Jump to content
DOSBODS
  • Welcome to DOSBODS

     

    DOSBODS is free of any advertising.

    Ads are annoying, and - increasingly - advertising companies limit free speech online. DOSBODS Forums are completely free to use. Please create a free account to be able to access all the features of the DOSBODS community. It only takes 20 seconds!

     

IGNORED

Diary of a house purchase


Sasquatch

Recommended Posts

sleepwello'nights
5 minutes ago, Sasquatch said:

You can never have too many ear defenders.

 

IMG_7678.thumb.JPG.79ca5113de85cb0ef5d3eddbae5095f5.JPG

I had a pair that lasted for years. Eventually one of the ear pieces decided to drop off at ever more frequent intervals. Reluctantly after repair attempts failed I decided to buy another pair. Instead of keeping the perfectly sound head band I threw it away, but kept the ear pieces.

The replacement ear defenders of the same make as my original pair decided to snap in half after a few weeks. I took them back and the supplier gave me a new pair without question. Even let me keep the broken one. Bugger me two weeks later that snapped in half as I pulled the sides to put them on. 

Stihl now I've got 6 ear pads and two broken headbands. :$

Oh and a new pair from a different manufacturer with a wire headband. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 211
  • Created
  • Last Reply
14 hours ago, Hancock said:

Crikey the houses im looking at a barely that size; and £4000-£5000 per m2 seem to be what they want. Robbing bastards.

You have my sympathies. We are fortunate to be buying in one of the cheaper areas of the country. Lovely spot though with traditional butchers shop, village shop, pub etc. I still think we're paying too much (!) but everything in context I suppose. We'll end up with a 240m2 house, 20m2 outbuilding (office use), 75m2 garage, 1/2 acre garden.

My brain is unable to fathom southern house prices.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Sasquatch said:

You have my sympathies. We are fortunate to be buying in one of the cheaper areas of the country. Lovely spot though with traditional butchers shop, village shop, pub etc. I still think we're paying too much (!) but everything in context I suppose. We'll end up with a 240m2 house, 20m2 outbuilding (office use), 75m2 garage, 1/2 acre garden.

My brain is unable to fathom southern house prices.

 

You'll have to tell the Mrs you're going to need a maid for that kind of establishment.

Im currently Yorkshire, i ended up here by accident and been looking to leave since the day i got here (7 years ago). If im going to be stranded in England for a good few years, i want to be an hour or so from Heathrow to get out the f'en place at a cheap price and with no stopovers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Hancock said:

You'll have to tell the Mrs you're going to need a maid for that kind of establishment.

Im currently Yorkshire, i ended up here by accident and been looking to leave since the day i got here (7 years ago). If im going to be stranded in England for a good few years, i want to be an hour or so from Heathrow to get out the f'en place at a cheap price and with no stopovers.

you need yorkshire airlines;

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Without wishing to steal @Sasquatch's thunder, we did the deed today.

Asking £425k, sale agreed at £400k. No chain (we are cash renters, property was a BTL). Built about 20 years ago, by a local builder of some repute; quality of build and finish is excellent, as confirmed by a number of neighbours with whom we have spoken. Similar properties have sold at £410-430k in the last 3 years. Our property last sold at £320k around 7 years ago. Today's price about 45% above the new-build price from 20-odd years ago. Saving £10k in stamp duty certainly sweetened the deal. I am happy with that.

Plan is to settle in and then take a long fixed-rate 50% mortgage at sub-1.5% and have a play, also a hedge against debt relief. I believe that we have to wait 6 months from time of completion to be able to take on a "re-mortgage", but need to check that. Of course, much may change in that period.

Unemotional, but now starting to feel slightly smug. Estate agent was very pleasant and un-slimy, also very fit indeed, even wearing a face nappy.

Edit to add: 2 months from offer to exchange, including Christmas/New Year shutdown.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 18/02/2021 at 20:35, Knickerless Turgid said:

Without wishing to steal @Sasquatch's thunder, we did the deed today.

Asking £425k, sale agreed at £400k. No chain (we are cash renters, property was a BTL). Built about 20 years ago, by a local builder of some repute; quality of build and finish is excellent, as confirmed by a number of neighbours with whom we have spoken. Similar properties have sold at £410-430k in the last 3 years. Our property last sold at £320k around 7 years ago. Today's price about 45% above the new-build price from 20-odd years ago. Saving £10k in stamp duty certainly sweetened the deal. I am happy with that.

Plan is to settle in and then take a long fixed-rate 50% mortgage at sub-1.5% and have a play, also a hedge against debt relief. I believe that we have to wait 6 months from time of completion to be able to take on a "re-mortgage", but need to check that. Of course, much may change in that period.

Unemotional, but now starting to feel slightly smug. Estate agent was very pleasant and un-slimy, also very fit indeed, even wearing a face nappy.

Edit to add: 2 months from offer to exchange, including Christmas/New Year shutdown.

Nice one.

See if you can bag the Barclays 1.49% 7 year fixed mortgage. Would be rude not to. Almost free lending. Even the Barclay's mortgage advisor said they'd make no money off the back of us!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Contacted our solicitor today to see how things are progressing. 

Piss poor efforts all round it seems.

The vendor's solicitor has issued the draft contract and fixtures list by email........to an incorrect email address.

Despite being told to crack on, our solicitor hasn't fired off the searches yet.

Good job Dishy has extended the stamp duty holiday, otherwise I'd be livid.

I've joined the farcebook group local to our new house and have spotted that the vendor is flogging their furniture. Anyone looking for a 'used' piano? I'm sure it will be fine having been sat in an unoccupied damp house over winter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

leonardratso
2 hours ago, Sasquatch said:

Contacted our solicitor today to see how things are progressing. 

Piss poor efforts all round it seems.

The vendor's solicitor has issued the draft contract and fixtures list by email........to an incorrect email address.

Despite being told to crack on, our solicitor hasn't fired off the searches yet.

Good job Dishy has extended the stamp duty holiday, otherwise I'd be livid.

I've joined the farcebook group local to our new house and have spotted that the vendor is flogging their furniture. Anyone looking for a 'used' piano? I'm sure it will be fine having been sat in an unoccupied damp house over winter.

old knackered pianos are so laurel and hardy up the big steps yesteryear, harpsichord is where the yoof are at these days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

D Day appears to be Thursday this week.

We're collecting the keys and then heading up to the house with gloves, a sledgehammer* and a wallpaper stripper. 

I will post some photos for your delectation.

 

* in case of neighbour trouble

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have the house. 

Spent an hour walking around it on Thursday afternoon wondering if we'd lost our tiny minds.

Then spent the rest of the day and the whole of Friday lifting carpets, stripping wallpaper and generally hitting things with a big lump hammer. Slept like the dead last night.

I think it's going to be a nice place to live. 

I'll start a thread on stealth and put up some photos. Its an interesting property. Around 250 years old.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 22/02/2021 at 22:37, Sasquatch said:

Nice one.

See if you can bag the Barclays 1.49% 7 year fixed mortgage. Would be rude not to. Almost free lending. Even the Barclay's mortgage advisor said they'd make no money off the back of us!

https://www.barclays.co.uk/mortgages/fixed-rate-mortgage/

Thats insanely low.

The 5k min borrowing limit is fantastic too 0 assuming you can get it.

Its harder n harder to get cheap mortgages under ~50k

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don Coglione
On 22/02/2021 at 22:37, Sasquatch said:

Nice one.

See if you can bag the Barclays 1.49% 7 year fixed mortgage. Would be rude not to. Almost free lending. Even the Barclay's mortgage advisor said they'd make no money off the back of us!

Natwest's 5 year fix has dropped to 1.29% (with a £995 fee). At this rate, by the time we are ready to take on the mortgage, it will be below 1%!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With a crooked smile
On 15/02/2021 at 13:16, Sasquatch said:

You have my sympathies. We are fortunate to be buying in one of the cheaper areas of the country. Lovely spot though with traditional butchers shop, village shop, pub etc. I still think we're paying too much (!) but everything in context I suppose. We'll end up with a 240m2 house, 20m2 outbuilding (office use), 75m2 garage, 1/2 acre garden.

My brain is unable to fathom southern house prices.

 

I just don't see the point in paying SE prices. The media totally loves to manipulate how the South is vs The North. Copeland which is very near me is often quoted as having 3rd highest median income in the country. There's no way the house prices there are 3rd highest.. People would rather spend their money on living than housing round here. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chewing Grass
9 minutes ago, With a crooked smile said:

Copeland which is very near me is often quoted as having 3rd highest median income in the country.

That will be the Sellafield effect, got to bung the natives more to keep them sweet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With a crooked smile

Yes that and BAE building the subs a few miles down the coast. It's quiet but actually lovely. Before moving to the area I really worries about the potential risk of cancers and did a fair bit of research. I ended up concluding that living in a major city was probably worse for your health with regard to pollution. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
Sasquatch

We have owned our new property for 30 days and I'm conscious that I said I would start up a thread on stealth to document the restoration. 

I have failed to do this but please forgive me. Of the last 30 days, 21 of them have been spent knee deep in stinky carpet, mouldy laminate floorboards, damp wallpaper and all manner of other 1970's to 1990's DIY cock ups. Absolutely knackered but thoroughly enjoying it. My finest hour so far was attempting to undo some awful wiring in the kitchen which then shortcircuited the ring main, shut down the fuse board and killed the below ground incoming mains. Northern Powergrid has spent the last two days at the bottom of a muddy pit in the footpath outside the property trying to fix it. O.o

I will upload some photos and narrative on a new thread before too long. It's been an interesting journey so far.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

59 minutes ago, Sasquatch said:

We have owned our new property for 30 days and I'm conscious that I said I would start up a thread on stealth to document the restoration. 

I have failed to do this but please forgive me. Of the last 30 days, 21 of them have been spent knee deep in stinky carpet, mouldy laminate floorboards, damp wallpaper and all manner of other 1970's to 1990's DIY cock ups. Absolutely knackered but thoroughly enjoying it. My finest hour so far was attempting to undo some awful wiring in the kitchen which then shortcircuited the ring main, shut down the fuse board and killed the below ground incoming mains. Northern Powergrid has spent the last two days at the bottom of a muddy pit in the footpath outside the property trying to fix it. O.o

I will upload some photos and narrative on a new thread before too long. It's been an interesting journey so far.

Good job there - well done for doing it early before the real work began

Link to comment
Share on other sites

leonardratso
2 hours ago, Sasquatch said:

We have owned our new property for 30 days and I'm conscious that I said I would start up a thread on stealth to document the restoration. 

I have failed to do this but please forgive me. Of the last 30 days, 21 of them have been spent knee deep in stinky carpet, mouldy laminate floorboards, damp wallpaper and all manner of other 1970's to 1990's DIY cock ups. Absolutely knackered but thoroughly enjoying it. My finest hour so far was attempting to undo some awful wiring in the kitchen which then shortcircuited the ring main, shut down the fuse board and killed the below ground incoming mains. Northern Powergrid has spent the last two days at the bottom of a muddy pit in the footpath outside the property trying to fix it. O.o

I will upload some photos and narrative on a new thread before too long. It's been an interesting journey so far.

i hope you didnt undo the infinitely looped spurs upon spurs i left behind, they are modeled on the universe you know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Green Devil
10 hours ago, Sasquatch said:

We have owned our new property for 30 days and I'm conscious that I said I would start up a thread on stealth to document the restoration. 

I have failed to do this but please forgive me. Of the last 30 days, 21 of them have been spent knee deep in stinky carpet, mouldy laminate floorboards, damp wallpaper and all manner of other 1970's to 1990's DIY cock ups. Absolutely knackered but thoroughly enjoying it. My finest hour so far was attempting to undo some awful wiring in the kitchen which then shortcircuited the ring main, shut down the fuse board and killed the below ground incoming mains. Northern Powergrid has spent the last two days at the bottom of a muddy pit in the footpath outside the property trying to fix it. O.o

I will upload some photos and narrative on a new thread before too long. It's been an interesting journey so far.

Oh dear. Rule no 1. Isolate circuits before you work on them. If you get that wrong you shpuld probably get an electrician to do your work for you otherwise youll a) burn the house down or b) kill yourself. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, Green Devil said:

Oh dear. Rule no 1. Isolate circuits before you work on them. If you get that wrong you shpuld probably get an electrician to do your work for you otherwise youll a) burn the house down or b) kill yourself. 

Agreed. I have been admonished by Mrs S. We needed to get the old kitchen out (including the cooker where all the problems were). Our electrician has been out and isolated some of the circuits, just leaving us a bit of power and lighting. We will be having a full rewire.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/04/2021 at 23:23, With a crooked smile said:

Yes that and BAE building the subs a few miles down the coast. It's quiet but actually lovely. Before moving to the area I really worries about the potential risk of cancers and did a fair bit of research. I ended up concluding that living in a major city was probably worse for your health with regard to pollution. 

There's no radiation risk from Sellafield, that was Windscale.

They got rid of the radiation when they changed the name.O.o

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, Sasquatch said:

Agreed. I have been admonished by Mrs S. We needed to get the old kitchen out (including the cooker where all the problems were). Our electrician has been out and isolated some of the circuits, just leaving us a bit of power and lighting. We will be having a full rewire.

Don't be put off, just get a decent meter use to to check properly before doing works.  Don't know how you managed to blow the underground cable though, should be  protected by the incoming fuse at the meter. No reason why you can't continue with the strip out, chase out and lay most of the cable, cut out mattresses and back boxes and then have the electrician wire up, finish and sign off. Work out what outlets you want and where and ask electrician what you should lay and how to lay it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

leonardratso
1 hour ago, onlyme said:

Don't be put off, just get a decent meter use to to check properly before doing works.  Don't know how you managed to blow the underground cable though, should be  protected by the incoming fuse at the meter. No reason why you can't continue with the strip out, chase out and lay most of the cable, cut out mattresses and back boxes and then have the electrician wire up, finish and sign off. Work out what outlets you want and where and ask electrician what you should lay and how to lay it.

and run some ethernet cables in there as well, very handy for when wifi is weak

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, leonardratso said:

and run some ethernet cables in there as well, very handy for when wifi is weak

..... or leaky!

I'm surprised at how few electricians offer this service when rewiring.

I'm reading that Cat 5 cables are still the recommended route rather than Cat 6. Can any experts confirm?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, CVG said:

I'm reading that Cat 5 cables are still the recommended route rather than Cat 6. Can any experts confirm?

Cat5 is much cheaper than Cat6 and pretty much handles the same bandwidths over short runs, especially if it's just general low-intensity internet browsing etc. Cat6 would be a bit more future-proof though and allows for higher bandwidths if you intend to do a lot of video streaming etc. Make sure it's installation grade - low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) and check building regs, though your sparky should know this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...