Owning your own home

Is it solid underneath? If so I'd just pour some levelling compound to even it all up again

Even over the loose dirt? i think it's dirt all the way down from there until the joists.

Unlikely to be joists under that? Do you step down into the kitchen?

No we step up, by quite a bit as the house is on a hill.

Does levelling compound w0rk on dirt or will it just seep through?

I imagine if you put down some sub-base or something and bashed it down it would be fine.

It looks like blinding. Basically a sharp sand / cement mix that is poured over dirt or hardcore to seal it and prevent it from causing any issues within the building.

If I were you I'd buy a couple of bags of sharp sand and a bag of cement, mix it together in a 4:1 ratio (approx) with some water then fill the hole smoothing it at the edges so that it's level. If you want to go down the self levelling route after then do that.

We can recommend an amazing brickwork refurb company in SE if that's of any use.

Cheers and @Aroogah

Similarly it's something I'm pondering in the future but to make it a bit more distant it's also on a house I don't yet own.

I've stopped removing render/pebbledash from houses I don't own. Just wasn't worth the hassle.

This spreadsheet is quite useful for comparing different mortgage deals with different fixed terms and rates etc. To some extent the full repayment amount is a little meaningless, you want to be comparing the total repaid over the initial fixed period if you plan on remortgaging at that point.
http://www.locostfireblade.co.uk/spreadsheet/Index.html

One thing to consider is also the colour of the bricks underneath.

Our road has a few houses in really good condition with that lovely sandy colour London brick. Looks great.

A couple of houses have recently renovated and have sandblasted and repointed. Looks great but, because the bricks have been sheltered behind pebbledash, paint or render, the bricks look bright yellow.

It looks good but it's actually a bit much.

Obviously they will mellow over time but that will be quite a while.

Looking at putting an offer on a house but it's in a conservation area - we would want to probably carry out works to extend the property but struggling to make sen if this will be possible but require planning permission or not possible...

https://walthamforest.gov.uk/sites/default/files/CA%20APPRAISAL%20MANAGEMENT%20PLAN%20-%20FOREST%20SCHOOL.pdf
https://walthamforest.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Direction%28Forest%20School%29final.pdf

There should be a duty planning officers number available on the council's website somewhere. They will either have a clinic you go to in person or a number you can call where you raise your query and they will give you some fairly generic advice (which you can't rely on) but will prob point you in the right direction.

Obvious point but can you see any similar extensions on neighbouring properties on google earth? Big red flag if not given how cheap it is to add sqft by extending rather than moving.

And in a similar vein, if you look at what has been approved for planning permission on the council website that should give you a flavour of what's possible.

Interesting. I know exactly what you mean but didn't realise that was why.

@Tenderloin

You can extend in Conservation Areas but your Permitted Development rights are limited so any application would need to be submitted as a Planning Application and comply with the Waltham Forest's SPD, and the relevant Conservation Area Design Guide.

In reality, this manifests itself that you cannot do monstrous rear/infill extensions and full-width dormers up to the roof ridgeline. House type depending, the first should be fine and there are loads of precedents for extensions along with internal remodelling works that meet most people's briefs. The second potentially limits loft/dormer extensions and it depends on the floor-ceiling height/stair placement. As others have mentioned, look at recent applications along the road for a good indication of what will be allowed.

Some councils (Enfield I'm looking at you) now charge for pre planning advice!

Most do now and it is usually more expensive than a regular application! Islington for example charge £340ish for written advice or £560ish for written advice with a site visit. A Planning Application for the same building is £200ish. The kicker is that some boroughs will suggest (read: require) pre-applications as part of the box-ticking exercise for listed properties or properties within conservation areas.

Looking at neighbouring applications is the best way of quickly and without cost seeing what can be achieved.

Thanks @lf

Share of freehold, what should I be looking out for, asking questions about?

A few years worth of the accounts of the shared freehold. That should show the contributions the various flats/properties make and the outgoings (buildings insurance, common area upkeep, tree maintenance, etc).

Is it a few properties/flats or lots? (I'm in a share of freehold with two other flats. We pay enough a month to cover the annual buildings insurance and also accrue a small fund to cover unexpected costs - had lots of the building repointed the other year and most of it was covered by what was already in the fund.)

Any major works that had to be performed in the last n years. Any outstanding items that may need to be actioned in the future.

It's a nice house but pretty close to the Woodford New Road, is that putting you off at all?

doing extension rn. thought I knew about dust...... whew boy...