Owning your own home

My impression is that there's a drop in first time buyers which is going to slow things down. If you're selling and buying you're probably less worried about a drop in the market unless you're really stretching.

Yep was going to suggest it was HMO’d

Planning in some renovation to our lounge and hallway next year / late this year. I want to change and/or move the meters to smart meters, especially the elec as it's in a stupidly big box and by moving I could reduce the size of the box and stop smacking our heads on it. The Gas could do with being a touch smaller, as it's right behind the front door and sotps it from opening fully, again the boxing in is shite and leaks cold air in to the hall.

My supplier (Octopus) have been woefully slow with their rollouts and now if I change supplier I'll be at the back of a very long queue to get them installed, so what are my options around just paying for someone to come and install them 'privately' as it were? I know I'll have to pay for the meters themselves, but this is pretty intrinsic to the renovation as the area where the meter was will need to be made good, and the upshot is I should be able to choose the smallest possible units.

Ovo fitted smart meters for free, when I switched to them.

Like straight away? interesting, I'll have to contact them

Also anyone had a custom rad done for a bay window?

They make curved ones for bay windows. Might look kinda cack though.

It wasn't straight away but was within a couple of months. Maybe they could do it quicker if asked.

It's a 3/8ths of an octagon type bay, but you're right. 3 small cast iron rads could look ok, but kinda fussy. I would just like it out from behind the sofa. A column might work (in a different spot).

I cheaped out and got three smaller rads to fit with some fiddly pipe work in between, looks pretty tidy for the money. Will update with a pic in the morning.

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Yes I had one made in my old flat across a 3m wide bay. I got it from Shiv Radiators and from memory it was around £800.
It was really neat but we ended up putting a sofa in front of it so in hindsight it’d have been cheaper to use 3 interconnected rads.

3 interconnected Rads will work fine and will cost buttons to buy. You can get a small single radiator for a tenner and a double for not a lot more.

Anyone use multi-agency when selling?

Any pitfalls? How many agencies is too many?

As a buyer when I see somewhere on with multiple agents, I always assume there’s something wrong with it

Another pitfall is the commission I think - most will only have their "good" rate if you're the sole agent.

I've heard that. Or that it looks 'desperate'.

I'm not sure how much it would actually change behaviour though. If I saw a house that I would consider, I don't think I'd reject it purely on the number of agents trying to sell it. That would be kinda weird.

Another pitfall is the commission I think

Yes, they charge more, but a quick ring round this afternoon suggests they are desperate for instructions. Multi-agent rate seems to be less than their 'unchallenged' sole agent rate in Jan.

I'd think about a lower offer if it was on with two (the place I had an offer accepted on was). It also splits the interest of the estate agent, the priority for them becomes the sale and getting it off the market rather than the price (so the other agent can't sell it) so you can put some pressure on to get them to convince the vendor to accept a lower price (a slightly lower commission is better than none for the agent).

Realistically though I think it's only worth it if it's two significantly different agents. A couple of high street agents in the same area are going to be working the same customer base. An online only one with significant reach or an agent out of the area (but in a similar area) may work to get people who weren't already looking interested.

Dealing with +1 estate agents surely has to be enough downside...

New home day. Lots of work to do.

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will the cargo bike fit through the door?

Congratulations.

New area or same as before?

West Norwood. The bit that borders West Dulwich.

Road?