Owning your own home

Sounds like the recipe for a dangerous romance based game. Could be up there with the good ol rip start.

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So we've just had an offer accepted (yay but oh shit, it's getting real!) Does anyone have any good recommendations for solicitors? We're buying in forest gate so local would be better.

Many thanks!

Find the manual for your boiler. It should say whether it's suitable to be fitted in a cupboard and specify clearances for all sides

Finally made a start on the lease extension front. It's not urgent yet - 87 years remaining - but sooner rather than later makes sense. Solicitor I spoke to suggested the informal approach as a starting point, so I'm going with that. I have a feeling this will be a PITA whichever way it's done.

Having had no contact with the freeholder (or any idea who they are) I phoned the company who invoice me for the ground rent (suspect they're acting on behalf of the freeholder) and asked to speak to someone about a lease extension. Got told I need to obtain a quote, by writing to them with details of the number of bedrooms and current market value.

That seems straightforward enough, but how do I determine market value at this stage? Finger in the air/zoopla, ask an estate agent, or get a surveyor? The latter seems OTT for getting an initial quote, but if chances are I'll need one at some point should I just get it out of the way?

I could phone back and ask, but don't want to let on that their dealing with someone completely clueless just yet. Read a few pages back that @stevo_com has recently been through this, any help would be much appreciated.

Incidentally, the company named on the lease is 'Rhinestone Properties Limited'. This is also the name on the invoices I get, although contact details are for grgroup.co.uk

Much confuse, particularly because googling the above company I find they ceased to exist in 2015. WTFIGO?

Check land registry for similar properties in your area. It will have the price they sold for.

Zoopla is as good a guess as any for this kind of thing but that they have no idea what the property or what it's worth themselves when they are acting on behalf of the landlord, doesn't fill me with much confidence.

Have you tried any of the online calculators for the lease extension premium? I found them to be pretty accurate compared to what I ended up paying.

When I first spoke to our freeholders solicitor, I made it clear that I was confident in what the premium should be and a piss take offer would force me to go statutory, which would be painful for them.

If I were you, I would apply in writing with the value you get from zoopla (just don't mention where you got it) the number of bedrooms and something at the lower end of whatever the calculator spits out and say you will be expecting a quote close to that with favourable terms.

That's what I meant by finger in air/zoopla option. I'm on London's famous Harringay Ladder so there's no end of similar-ish properties.

Thinking more about this, the accuracy will only affect the quote so isn't terribly important in the grand scheme of things? The actual cost will be determined by more formal valuations in due course.

Thanks. The person I spoke to didn't even ask which property it was, I've no doubt they'll be able to come up with a quote which is favourable to themselves/their clients.

I had looked at calculators previously, will check them out again.

the company named on the lease is 'Rhinestone Properties Limited'

Sound like cowboys to me

Have considered that in the past. Came to the conclusion it sounded like a ballache and not worth the hassle unless you were trying to escape exorbitant service fees and maintenance costs.

There's only one other neighbour and that flat is let. Makes me concerned I'd end up being responsible for the whole thing.

Bob Bentley in Walthamstow is good.

I would have recommended Gisby Harrison, but Martin Browne (who I used in the past when I bought in Forest Gate) has retired, and his replacement was ok but we still had quite a few communication issues at critical points.

On that, we are finally in. However the day of completion was a shambles, ending in our funds from both sales only arriving at 4pm after numerous cockups in the chain below us. Cue rebooking removal men and a night in a Premier Inn in Edmonton.

We are now in the position of seeking advice on how we can recoup these costs, and expecting those above us in the chain to try and pass their compensation claims to us. Anyone else had this happen to them?

My downstairs neighbour and I...

lel

You can download the Land Registry data from here https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/price-paid-data-downloads to make it reasonably quick to search through the surrounding area. When I remortgaged last year and needed a value I just looked at two or three streets either side and that gave enough options to take a guess at the value.

If you do buy the freehold then it does give you options for extensions, loft conversions, etc if that is a consideration. Obviously partly depends on your lease.

ok this is a bit of a web.

Rhinestone was indeed dissolved in 2015 but in May2015 a company with the same name was set up in Ireland. I have seen this before and its done for tax reasons. However I cant see the same directors listed for both which could mean they are actually completely separate companies with no link.
http://www.solocheck.ie/Irish-Company/Rhinestone-Properties-Limited-561656
its possibly a coincidence but i think your rhinestone will be the irish company as thats still going. whats the address they give for contact?

Interestingly clicking your GRgroup.co.uk link brings up a webpage for Alan Mattey group. I suspect thats a trading name as I can only find 'The Alan Mattey Trust Corporation Ltd' in companies house rather than a group company. (has the same address so will be same company. often the publice name isnt always the same as the Ltd company name.)

its quite possible that Rhinestone in Ireland is owned by the Alan Mattey company based in the UK but I cant get beneficial owners information without paying.

Radiators, talk to me, of course the ones in my flat are slightly odd stupid size... (1300mm).

Cheers, looked it up, couldn't see owt? All the pipes go out the wall and all the others go in the boiler so not sure how it could be effected? Anyone? @sacredhart ?

Cheers for digging into that. The lease is from 2006 so that obviously can't be the Irish one. Will have a look for contact details.

Think my lease is relatively favourable in terms of loft conversions. The loft space is definitely included in the demise and I'm solely responsible for maintenance of the roof. Would obviously still require consent - which would no doubt have a cost associated - but it's my understanding that the landlord 'can't unreasonably refuse' it.

Cheer for the advice.

What about surveyors? I'm getting quite a disparity in quotes so far. Does anyone have any recommendations?

you need to refer to that specific boiler installation instructions.

For a combi minimum clearances it will more likely be for access rather than cooling. Installation instructions should be easy to find online pm me if you have any questions/ can't find them