The House Thread

[Lofty]

It's funny the amount of people that do though. I bought a car for the wife yesterday afternoon and told the dealership I'd be buying it cash (ie. I don't want your rip-off finance) and he told me they only accept payments above £1,000 by bank transfer. Well fucking duh.

Tradesmen try it on with cash, that's why he'll have said that. A friend of mine is one of these builders who is forever folding and starting different iterations of the same company for tax purposes, and prefers cash in hand to the point if he wants to buy something off the xbox store he'd rather go to the shop and buy a points top up card with cash than be a sane person and do it there and then with a card.

He was whinging to me once that he went to pay for his feckless lad's car and turned up with £10k in cash which unsurprisingly nobody was interested in taking off his hands. This was an outrage, as far as he was concerned. Why shouldn't they take his illicit tax free untraceable cash? :D

Also I know some people who were running fags and booze across the channel in lorries years ago as a large scale operation to beat the duty and sell for a profit, they got caught in the end but while the good times rolled people were getting tesco carrier bags with £5k in them.

[Lewis]

The satisfaction you must get from depriving the Exchequer of your money. Tax avoidance must pay for itself a million times over just by enabling you to wake up every morning knowing you're in front.

[Spikey M]

Tradesmen try it on with cash, that's why he'll have said that. A friend of mine is one of these builders who is forever folding and starting different iterations of the same company for tax purposes, and prefers cash in hand to the point if he wants to buy something off the xbox store he'd rather go to the shop and buy a points top up card with cash than be a sane person and do it there and then with a card.

He was whinging to me once that he went to pay for his feckless lad's car and turned up with £10k in cash which unsurprisingly nobody was interested in taking off his hands. This was an outrage, as far as he was concerned. Why shouldn't they take his illicit tax free untraceable cash? :D

Also I know some people who were running fags and booze across the channel in lorries years ago as a large scale operation to beat the duty and sell for a profit, they got caught in the end but while the good times rolled people were getting tesco carrier bags with £5k in them.

Not to mention Urban yoots in tracksuits wanting M3's with duffel bags full of 20's.

[Manc]

At long last the market seems to be slowing down.

[Lofty]

Still seeing some hilarious valuations round here but it's all relative if you are already on the ladder I suppose.

[Andy]

It mental here at the moment. I used to live on an ex council estate and moved a year ago for 210k which was the most a house on that estate had sold for as I'd renovated it from top to bottom. The shitty ones are selling for 250k now.

My friend bought a new build four years ago, did nothing to it other than a bit of paint and some bits in the garden and just sold it for 100k profit.

I'm glad I'm in a house I want to stay long term as its so hard for income to keep up with the rising prices.

[Lofty]

If I have a 5 year fixed rate mortgage deal I am 3 years into, but the value of my house has gone up massively since I bought it, can I remortgage early? Potentially to release some equity and pay for a large project to finish the house renovation off? Or would it make more sense to just get a loan for that?

[Ben]

I'm no expert here but find out what your fee is for remortgaging during the fixed (usually 1-2%) then compare the interest rate on your potential new mortgage, plus the remortgage fee, versus what the bank would offer you for a loan (if it's >£25k I'm going to guess the remortgage will be way cheaper).

[Luke Emia]

If I have a 5 year fixed rate mortgage deal I am 3 years into, but the value of my house has gone up massively since I bought it, can I remortgage early? Potentially to release some equity and pay for a large project to finish the house renovation off? Or would it make more sense to just get a loan for that?

You can, you should be able to do a further advance with your lender to borrow the extra money and it will be based on current value. I wouldn't advise to move away from your current lender though if your rate is any good.

[Lofty]

Thanks for the replies, will see what they say.

[Don]

Is landlord insurance for B2L essential or can it be dodged? I think I recall my mortgage lender saying it is but I mean society tells you drink driving is illegal so you don't know what to believe.

[Luke Emia]

Is landlord insurance for B2L essential or can it be dodged? I think I recall my mortgage lender saying it is but I mean society tells you drink driving is illegal so you don't know what to believe.

It will be in the T&C's of your mortgage offer and technically if you don't have it they could call your mortgage in. Also if the house burns down you will still be liable for the mortgage even though you don't have a house.

[Lewis]

Ethnic not be a dodgy landlord challenge. Already failed.

[niko_cee]

Does it not depend on what you are buying to let? If it's a leasehold property within a bigger scheme [ie a flat] the freeholder will usually have insurance to cover loss of the building itself etc, although I guess landlord insurance also offers protection against loss of rent situations. With a mortgage lender, aren't they usually more interested that the property is insured in a general 'buildings insurance' sense?

[Luke Emia]

Ah yeah I have assumed this is a freehold and not a flat. If you are buying a flat then your service charge should cover you for that. But, check for any loopholes in the terms. Effectively Landlord insurance is just buildings insurance and then you can add things on like rent protection, home emergency and the like.

[Don]

Ta. It's about £130 for the year so not the biggest con.

[Lofty]

How often should I be resealing my shower tray?

[Giggles]

How often should I be resealing my shower tray?

If it’s an emergency you should ask someone on Facebook for a plumber.

[Andy]

How often should I be resealing my shower tray?

You can tell if the seal has gone as there will be a gap between the silicone the wall/shower.

[Lofty]

If it’s an emergency you should ask someone on Facebook for a plumber.

:D


You can tell if the seal has gone as there will be a gap between the silicone the wall/shower.

Seems fine though the wife has admitted to vigorously cleaning the tray prior to a few drops appearing on the floor downstairs beneath it. Though it was monitored again during a shower with no obvious dripping, there was a small wet patch again later. Going to reseal and see what happens.

[Lofty]

Next door neighbour selling up, spoke to the couple renting it this morning and they think it has subsidence. Given that it's the semi attached to mine, how fucked am I? No evidence at all of subsidence in this house.

[Spikey M]

I would speak to a surveyor and potentially look to move ASAP. I can't imagine it's going to be an easy (or cheap) fix and Insurance companies rarely cover shit like this.

[Lewis]

Wouldn't anyone buying it find out as soon as they speak to a surveyor?

[Yevrah]

Next door neighbour selling up, spoke to the couple renting it this morning and they think it has subsidence. Given that it's the semi attached to mine, how fucked am I? No evidence at all of subsidence in this house.

Did they say what they've seen that makes them think subsidence is present?

[Spikey M]

Wouldn't anyone buying it find out as soon as they speak to a surveyor?

Potentially. I guess that's where you just cross your fingers.

[Lofty]

Did they say what they've seen that makes them think subsidence is present?

Well they reckon there are loads of cracks inside but I have looked at theirs this afternoon and can't see any external signs of subsidence on either their house or ours. They are renting and being moved out on the back of the sale so possibly sour grapes :sorry: At least I won't have to listen to her screaming like he is murdering her whenever he gives her the business now.

[Ben]

Many of those cracks could easily be superficial. My parents’ house was the same but none were a threat to the structure of the house.

[Raoul Duke]

Had our mortgage approved for a house in Haarlem today (city just outside Amsterdam, not the one in New York) :cool:

[Boydy]

What's the Dutch property market like? As mental as the UK's?

[Raoul Duke]

What's the Dutch property market like? As mental as the UK's?

Yeah, just as mental as London. Brexit has meant a load of companies moving out here plus the Dutch interest rates have been super low. They've gone up a bit now and the government are trying to take some heat out of the market by restricting BTL/prioritising low-cost first-time buyers etc. but mostly too little too late.

[Manc]

How much are people paying for buildings and contents insurance?

[Boydy]

About £17 a month

[Manc]

£22 for all the bells and whistles.

[Ben]

British Gas have just emailed me asking if I’d like to pay £45 more per month for my gas and electric. Even with the mooted 50% cap rise in October I’d be paying roughly what they want to fix me on now. Cheeky cunts.

[Manc]

Completed on the house. :drool:

[Don]

Meanwhile my B2L purchase fell through and I'm contemplating suing the solicitor for negligence. Great scenes.

[Ben]

Gammon?

[Don]

Gammon.

[Mike]

Had an offer accepted on a house, it’s pretty perfect. Apparently someone offered more than us but the seller said they liked us more, fingers crossed it goes through without much fuss.

Just picked up the keys!

[Foe]

Is garden soccer selling the naming rights to the new ground?

[Lofty]

Is porting a mortgage when buying a new house a ballache or straightforward? 2 years left in the Early Repayment Charge period and it is swinging the loan maximum £35k less due to a £6k charge, apparently porting the mortgage can avoid that? I assume the trade off is a worse interest rate?

[Spikey M]

We tried to move in the early days of Covid and it was a no go. I assume the mortgage adviser would have looked into whatever "porting" is. We had to wait until our Fixed Term was ending as the difference was ridiculous.

Mortgage companies shat the bed when Covid first turned up though, so that could be part of it.

[neo_hippy]

We should have moved on Thursday last week.

The porting side of things has been pretty easy with TSB and saved us tons not only on the early repayment charge but also keeping the low %

The move has now been delayed though because our buyers solicitor is crap and no one could get in touch with them about exchange of contract. Our seller lost their nerve and canceled their movers and now can't get them back until the 19th.

[Lofty]

whatever "porting" is.
To my layman eyes it is bascially renegotiating the amount and rate of an existing mortgage with the current lender rather than switching, to get around the fixed stuff.

[Spikey M]

To my layman eyes it is bascially renegotiating the amount and rate of an existing mortgage with the current lender rather than switching, to get around the fixed stuff.

Ah, yeah they did try that, but Halifax were being moist over Covid and would only offer us half of what we already had. :happycry:

HSBC would have given us a sensible amount, but the fee to get out of the Fixed Term was mental so we just had to wait.

[Luke Emia]

Porting is where you take your current mortgage to a new property. So if you have a 150k mortgage at a rate of 1.70% that’s fixed till May 2024 you can potentially take that to a new house. If you need to borrow an extra 100k that is done based on your current banks available rates.

As it’s a bank though they don’t just let you take the money you already have without doing a new affordability test on the portion you currently have. So it’s treated as a whole new application.

[Ben]

I’ve never heard of porting. Is it common place?

[niko_cee]

I don't know if it's common anymore, but I had a mortgage [still do actually] that was 'portable' from before the financial crisis, but it's portability is subject to basically reapplying so if they don't want to give you the rate [say it's too good] they'll find a way not to, as banks are, universally, cunts.

Was a cracking deal that one on its face [0.24% above base variable] when rates were 5%+, then the world tanked and the small print '2% floor' kicked in. Like I said, cunts.

[Lofty]

Porting is where you take your current mortgage to a new property. So if you have a 150k mortgage at a rate of 1.70% that’s fixed till May 2024 you can potentially take that to a new house. If you need to borrow an extra 100k that is done based on your current banks available rates.

As it’s a bank though they don’t just let you take the money you already have without doing a new affordability test on the portion you currently have. So it’s treated as a whole new application.

Is there anything a broker can do in terms of mitigating the effects of an Early Repayment Charge or is it better to speal to the current lender? Just not sure how an early repayment charge of £6k results in £35k less maximum loan calculation, surely it would just be £6k!

[Lofty]

Looking at remortgaging now and remodelling the weird extension we inherited into a large kitchen (currently a weird rabbit warren of kitchen, toilet and sun room with loads of wasted space as a long hallway).

The single story extension has a flat felt roof on it, if we wanted to put a slate roof on it or even a glass one, raising the ceiling etc would that need planning permission?

[Baz]

Dunno but we swapped our conservatory roof for one with roof tiles made out of recycled tires and it looks belting. I don’t understand why all roofs aren’t done like it. I imagine they’d do non-conservatory roofs too.

My house is probably on here (https://mbarkroofsolutions.com/gallery/) somewhere.

[Lofty]

They do look decent to be fair, cheaper than standard?

[Spikey M]

Planning permission is pretty lightweight these days. IIRC, you could even shove an extra storey on top of the extension you currently have and you wouldn't need any extra planning permission.

[Mike]

Planning permission is pretty lightweight these days. IIRC, you could even shove an extra storey on top of the extension you currently have and you wouldn't need any extra planning permission.

Really? The house we bought has a single story extension, also with a flat roof, and the hope is to extend on top at some point, if we didn’t get the planning permission, as a previous owner did, do we still not need it?

[Spikey M]

Really? The house we bought has a single story extension, also with a flat roof, and the hope is to extend on top at some point, if we didn’t get the planning permission, as a previous owner did, do we still not need it?

No idea, don't go taking my word for anything. It's just something I heard when we were looking into converting the loft.

The builder said we could build ontop of our extension, add more value to the house and planning permission isn't a problem as the extension is already there. Could be an absolute load of shite from a chancer blagging a sale for all I know.

[Ben]

I’m almost positive you’d need planning permission to go from a flat to a sloped roof because of the increased height.

[Spikey M]

It's a bit more complicated than Geezerlad made out, but:


Planning permission

Building an additional storey on to your house is considered to be permitted development (not requiring planning permission) subject to the following limits and conditions, and an application for the Local Authority’s prior approval.

If these limits and conditions are not met, then an application for Householder/Full Planning Permission will be required.

The current house:

Is not a building containing one or more flats, or a flat contained within such a building
Was constructed between 1 July 1948 and 28 October 2018
Has not already had additional storeys added to it
Is not on Article 2(3) land* or a site of special scientific interest
Was not changed to be used as a house (from a previous non-residential use) under permitted development rights.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/additional-storeys-extending-upwards/planning-permission

[Mike]

Ah boo. This house was built in the 30’s

[Spikey M]

Ah boo. This house was built in the 30’s

But the extension is presumably much newer? I'm assuming the builder took that into account, because otherwise our house is too old too.

[Don]

My flat's building insurance is another annual scam that the bent management company can charge without a single challenge. Well, mine's more than doubled to £750 this year off the back of 'insurance market pressures'/'inflation for cost of materials'/etc. I assume most people will be in the same boat nationwide which doesn't half further convince me of the financial disaster awaiting us in the near future.

[Spikey M]

My flat's building insurance is another annual scam that the bent management company can charge without a single challenge. Well, mine's more than doubled to £750 this year off the back of 'insurance market pressures'/'inflation for cost of materials'/etc. I assume most people will be in the same boat nationwide which doesn't half further convince me of the financial disaster awaiting us in the near future.

When we owned our old flat we challenged this and got them to change it after they pulled similar nonsense on us. It was a converted house and they were charging both flats £500 each or something silly like that. We found alternative and identical cover online for half the price.

They came back with some bollocks about the company being their "preferred supplier" but quickly backed down when both us and the other flat said we would refuse to pay.

[Don]

The director of my management company doesn't strike me as a person who could be using the system to his personal gain.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Astor,_4th_Viscount_Astor

[Yevrah]

An ex of mine was in a flat she owned that was 'serviced' by one of those management companies, they shit they would pull was unreal.

[Mike]

An ex of mine was in a flat she owned that was 'serviced' by one of those management companies, they shit they would pull was unreal.

Selling a flat with one is a huge pain full of fees.

[Spikey M]

Yeah I remember them charging us £160 just to send a breakdown of everything they do and how much it costs to our solicitor. :D

Absolute chancers.

[niko_cee]

Just been through that experience myself, although it was more like £250. There were other options too like if you wanted it in 10 days rather than 15 [Silver, £350] or Gold [£450] got you the shit in 5 days. Obviously went bog standard and the auto-reply email I got said they were answering all such inquiries within 5 days anyway. Imagine the seethe if you'd just paid an extra whatever to find that out.

Such garbage too. I literally had all of the documents and records they claimed to be sending over.

It also took them longer than the time they said it was going to, although recalcitrant management companies pale in comparison to any other aspect of the conveyancing process at the moment for absolute chancers it would seem.

They also do all of the dodgy insurance/maintenance/rorting schemes, natch.

[Shindig]

Next door's just gone on the market. I'm semi-tempted. Still just a two bedroom but I'd have more room to play with. Or less, if I have to set up a home office in that tiny second bedroom. :uhoh: At least I know roughly what kind of value I should be after.

[Raoul Duke]

I'm currently in a world of packing boxes :moop: Mostly got it all done now but still a few last bits to go. We do the exchange on Monday then I've got a week off to get some bits done with the new place.

[Mike]

We’ve been in a month, still have a whole room we haven’t used cos it’s full of unpacked things. Good luck!

[Boydy]

Gonna paint some rooms in my house soon. Why are there so many different types of paint?

[Shindig]

Because that's how light is. Sorry, I know it was obvious.

I spent part of my Saturday sticking wallpaper on the ceiling. That's more of a faff than it needs to be.

[Lofty]

New neighbours moved in at the weekend. Just started drilling and hammering in the last 30 minutes :moop:

[Luke Emia]

New neighbours moved in at the weekend. Just started drilling and hammering in the last 30 minutes :moop:

Phwoar!

[Boydy]

Because that's how light is. Sorry, I know it was obvious.

I spent part of my Saturday sticking wallpaper on the ceiling. That's more of a faff than it needs to be.

What? :cab:

And why are you wallpapering ceilings? :cab:

[Shindig]

It was like that when I moved in. One strip came off the ceiling so I had to fix it. I don't understand it either. The landlord's done it in almost every room.

[Don]

Shinners, I'll pay good money for pics of your gaff.

[Lewis]

https://i.imgur.com/2icEowg.jpg

[Lewis]

Sez me who lives in a roof.

[Giggles]

https://i.imgur.com/2icEowg.jpg

That would get a 200 person queue and go for 2 grand a month here.

[Spikey M]

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x87kcjp

Always reminds me of this from about 18 minutes in. The gaff must be above 2 grand a month by now. "David Proctor" is also actually David Fenwick from a few TV shows, so it's nice to see he's going well.

[Shindig]

Shinners, I'll pay good money for pics of your gaff.

Why? Has your mam kicked you out again?

[Giggles]

€4200 a month for a house in Dublin - steep but not out of the ordinary these days (even though Dublin 8 is a bit of a kip), but you can't use it on weekends as the owner wants to use it as an Air BnB also.

No sure what happens all your stuff over the weekend or if you're covering the BnB guests costs in the unincluded bills.


1563169188415303680

[Shindig]

Weekend porn shoots. :dc: Or, y'know, catering to weekend tourists. Or both.

[Lofty]

Wipe clean sofas suggest the former.

[Spikey M]

They want a high flier who works in the city but lives far away, so rents Monday - Friday and fucks off home for the weekend. That stuff is pretty common in obnoxiously big countries like America, but in Ireland even the furthest flung place can't be more than a 2 or 3 hour drive away.

That said, I'm pretty sure anyone living that way is only doing it so that they can live a double life.

[Spikey M]

Having Googled it, even Dublin to Belfast is only 1 hour 50, so yeah, double life theory confirmed. Enjoy your cum stained syphilitic mattress, you cheating swine.

[Boydy]

AirBnB probably needs to be banned. Saw some thing recently about how in Belfast there's about four times as many listings on AirBnB in the city as there long term rentals available.

[Lewis]

My favourite genre of property story (after Welsh-speakers crying about people from Cardiff ruining their village) is people in Cornish fishing villages bealing about holiday lets pricing them out. We didn't prevent any and all development for decades just to fall foul of shortages. How has this happened? Not that that applies to Belfast obviously. Then again, there is one way to double the housing supply at a stroke...

[niko_cee]

They want a high flier who works in the city but lives far away, so rents Monday - Friday and fucks off home for the weekend. That stuff is pretty common in obnoxiously big countries like America, but in Ireland even the furthest flung place can't be more than a 2 or 3 hour drive away.

That said, I'm pretty sure anyone living that way is only doing it so that they can live a double life.

With lots of city jobs and the like outsourced to Ireland for 'compelling business reasons' there is probably a decent market for that sort of person shuttling from actual London where they probably want to live. Although the flat looks shite going off that one photo so who knows.

Air BnB, as with all aspects of the disruptive silicon valley model of life, does probably need to go on the fire though.

[AyDee]

In a bizarre situation.

Put a mortgage application in 2 months ago with a high street lender. They asked us to carry out 2 surveys before they could give an offer; we did those and they stated they would value the property at £0 until the works recommended in the reports was completed (i.e. to be done before they give the mortgage offer). The property is basically in need of a lot of work.

This was frustrating as they only confirmed this 10 days or so ago. We've since been trying (and failing) to secure a new lender, unsurprisingly on much worse rates.

Fast forward to today and the high street lender ha sent us a mortgage offer which doesn't once refer to the works which were required to be done. It all looks fine and as you'd expect, other than the property value being £10k less than the offer we had accepted (and which means the LTV is similarly different, so 92% rather than 90%).

It seems like someone at the lender has mistakenly sent an offer, which our broker says he's never seen before (neither had his colleagues over thousands of deals).

We've pondered whether to crack on and pray that they don't realize but it seems v unlikely that they wouldn't realize at some point given how stubborn they've been on the issue. It'd be galling to be one month down the line, or even at completion, and they pull the plug (or at best we'd spend next two months waiting for it to happen).

So we're probably going to ask the broker to speak to his BDM at the lender and to see what's what. We thought it was dead in the water but now slim hope that they'll have to honour the offer.

All seems a bit surreal but expecting the lender to take any route they can to get out of it. Sucks.

[Bam]

I don't think they have to honour the offer at this point so will just pull the plug now. Tbh, it sounds like they're doing you a favour, the property sounds rotten to the core for them to value it at £0 until the work is done.

[AyDee]

Nah, it's only valued at £0 because it didn't seem to meet their criteria and therefore is automatically set to £0. The offer being £10k below our offer is roughly the cost of doing the works recommended in the survey.

Rest of the renovation would cost significantly more than £10k mind...

[Mike]

When we bought our house the bank valued it at £10k under asking, so we told the seller we had to reduce our offer to match the banks valuation, thankfully they agreed. Maybe try the same and hope the bank don’t pull it (they most likely will)

[Giggles]

I’ve a mouse. Well, one I’ve seen anyway but most likely multiple.

[Baz]

I’ve a mouse. Well, one I’ve seen anyway but most likely multiple.

My advice used to be get a cat to sort it but mine brings more in than she gets rid of. :nono:

[Giggles]

My advice used to be get a cat to sort it but mine brings more in than she gets rid of. :nono:

Plus you’ve to have a cat about place.

[Baz]

Yeah it’s lovely. :)

[Giggles]

You have a better chance of making an actual pet out of the mouse.

[Baz]

You have a better chance of making an actual pet out of the mouse.
You've spouted a lot of shite but this might be the worst one yet.

[Jimmy Floyd]

There was about a one-month interregnum period in my third year at university when I lived with a Chinese flatmate. One night I saw a mouse in the flat (7th floor, so good effort by the mouse). I went up and asked the Chinese if she had seen any mice. 'Yes, many mouse', she said, unconcerned.

Nothing taught me more about the Chinese outlook on life than that.

[wullie]

Now we've moved somewhere we can actually see trees and grass the cat just fucks off all day now. It means we've started seeing the odd bird carcass brought back as a ritual sacrifice gift but the plus side is that her litter tray goes unused whereas neighbour gardens get it instead.

[Boydy]

My dickhead cat comes back in to use the litter tray then fucks off outside again. :moop:

[Ben]

Good cat.

I'm sick of scooping up other people's cat's shit off my lawn. Yet I'm the bad guy if I retaliate.

[Don]

I'm about to have my mortgage meeting with my broker today to go again with the B2L. That timing :happycry:

[AyDee]

In a bizarre situation.

Put a mortgage application in 2 months ago with a high street lender. They asked us to carry out 2 surveys before they could give an offer; we did those and they stated they would value the property at £0 until the works recommended in the reports was completed (i.e. to be done before they give the mortgage offer). The property is basically in need of a lot of work.

This was frustrating as they only confirmed this 10 days or so ago. We've since been trying (and failing) to secure a new lender, unsurprisingly on much worse rates.

Fast forward to today and the high street lender ha sent us a mortgage offer which doesn't once refer to the works which were required to be done. It all looks fine and as you'd expect, other than the property value being £10k less than the offer we had accepted (and which means the LTV is similarly different, so 92% rather than 90%).

It seems like someone at the lender has mistakenly sent an offer, which our broker says he's never seen before (neither had his colleagues over thousands of deals).

We've pondered whether to crack on and pray that they don't realize but it seems v unlikely that they wouldn't realize at some point given how stubborn they've been on the issue. It'd be galling to be one month down the line, or even at completion, and they pull the plug (or at best we'd spend next two months waiting for it to happen).

So we're probably going to ask the broker to speak to his BDM at the lender and to see what's what. We thought it was dead in the water but now slim hope that they'll have to honour the offer.

All seems a bit surreal but expecting the lender to take any route they can to get out of it. Sucks.

HSBC BDM said it looks like they reassessed the case and that we should crack on.

Potentially v, v, v lucky given it's a 5 year rate. Now just need to try and get to completion asap!

[Don]

Got a 4.09% 5 year-fixed which isn't the end of the world. There were a couple better deals but I wasn't meeting their criteria for some reason. 2% fee isnt great but apparently pretty standard for B2L. Bring on the negative equity baby.

[Boydy]

Trying to use Barclays online chat and I've been sat at "approximate wait time: 140 minutes" for around an hour now. Took me about half an hour to even get into that queue too. Before that it just kept saying they were too busy and to close the window and try again later.

Guessing there's quite a lot of people out there worried about their mortgages.

[Magic]

I'm sticking with mine at this rate until it expires in October 2023. Heard people were buying themselves out of 1% rates to 4% a year early on the basis it's going to be 6+% come next year (so 9% SVR?).

Madness.

[Luke Emia]

I'm sticking with mine at this rate until it expires in October 2023. Heard people were buying themselves out of 1% rates to 4% a year early on the basis it's going to be 6+% come next year (so 9% SVR?).

Madness.

Stick with what you have got and overpay is the answer. Next year once we have hit the peak rate there is a chance that rates may start to fall as they try to restart the economy, that is what people are not looking at or thinking about.

[Luke Emia]

Trying to use Barclays online chat and I've been sat at "approximate wait time: 140 minutes" for around an hour now. Took me about half an hour to even get into that queue too. Before that it just kept saying they were too busy and to close the window and try again later.

Guessing there's quite a lot of people out there worried about their mortgages.

Don't take the higher rate now just for the sake of it. Be better served to just see it out as is.

[Magic]

Stick with what you have got and overpay is the answer. Next year once we have hit the peak rate there is a chance that rates may start to fall as they try to restart the economy, that is what people are not looking at or thinking about.

Yep I'm gonna save as much as I can on the basis it'll be shite, sell the Z4 and throw money in to something that will potentially lose 20% of it's value.

Lmao. :(

[SvN]

The mortgage we were looking at yesterday (£1,350/mo) has gone up to £1,580/mo today. We're currently paying a just over grand per month.

[Giggles]

You've spouted a lot of shite but this might be the worst one yet.

They’re just wild animals that use multiple households for handy feeding.

Anyway, 2 down so far. Bacon never fails.

[Baz]

Looks at his £327 a month mortgage. :arry:

[Manc]

Do you live in a bucket of piss?

[Lofty]

St Helens, so basically. I live in Leyland but had a 5% deposit mortgage on unfavourable terms to get a larger loan so pay £612 a month. Fixed until Februrary 2024 but the rate jump wont actually be much for us anyway, nearly 5% as it is :D

[Bam]

My wife see her friend for lunch today, who's friend works for LLoyds. ( :rolleyes: ) Apparently, they're going to remove all the fixed rates and put everyone on a variable rate. Absolute bull shit.

[Luke Emia]

My wife see her friend for lunch today, who's friend works for LLoyds. ( :rolleyes: ) Apparently, they're going to remove all the fixed rates and put everyone on a variable rate. Absolute bull shit.

Never going to happen. For one mortgage lenders make far too much money off fixed rates especially the longer fixes.

[Lofty]

Yeah that sounds like a Kwarteng idea, 'stick them all on variable lol!'

'Where have all our customers gone?'

[Magic]

So it's quite unnerving seeing the smart meter on these new rates. :sick:

[Lewis]

The e-mail my energy company sent me about how the handout will be applied has led me to believe I might end up better off (or at least worst no worse off), so lol at the big house losers.

[Ben]

The cap rise is ~£50 p/m but they're giving us £66 p/m back for 6 months. If you were already on the cap, you shouldn't be any worse off at least in the short-term assuming your usage stays the same.

Unless I'm missing something?

[Don]

My direct debits have gone from £90 to £25. Not a clue.

[Magic]

The cap rise is ~£50 p/m but they're giving us £66 p/m back for 6 months. If you were already on the cap, you shouldn't be any worse off at least in the short-term assuming your usage stays the same.

Unless I'm missing something?

The kWh has went up. So my usage has stayed the same but it's an extra quid a day at least.

[Ben]

That won't factor in the "£400 over six months" rebate so at £1 per day you're ~£200 better off.

[randomlegend]

Turns out we were like £600 in credit so we're paying next to nothing for a while.

[Spikey M]

Can you donate some to Magic? Bless him.

[Spikey M]

That won't factor in the "£400 over six months" rebate so at £1 per day you're ~£200 better off.

I thought only those on "low income" were getting that. It's just the £60 per month for us slightly less plebby plebs.

[Magic]

I've been on variable rate since I moved last October with Bulb. Pure shite. No credit for me.

[Ben]

I thought only those on "low income" were getting that. It's just the £60 per month for us slightly less plebby plebs.

Everyone gets it. £400 split over the next six months (£66 p/m).

[Spikey M]

I've been on variable rate since I moved last October with Bulb. Pure shite. No credit for me.

I'm with Scottish Power (no idea why) and they appear to have no idea what's going on.

We only recently managed to get them to come out and swap the prepayment meter with a normal one and the Direct Debit has gone up and down more times than Mahows Stepmum since then.

[Baz]

Turns out we were like £600 in credit so we're paying next to nothing for a while.
This prompted me to check the British Gas app. First thing I saw was a YOU'RE NOT PAYING ENOUGH message. Bloody great.

But then I checked my account and while I'm paying £240 a month, my account is £833 in credit. :happycry:

WTF. They upped it from £150 a month in June as well.

[Raoul Duke]

It's pro-rated over the year, so their projection is over the full 12 months that your winter usage will be higher than the current amount you are paying

[AyDee]

Stamp duty cut not getting binned. :drool:

[Don]

:cool:

Although the rates and shit have fucked the little reward that offered.

[Don]

We had an offer accepted on a place in September. It seems it being marketed as chain free was a load of shit because the seller keeps looking to delay completion (latest proposal being to exchange in Dec and complete in Feb).

Tempting to tell them to complete in the next fortnight or we'll look to renegotiate the price (Halifax index had properties down 2.7% in October and November alone) but equally can't be arsed with scaring them off and having to find a new place. Is this shit just another standard chapter of this hideous bullshit process?

[Lofty]

They've probably shat it on wherever they were going due to all the 'financial turbulence'. You have a strong hand in my opinion, tell them to sort it or you're fucking off. A fella round the corner had his up, no offers, reduced by 30k, no offers, took it off. Two others near me including one that sold within days and was a show home (in magazines and shit) have failed to complete. Show home staying put and the other one has the sign back up. Buyer's market right now.

[Lewis]

Beano you sound like a right busybody cunt.

[Luke Emia]

They've probably shat it on wherever they were going due to all the 'financial turbulence'. You have a strong hand in my opinion, tell them to sort it or you're fucking off. A fella round the corner had his up, no offers, reduced by 30k, no offers, took it off. Two others near me including one that sold within days and was a show home (in magazines and shit) have failed to complete. Show home staying put and the other one has the sign back up. Buyer's market right now.

Buyers market if you’ve got cash not if you need a mortgage.

[Waffdon]

Honestly thought this thread was for House Music so was slightly gutted thinking Lewis jammed along to it.

[Lofty]

Beano you sound like a right busybody cunt.
I was paying attention because I wamted to sell my house, how else wae I supposed to gauge the market locally? Ask you to dig up some post from 2005?

[Manc]

When did Lofty become Beano and why?

[Boydy]

I think he mentioned once that's his nickname in real life and Lewis latched onto it.

[Bam]

Seven years of renovations on this house is done. The sofa for the lounge got delivered this morning.

Time to get it valued and find another fuck off project. :(

[Bam]

When did Lofty become Beano and why?

Desperate Dan would be a better nickname.

[Dquincy]

Seven years of renovations on this house is done. The sofa for the lounge got delivered this morning.

Time to get it valued and find another fuck off project. :(

What did you do to the house? Internal refurb, or extension?

[Don]

What's the verdict on Purple Bricks? I know for selling they're offering a nice simple fixed-fee package which lists the house on Rightmove/Zoopla etc which is basically all that I suspect is required in this day and age. Is there a drawback with using them? Are they just as good if letting your property out?

[Manc]

A friend of a friend used them recently for selling up. No complaints.

[Baz]

What's the verdict on Purple Bricks? I know for selling they're offering a nice simple fixed-fee package which lists the house on Rightmove/Zoopla etc which is basically all that I suspect is required in this day and age. Is there a drawback with using them? Are they just as good if letting your property out?

I've been told by more than one person that procuring a property they're advertising was a pain in the arse and they eventually gave up because "Purple Dicks" were so obstructive.

[Giggles]

Taz seems to be trying to buy/flip a house every other week.

[Mike]

What's the verdict on Purple Bricks? I know for selling they're offering a nice simple fixed-fee package which lists the house on Rightmove/Zoopla etc which is basically all that I suspect is required in this day and age. Is there a drawback with using them? Are they just as good if letting your property out?

We used them to sell the old house and a local company to sell the flat and wouldn’t use them again. You end up doing a lot yourself, things the local estate agents did for us.

[Lofty]

I suppose it depends on how quick you want a sale, how attractive a property is etc too. The one I consulted locally before deciding against a sale said they do marathon viewing events to drum up bids quickly by having viewings overlap to make it seem more sought after. Of course that probably works better when the market is red hot.

[Don]

Have had my eyes opened to a few things as my previous experience with houses was getting a new build off the shelf in a ready to move-in state.

Firstly, bought some new flooring for the B2L yesterday from Carpetright and was surprised at how affordable and easy the process is. Obviously still probably a massive markup but 25% cheaper than the developer and they'll fit the entire house in a day. Given how much it can transform a house, I highly recommend you all get involved. 4-year 0% finance too so they're basically paying me to do it.

Our new place in London needs it too but we need to do the walls there first. Currently it's got some wallpaper business going on so I suspect we need some sort of plastering to be done once we remove the wallpaper. Also need to redo the bathroom and possibly kitchen too. It's a pain in the arse but all quite exciting at the same time. Like our very own episode of Homes Under the Hammer.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Not a "gammon" in sight. What have you done with the real Taz?

[Don]

What the fuck are you on about you disgusting piece of shit?

[Yevrah]

Well that escalated.

[Baz]

Trying to get the kitchen done. Some woman came today to give us a quote just to replace worktops and cupboard doors and it was four grand. Might as well get it all ripped out and redone if it’s that much for it be spruced up. :cab:

Got two contacts to get full quotes from so we’ll see. It’s a tiny kitchen.

[Don]

I'm expecting a small 3x3 bathroom to cost about £4k so I suspect our larger kitchen may double that.

Share the details as and when you get them because when it comes to this stuff I feel like RL on prom night.

I also wonder how long we have before 0% financing is a relic.

[Ben]

We’re in that sweet spot where people are questioning whether they can continue to pay out ludicrous amounts but building materials and labour are still in high demand so they’re quoting whatever number comes to mind first.

[niko_cee]

You must be able to get a new kitchen with appliances off someone like Wren for that sort of money.

[Giggles]

Everything everywhere has gone up because cunts can.

[Baz]

Also, has anyone got a cleaner?

[Lofty]

Trying to get the kitchen done. Some woman came today to give us a quote just to replace worktops and cupboard doors and it was four grand. Might as well get it all ripped out and redone if it’s that much for it be spruced up. :cab:

Got two contacts to get full quotes from so we’ll see. It’s a tiny kitchen.

Was that Dream Doors?

[Giggles]

Also, has anyone got a cleaner?

No, I’ve 4 working limbs.

[Baz]

No, I’ve 4 working limbs.And no kids.

Was that Dream Doors?

Joe’s Doors, apparently. Are Dream Doors recommended?

[Lofty]

They have a show room round the corner from my house and specialise in door and counter replacement. I have heard good things but god knows what the prices are now. Our kitchen needs doing but ideally we want a wall knocked through that will need a RSJ etc before we can think of designing the kitchen. Getting a non cowboy builder is impossible at the moment.

[Andy]

I'm expecting a small 3x3 bathroom to cost about £4k so I suspect our larger kitchen may double that.

Share the details as and when you get them because when it comes to this stuff I feel like RL on prom night.

I also wonder how long we have before 0% financing is a relic.

What is this 1996?

If you want anything remotely decent and you're in the south you'll be looking at 6-10k for the bathroom and 10k+ for the kitchen.

[Andy]

Also, has anyone got a cleaner?

Yeah, pay them £15 an hour and get 3 hours every 2 weeks.

[Giggles]

And no kids.

Or fucking notions.

[niko_cee]

Also, has anyone got a cleaner?

Yeah.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I really want a cleaner. Think it would cause ructions among the neighbours though. I'm already on the shit list for not joining their whatsapp group.

[Baz]

What is this 1996?

If you want anything remotely decent and you're in the south you'll be looking at 6-10k for the bathroom and 10k+ for the kitchen.
My bathroom cost about £4.5K and while all the materials and choice were good, the fitters they contracted were shite. Genuinely did the hot and cold the wrong way around in the shower, bath taps and sink. Got them back twice to sort stuff out, but even now you turn the shower colder to make it go hotter, and the main overhead bit and little shower head are the wrong way round. I swear it would be more powerful if they were the right way around but I’ve no plumbing knowledge to back that up, and my wife has banned them from ever coming back. Also had to reseal all their work. So nobody get Titan Bathrooms in, cos they should arrive on horseback.

[Manc]

I really want a cleaner. Think it would cause ructions among the neighbours though. I'm already on the shit list for not joining their whatsapp group.

Make sure to pick one up when passing through Bogota.

[Don]

What is this 1996?

If you want anything remotely decent and you're in the south you'll be looking at 6-10k for the bathroom and 10k+ for the kitchen.

This is what I feared :sick:

[Spikey M]

I think our kitchen was around 10k. And that was just cupboards, a sink and an integrated oven / stove. Gas seems to be a major pain in the arse as they need to get someone in that's "certified". Probably saves a mint if it's electric only.

[Lewis]

This time last year I was quoted about three-ish grand for my small kitchen, but they also wanted another two grand to fit it, even though it was about a day's work for two blokes. I found somebody local who would have fitted it for his day rate. Between that and my mother saving loads on her kitchen through my uncle knowing a load of tradesmen and appliance people, I reckon they must rinse all sorts of poorly-connected rubes on fitting and the like.

[Ben]

I reckon they must rinse all sorts of poorly-connected rubes on fitting and the like.

Definitely. My mate quoted some toff £850 on a simple painting job because he didn't want the work (lazy cunt) and the toff went for it.

[Lofty]

Yeah I know a bloke who does that, quotes really high if he cant be arsed then it's a bonus if they are mental enough to pay it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That's pretty much how my company does business with Saudi Arabia, and boy do we do some business with them.

[Pepe]

I have a cleaner. Of all the things I spend money on, that one has to be the money best spent.

[Baz]

Trying to get the kitchen done. Some woman came today to give us a quote just to replace worktops and cupboard doors and it was four grand. Might as well get it all ripped out and redone if it’s that much for it be spruced up. :cab:

Got two contacts to get full quotes from so we’ll see. It’s a tiny kitchen.Had a man round today who basically told my wife not to bother with tarting up what we've already got cos the carcasses (I presume he meant cupboards) have been destroyed by condensation cos the extractor fan is doing nothing besides making noise. :harold:

Looking forward to my new kitchen now. Sending me a quote next week.

[Dquincy]

Chaps, if you want a decent kitchen refit, then look no further than www.plainenglishdesign.co.uk/plain-english-kitchens/

[Boydy]

A Plain English kitchen (supply only) costs from £35,000

Alright, moneybags.

[niko_cee]

Crafted from the best possible materials and infused with our unique sense of detail and proportion, our joinery can be used in any room beyond the kitchen – including pantries, mudrooms, butler’s pantries, sculleries . . .

Say no more.

[Spikey M]

:D

[Jimmy Floyd]

This is one for my future agony uncle column in one of those upper class publications.

Q: Jimmy, I've fucked my wife with gusto in every single room in our weekend pile - every room but one. For some reason, she just won't put out in the butler's pantry. I've tried everything - candles, raw meat, the music of Vera Lynn - but she can't find the mood. What do you suggest?

A: It might just be that the joinery isn't up to scratch. Someone on a messageboard once recommended me Plain English Design - if you ask me, £50,000 is a small price to pay to be able to have your way against a newly installed cognac cabinet and complete the set.

[Manc]

Architectural Digest.

[Don]

Our new place in London needs it too but we need to do the walls there first. Currently it's got some wallpaper business going on so I suspect we need some sort of plastering to be done once we remove the wallpaper.


https://i.ibb.co/gP1sP6k/20230211-133430.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/2tQZMXC/20230211-133441.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/v1fxrNh/20230211-133444.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/SPP8x2W/20230211-133451.jpg

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


https://i.ibb.co/M2SWpCV/20230211-133501.jpg

Might try and do the walls ourselves.

Stripping the wallpaper seems straightforward enough. It might lead to some small chipped bits of plaster like in that picture at worst but can just stick some filler and sand that and it'll be fine, right?

Not sure what the mould treatment is like but I suspect a little chemical wash is all it needs and then we just bang on some paint.

Andy/Bam/other alphas, can I do this shit easy enough or do I need to enlist some Albanian motherfucker off Nextdoor?

[Baz]

The close up of the socket is sending me. Hopefully no sparks were involved.

[Andy]

https://i.ibb.co/gP1sP6k/20230211-133430.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/2tQZMXC/20230211-133441.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/v1fxrNh/20230211-133444.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/SPP8x2W/20230211-133451.jpg

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


https://i.ibb.co/M2SWpCV/20230211-133501.jpg

Might try and do the walls ourselves.

Stripping the wallpaper seems straightforward enough. It might lead to some small chipped bits of plaster like in that picture at worst but can just stick some filler and sand that and it'll be fine, right?

Not sure what the mould treatment is like but I suspect a little chemical wash is all it needs and then we just bang on some paint.

Andy/Bam/other alphas, can I do this shit easy enough or do I need to enlist some Albanian motherfucker off Nextdoor?

Any sort of Bleach cleaner will sort the mould and those walls look perfect. Its fresh plaster so will need to be sealed before painting properly.

[Don]

:hail:

[Baz]

Trying to get the kitchen done. Some woman came today to give us a quote just to replace worktops and cupboard doors and it was four grand. Might as well get it all ripped out and redone if it’s that much for it be spruced up. :cab:

£6.5k for a whole new kitchen. :harold:

[Baz]

Has anyone got a boiling water tap?

[Spikey M]

We have one at work and all the hot drink... erm... drinkers, say it doesn't taste right and use the kettle anyway.

[Ben]

Not personally but a family member does. It makes tea taste shit but I don't know if that's a deal breaker for you, as otherwise it seems extremely convenient.

[Baz]

How does filtered 98 degree water make tea taste bad?

We have one at work and it’s not hot enough, but I imagine something proper like a Quooker would be.

[Spikey M]

No idea but it seems to be the general consensus. I don't drink hot drinks so I can only offer the anecdotal opinion of the women in my office.

[Andy]

I've got a Qettle boiling/filtered tap and it's great. I don't drink tea though so can't answer that part, fine for coffee.

[Boydy]

An old office I worked in had one and +1 for the tea doesn't taste right.

[Boydy]

Also surprised at the lack of tea drinkers in here. Sort yourselves out.

[niko_cee]

Is that a bit like when you run a cold tap [and I don't know if this is just my house] but you need to run it for a bit to clear the water that was sitting in the pipes [mine gets quite warm so isn't that pleasant to drink so it needs to be run to get fully cold]? With the hot water tap thing I guess you don't do that so you just get the manky pipe water. As I write this I'll admit it does sound very old wives' tale-y.

[Spikey M]

I know my Mrs always says that tea tastes funny when we're abroad, even if it's using normal teabags. I imagine it's due to using mineral / bottled water in the kettle. Maybe the filter in the tap does similar and removes all the tappy goodness that tea drinkers enjoy.

[Don]

Yeah the work hot taps produce water that tastes loke Mahow's used bathwater. And if you ain't brita filtering your water before you boil it for tea, you're a real scummy bastard.

[Spikey M]

Nobody is doing that you hypersperg.

[Baz]

Those you saying you have boiling hot taps at work, is it an actual tap or one of those boxes on the wall with a little lift-pump thing like a keg of beer? Cos we have the latter at my work and obviously I’m not thinking of getting one of them. This is a proper actual tap that includes a filtration system.

[Spikey M]

One of these:

https://i.ibb.co/rcCtChm/hot-water-dispenser-min.jpg

[Boydy]

Yeah, the proper plumbed in tap ones. They're shite.

Also heard a horror story recently about someone who'd had one installed but it'd been plumbed in the wrong way round so they ended up scalding themselves.

[Ben]

Tea using water from the wall boiler at work tastes infinitely better than tea using water from a Quooker tap.

[Don]

Yeah, tap here too. I don't even know what the technology behind it is but it's hooked up to a very dodgy looking gas/chemical cannister so it was obvious it wouldn't be right.

Did see this on some silly tiktok type viral video recently which looked tempting:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ3jaeflH71f-6KurdbNVJEC7NSi6I2blz1YLkXQurkkOtca8UtO1TMxd5elad1 xzjXj4lH3vc&usqp=CAc

[Baz]

Oh. Might stick to a kettle then.

[SvN]

I went on the same journey of disappointment as Baz a few years ago when we redid our kitchen. Looked into it, realised they were shit, so didn't bother.

[Lofty]

Yeah the work hot taps produce water that tastes loke Mahow's used bathwater. And if you ain't brita filtering your water before you boil it for tea, you're a real scummy bastard.

Or live in the glorious north where tap water is not full of scum.

[Jimmy Floyd]

But the houses are.

[Spikey M]

Expertly done.

[Danny]

Yeah, tap here too. I don't even know what the technology behind it is but it's hooked up to a very dodgy looking gas/chemical cannister so it was obvious it wouldn't be right.

Did see this on some silly tiktok type viral video recently which looked tempting:


That’s overkill but when I put a new sink in last year we went for a glass cleaner instead of a soap dispenser in the extra slot. Worth the extra cost imo.

[niko_cee]

What is that Taz has posted anyway, some sort of sink/bidet hybrid [right up his street]?

[Baz]

Everythings on hold anyway. Went to the kitchen blokes showroom this morning and was thoroughly underwhelmed. Basically talked to us like he presumed we were poor and wanted basic for everything, and he wouldn't even entertain solid wood worktops. Back to the drawing board.

My auntie's just had a new kitchen so at least I've got another lead to follow.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Every good salesman knows how to downsell.

[Baz]

Every good salesman knows how to downsell.

Was weird. I worked in retail for a long time but even without that, a lot of it is common sense.

When my wife said she wanted wooden worktops he literally said ‘absolutely don’t get laminate’ to which I responded we had no intention of doing. Then he got involved in a conversation with another customer and came back to us and we were like ‘we don’t want quartz or granite’ (all he did) so he was like ‘well if you’re gonna get wood make sure to get laminate cos you’ll only have problems with solid wood.’ What?

Also as soon as we walked in he was like ‘right the cheapest doors we can do you are…’ and I was just stood there like does man not know I lost £17k on Bazbot and didn’t flinch? Just cos I look 11, don’t disrespect me.

[Don]

If my recent flooring store experiences are anything to go by, these salesthem are as clueless as they come, often to the detriment of their employers.

[Baz]

:lol:

[Shindig]

What's the verdict on Purple Bricks?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64678984

Your powers are terrifying.

[Giggles]

If I ever have any deviants who like tea around I get the hot water from the coffee machine.

[Boydy]

If I ever have any deviants who like tea around I get the hot water from the coffee machine.

You're the fucking deviant.

[Don]

https://i.ibb.co/gP1sP6k/20230211-133430.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/2tQZMXC/20230211-133441.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/v1fxrNh/20230211-133444.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/SPP8x2W/20230211-133451.jpg

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


https://i.ibb.co/M2SWpCV/20230211-133501.jpg

Might try and do the walls ourselves.

Stripping the wallpaper seems straightforward enough. It might lead to some small chipped bits of plaster like in that picture at worst but can just stick some filler and sand that and it'll be fine, right?

Not sure what the mould treatment is like but I suspect a little chemical wash is all it needs and then we just bang on some paint.

Andy/Bam/other alphas, can I do this shit easy enough or do I need to enlist some Albanian motherfucker off Nextdoor?

https://i.ibb.co/c6NQxqT/IMG-20230219-WA0007.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/CK0pLX2/IMG-20230219-WA0006.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/Rgv8fBG/IMG-20230219-WA0008.jpg

The plaster wall has turned out okay and I suspect, even with the sort of minor damage above it can be primed and painted after some polyfilla fixing but what the fuck is this blue shit on top of the plaster for the 3rd wall? I think the 4th wall is the same. Some Ukrainian fuck said we're gonna need to plaster it to paint it.

All in all, worst fucking idea ever - fuelled no doubt by watching too much Homes Under the Hammer during lunch breaks but - who tf did we think we were trying to do this shit ourselves on weekends alongside holding down full time jobs ffs. Sorting out some competent fucker to come in and do it all in good time isn't straightforward so now we're left with some fucking crackden of a gaff.

[Ben]

Going to view a couple of houses this week and putting ours on the market. Hell about to ensue.

[Don]

Fuck it off, dump the missus, offload the kids and enjoy the fucking peace. I'm about a fortnight away from a meltdown.

[Baz]

The Reid’s mate got a pub and it worked out cheaper to fly in a tiler from Poland and put him up for a few days while he tiled both toilets, than employing anyone from this country.

[Lofty]

Even without a network of known tradesmen, prices here aren't too bad. It's just getting them to actually turn up.

But yeah, with the exception of painting and basic DIY, most tasks should be outsourced to someone who knows what they are doing. It always spirals into a fucking nightmare when you do it yourself.

[Baz]

https://propertyguessr.fun/

House price guessing game thingy.

[Boydy]

Been having issues with my boiler regularly losing pressure. Rang the company that I got to service it last year. The guy who answered asked me to text him the address and he'd get back to me. Some guy from their company just turned up on the doorstep today without the first guy ever getting back to me to confirm a day or time or anything. Fuck's sake. It was fine because I'm working from home but a bit of courtesy would be nice.

[phonics]

"My service was too prompt" - Boydy.

[Lofty]

Kitchen tap been leaking annoyingly recently, I did investigate with some new valves but it turns out the tap is ancient and doesnt use modern valves. In fact the internet acted like the fittings didn't exist. I left it alone and said it would be better to just buy a new tap and swap it.

Wife gets her dad round to sort it, he runs into the same problem as me except instead of thinking 'this look like a lot of seized parts' just yanks them out with some pliers. Lo and behold the tap is fucked, no replacement parts exist and he now can't put it back together again without it pissing water.

3 hours of fucking about before the towel is thrown in and a new tap sourced :moop:

[Manc]

I bet the old fella has a leaky tap. Grab the pliers and teach him a lesson.

[randomlegend]

I changed our kitchen tap the other day. I am now a plumber.

[igor_balis]

bit late to the conversation but I'm unconvinced by the incredible efficiency gains of a boiling water tap, kettles are pretty quick. it's similar to the trade off between using instant coffee and using a cafetiere. I refuse to believe any of you gimps are that busy you need to make that time back.

[Lewis]

The only possible case for them - and it is a strong one - is that it would de-clutter the kitchen.

I would never have one because a large part of my personality revolves around elaborate tea drinking actions and getting performatively 'fucked off' with what I deem to be sub-standard tea.

[Boydy]

Remortgage sorted. It's going up about £80 a month (I also had to make an overpayment to get it down to a lower LTV band for a better interest rate) which isn't ideal but not as bad as things looked in the Trussmania era at the end of last year.

[Spikey M]

Ours went up nearly £300 a month :happycry:

[Ben]

Ours went up for sale today. If we move before end of June then it’ll be a £1500 early repayment charge and if it doesn’t then it’s a £300 increase in monthly payment. Either way we are looking at another £600 a month in the new place.

Moving house is so shit.

[Boydy]

Ours went up nearly £300 a month :happycry:

Cheap NI property, innit.

Sometimes I look at the possibility of moving back to England and I realise it's basically impossible to afford housing there.

[Luke Emia]

Ours went up for sale today. If we move before end of June then it’ll be a £1500 early repayment charge and if it doesn’t then it’s a £300 increase in monthly payment. Either way we are looking at another £600 a month in the new place.

Moving house is so shit.

You will do well to get it done before the end of June.

[Ben]

Got a cash buyer coming on Friday. Probably a Russian.

[Don]

Ukrainians took mine. Lied and said the missus' Russian books were because my partner studies Russian. Slava Ukraini baby.

[Ben]

Accepted an offer on my house. No chain so I might be back with the parents for a couple of months if we don't find somewhere quick. :eyemouth:

[Mike]

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.

[Don]

Accepted an offer on my house. No chain so I might be back with the parents for a couple of months if we don't find somewhere quick. :eyemouth:

We had this on the horizon too but the sale is thankfully dragging for what is now almost 2 months and still no set date of exchange/completion. All thanks to leasehold buggery that has also meant I pay £250+ to 2 separate random entities for "assignment packs". Pure theft. Just hope the buyers don't back out or I'll lose my mind.

[Ben]

Thankfully leasehold doesn't exist up here because everything I hear about it is stuff of nightmares.

[Mike]

Yeah, selling my old flat was a nightmare because of it. Plus it had two different 'management companies' doing different things to the building, who all needed paying off to be allowed to sell.

[Lofty]

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.

How much? I want the same doing.