Owning your own home

green man van

Delay on flat sale has been uncovered - lender won't release funds until I have owned for 6 months. Which, although was flagged up as a problem at the beginning of sale, was never actually stated to be a definite 100% gonna happen thing.

Oh well. I wish they'd just told me that like 3 months ago. It's much nicer to know.

My 6 months (hard time) is up on the w/c 3rd Sept. So hopefully get it done then.

Good You and Yours program on JKW the other day
Did mention the history of the 7m rule and how it was a completely abitrary figure back of fag packet guess when a (?) scientist was asked to put a figure on it

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06h0wrx

And on the subject of septic tanks, we found the (very heavy concrete ) cover to our cesspit
Was buried under ivy, and looks like it defintely needs an emptying

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The cover

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My parents' septic tank was built in 1984 and handled a family of 5 (including two 'farmer stock' rugby playing teenagers) and to my knowledge has never been touched. We used to chuck stones down the vent pipe for a lark. My dad did not appreciate that.

Cheers for that BRO, the more I learn about it the more it feels like the issue has been completely blown out of proportion.

Getting a full report back this week, lets see what It says.

Not emptying my John Lewis basket just yet...

Wife and I found a perfect house for us on Saturday; not far out from Cambridge.

Now the fun begins.

Chat about mortgage port booked for today, viewings for our house happening this week, offer being finalised etc.

Nervous...

Anyone want to but a house in Bickley?

Anyone have any experience with asbestos roof tiles? Looked at a 1933 terraced house at the weekend and it has them, all the other houses have them and I have a friend who owns one of the others in the terrace who said shes had no issue with them at all.

none of the ones on the house we were looking at looked in anyway problematic but a little bit of digging suggests these have a life of no more than 100 years which means a replacement roof would be due in 2030ish.

As first time buyers we are a bit nervous about diving in so want somewhere that just ticks the boxes and this house seems perfect apart from that.

As you mention, Asbestos is absolutely fine until it starts degrading, then it becomes an issue, and you have to have a specialist company in to remove and dispose of.

I had an asbestos roof, big sheets rather than tiles. I took it all off with my brother over a few days a year or so ago, it is currently stacked at the bottom of my garden waiting for disposal. just for the disposal skip is going to cost me about £5k, so if you add the removal cost to that, it isn't going to be a cheap job, I would ring round and get some quotes, just so you have an idea how much it will cost eventually.

Question about "Formal Water Waste Notice".

This has just been passed on to us which was sent to our neighbour but includes our address as one of the contacted houses.

Has anyone heard/had one of these before?

Cheers.

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Has anyone ported their mortgage before?

I'm wondering how long it takes, and/or if it's a simple process.

(Situation is: Due to complete on 7th Sept. Mortgage provider says I can port mortgage up to 3 months after I sell. I am in a 'best & final' purchase situation whereby the owner wants to move very quickly, and so I'm hoping to prove my position is quite strong/flexible based on the above)

the disposal skip is going to cost me about £5k

Again, the local playing field after dark is very affordable

True.

I have a digger, current plan is to dig a really big hole...

Arrange them in a henge formation when you bury them, that'll confuse the fuck out of future archaeologists. For bonus points, have yourself buried (when the time comes) in a barrow next to Asbestos-Henge, sat on a throne holding a pogo-stick in one hand and a penguin in the other.

There is quite a lot of them...

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Had an offer accepted on a nice 2 bed flat in Palmers Green, we're first time buyers so its all very daunting but slowly getting through it all. Got a solicitor and mortgage advisor appointed and now going for the mortgage offer after getting one in principal. Whats worrying us now is that in an ideal world we'd like to be in the new place by the end of October (as that's when our current tenancy in Arnos Grove ends) but starting to come to terms with it being highly unlikely as the sellers haven't even looked at anywhere to buy yet, said they will be going around some over the bank holiday weekend.

Need to look into some temporary accommodation and storage options as I really doubt our landlord/EA will allow us to go on a rolling contract/tenancy once this one expires and we don't have friends or family we can lean on really. Anyone had any experience of this and have any recommendations of where to start looking etc?

Yep, I believe thats what I am doing, wasn't any tougher than getting a normal mortgage, I think, but then I'm still waiting for its approval, so...

(not the most helpful reply).

Did you just arrange it with your lender, or did you still go through an independent mortgage advisor?

effectively, you and your neighbours on the shared supply will need to pay to have it fixed either by relaying a new 63/125mm pipe from the house to the boundary. 63mm will probably be sufficient depending on number of houses on the supply.

I used an advisor due to the fact I can barely tie my own shoelaces.

Checks.

Shoe laces are not tied.

FFS... long post incoming that I could do with some guidance on.

Tl;dr: there is a leak on shared supply pipe, but source is unknown.

Questions:

1. Insurance - a) should I notify both insurers? b) which one will cover it? c) does buying and paying for private H&C insurance prior to start date lock that insurer in?
   
2. Who's responsibility is the leak? a) if it is the shared supply pipe - is it the property it's located on? b) if it is on a property - that property's I assume?
   
3. Do water companies charge more when they fix it vs and indy contractor?
   
   

Facts:

• There is a leak on the supply pipe between 5 houses - call them No.s 1-5.
  
• Mid-June Water Co. sent letters out - followed by a 2nd letter to our tenants (1st wasn't rec'v), notifying them of water waste and need to identify and fix. This was apparently fwd to our letting agent, but Letting Agent has only just notified us as neighbour at No. 2 told them at the time he would email me - he did but it went into my my junk and was deleted.
  
• No. 2 has made efforts to contact Water Co. to find out if there was a leak. Finally in early Aug when No. 2 was on holiday, Water Co. fitted a water meter. Some time later No.1-5 turned off their water and the water meter showed water flow indicating a leak.
  
• No. 2 has spoken to an approved independent contractor, who gave a quote of c.£400 to find leak.
  
• Currently we have Land Lords insurance with buildings. I bought a new private/owner's insurance the other week, before I knew any of this which won't kick in for another couple of weeks. No. 2 spoke to his insurers when the issue first presented itself and they said until you know 1) there is a leak, and 2) you know who's responsibility it is you can't do anything.
  
  

My biggest concern is the leak being on our property, us being liable to fix, then being uninsured due to either; a) the insurers passing the buck between them, and/or b) not making them aware sooner.

The logical solution seems to be for No.s 1-5 to agree to get indy contractor in to source the leak then take it from there. Right?

It seems likely the leak is on No. 2 or us (No. 3). Based on; No. 1 being the victim of the leak (and having replaced all his pipework), No. 4 having an extension recently built (where builders claim to have inspected for leaks prior to work), No. 5 having recently sold and checked prior to sale.

Any help/advice much appreciated. Cheers!

have you all got individual meters or was it just one they put in?

No. It was one they put in on the shared supply pipe to establish whether there was a leak. I assume it's in a publicly visible location.

This is down to No. 2 arguing that without proof of a leak you couldn't establish there was one. Which as No.1 apparently had a dug hole* constantly filling with water sounds a bit obtuse... but probably the correct thing to do.

*dug for an extension being built

Anyone recommend a solicitor for changing names on deeds? SE6