Buying a home and don't know how anything works
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Elpenor
Dancing as fast as I can
It was the dining room. I had the same feelings regarding size
AnnO'Neemus
Is so vanilla
Don't touch with a barge pole. Energy price caps don't apply to these district heating systems. Householders with them will be fucked financially.
BoatieBird
Well-Known Member
That could be my house! Exactly the same layout and size, could be the same builder perhaps?
Same open plan lounge and staircase, same galley kitchen/small dining room arrangement.
We knocked the kitchen and dining room through to make one big room at the back.
It's a nice house to live in
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AnnO'Neemus
Is so vanilla
I don't understand the importance. For decades and decades houses/flats had kitchens without cooker hoods, but now it seems like they are 'essential' in fact iirc isn't there something in building regs about them now?
My flat was built in the 1930s or 40s, never had a cooker hood fitted, if I cook something smelly or burn something, I open the kitchen door, get rid of the smell that way.
I don't understand the need.
AnnO'Neemus
Is so vanilla
When I did legal secretarial work for a law firm years ago, I briefly worked for a solicitor who specialised in wills and probate, and in one case the deceased had appointed a friend as executor of her will, rather than family she didn't have much to do with. Except family had gained entry and helped themselves to some of the deceased's possessions and the lawyer I worked for had to write to them to insist they return the (stolen) items.This kind of shit is suprisingly common and getting more common the last while. Some people get all sorts of logical sounding but bad advice, some people are very good at pushing things as far as possible without getting proper advice because they're in denial (or up to something dodgy), some people assume there's someone else doing the checks and balances and that it's not their job, sometimes people observe somethings wrong but don't know how to stop it or aren't in a position to, some people aren't that bothered about their job and the procedures that go along with it, some people don't care about communication and staying organised. A lot of the time people are like "that sounds right so I'll go along with it", a lot of people in 'proffesional' jobs are not very proffesional and just chancing it. All it takes is for a couple of people with these sorts of tendencies to be involved to end up with something like this. Often the only reason things don't go wrong is sheer luck.
My mate had to spend 10 months wrestling her late parents house off her brother who'd meticulously lined everything up over years to try and essentially steal it after they died. When she finally got into the house she could see that a professional movers had been in, started packing up and had abandoned the project halfway through and left everything there. The brother had even managed to get the police and social workers on his side at one point. It didn't actually seem to take him a lot of effort. As far as I know he never got into any trouble for it
I ended up receiving a late courier delivery of a canteen's worth of silver cutlery in a shoe box, which I had to lock in my desk drawer overnight, because our finance department had already finished for the day and locked the safe.
Some people are vultures.
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
I've spent best part of twenty years renting and everywhere has had mould issues due to damp.
I want good extraction from my own kitchen.
Elpenor
Dancing as fast as I can
Maybe because some kitchens are now internal (or have a conservatory off so effectively internal?
AnnO'Neemus
Is so vanilla
Plus permission fees. Look out for things like, if you want to change your front door and/or windows, you have to get their permission and they charge a fee to provide that. Or even if you just want to paint your front door a different colour, permission fee payable. Want to add a conservatory or build an extension? Permission fee payable. Want to convert the loft? Permission fee payable. Want to do some internal work, eg knocking down a wall to make open plan living/kitchen or maybe putting a loo under the stairs? Permission fee payable.
People think they've bought a house so it's theirs to do what they want with it, no more asking a landlord for permission to do xyz like they had to do when renting, and then they're shocked to find out the new build home they bought has lots and lots of restrictions and additional service charges and permission fee payments.
I think there's a move away from leasehold for new build houses, for houses being sold by developers now, I think they're more likely to be freehold. And there's probably changes in the pipeline about ground rents (another money maker for developers).
Generally speaking, though, I wouldn't touch new build with a barge pole. Lots of problems with leasehold, service charges, ground rent, permission fees, also poor build quality, lots of snagging needed and often not carried out, or not done to good quality standard.
AnnO'Neemus
Is so vanilla
I think installing a wall/door to separate the lounge and then opening up a kitchen/diner at the rear would work better and feel more spacious.
Leafster
.
I was the Executor to the Will of someone I used to work with. The day after she died, one of the adult children went to the house with a van and a friend and took loads of stuff! I had to write to them and get them to return it.
Also, my co-exec and I visited the house to go through everything. We did it over a few days as there was lots of it. We noticed that between visits, paperwork went "missing" from the study and we contacted all the adult children to ask if they'd "moved" anything. On our next visit, the paperwork had mysteriously returned to the study.
Thora
Differently Ethical
Our solicitor has basically said "I dunno, probably be fine?"
Estate agent has said the power of attorney is done, it just hadn't been registered yet.
I'm trying to get a bit more info on timescales but not much we can do at the moment.
We have a garage in a block, it's useful for storage, bikes, that kind of thing. Not the car.
danski
"vibey"
Houses are made to be more airtight now for reasons of energy conservation (and I think to impede spread of fire). Old draughty houses have a certain amount of natural ventilation but newer houses need mechanical ventilation installed to allow warm, damp air to be removed so it doesn’t form condensation then mould.
danski
"vibey"
Indeed, opening a window to solve this seems obvious but you wouldn’t believe the amount of people it’s not obvious to. Same people that put wet washing straight on a radiator with no windows open. You have to get rid of the damp air.
You're right, I'm having to constantly remind my partner to open the window after a shower.
Leafster
.
When I lived in a flat we jointly owned the management company which maintained them. We used to manage it ourselves until it got too complicated but when we did, it always surprised me how many residents would complain they had problems with damp when they just didn't open any windows (ever!).
One flat we got called to had even put a non-condensing dryer in the kitchen without ducting the vent to the outside. No wonder they had damp with all that hot steamy air in the kitchen and permeating throughout the flat!
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
an increasing number of places seem to be built with the bathroom without an opening window. that's a fairly immediate 'no' from me...
moonsi til
worked it out now!
I just saw a renovated house online that has a bathroom without a window, that's a no way from me. One of the things I like about our 60s house is the big window in the south-facing bathroom and having a shower on a sunny day with the window (slightly) open.
Elpenor
Dancing as fast as I can
Sure - I don’t have much else that I’m considering. I’ll post the two in the same area which I’ve viewed but didn’t like the house. These both have the more optimal driving but really not mad about the houses for various reasons
Check out this 2 bedroom semi-detached house for sale on Rightmove
2 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in Woodmere Way, Kingsteignton, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 for £240,000. Marketed by Fulfords, Newton Abbot
Check out this 2 bedroom semi-detached house for sale on Rightmove
2 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in Longfield Avenue, Kingsteignton, TQ12 for £245,000. Marketed by Chamberlains, Newton Abbot
Then there’s this one, in a different area, that is near to the top of my price range. Looking at it tomorrow (as are several others apparently) and the indications from the agent are that it will be gone quickly.
Check out this 2 bedroom terraced house for sale on Rightmove
2 bedroom terraced house for sale in Playmoor Cottages, Pinhoe, EX1 for £275,000. Marketed by Stags, Exeter
kalidarkone
Bringing YOU round.....
I love the third one.Sure - I don’t have much else that I’m considering. I’ll post the two in the same area which I’ve viewed but didn’t like the house. These both have the more optimal driving but really not mad about the houses for various reasons
Check out this 2 bedroom semi-detached house for sale on Rightmove
2 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in Woodmere Way, Kingsteignton, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 for £240,000. Marketed by Fulfords, Newton Abbotwww.rightmove.co.uk
Check out this 2 bedroom semi-detached house for sale on Rightmove
2 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in Longfield Avenue, Kingsteignton, TQ12 for £245,000. Marketed by Chamberlains, Newton Abbot
Then there’s this one, in a different area, that is near to the top of my price range. Looking at it tomorrow (as are several others apparently) and the indications from the agent are that it will be gone quickly.
Check out this 2 bedroom terraced house for sale on Rightmove
2 bedroom terraced house for sale in Playmoor Cottages, Pinhoe, EX1 for £275,000. Marketed by Stags, Exeter
moonsi til
worked it out now!
Thank you. Ooh my vote is for the 3rd one too. I’m not keen on the one you viewed today as it seems pokey & has uphill garden.
