Owning your own home

Thanks!

Sellers signed the contract this afternoon so we should be getting our copy tomorrow, just in time for our meeting with the mortgage broker... Building and pest inspection later in the week, could all be done in no time... *crosses fingers*

Cheers. Yes, I don't have any issue with using the council party wall supplier.

My issue is that no-one from the council responds to emails or appears to know who I should contact. Two weeks in and I'm still waiting for someone to respond despite multiple calls and emails.

GL TS

Hi all. So I think I'm finally ready to put my flat up for sale. Any tips on how to go about the valuation / selecting an estate agent? Flat is in Rotherhithe. I bought it via Winkworth so will give them a shout. Do I just get valuations from all the big players and see who I get the best impression from?

Also how do fees work, will I have any luck negotiating them?

When do I find a conveyancer, after I get an offer?

Any advice welcome.

I've just been going through it and I've made loads of mistakes so you don't have to!

Yeah? Go for a beer soon and tell me all about it?

Would suggest having at least three agents to value the property. Agents will often give a lower fee if previously bought with them so definitely worth getting Winkworth round.

You could have some luck with the fee depending on how good the market is and how nice your gaff is! Typically most of the big agents will start at 2% and the average fee is around 1.5% in London.

And yes if you accept an offer you will need to instruct a solicitor.

Yeah sounds good. Might be good to get it off my chest :/

Online options worth considering - especially if your expectations of an estate agent are limited to "post an ad on rightmove and send an oik around to stand using their phone in the corner while you actually give the tour on the viewing". 600 quid or whatever it is on PB makes a lot of sense if so.
Probably not lots of wiggle room to negotiate fees from the big agencies but certainly in with a shot from an independent.
cc @Hovis

Just quoted 1.25% by winkworth. Said if they get within 5000 notes of their valuation within next 2 months they're welcome to it. 0.95% otherwise.

Negotiate. Let them know you know they're not the only rodeo in town.

Remember that all these fees are VAT-able. Some EAs quote with and some quote without so make sure you're comparing like with like.

Thanks all. Arranged a few valuations now. Good shout on the online front. Seems like I could save myself around £5k, although I'm hardly a good salesmen and I wonder if I would lose more than that by trying to do it myself vs a professional. Will think about it.

good point well made.

Windows: talk to me. About to replace 60-70% of existing as we are remodelling the front of the house. Architect's cost estimator has quoted approx £500 per m2. Is that about right for good-quality alu/ timber/ composite? Looking at Kloeber as the architect likes them and they have a showroom close by. Other recommendations? Cheers!

You'll know once you meet a few agents whether it's worth paying for one or doing it yourself with Purple Bricks or Yoplait or whoever.

A good one will easily get you more than that £5k back. A bad one won't.

yeah we've been pleasantly surprised by our local high street agent. Openly admitted that he understands why EA's have a shitty reputation, answered all our questions in bullshit free language and backed up his estimate with info about other recent sales in the area while referring to information he had on hand. disabused us of our prejudices pretty admirably. No fat ties, calvin klein aftershave or shitty minis for miles. that counts.

PB popped round, took a 30 second sniff, left and sent an estimate in an email 3 days later.

Where you going? TrumpLand?

not yet. probably going to upgrade in #wn4l

Anyone in Norfolk have recommendations for surveyors, builders and architects?

I'd like to take one of the above with me to a viewing for an expert eye on whether my suspicions are correct.

Cheers
Thomas

Has anyone bought a garden awning? I'd like one across the top of my bifurcating doors (about 4m wide), but I'm not entirely sure how to judge what I need given they seem to vary from a few hundred quid up to several thousand.

If you did get one and could recommend it, how hard was the fitting?

Cheers!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-67748573.html

Perfect for @Sparky

https://vimeo.com/225436756

BBC says it's sold.

you could've claimed 'the best coffee on the island' easily :P