Owning your own home

@Cupcakes I have, although not sure if I can help out much. Ill try my best.

Thanks - sounds like what I'm being quoted is in right ballpark then

Cool, thanks. Wondering how to get started really. Moving out of London means I may now have a chance of affording a small flat. I was planning to move into another rental and then look for a place over the year, but I'm now wondering if its best to just bite the bullet and try to buy now. I have 3 months in hand before I really need somewhere to be completed

but I'm now wondering if its best to just bite the bullet and try to buy now

Yes

Well thats what we did, sold our flat in Glasgow's famous Finnieston to secure our funds, rented and looked for a few months and then bought in the southside of town. I think that worked in our favour as we were chain free and had the monies ready to go. However we were outbid on several occasions but the system works differently up here although I'm not sure on the details. Where are you looking to move if you don't mind me asking?

looking back I'd agree with @duncs just go for it as sometimes the process takes ages and you're forever looking for that perfect place. Plus renting is money that could be going towards your deposit/renovation/bike fund

My plan of wanting to get a 2 beds and rent out the 2nd bedroom is getting more and more unrealistic... might just have to buy a 1 bed, tyring to have an as short as posisble mortgage term and upsize when I actually have a high paying job that requires selling my soul to the devil...

Heading to Edinburgh. I have work sorted, so like I said the plan was just to rent for a bit. But then I found it was hard to find a place that would accept pets, and I thought why not just buy then - I have some deposit saved up and this way I don't have to give up my cat. It's funny, I didn't think that would be what finally motivated me.

I'm willing as long as I can find a place good enough to stay in for a while on my budget. Which I can, I think, hopefully...

Ha! Its good that you have that option however. Good luck on the search!

Yes, it's that expensive. I generally estimate £1k per sash window for total restoration (that's upper and lower sash and cill). They are better than new afterwards taking into account modern draught proofing. If they are not in terrible condition it can cost less.

£180 a day is the going day rate. It won't be easy to find people to do it, I'm booked all year and turning down 2 jobs a week.

Back door needs replacing, DG company initially wanted to carry the fan light window on the right over as the top of the door level, but this only give a door height of about 1900. I know this is over 6 foot, so shouldn't cause me a problem, but my gut is that it'll have me ducking everyime I walk into the garden.

My feeling is it would be better to brick up small window on the right, and run the door up as high as possible.

Also, cat flaps in sealed unit... they say they can do it, but better to have it set in a solid panel at the bottom presumably, for the longevity of the sealed unit (door will be glazed as far as possible)?

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No idea, it's been like that since I've been here.

Might be worth a chat with @OldSkoolRacer as he's putting roots down up there now?

Our freeholder (housing association) used these guys to fix up a load of small bits the previous firm (worryingly cheap) they hired screwed up. Surprisingly, a firm who offered 30% under anyone else on the tender just threw some non-English speaking workers at the jobs and then dissolved the company before dealing with any comeback! Marjon have been really good to deal with and all the work they've done has been to a high standard. Not sure about cost as we weren't paying...

Or simply smash that the back door in

Mid terrace compromise plan update:

Good News: Pre-planning advice received confirms that we don't need planning permission for loft conversion with velux windows at the rear. Woot.

More Good news: Have made contact with two local builders, one being the son of the new next door neighbour contacted putting notes though the neighbours' doors, and have discovered that we actually have a second basement under the rear dining room. Scope for that to become a bigger studio, second guest room with en-suite or utility room.

Bad news is that we have discovered that we need a total re-wire requiring all the ceilings to come down. Also realized that the textured paper/artex that covers the entire flat will bring all the blown plaster down with it. Also found the the roof isn't felted. Starting to feel like a huge job and i'm now less confident about budget. Am seeking quotes and should have a better idea next week.

Secretly tried and failed again to get sellers of dream-house to switch horses. The more I'm learning about the inconvenience and cost of the works required, the more attractive the one that got away is becoming. Nothing else suitable has come on the market in the last two months. Hmmmm.

Am still flip-flopping between optimism and concern at the prospect of all this work. Other than that sale is progressing slowly.

How much does it cost to get an architect to draw up plans for changing the layout of the downstairs of a mid-terrace? Don't want an exact figure - just whether it's more hundreds, thousands or more...

I'd love to know too

I want to rip out all the walls and put in bifold doors onto the patio

Creating a seamless transition between the inside and outside spaces but in a modern traditional contemporary way.

No, I do subscribe to 15 different interior design magazines so I can stay on trend though.

Fake grass on the ceiling, it will be a thing in 2017.

do it properly and don't put in a dormer

What's properly, and what instead of a dormer?

'hard the roof'?

Good point. @OldSkoolRacer any tips on getting started?

Anyone extended their lease recently?

Who did you use and how was it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHuc_Nutv-s