutter. The rest of the ceiling would be vaulted. We didn't actually want one or the spotlights that are included, but it was a condition of the roof style we choose.

 

During the installation, we noticed that it was larger. It's 700mm on three sides and 1000mm including the BVG. As a result, over half of the ceiling will now be flat. The ceiling is quite low and with more of it, it now feels oppressive. It might improve once plastered and not a metal cage.

We queried it with the fitter, nothing to do with him, obviously, he installs what is delivered. The response from his Boss was they had to redesign due to the configuration of our roof.

 

Now, I've sent a 'very disappointed' email as they never mentioned any of this redesigning prior to the installation. What we were expecting and what's arrived are aesthetically quite different. We would've looked at other options, had we known. It's an expensive project, which feels a lot worse when what we have been delivered isn't what we ordered.

 

I'm uncertain what I should be expecting as a response from them. We can't exactly say we don't want it and to put the old one back, as it's now in a skip!

 

Should we be expecting anything other than an apology?

 

Have you got any paperwork, plans etc showing what you believed would be fitted? If they reconfigured without your permission or knowledge then I’d say you have a legitimate case for recompense at the very least. 

[sdb]

On 08/08/2024 at 21:22, 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. 
 

 

 

On 08/08/2024 at 21:24, 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

 

On 08/08/2024 at 21:42, kenny said:

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.

 

On 08/08/2024 at 22:57, 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!

Hi folks. Thanks again for your support and advice.

 

I'm considering a bid on this place. It needs considerable work and I'm a total novice. Bar decorating, the work needs doing by professionals. I know this is a slightly flawed question as all properties and circumstances are different, but would anyone fancy estimating the following costs?! The house is very well built, 1970s and in good condition, but it's essentially the same house it was when built. It needs so much work: 

 

- full electrics

- solid wall knocked through 

- every wall has wallpaper that needs removing, re skimming and repainting 

- new kitchen (7 × 5.2m²) including some plumbing work 

- downstairs toilet installing

- total bathroom refurb (2.3 × 1.5m²)

- new flooring across the whole house (4 bed semi detached, for rough guidance)

 

If anyone fancies putting some guesstimates on the above I'd be really appreciative. I know things can be done in stages over time, but I'd need most of the work doing quite quickly.

 

Thanks! 

[jgtuk]

2 hours ago, sdb said:

 

 

 

Hi folks. Thanks again for your support and advice.

 

I'm considering a bid on this place. It needs considerable work and I'm a total novice. Bar decorating, the work needs doing by professionals. I know this is a slightly flawed question as all properties and circumstances are different, but would anyone fancy estimating the following costs?! The house is very well built, 1970s and in good condition, but it's essentially the same house it was when built. It needs so much work: 

 

- full electrics

- solid wall knocked through 

- every wall has wallpaper that needs removing, re skimming and repainting 

- new kitchen (7 × 5.2m²) including some plumbing work 

- downstairs toilet installing

- total bathroom refurb (2.3 × 1.5m²)

- new flooring across the whole house (4 bed semi detached, for rough guidance)

 

If anyone fancies putting some guesstimates on the above I'd be really appreciative. I know things can be done in stages over time, but I'd need most of the work doing quite quickly.

 

Thanks! 

Honestly, the best advice I can give is to get quotes from professionals for the big jobs, work out what you can do yourself, or friends and family (removing wallpaper, removing paint and prepping woodwork etc) as you will at least save on labour costs. 
If you are up for a challenge, do some plumbing yourself, as long as it’s not gas work. 
It’s not rocket science and the internet is full of guides and information. 
Good luck with your project, just bear in mind that it will always take more time and money than you plan for so leave a percentage in your budget 👍

[FoyleFox]

I'd echo the above advice. Unfortunately, lots of costs are property dependent. 

We had a structural wall that was 7ft and an adjacent 7ft non structural wall removed, we required an 11ft steel beam. The work was about £5k. I'd been quoted half that if all had been non structural. 

I think our quote for the labour for the bathroom refit was about £2.5k. To rip it all out,  re-tile the whole room, move some stuff and install 4 items.

Bathrooms, kitchens and flooring are vastly different in price depending on the finish. We predominantly had drawer units in the kitchen and tall units to conceal the fridge and freezer. I'm sure if we had a free standing fridge/freezer and standard cupboards, it would've been about £5k cheaper!

If you're getting a builder in to do other work, it's highly likely you can get them to quote to install the kitchen, never use the kitchen suppliers. You can save a lot on a kitchen if you buy them online. You do need a standard size and layout for that. 

If you don't remove the wallpaper with a streamer, you're less likely to damage the plaster and you can do all small filling and skimming yourself. I can highly recommend one of these instead of a steamer.  https://www.screwfix.com/p/zinsser-paper-tiger-scoring-tool-3mm/3469H?tc=SA6&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1247848&gad_source=1&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1247848&gclid=CjwKCAjw_ZC2BhAQEiwAXSgClkBUiTXW2MI8wd1lrLJZ9oIBy33ApCLOOBeUreBJxmxlvjhass0ZNxoCyjUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[UniFox21]

9 hours ago, sdb said:

 

 

 

Hi folks. Thanks again for your support and advice.

 

I'm considering a bid on this place. It needs considerable work and I'm a total novice. Bar decorating, the work needs doing by professionals. I know this is a slightly flawed question as all properties and circumstances are different, but would anyone fancy estimating the following costs?! The house is very well built, 1970s and in good condition, but it's essentially the same house it was when built. It needs so much work: 

 

- full electrics

- solid wall knocked through 

- every wall has wallpaper that needs removing, re skimming and repainting 

- new kitchen (7 × 5.2m²) including some plumbing work 

- downstairs toilet installing

- total bathroom refurb (2.3 × 1.5m²)

- new flooring across the whole house (4 bed semi detached, for rough guidance)

 

If anyone fancies putting some guesstimates on the above I'd be really appreciative. I know things can be done in stages over time, but I'd need most of the work doing quite quickly.

 

Thanks! 

If built in the '70's would definitely be worth getting them to double check your water communication pipe material. A lot in that era are lead and can cost a bit to replace. 

[Xen]

On 16/08/2024 at 14:15, Zear0 said:

Conversely, went to see a place a few years ago and the owner showed me around.  She literally said "yeah we really love it here, not sure we'll actually move".  What's the effing point?

That's basically what we had back in February. Made the offer anyway and things were all progressing nicely, she had her place lined up etc.

Then when her purchase fell through she decided it was that or nothing, so pulled her sale as well. Infuriating. She then messed us about with the deal being back on then off again within 48hrs, so we swiftly moved on.

 

 

Ended up finding something that should end up being better for us, I think. And we should be completing tomorrow 😬 Exciting and terrifying all at once haha

 

[kingcarr21]

So after months of back and forth i have finally been given a provisional moving date. Suppose i should start packing  

[Wolfox]

27 minutes ago, kingcarr21 said:

So after months of back and forth i have finally been given a provisional moving date. Suppose i should start packing  

Congratulations!  So, you’ve exchanged?   Or doing that just before completion?

[kingcarr21]

5 minutes ago, Wolfox said:

Congratulations!  So, you’ve exchanged?   Or doing that just before completion?

Not exchanged just yet but shouldnt be long now

[Harry96]

I’m a first time buyer and had an offer accepted on a flat just over 4 months ago and still don’t know when I’ll be moving in. There’s been so many enquiries and I think the sellers lawyer has been taking the piss to give all the information back. I have constantly had to chase my solicitor to get updates anyone know how I could speed things up? Solicitor saying everything ready on our side just need to finalise enquiries 

[Zear0]

15 minutes ago, Harry96 said:

I’m a first time buyer and had an offer accepted on a flat just over 4 months ago and still don’t know when I’ll be moving in. There’s been so many enquiries and I think the sellers lawyer has been taking the piss to give all the information back. I have constantly had to chase my solicitor to get updates anyone know how I could speed things up? Solicitor saying everything ready on our side just need to finalise enquiries 

Aside nagging the solicitors there's not much more you can do. My first property was a flat and it also took ages to complete. LotS of the information comes from the freeholder, and not the seller, who have zero interest in the process moving quickly. 

[Nalis]

8 hours ago, Harry96 said:

I’m a first time buyer and had an offer accepted on a flat just over 4 months ago and still don’t know when I’ll be moving in. There’s been so many enquiries and I think the sellers lawyer has been taking the piss to give all the information back. I have constantly had to chase my solicitor to get updates anyone know how I could speed things up? Solicitor saying everything ready on our side just need to finalise enquiries 

Basically what Zear0 said. When we sold our flat the management company, who are the freeholder, took ages to provide the management pack and then took ages to answer any subsequent queries. So much so that we had to hound them ourselves, easier for the seller to do this than the buyer mind.

 

Another thing is if the flat building is higher than a certain number of metres or floors then it will be under the Building Safety Act, good protection for the consumer but an absolute night are for solicitors to work through which could be another cause of the delay. Might not apply depending on the size of your flat building though.

[Nalis]

On 16/08/2024 at 13:03, FoyleFox said:

We did exactly the same. I know some people don't bother with any cleaning or tidying before a viewing I.e. the people we bought from,  but we did. It's time consuming which you don't want to be wasting if the viewer isn't procedeable.

 

It was a slightly different story a couple of years ago, houses were selling within days, the market is a lot quieter now though. 

We bought 2 years ago and funnily enough we think one of the reasons we were successful was that the house was in a bit of a messy state with crap everywhere which might have put others off.