Owning your own home

Boiler recommendation - bought this in 2009 - excellent. Vaillant EcoTec Pro 28 HE Combi Condensing Boilers 28kw £640 / £736.00 incl VAT, bought from sight below. Just make sure the builder or gas fitter is a professional and will give you a signed gas cert

http://www.heatcodirect.com/index.php?menu=show2&title=%20Vaillant%20Combi%20Condensing%20Boilers%20-%20Vaillant%20EcoTec%20Pro%2028%20HE%20Combi%20Condensing%20Boilers%2028kw%20&viewlist=392

It would seem only Worcester Bosch and Vaillant have any kind of reputation for reliability - and that Vaillant is very efficient indeed.

i hope you like the fence too, i put that up myself

Needs moar razor wire, protect all the things.

Vaillant ecoTec 831 here, installed 2 years ago. Supplied and fitted for around £1800 I think

Engineer that installed it also said that Worcester and Vaillant were the only two worth bothering with if installing new.

has anyone sold their home privately?

dibs

Will you post to Malaysia etc

will post - western union me the money first

Thanks all for the info Re: Freehold flat. We spoke to our IFA yesterday, who says that our case shouldn't be an issue - He recently put an identical case through Nationwide.
Essentially because we would own the freehold of the block (consisting of only 2 properties) and there's a lease in place for the other flat, then it shouldn't be a problem.

Still don't feel 100% and can foresee hours and hours of conveyancer confusion and letter writing...

I know a couple of people who've done it.

Couple of solicitors and bob's yer uncle.

Obviously need to do some reading, but i am curious about whether the savings/not dealing with polyester suits is worth the potential extra work.

My mate has done it Big Red.
You want to talk with him?

potentially. we are looking at a house on saturday. if that is as good as it looks and we can make the sums add up, i will let you know.

i never thought i'd see the day we'd sell bronxley towers...

if somewhere like foxtons is charging 2-3% and you have no control over the sneakiness that goes on behind the scenes, selling it yourself must be a good thing, no?

1. decide on a price
   
2. find a buyer
   
3. ???
   
4. profit
   
   

does an agent speed up the process (or slow it down)?

I think there are certain things they do like notice of sale and all that bollocks but you're paying for convenience and advertising. If you don't need that then sack them off.

I'd be interested to see how these new fixed price services (usually <£500) work also. They probably save money by not having branches and not having to remove the smell of shit aftershave/perfume from Mini upholstery every other day.

A friend did it

1. find buyer (was another friend)
   
2. invite agent to advertise it
   
3. wait on offers. decline all
   
4. sell to friend at offer minus agent cut
   
   

I don't think it was much extra hassle - still had to do all the solicitors stuff, searches etc.

I would pay a few grand to not have to deal with the shiny suited mouth breathers.

As I understand it, it's cheaper to do it yourself, and easier. Selling houses is not difficult - there's enough demand that buyers will come to you. Agents are a pointless expense that provide limited to no additional value.

List it on Zoopla / Rightmove / Gumtree / LFGSS classifieds, and it will sell.

Repost rant, most likely.

Estate agents are the worst kind of sales person. I haven't met one that came across as a professional or that they had any great knowledge in their field. Every one I viewed properties with couldn't answer any of my questions. None had done any research on the places we went to see (what does the ridiculous maintenance charge cover, who is the management company, what are the restrictions around alterations etc). If I'm tieing myself to the most debt I'm likely to ever hold, don't rock up like your selling me a 2004 Ford Focus.

Few links in this article to click through http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/jul/07/how-sell-house-online

@TW zoopla/rightmove, etc are agent only - that seems to be the main down side...

so, i have this friend, right, who may be selling this fucking luxurious 3 bed palace...

anyone interested?

excellent security on the basement

Well, that sucks.

It seems that there EAs that provide a "list on zoopla for a hundred pounds" service though.

http://www.myonlineestateagent.com/zoopla

What about that Sarah Beeny website that has the worst name ever?

Edit: tepilo