The House Thread

[Mike]

How much? I want the same doing.
Just shy of £2k in total.

[randomlegend]

Got a guy coming removing the wall between the back living room and the kitchen on Wednesday, its a load bearing wall so he's putting in an RSJ. Then we're hopefully getting a new kitchen ASAP too.

https://i.imgur.com/XJo9vTB.jpg

[Lofty]

Hopefully mine isn't too much more though due to the extension position the wall in question is the rear corner of the original house so no doubt more challenging and more expensive.

[Shindig]

I really need to get out of renting. :moop:

[Ben]

Got my Memorandum of Sale for both the sale and the purchase now. Just waiting on Bank of England to shaft me with another nonsensical interest rate hike later on. :eyemouth:

[Don]

I meanwhile am still slogging on with the sale to the Ukrainians. Cash buyers so only thing that could go wrong now is they get bored of the extended wait, the fucking nazis.

Have put my B2L on the letting market now and have been inundated with viewings. If the demand is high, can/will my letting agent look to start an auction to increase the rent? If not, is it just first come? Slightly annoying if I miss out on potential Jewish gains but at least it won't sit empty like it's done for the past 2 months as I delayed flooring installation and developer snagging like a cunt. Did tell them I don't want any pet owning gammons as this is an Allah endorsed property and they said some soft shite like they can't "discriminate" but that they can be "selective" with who they invite for viewings. Nice.

[Boydy]

You fucking parasite.

[Don]

Brav, I ain't the council, yeah?

[Don]

Ah some freshie South African family of 4 are offering to pay 12 months upfront on the asking price. Was ideally hoping for a Hong Kong family and ChatGPT is going PC on me and refusing to answer "are South Africans clean?" so any advice would be appreciated.

[Baz]

Ah some freshie South African family of 4 are offering to pay 12 months upfront on the asking price. Was ideally hoping for a Hong Kong family and ChatGPT is going PC on me and refusing to answer "are South Africans clean?" so any advice would be appreciated.

I went to school with one and his older sister “met” everyone who went to the local teenage disco.

[Spikey M]

24 month contract confirmed.

[Giggles]

Just be thankful it’s not muslims and take what you can get.

[Bam]

Just be thankful it’s not muslims and take what you can get.


It's ok for them to do it but not us, mkay. :brighton:

[Giggles]

It's ok for them to do it but not us, mkay. :brighton:

Don’t tell me that Bam, king of the cockney cunt geezers, wouldn’t see every single rag head thrown in the sea.

[Giggles]

Innit.

[Don]

Leave that shit for me to say, Giggs, just in case phonics sees. Rest assured if the agency had said the family was from some muzzy land or, god forbid, South Asia, I would have rejected it for twice the advertised price. Filthy cultures. Mind, Iranians with their natural streak of OCD/autism are the pinnacle of potential tenants.

[Lewis]

The Chinese would obviously be the worst.

[Offshore Toon]

Giggles is such a bad drunk.

[Spikey M]

Taz is a worse Sober.

[Bam]

Don’t tell me that Bam, king of the cockney cunt geezers, wouldn’t see every single rag head thrown in the sea.

:nodd:

[Spikey M]

This has been a very BNP page lads.

[Don]

About 2 months of weekends being taken up with bs DIY later and we're nearly there. Final hurdle is the laminate flooring in the living room. There's some dodgy concreting that given the pipe I'm guessing was some sort of radiator fuckery:

https://i.ibb.co/WcKzgw2/20230211-133459.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/rQt5YRx/20230408-170036.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/mBJ2j1V/20230408-170051.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/WcKzgw2/20230211-133459.jpg

Can that pipe be cut easily enough?

The concrete is causing about a 5mm raised level, can we just load up the surrounding area with additional underlayer or do we need to look into some serious screeding bollocks?

[Don]

Are 2 of those showing as the old wallpaper pics? Fuck off.

[Baz]

In unrelated news, my cleaner is actually two lesbians.

[Manc]

I'm having to screed my kitchen floor. Let me know how much it sets you back.

[Don]

Just had a call from the council about the flat below reporting a leak. We're top floor so either the roof has caved in or I left the tap running when I left on Saturday. More on this as news comes in :drool:

[Don]

Wasn't from our flat but it did result in a combined 3 hours of driving there and back and £400 to some Romanian to smash up the bathroom that will now need re-doing, all to confirm it wasn't us. Entire evening robbed too. Fucking love it.

[mo]

*plays tiny violin for slumlord*

[Don]

My tenants are rolling in a new build 3 bed whilst I'm in a grotty council flat surrounded by all-manner of filthy ethnics #people'sman

[SincereTheRebel]

My toilet is always running. After some troubleshooting by a newb. I think i will have to rip off the toilet basin in order to attach the new push button flush device thing as changing the washer has not fixed the thing

[Mike]

In my old flat I replaced the whole flush system, meant I could keep the same toilet, and wasn’t expensive.

[Shindig]

Spotted some water coming in above the bathroom last night. :moop:

On the plus side I now know what the attic looks like. And how fucked the roof is.

[SincereTheRebel]

Did this. About 30 minutes of my time and £27 for a new flush thing and pipe cut-off

[SincereTheRebel]

In my old flat I replaced the whole flush system, meant I could keep the same toilet, and wasn’t expensive.

Above

[Manc]

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/may/08/uk-mortgage-lender-100-loans-skipton-building-society

Thoughts?

[Luke Emia]

Will need really good credit. To have rented before and be a first time buyer from the stuff I’ve seen.

I have no thing against 100% mortgages as an adviser but it’s got to be for the right person.

[Shindig]

Seems like it's right up my alley but I'd rather get the deposit down.

[niko_cee]

I saw this in a listing for some land [which has no planning permission] today:


The land is being offered for sale subject to the vendors reserving 20% of the uplift in value for a period of 25 years arising out of the implementation of planning permission or sale of land with the benefit of planning.

What the fuck is that?

[Boydy]

"We can't be arsed getting planning permission but want some of the profits when you do." ? Mental.

[Boydy]

100% mortgages also just sounds like throwing more fuel on the fire that is ever-increasing house prices.

It is unfair that you can pay someone else's mortgage (and probably some profit for them on top) but not pay your own because you can't raise the deposit required. But increasing demand with 100% mortgages with presumably the usual not bothering to increase supply just sounds like it'll help a few people now and fuck over everyone who comes a bit after them. I suppose the whole housing market is a pyramid scheme really.

[Baz]

Feels like this 100% mortgage was well overdue tbh. All those wasting money on rent can now work towards owning a property.

[SvN]

I don't see the problem with a 100% mortgage at all. I'd much rather buying a house was more accessible to families than the likes of Taz and his slumlord cronies.

[Don]

My property is a fresh new build so be nice instead of calling me a slumlord and I may even be able to offer to house you and your family too.

[Ben]

It’s definitely a double edged sword. Great that it allows families to purchase houses when it was previously impossible but it’s almost guaranteed it will inflate prices further. But supply is the issue there and that needs fixing regardless, so might as well give more potential home owners a shot against the parasitic landlords in the meantime.

[Boydy]

Just ban buy to let landlords. Send Taz to the gulag.

[Ben]

The first move would be to ban all the foreign rats buying up hundreds of properties. You’d think that would be a good vote winner but those guys obviously donate more to the party coffers than the ones who come on dinghies.

[Luke Emia]

There’s massive caveats to this 100% mortgage situation.

For one your mortgage payment can’t be more than your rent. So let’s say you are renting for £1000 a month. Your mortgage payment has to be less than that. Try buying a house for less than that rental price and see where you end up.

[Shindig]

I do wonder what your options are after the fixed term is up. At that point could someone slap a lump sum down or overpay? I err... know very little about mortgages, to be honest.

[Luke Emia]

I do wonder what your options are after the fixed term is up. At that point could someone slap a lump sum down or overpay? I err... know very little about mortgages, to be honest.

5 year fix so in theory you should ride out any house price drops and you shouldn’t be paying capital off over the 5 years so you would hope to have built up some equity. Also you could put some money down if you had 2/3/4K it’s not massive but it will mean you aren’t borrowing as much in the first instance.

[Ben]

Has anyone used the Royal Mail redirection service before? Is there a delay in receiving redirected post? Ours has been active since Saturday but are yet to receive anything. Three days without post isn't outside the realm of possibility but it is unusual.

[wullie]

We've used it twice but if there was a delay each it wasn't really noticeable. Day or two if anything

[Mike]

A few days I think.

[Lewis]

Has anyone ever ordered from here (https://www.makemyblinds.co.uk/) before? It sounds a bit too convenient not to be a massive let down.

[Don]

We just placed an order with Blinds 2 Go without doing much research.

[Spikey M]

HSBC are a merry band of cunts.

Just received a letter saying "alright mate, just so you know we're shoving you on the variable rate paying £1200 a month from the 16th of this month lol. Appreciate that's double your current mortgage like. Soz."

But we fixed for 2 years 3 months ago at £900 a month. Just called them and apparently everything is fine and I should just ignore the letter. They're not giving me much confidence here.

[Jimmy Floyd]

My experience with these things is that automated letters get fired off based on databases and often bear no relation to what is actually/legally the case. I almost just ignore the post these days.

[Luke Emia]

HSBC are a merry band of cunts.

Just received a letter saying "alright mate, just so you know we're shoving you on the variable rate paying £1200 a month from the 16th of this month lol. Appreciate that's double your current mortgage like. Soz."

But we fixed for 2 years 3 months ago at £900 a month. Just called them and apparently everything is fine and I should just ignore the letter. They're not giving me much confidence here.

Automatic emails. Banks are fucking useless for stuff like this. Part A of the system never speaks to Part B.

[Boydy]

This reminds me, my mortgage was supposed to go up a bit this month (about £80) as I was into the new fixed period I'd agreed a few months back. But when I checked my current account the other day slightly less had come out than usual (about £20 less). I've just logged into my online mortgage account and it says my monthly payment is that lower amount. What's going on there then?

[Boydy]

Just checked the original letter about the new fixed term and it says the payments on it were based on my balance in late February hen I applied for it and assuming the new interest rate started in March. Have I just paid enough down in the meantime until June that it's significantly lower?

[Boydy]

Upon further investigation the new rate actually started in April. I don't know what the fuck's going on.

Should probably ring them up but slightly worried they'll go "yeah we messed up and you owe us more money".

[Luke Emia]

Whose your lender if it’s someone like Halifax you often get variations if you sign up for a new deal early as they don’t work out the figures in the right way.

[Boydy]

Barclays.

[Boydy]

Just got a letter this morning. Seems I will be paying the higher amount I thought from the start of July. I guess the slightly reduced amount I've been paying since April was due to the overpayment I made to get down past one of the LTV thresholds?

[phonics]

Ya boy is now a property letter. I got such a good deal that I'm going to spend the 2 weeks until I move in trying to work out what the catch is.

2 Bed Flat+Living Room+Kitchen: 650 a month.

https://media.rightmove.co.uk/189k/188090/135855497/188090_P141806_IMG_02_0000.jpeg
https://media.rightmove.co.uk/189k/188090/135855497/188090_P141806_IMG_04_0000.jpeg
https://media.rightmove.co.uk/189k/188090/135855497/188090_P141806_IMG_05_0000.jpeg
https://media.rightmove.co.uk/189k/188090/135855497/188090_P141806_IMG_06_0000.jpeg
https://media.rightmove.co.uk/189k/188090/135855497/188090_P141806_IMG_07_0000.jpeg

[Giggles]

The white will show up so bad on those worktops.

[phonics]

The white will show up so bad on those worktops.

Clean for 19 months and 2 days (14th Nov 2021 was my last) and visit Narcotics Anonymous meetings any time I feel like I might break it. Meanwhile, you're scared of pasta and wear 4 masks at a time any time you leave the house. Suck a dick.

[Giggles]

Clean for 19 months and 2 days (14th Nov 2021 was my last) and visit Narcotics Anonymous meetings any time I feel like I might break it. Meanwhile, you're scared of pasta and wear 4 masks at a time any time you leave the house. Suck a dick.

So you've a littly hissy about how long ago one thing is and then rattle off a couple of exaggerated blinders from God knows when. Good lad, if I could give you a pat on the head for being a spastic I would.

[phonics]

Giggles you had a go at me. I had a go back at you. Whats the difference?

[Giggles]

"Afraid of pasta"? Come on now you clampit.

[Shindig]

That flat looks decent. The kitchen looks alright besides the flooring looking real loose.

[Mike]

Well done Phonics.

Painting the kitchen tonight, it’s almost finished!

[Baz]

Does it have a garden?

[phonics]

Nah I don’t want one.

[Baz]

Better take that sign down then.

[Lofty]

The shower appeared to have leaked like fuck two days in a row so I used some unibond renew sealant to try a quick fix, it didn't go on as advertised and was generally a fucking nightmare trying to apply and clean up. Since then there has been steadily less leakage down to nothing, which confused me until the wife admitted she'd been 'spraying the shower at the ceiling because there was a fly.' :moop:

[Ben]

Tip for sealant: apply two strips of masking tape, with a gap in between as wide as you want the sealant to be (few mm). Then go nuts with sealant and then run your finger over it when done. Remove tape. Look like a pro.

[Don]

After 5 months of clueless solicitors pissing around, the dirty Ukrainian cunts are looking to renegotiate given the market conditions and revise down the 207 to 200. I'm going to surrender so at least they get a taste of victory before their motherland crumbles in the face of Vladimir's might as I really don't fancy re-listing for what I suspect will be a likely similar offer (and a ceiling of 205ish) nor renting out with the new mortgage rates meaning I lose about £200 a month. Just need this shit taken off me.

[Ben]

My purchase has been delayed for the past two weeks because the seller's solicitor got my name wrong on the original document and couldn't fathom what we meant when we said the name was wrong. :eyemouth:

These cunts.

[Shindig]

I've began my search and it looks like anything local has been snapped up by buy-to-let cunts. I have a viewing tomorrow for an auction property which... errr... that part I'm not keen on.

[Spikey M]

I thought auctions were cash buyers only usually?

[Shindig]

The information pack has a mortgage as a means to purchase it. I'm just viewing the place and walking away because the information pack I've been sent implies the winning bidder is on the hook for £10k worth of fees. Assuming it goes at guide price. That plus whatever deposit I put down would wipe me out.

[Luke Emia]

The information pack has a mortgage as a means to purchase it. I'm just viewing the place and walking away because the information pack I've been sent implies the winning bidder is on the hook for £10k worth of fees. Assuming it goes at guide price. That plus whatever deposit I put down would wipe me out.

Steer clear it’s not worth the aggro.

[Shindig]

Aye, I'll view the place but I'm not bidding. Talking with a mortgage adviser tomorrow morning which would at least give me a better idea of what my budget is.

[Ben]

Still waiting to exchange contracts on mine, been a right ball ache. Mortgage companies can't pull the offer in the face of more BoE interest rate rises, can they?

[Don]

Sounds like a fairly shitty thing to do so...

[Luke Emia]

Still waiting to exchange contracts on mine, been a right ball ache. Mortgage companies can't pull the offer in the face of more BoE interest rate rises, can they?

They can it would be unlikely that they will. I should caveat that with I have never had it happen to me.

But ‘specialist’ lenders were doing it back in October.

[Luke Emia]

Aye, I'll view the place but I'm not bidding. Talking with a mortgage adviser tomorrow morning which would at least give me a better idea of what my budget is.

Yeah take that step first and see where you are at. Don’t get mugged off though if they are charging a fee and it’s anything more than 4/500 quid they are taking the piss.

[Shindig]

Well, he reckons I can go wider than my initial budget. The mortgage in principle cert has been done. If I get him to apply for it, he's looking for £500.

After widening my search to the next town over, a ton of them are online auctions. :moop:

[Ben]

£500 on application? What am I missing? Mine is £299 on completion...

[Shindig]

I'm assuming there's other stuff tied with it because he was talking about solicitors fees for the same thing being £1500. He could be taking the piss, to be honest.

EDIT: That house was lovely. :(

[Shindig]

Naturally, the auctioneer rang this morning to negotiate. She reckons they'd accept a lower offer to off-set the auction fees.

HOWEVER

Yours truly didn't read the auction pack so good with his eyes the first time around. If my bid was accepted I would require on completion of the auction:

- The auction fee + 4.2% + VAT
- 10% of the purchase price as a deposit
- A Solicitor to handle all this

And that's before I've even done any of the mortgage shit. Realistically, that's another 10% from an already smaller mortgage but still, I'd have nowt left after that process.

[Luke Emia]

Well, he reckons I can go wider than my initial budget. The mortgage in principle cert has been done. If I get him to apply for it, he's looking for £500.

After widening my search to the next town over, a ton of them are online auctions. :moop:

Is that one in an estate agents. Just Google mortgage adviser in my area and find one with decent reviews on there you should get someone cheaper than that.

[Luke Emia]

I'm assuming there's other stuff tied with it because he was talking about solicitors fees for the same thing being £1500. He could be taking the piss, to be honest.

EDIT: That house was lovely. :(

About 1500 quid on solicitors fees is about right I would say.

[Spikey M]

It's even better when you need 2. :happycry:

[niko_cee]

On the house buying front I've just discovered the property log chrome extension, which gives you historic price listing information on rightmove. :sherlock:

[Don]

As in to see if the current sellers listed it at different prices previously? Is that info not openly available otherwise? All I know about is the 'reduced' flag and not even sure if that's an opt-in thing or not.

[niko_cee]

Yeah.

Not sure it's openly available otherwise, you can only usually see the 'reduced on' info I think. I think there are ways to game it, maybe if the listing is removed and then put back on after a time or with another agent, but it is a good little tool.

For example, I can see that this place (https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/127309310#/?channel=RES_BUY) was listed at £1.75m on 22/9/22 and has been on a steady downward trend since to its current £1.1m listing [1.75m > 1.5m > 1.3m > 1.1m]. Perhaps the sellers are in a bit of distress with these interest rate rises? :drool:

The state of that fake grass though.

[Shindig]

Yeah, I think right move just surfaces sale prices on their website. I've been using it to size up areas.

The auctioneer has gone quiet on me which probably suggests the sellers of that place I viewed absolute did not want to take a bid below guide price. Can't really blame them.

[Don]

That's gotta be a British footballer's gaff.

I keep an eye on 2 separate rightmove alerts (MK and London). Beside getting spammed daily, it's a good way to monitor the market and let me tell you, the panic is rife :drool:

[Ben]

The panic hasn't got up here yet then. I've just loaded that extension and the reductions on 4-5 bed detached round where I'm buying is just the usual £5k or £10k when the seller realises they went with a giddy estate agent.

[wullie]

I've still got my alerts and shortlist from when we moved nearly 2 years ago, one person wouldn't let us have another viewing of a house we were interested in because they had too much interest and 'didn't want their time wasted'.

After we moved I got to enjoy watching their house list as sold stc for a few weeks until that fell through, then see it go back on the market and reduce at least twice before I stopped looking. At least their time was used wisely.

[Ben]

I've always been baffled by that attitude. Maybe they're just so oblivious to the fact buying and selling a house isn't that simple.

On that topic, we had a no-show viewing on ours. Really fucking annoying when you spend a couple of hours cleaning and arranging for the baby to be out at a relative's because the viewing was scheduled for bath/bed time. We sold in less than a week anyway but still pissed me right off.

[Don]

Part of the reason why I was keen to just accept the latest reduced offer on mine was not wanting to fuck about with more viewings (and the fact I'd removed the furniture, fixtures and fittings like curtain poles and other staging so it looked nowhere near as good).

[niko_cee]

Price Change History
27/06/2023 Price changed from £795,000 to £875,000
27/06/2023 Price changed from £875,000 to £795,000
03/06/2023 Price changed from £795,000 to £875,000
06/05/2023 Price changed from £825,000 to £795,000
29/04/2023 Price changed from £875,000 to £825,000
18/04/2023 Price changed from £880,000 to £875,000
07/11/2022 Price changed from £780,000 to £880,000
01/10/2022 Price changed from £800,000 to £780,000
13/08/2022 Price changed from £845,000 to £800,000
24/07/2022 Price changed from £875,000 to £845,000
06/07/2022 Price changed from £845,000 to £875,000
06/07/2022 Initial entry found: £845,000

WTF is happening here?

[SvN]

I think that they put the price up and then back down so it has the REDUCED flag on RightMove. Our estate agents did it when our first sale fell through - apparently they're not meant to do it, and get told off by RightMove. Luke Emia might have more insight.

[phonics]

I got the keys today, I'm really happy with the place, it's a great price, good natural lighting, multiple rooms + seperate kitchen etc. but the part I have to share with the world?

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/270326079648956433/1124377109889040448/IMG_7409.jpg

Does your toilet come with a fireplace?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

No cold toilet seat in the winter :drool:

[niko_cee]

The state of that silicone work.

[Baz]

My dad would have kittens if I showed him that.

My new kitchen is being fitted over the next fortnight - ripped out next week, new bits delivered on Friday, painted on Saturday and then fitted the week after. Emptying your kitchen into cardboard boxes is a) boring and b) very time consuming. No idea where we’re gonna store the actual kitchen units when they’re delivered, cos all our free space is now taken up by boxes of pans, crockery, cutlery, cleaning stuff, tupperware, and everything else. Nightmare.

[phonics]

Whats wrong?

[phonics]

Due to family going on holiday and my lack of a car I haven't managed to move in yet. Lucky in a sense because visiting today to pick up my Sky Router I realised the place does not come with a fridge.

[Yevrah]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66199622


Some 43% of tenants said they were finding it difficult to afford the rent between February and May, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

That compares with 28% of mortgage holders struggling with repayments.

28% of people already struggling with mortgage repayments, which will be exacerbated by the rental struggles, and we've got another 1m mortgages to renew at £500+ more a month. This feels like the early days of the pandemic when it was steaming towards us and we had our heads in the sand.

[SvN]

So glad we fixed for 5 years in February.

[Baz]

What percentage of your household income does everyone spend on their mortgage each month?

Mine's probably less than 10%. I think I should have moved house rather than buy a new kitchen.

[Yevrah]

With the whopping increase I'm facing next year it'll be about 33%, which as long as I have a job at the current level I seem to be able to be employed at, will be fine, but if I am thinking about this selfishly from my perspective it's what the fuck happens to house prices when people start defaulting.

I know those in the know say they won't, but those in the know also said I'd be fine by the time it gets to a September 2024 mortgage renewal.


I won't be.

[Manc]

Four years left on my current rate. Mortgage makes up for around 19% of total income.

[SvN]

It's about 20% for us, and that's after it went up by £300 this year. We could definitely afford more, and I think we'll probably move once the kids are a bit older.

[Yevrah]

With all this shit and China clearly coming at some point (and fuck knows how messy things get then) one thing I have decided is I want this mortgage off my arse as soon as possible. The increase in the rate as it is now from when I last fixed would lead to me paying an extra £160,000 back over the remaining life of the mortgage should it stay that way and frankly, fuck that.

[Jimmy Floyd]

About 17% for me (fixed until 2026), with the same again going out in rent. I think I could survive most scenarios.

[Boydy]

So glad we fixed for 5 years in February.
Same here - think I got my new deal sorted around March and it came into effect around the end of June. It made my payments go up about £70-80 a month which I was a bit annoyed about at the time but now it looks fucking great. Seems like I lucked out and got it sorted in the dip between Truss and now.

[Ben]

Same. We are still waiting to move in to our new house but we fixed for five years at the end of March at a good 2% lower than what is available now.

[Andy]

18% for us, we are also saving £1000 on top each month so when our 5 year fixed ends we have a few options.

I'll either pay off a big chunk of the mortgage or buy an investment property.

[AyDee]

About 24% for us, fixed for 5 years when we bought in Dec 2022. Feel lucky with it really.

[Danny]

We refinanced late 2020. 5 years into a 30 year mortgage since rates were low and went down to a 20 year mortgage. Fixed rate for the full term.

We are at around 15% on mortgage to salary.

[Shindig]

For the places I've been after, I'd be looking at 23%

[Foe]

Zero.

I paid off my mortgage on my (shit) flat a few years ago, hence the reason I started throwing money at shares.

I’ve debated buying a house for several years and selfishly - a housing crash would suit me quite well. In an ideal world I’ll never have a mortgage north of £200k again. But I don’t have aspirations of living in a nice house.

You folks down London way get the arse end of the deal.

[Magic]

Mortgage renewal through. £1256 from £726. :happycry:

[Lewis]

I took mine out in July 2021 at 3.09% for the first two years, and renewed it the other week with the same bank at 4.64%. The standard rate was 4.5% when I took it out, so assumed - possibly wrongly - that I would end up paying about that after two years, so I'm alright with it. I will start over-paying as well when the new rate kicks in next month.

[phonics]

Not sure where else to share it but;

Part of finally getting a place in the UK means that I can actually take on a few possessions I asked to inherit from Grandparents that weren't worth transporting to Switzerland/I was in temporary housing etc.

So I've been doing a bit of refurbishing.

My Grandpas Chessboard:
Then:
https://i.imgur.com/s6aiKG2.png
Now:
https://i.imgur.com/zbJQ06s.png

And I've taken each piece and a mixture of Swiffers to dust, Toothpicks to scratch away dirt that had caked underneath the dust and then compressed air/alcohol wipes has returned the pieces to life (forgot to take a before pic)

https://i.imgur.com/j8Jmf2B.png

and then also this parrafin lamp from my Grandad. We think it's somewhere between 1895 and 1910:
https://i.imgur.com/zAKAwmO.jpg

They're absolutely beautiful and it does make you hate this current mode of 'make shitty thing so they have to replace it in 3 years' era is.

[Yevrah]

The quality on that chessboard. :drool:

[Manc]

My mortgage broker sent me an email today advising of his impending retirement. Not a day over fifty.

[phonics]

It's absolutely impossible to find an affordable sofa that isn't a plank of wood on stilts.

[Giggles]

Got some class ones over the years second hand on DoneDeal (rich cunts love changing things they've never used). Any good second hand sale site over there?

[Spikey M]

Everyone seems to just use Facebook Marketplace these days.

So, no.

[Giggles]

Gumtree was a thing in NI when I was there but maybe it was a local thing.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Yeah, Gumtree only operates in a narrow strip between Warrenpoint and Armagh.

[Giggles]

Anyone normal know?

[Boydy]

It's still a thing but facebook marketplace is probably more popular these days.

[phonics]

I love my place and I've got an absolute deal on it but the constant seagulls might drive me slowly insane. It's like having a beachside property except I'm overlooking a police station instead of ladies in bikinis.

[Lofty]

Rich cunts round here use the Booths supermarket advert card wall rather than the internet.

[phonics]

I finally found a sofa I liked and was affordable and this was under delivery.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/270326079648956433/1133886944594640936/image.png

:D

It definitely doesn't exist.

[Lofty]

Isn't that the name of Jez's accupuncture doctor?

[phonics]

Bought a piece of second hand furniture today for 80 quid. My mum wanted a picture but I hadn’t picked it up yet so I googled the brand and era it was from. Going for 575 quid online.

[Lofty]

Check it for bed bugs.

[Ben]

Experiences with Octopus Energy anyone? Moving into the new house and Scottish Power is the current supplier and they're wanting £220 a month. Octopus will start us off at £170, which I think is more in line with our actual usage.

[niko_cee]

Aren't they the only 'Which Approved' energy supplier [/thepowerofadvertsing]? My in-laws are with them and they seem pretty good [they're also fairly savvy so I assume it is a sensible/good choice]. I didn't know they were taking on customers again, or was that only during the initial all energy companies going bust phase of the gas price crisis?

[Ben]

I think it's game on again. A lot of companies are offering fixed deals at below the cap again (although only for existing customers currently).

[SvN]

I use Octopus for residential and business. Never had an issue, and they were the cheapest at the time.

[Baz]

All this chatter and not a referral link in sight.

[Waffdon]

Am I stupid to be buying a house right now? I finally convinced the missus about doing it but her parents have started chiming saying it’s a stupid time to do it and to wait until next year for interest rates to be lower.

Where’s the guarantees that it will get better to the extent it is worth holding off for a year? Have an agreement in principle and meeting with the builders tomorrow but who knows if that is happening now. Fackin woman

[niko_cee]

I doubt interest rates will be significantly lower, although bank margins may be less this time next year. Of course, that would then filter in to house prices so the discounts potentially available now may not be available. Trying to game the exact right moment to buy is a mugs game, just make sure you are getting a good price in the context of a slow/stagnant market [no idea if this applies to 'offer over' jockland].

[Waffdon]

The house isn’t built/ready to move in until April 2024 which is quite handy as schools are off for 2 weeks then so means move in process will be easier and allows time to save up more and actually have furniture arrive on time. (3.5 months for a sofa :lol:)

There’s an offer at the minute until November where the Builders cover 5% of the mortgage - no guarantees there will be an offer like that next year on this area that we like as well as the fact there may not be any plots left by then. I’d be pretty pissed off waiting a year to find the interest rates have barely decreased and the house prices start to rise again. The house, area, offer from the builders and the meetings with mortgage advisors all seemed to be too good to be true until the in laws piped up :lol:

[Boydy]

If the mortgage will be affordable to you at the current rate you're offered and you see yourselves there for a good few years go for it. Like niko said trying to time the market is pointless and if interest rates drop you'll just see prices rise anyway.

[Waffdon]

Yeah, that is my thoughts but we’ll see what ends up happening. Got a meeting with the builders tomorrow.

The mortgage is quite high (£1150 in principle) but we can afford it without stretching ourselves and still be able to have a life. Maybe no more 3 holidays a year anymore. Sad.

[Baz]

It’ll never be a good time, financially. Sounds like an ideal time in terms of the new build development you’ve found. Go for it.

[Mike]

I’m not a fan of new builds but if it’s the house you want and you can afford it, get it sorted. Like Baz said, there will never be a ‘good time’ yet anytime you buy a house, it has to be a good thing I think.

[Lofty]

If everyone knew what interest rates were going to do they'd have all fixed at 1% for 10 years a while back. As long as it's affordable get on the ladder. We got our house on a comparatively bad deal as they were willing to lend us more, good thing we did because no way we would be able to afford this house now thanks to the market, even with the recent slump. I think the sooner you get on the ladder the better in the majority of cases (unless you are a clown like my brother in law who bought a cheap flat he wasn't allowed to rent out and can't sell).

[neo_hippy]

You won't exchange contracts untill close to the completion date. So you should have untill then to see if you can get a better mortgage offer then any offer you get right now

[Jimmy Floyd]

What I'd recommend about new builds is you don't have to do so much faffing around fixing things.

[Don]

I came across these new-build naysayers when I purchased mine many moons ago and broke out into a cold sweat wondering what I got myself into. Having now experienced both sides, I can safely say you're a fucking madman if you actively choose to not go with a newbuild if the option is there, particularly in this day and age.

[Waffdon]

What I'd recommend about new builds is you don't have to do so much faffing around fixing things.

My thoughts exactly. And the kitchens are always sexy.

[SvN]

I have 2 problems with new builds.


You get nowhere near the amount of square footage (especially where living space is concerned) you'd expect for your money.
The house is literally the best it's ever going to look the day you move in. It's all downhill from there.


I can see the appeal for some people, but I realised that they weren't for me when I viewed a few last time we moved.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If you're big into doing up houses then I guess they're not all that, but if you want a comfortable living space that isn't going to fall to pieces or be swept away in a natural disaster then they're far better imo.

The only complaint I have about mine is that the insulation is so good that it gets really hot in the summer.

[Waffdon]

You won't exchange contracts untill close to the completion date. So you should have untill then to see if you can get a better mortgage offer then any offer you get right now

I wasn’t sure about this. The deposit offer is from July 2023 to 30th Nov 2023. I didn’t know if I’d need to have deposit paid and mortgage approved before this date for me to qualify but I guess I wouldn’t because why would they offer the deposit deal if they know the houses aren’t complete until April 2024?

Is it risky to pay deposit and reserve the plot and not get mortgage sorted out until the start of the year or if I’m already getting an agreement in principle I should be fine?

[Boydy]

I have 2 problems with new builds.


You get nowhere near the amount of square footage (especially where living space is concerned) you'd expect for your money.
The house is literally the best it's ever going to look the day you move in. It's all downhill from there.


I can see the appeal for some people, but I realised that they weren't for me when I viewed a few last time we moved.

They always look so horribly cramped. "Kitchen-diner" and it's just a normal sized kitchen with a small table shoved in the corner that you couldn't really use.

[Manc]

There's no value to be had with new builds. Avoid at all costs.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Unless you buy one in a nice area.

[Spikey M]

They don't build new houses in nice areas.

[Bam]

If everyone knew what interest rates were going to do they'd have all fixed at 1% for 10 years a while back.


I don't think anybody has ever been able to fix for ten years an 1%. Just because the interest rate may have been that low the banks would never have offered that, probable more near 3/4% over ten years.

[Manc]

Unless you buy one in a nice area.

Doesn't exist.

[Ben]

I don't think anybody has ever been able to fix for ten years an 1%. Just because the interest rate may have been that low the banks would never have offered that, probable more near 3/4% over ten years.

My mortgage advisor reckons he locked someone into 10 years at 1.something a couple of years back when they remortgaged. With Virgin I think he said.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Doesn't exist.

I mean, mine is. It's a flat rather than a house though. If you're breeding and so on and need a 5-bed mansion you only have yourself to blame.

[Waffdon]

There's no value to be had with new builds. Avoid at all costs.

This one is outskirts of Perth. Tory land. I’m good

[Andy]

There's no value to be had with new builds. Avoid at all costs.

I live in a new build, thats just over two years old. Next door has an identical house and just put it on the market for 125k more than we paid.

They can be a great investment if you target the right house in the right area. Especially with all the government and builder incentives.

One bit of advice if you do go down the new build route, get a professional snagger in when you move in to complete the weekly and three month forms. I paid £650 and they managed the whole snagging process, nothing goes unnoticed.

[Lofty]

I don't think anybody has ever been able to fix for ten years an 1%. Just because the interest rate may have been that low the banks would never have offered that, probable more near 3/4% over ten years.
True I was more being facetious about the wisdom 12 months ago being take a short deal because interest rates never go up.

[Baz]

My mate from work is selling his house (https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138129341#/?channel=RES_BUY).

I think I’d rather live in a new build (in a decent area) than an olde worlde cold looking faux cottage like that.


One bit of advice if you do go down the new build route, get a professional snagger in when you move in to complete the weekly and three month forms. I paid £650 and they managed the whole snagging process, nothing goes unnoticed.

Do the builders actually come back and fix it, or just refund some money and leave you with fake weep vents and wonky fence posts?

[Ben]

My mate from work is selling his house (https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138129341#/?channel=RES_BUY).

I think I’d rather live in a new build (in a decent area) than an olde worlde cold looking faux cottage like that.

It's nice but incredibly small for that price I'd say. But then new builds have the same issues with floor space.

[Giggles]

I'd go new all the way if I had my go at it again even at the expense of living in a heap of other peoples pockets.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I was idly standing in front of my bins the other day, checking my phone or something, when my downstairs neighbour came out and started to take my black bin away (his are a good five yards away in a totally different nook). I said 'Erm...' and he said 'Wait, is that your bin?' and I said 'Yeah.' He pointed at his head as if to say 'I'm mental, me' and then went and moved his bin instead.

So yeah, that's the calibre of person you get as a neighbour in new builds, and no doubt he thinks the same about me.

[Lofty]

My understanding is from friends in the trade that there is so much pressure to get the new builds thrown up that they will often get lads working on the site to do work they aren't actually trained in rather than a trained specialist.

My wife's mate bought a massive new build, been in a week when water started pissing through the kitchen ceiling. They just hadn't bothered connecting the bath drain to anything :D

[Andy]

Do the builders actually come back and fix it, or just refund some money and leave you with fake weep vents and wonky fence posts?

Yeah was all fixed within a few months.

If they try and fight any of it there ate plenty of companies who can use the snagging report and take the builders to court.

As long as you know when you're doing a new build is fine, far too many people are soft and end up living with issues and then moaning rather than actual getting things sorted.

[Ben]

I complete on my new house on Wednesday and my solicitor has asked for my last bank statement (July) and the one from 12 months previous (July '22).

Seems odd to me. They just said it's due to "new regulations" but wasn't more specific. Anyone know the actual reason? Assuming it's a fraud thing.

[niko_cee]

Source of funds? More likely they'll have no idea what they want or need and so are just asking for random things.

[Ben]

No the money is already with them, it's the bank account they're to pay me the remaining balance into.

[Waffdon]

Reserved that plot/house. Get 5% deposit paid since she is a teacher. Nae bad.

Let's hope Interest Rates don't skyrocket too much as she'll pull out no doubt if they do.

[circlefood]

This is expensive

[Manc]

Looking to get some LVT fitted for the kitchen and Tapi have quoted me a whopping £3,000 (materials + fitting). Surely not.

[Ben]

Well that’s just marvellous because the Mrs is wanting that stuff in the new house.

[Ben]

Mattresses. Recommendations?

We had Hyde & Sleep (Dreams' own version of the Simba etc.) for over five years but it's had its day now as the sag is now permanent. Don't mind stretching the budget on this.

[Clunge]

We've got an Eve original hybrid and I'd say it's pretty sensational. Not cheap, but we decided when we moved a couple of years ago to throw cash at sleep for the first time in our lives. You can usually get them pretty well discounted. I think we got somewhere in the region of 35% off buying direct. I think it's in Which?'s top three mattresses and has been right at the top of the pile for years now.

[Ben]

They've got 60% off the Premium Hybrid at the moment. Going to test it later cheers.

[Baz]

Mattresses. Recommendations?

We had Hyde & Sleep (Dreams' own version of the Simba etc.) for over five years but it's had its day now as the sag is now permanent. Don't mind stretching the budget on this.
Simba. Best ever. https://simba.mention-me.com/m/ol/ib9gg-baz-akehurst

[Lofty]

I have to get mine from a specialist for freaks but as a general rule: super king, 2000 springs and firm. Your spine will thank me.

[Andy]

Looking to get some LVT fitted for the kitchen and Tapi have quoted me a whopping £3,000 (materials + fitting). Surely not.

Depends which brand you're going for and if there's any work on the sub floor that's a decent price.

[Manc]

I got some additional quotes and it would seem £2,500 is the bare minimum if you're after something decent.

[Don]

Some possibly sensational scenes. I completed on the B2L house in Jan '23. I've just looked to apply for a refund of some higher rate SDLT and they need a SDLT Unique Transaction Reference Number (UTRN). I go back through papers and I don't see this so I try to contact solicitor and there's been an SRA intervention on them meaning they've been closed down to protect clients. I proceed to buy the title register for the property on land registry and the owner is still listed as the developer :happycry:

I'm mildly comforted by the fact I've been paying the mortgage and letting it out for months now and have a signed letter from the developer confirming completion but it's pretty wild. I guess I should have known to request the transfer deed/SDLT receipt/etc which I don't seem to have. I'm now having to contact the SRA intervention firm to see what documents of mine they hold.

[Ben]

Looking to get some LVT fitted for the kitchen and Tapi have quoted me a whopping £3,000 (materials + fitting). Surely not.

Nearly £4000 for us (the stick down stuff, not clips). And that's with a good deal on labour because I know the lad. :sick:

[Manc]

Sickening. I've yet to bite the bullet.

[Ben]

112 packs of LVT. :eyemouth:

Supposedly it's good for about 20 years and the current laminate shite has about 2 years maximum left (or 2 days if you believe my wife), so it needs doing but fuck me, what a racket.

[Lofty]

I have the option to fix my mortgage for 2 years, 5 years or 10 years all at roughly the same as what I am already paying as I had a naff interest rate anyway. Thinking 5 should be a safe bet? Was hoping oayments would have gone down after 5 years but Trussonomics etc.

[Ben]

If you’re happy with the amount then go with 10 and overpay whatever you can in the meantime. You’ll cut years off your mortgage.

[Baz]

Yeah go for as long as possible

[Ben]

Had a debt recovery letter through the door today for the outstanding charges of gas and electricity at our old house, from 20th May to mid-August. We completed the sale of that house on 19th May.

Even more interestingly, they're chasing my wife rather than me, but I was the sole account holder with British Gas on that old house.

:sherlock:

[Ben]

Sorted it. Basically the new owner failed to open an account for the first three months so British Gas passed it straight on to debt recovery and they decided to go after the first person that popped up as relating to that address. Seems a bit cheeky.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Yeah, I was getting electricity bills addressed to the company which built my new-build, for the period when the electricity was in but the house was otherwise still being built, for a good two years after I moved in.

[Baz]

My boiler has been losing pressure every morning so after daily trips to the loft to reset it, I’ve finally relented and booked an engineer for Wednesday. Hopefully it’s a boiler issue rather than a radiator one, cos it’s covered.

[Ben]

Leave your heating on through the night and it'll keep pressure. If you set it to like 15-16C it won't cost you any more than it would trying to heat the house up to 18-20C from cold every morning.

[Don]

You got a leak, fam?

[niko_cee]

Is it normal for boilers to be in the loft?

[wullie]

We're still getting post for the previous owners two and a bit years after moving. Some of it is from the NHS but if you've not corrected all your postal addresses by now you can miss your operation and get fucked.

[Lofty]

The deceased previous owner before the owner we bought the house from keeps getting begging letters from some African Catholic church.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I got a NHS letter for a previous owner the other day. No idea how long ago they lived here though as I've never seen the name.

We also get post for a security company a few roads down. Had cheques and a few parcels including one my Cousin took as they never bothered to collect it.

[Baz]

You got a leak, fam?

Based on the puddle outside, yes.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Easy to just ignore it and leave your wife for the woman at work.

Let her new lad sort it.

[Baz]

FFS every thread.

[Waffdon]

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-12779453/New-mortgage-lender-allows-buyers-borrow-six-times-income-fix-40-years-good-idea.html?ito=amp_whatsapp_share-top

Brb getting a 40 year fixed rate

[Ben]

It'll be interesting to see the uptake on that. As the article says, that type of thing is normal in Europe so it's not unprecedented at all and a lot of people will be glad to have the certainty.

[Magic]

So what's everyone's thermostats set at then?

13C overnight
14-15C during day (if we're in, otherwise leave at 13C)
16C evening

[Baz]

Great question, always gives such varied answers.

16C overnight
20C when WFH
17C when the house is full
15C when its empty

[Magic]

Probably worth stating:

4 bedroom detached.

Before the 1 bedroom top floor flat dwellers call me tight.

[Baz]

Fuck off you just wanted to bring it up so you can boast about your 4 bed detached in Dogshite, Dundee. :D

[Waffdon]

He lives in Broughty Ferry tbf which I imagine is a lot more expensive than St Helen’s.

[Magic]

Fuck off you just wanted to bring it up so you can boast about your 4 bed detached in Dogshite, Dundee. :D

It's not a strong flex my guy.

But people are usually like OMG is that it, here 16C is plenty warm enough if I had my heating set at 18C it would be on all the fucking time.

[Don]

13.5 degrees. Fuck Hamas.

[Ben]

16C all the time. Can't be arsed turning the dial.

[Manc]

19° is the one. Subtle warmth.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I have a Nest and the AUTO-LEARNING (which is a bit shit) is on 10-16c throughout the day.

If I'm cold I'll just bump it to 18 myself and I'll usually turn it off before it gets there.

[Ben]

Do you posh smart thermostat folk have multiple through the house? I've got an old dial but it's in the hallway (naturally the coldest part of the house), so 16C on there probably translates to 20C in the living room and 22C in the bedrooms. Hence I leave it, although now I'm wondering if there's a more cost-effective approach. I'm not interested in controlling it with my phone or anything like that but if it's going to save me coin then I'm all ears.

[Boydy]

I've been wonder recently with the price of gas at the minute if it'd be cheaper to just run an efficient electric heater in the room I'm in.

Don't really know how to work out the figures for an exact comparison though.

[wullie]

18 in the day, down to 16 at night. If I ever get divorced the main grounds will be my wife coming in from the cold and putting it up to 22 like a mental case.

[SvN]

During working hours I just have an oil filled radiator in my office. It works out much cheaper than having the heading on in the entire house.

[Magic]

I've been wonder recently with the price of gas at the minute if it'd be cheaper to just run an efficient electric heater in the room I'm in.

Don't really know how to work out the figures for an exact comparison though.

It has implications though. I've found since doing it that way and never letting it get below 13C there's very little condensation anywhere and the house feels MUCH warmer than it used to. Probably down to humidity?

[Boydy]

It has implications though. I've found since doing it that way and never letting it get below 13C there's very little condensation anywhere and the house feels MUCH warmer than it used to. Probably down to humidity?

Yeah, I'd be worried about damp if some rooms weren't getting heated. Suppose I could blast the central heating for a bit in the morning to warm the whole house up then just keep myself warm for the rest of the day with a heater.

I normally just turn the heating on and off as I need it and let it hit around 20 before turning it off. 16 sounds far too cold. I'm surprised you aren't getting damp never going above that.

[Ben]

Letting any room get to below 12C is ripe for mould, so I'd leave your heating on at least that.

But isn't electric four times more expensive than gas? I don't think electric heaters are too efficient.

[SvN]

Letting any room get to below 12C is ripe for mould, so I'd leave your heating on at least that.

But isn't electric four times more expensive than gas? I don't think electric heaters are too efficient.

The alternative is having the heating on in 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 kitchens and 2 sitting rooms. Plus, the oil filled radiators stay warm for ages after you turn them off, so you only need a blast for a while.

I haven't looked at the numbers in ages, but when I did, it was much cheaper (and actually more convinient).

[Magic]

Yeah, I'd be worried about damp if some rooms weren't getting heated. Suppose I could blast the central heating for a bit in the morning to warm the whole house up then just keep myself warm for the rest of the day with a heater.

I normally just turn the heating on and off as I need it and let it hit around 20 before turning it off. 16 sounds far too cold. I'm surprised you aren't getting damp never going above that.

Like Ben my thermostat is in the hallway at the front door so the temps are probably higher throughout the house, especially upstairs. Today I've left it at 14C and it's plenty warm enough, I can't believe I wasn't doing this last winter when I had a shite electric heater in my office and still had to wear gloves lol. Probably will cost me a fortune though. Oh well.

[Magic]

The alternative is having the heating on in 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 kitchens and 2 sitting rooms. Plus, the oil filled radiators stay warm for ages after you turn them off, so you only need a blast for a while.

I haven't looked at the numbers in ages, but when I did, it was much cheaper (and actually more convinient).

LOL now this is an attempted flex.

[Pepe]

I leave it at 20 C all winter.

[Boydy]

Wholesale gas prices are way down on this time last year so why the hell did the energy price cap go up? Why aren't consumer prices falling?

[Lofty]

You should also raise your smart thermostat frost protection temperature from the default 7 (on Hive anyway) to 12. The problem is once the whole house loses warmth it takes more energy to restore heat than maintain it. At least that is the theory. Gas and electric goes out of her bank though so going to crank the heating in honour of the thread.

[Ben]

Wholesale gas prices are way down on this time last year so why the hell did the energy price cap go up? Why aren't consumer prices falling?

Standing charge. Fucking racket. They're claiming they need it to go up to save all the companies the Big Six had to bail out.

[Magic]

Standing charge. Fucking racket. They're claiming they need it to go up to save all the companies the Big Six had to bail out.

It's twice the price up here so our London brethern can benefit from lower prices.

[Boydy]

Standing charge. Fucking racket. They're claiming they need it to go up to save all the companies the Big Six had to bail out.

Do they all charge a standing charge? There only are two companies to choose from in NI. And outside Belfast you only get one or the other (with no choice) depending on where you are.

[Ben]

Yep, it amounts to about £30 a month I think in England.

[Magic]

Bulb used to show you standing charge along with usage but Octopus are sneaky cunts in that they withhold it completely until your bill comes in so you think 'och aye the noo that's nae bad' until you see the bill. :moop:

[Yevrah]

The presentation of utility bills is an absolute scandal.

[Boydy]

I think my house needs better loft insulation - upstairs is always cold in Winter and fucking boiling in the Summer. The loft is floored though so it's probably going to be a right ballache getting it done.

[Shindig]

There's fuck all in my loft. :moop:

[Mike]

Going off the webs up there, I think Aragog lives in mine.
Mine also needs new floor and insulation putting in in the next few years I think.

[Bam]

'och aye the noo that's nae bad'



English motherfucker, do you speak it?