Owning your own home

Only 10 minutes to the pleasure beach. What more do you need?

I'll be interested to hear if this seems to work. Will likely be in a very similar scenario (top floor flat and baby) and if it's anything like last year's summer I'd like at least one room that's a refuge from the heat.

Need some made to measure rollers and blackout blinds. Any recommendations? Any advice against being a bit cheap an getting some from blind2go? It seems most of the smaller companies that did made to measure are out of action for now (and I rather use the time while I have it)

Bought blinds from blind2go and it worked out perfectly. Just make sure you measure right and think about where you can drill for the brackets. Didn’t go for the cheapest ones but somewhere in the middle (still cheap compared to other places). Have no complaints 8 months later.

1 x Santiago Pale Mist Blackout Roller Blind
106cm width x 182cm drop (recess)

1 x PVC Fawn Roller Blind
118.5cm width x 126cm drop (recess)

Second one was for en-suite bathroom so chose a waterproof blackout one

Brilliant! Glad to know that the quality is good! Many thanks @plantasia

No worries, one this to consider is that with recess fit there will be some light leaking in at the sides. But it is a cleaner look, I find.

To hell with that mess! Integrated all the way.

Looks like we may need to plan a replacement boiler. Was there a conclusion to the recent boiler chat?
We need a combi, probably 35KW.

Bought blinds from blind2go and it worked out perfectly

@frankohara just ordered one for our kitchen. Looks good, will put it up this weekend.

It's a little vignette of cosy with the rocking chair by the aga, the side table and the TV in front. I guess those big rooms don't have underfloor heating.

Got a multimeter? Is there any resistance between live and neutral or is it open circuit?

Read today that the number of 2 year fixed mortgages with 90% LTV fell from 294 to 23 recently. I have my 10% deposit to get my first house - looking less likely to go ahead now but might still happen. Thinking it might be more sensible to get a 5 year fix incase the housing market doesn't recover in 2 years or interest rates go up. How do you go about finding out if the mortgage provider will give you consent to let 2-3 years down the line before signing up for a 5 year mortgage? Don't want to commit to 5 years

Also with those 23 some will only be 3 or 4x salary

How do you go about finding out if the mortgage provider will give you consent to let

Look at the terms.

It's unlikely that they won't give you consent. It just depends how much they charge. Nationwide charged us an extra 1% (I think) from month 7 onwards - ie 6m free.

Realistically I can't imagine many will with a 90% LTV.

The obvious is to get your broker to ask them but a buy to let mortgage normally has a higher deposit (often 25%) compared to what you're looking at.

Don't want to commit to 5 years

Sounds like a five year fixed rate mortgage is not for you in that case.

@hugo7 cheers :)

@aggi I get why they would be less keen at the moment on a 2 year. Find out next week; got a call with a broker and my agreement in principle with my bank expires & should auto-renew

I thought I would post here...

Anyone after (good) used appliances? I am in New Cross SE14 5DB

I am getting new integrated appliances tomorrow so will be selling at low prices the following non-integrated appliances:

• Bosch washing machine WAN28150GB (white) - £100 SOLD
  
• Beko dishwasher DFN16210W (white) - £50
  
• Beko oven BIM16300XC (stainless steel) - £50 SOLD
  
• Ariston Fridge MTM 1722 V (stainless steel) - £50
  
• SIA Gas hob & extractor (black and stainless steel) -> this will be free with any other appliance
  
  

Happy to help you carry the appliances into your van and show how they work.

Cheers

Vince

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Need some advice on party wall stuff:
Neighbour is taking down and rebuilding a large shed/garage which is against our shared boundary fence. At the moment it's about 1' away from the fence. It is not totally clear (from the land registry or deeds) whose responsibility the fence is - possibly ours, since there was historically a shared strip of land between our gardens which is now theirs (which the shed sits on).
They would like to move the shed up to the boundary and replace the fence with the wall of the new shed. I'm going to talk to them about it on Weds. I assume this falls under Section 1 of the Party Wall etc Act - I don't know if they're aware of this. I assume the big shed will be built in concrete block, but will find out.

• I don't really mind if the fence is replaced by blockwork or whatever. It's a north-facing fence which tends to stay a bit damp since it's in the shadow of the shed already, and it would be less maintenance.
  
• I'm not sure which side of the boundary the fence is on - it starts on my side since it's attached to the back of my house, but then it dog-legs at an old gatepost which makes it look like it's on their side, then by the end of the garden, I'm not sure. How are you supposed to know?
  
• It's more than 6m away from the house (#humblebrag )
  
• I get on ok with them and feel a bit embarrassed about insisting on Party Wall notice.
  
• But I also don't really want them to be inching into my garden. In theory building a new wall astride the boundary doesn't move the boundary, but in reality after a few years there's a risk that people will assume the boundary is on the face of their wall?
  
• I think I want them to keep the new shed on their side. But then having a fence right against it seems weird? And how would the fence even stand up?
  
• I don't know if they need to dig foundations for the thing, or just reuse the existing base. Presumably if they want to make it closer to the boundary that bit at least will need new foundations. I think Weds will just be a 'chat' but I kind of need to see what they are proposing, don't I?
  
• Maybe I should just let them get on with it. What does it matter if the boundary shifts a few inches. Or is that madness.
  

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It sucks to have to have to look at a line of fence, then 12ft of blockwork though. Just mess with your OCD something chronic.

Just mess with your OCD something chronic.

As you can probably tell from the state of my garden, this will not be a major concern.

I would imagine that your neighbour assumes that the fence centreline will become the centreline of the new wall, and that they are expecting you to accept the reduction in garden in return for an upgrade of fence (as it were).

I would be insisting the the centre line is the exterior face of their shed wall.

Also, is it going to have a roof or gutter which will overhang the wall?