Owning your own home

you presumably tried copious amounts of salt already?

slightly..

yeah, vinegar, descaler, and also it never feels warm at the end of any of the cycles (from eco, to bloody 4 hour mode) so i think its .. just shit? or broken?

And you've cycled it empty and checked the filter and no blockages etc?

If you've done all the stuff suggested here maybe just treat yourself to a new one if you can afford it - having a crap dishwasher is just going to be annoying.

I'm halfway though a similar project in SE London, I think your best bet is to get clear plans (couldn't recommend the architect I used.. though got planning okay) and a clear list of exactly what work you want done, then get a number of builders (who will manage the trades) to quote. The builder I am using, (who did a loft conversion for a friend) used the structural engineer Porthousedean, I was impressed with the engineers thoroughness/price, they will need accurate plans to go off. I don't think it will really cost you any more to have a builder manage it and they can then co-ordinate the work much better.

We moved just over a week ago and our mortgage balance for the old place is still showing as outstanding. Is this normal? There have been a few bank holidays in between but shouldn't it be showing as paid off by now?

No it takes a while to update.

Thanks, did email the solicitors yesterday but they've not come back yet. Good to know that a rather significant wedge of cash probably hasn't disappeared into the ether :)

Really helpful, cheers mate. If you feel inclined to recommend your builder once you're fully through the process please do feel free to share!

I had it the other way around. My old mortgage was showing as closed, but my new one hadn't appeared yet. Sadly a rather significant wedge of cash hasn't appeared from the ether and things tidied up a few days later.

I'm looking at buying a house and the seller has commissioned a timber and damp report that asks for the floor to be lifted and a damp membrane installed, and for injection dpc into the walls.

It's a 240ish year old house. I'm not convinced the works are necessary for a variety of reasons and would like to have my own independent report commissioned.

Does anyone have any experience of how mandatory the works are in terms of mortgage lending? Presumably if my engineer's/conservation architect's report says "do X and Y but not Z" then that will be sufficient?

I'll speak to my prospective mortgage lender of course, but wondered if anyone has any practical experience.

No experience of that specific scenario but I'm fairly certain injecting liquid DPC is total snake oil

injection dpc into the walls

Injection DPCs are, for the most part, pointless, and for a 100+ year old house, will cause permanent damage.

Do you have a copy of the cowboy toilet paper report?

From my (limited) experience, mortgage lenders only want to know if the walls & roof are structurally sound.

Unless damp is mentioned in the report you are providing to your lender, don't mention it.

The cheap surveyor that the bank chose for me stated there was damp in walls, and that triggered me having to find an independant damp surveyor. (Not linked to a company providing the 'solutions')
Worth noting that the historic property specialist surveyor I paid for noted some issues expected in a similar age property. (Cement render etc), but nothing that he would say 'Don't buy this property' to.

Chances are, its a solid whinstone wall. So good luck injecting into that!
I'll be doing a limecrete floor if this sale ever goes through. Nearly at 10months and counting.

the seller has commissioned a timber and damp report

Presumably before they decided to sell it?

Or Scotland so they had to do it?

Scotland, so yeah they had to do it

Cheers, I do have a copy. Obviously not going to post it up here. I'm in agreement with you - except for the mortgage lenders, who will want to see all reports or conduct their own, since the reports done thus far establish the mortgage valuation

We had this, I was and still am suspicious of damp proofing. We got it done as at the time it was the blind leading the blind. Despite being suspicious it has removed any sign of damp on the walls. House is 150 years old and there is absolutely no sign of a damp proof layer in the building.

floor to be lifted and a damp membrane installed, and for injection dpc into the walls.

It's a 240ish year old house.

Absolutely no fucking way

If you're buying a house >100 years old letalone 240 years (!) I'd recommend doing some reading on SPAB/Historic England/Cadw or whatever the equivalent is where you are, or buying the "old house handbook" or similar books

Most damp issues are related to thinks like gutter/pipe/tile/flashing leaks/inadequate ventilation that simply need fixing, or modern materials (cement instead of lime) being applied

link

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Yeah this is my view also - I've a lot of respect for SPAB. Always useful and good to hear this from someone else - when purchasing the rose tinted spectacle effect can be all too real.

What I don't have any experience of is whether it affects the mortgage lending. We shall see.

Edit: I'd read this previously but forgotten about this specific document - good to see I recalled the right actions to take :)

In the SPAB’s experience, mortgage lenders
can demand unnecessary damp-proofing work
during house purchases. Although mortgage
valuers have a duty to follow a trail of suspicion,
some simply pass all responsibility onto remedial
treatment contractors with a vested commercial
interest encouraging over-specification. It is
worth challenging any diagnosis you believe is
questionable and, if necessary, seeking a second
opinion in writing from an independent chartered
building surveyor or consultant (note, not
contractor).

Cheers, will be interesting to hear more about the limecrete if you ever get to it!

Ta, glad to hear it's worked out for you.