Owning your own home

Property going up and trad pensions failing are two sides of the same falling interest rates coin. Thinking they could have had both is having your cake and eating it.

In the sense that defined benefit pensions become much more expensive to provide when interest rates are low?

I suppose that's true, but then those with DB pensions never had to worry about what I was talking about, which is that you invest your DC pot with some shyster that charges rip-off fees, puts it in an extremely speculative investment that fails or plain runs off with it.

DC pots that were invested sensibly have (until recently) been buoyed up by low rates in the same way as property.

Does anyone know the type of company who’s be best to replace this roof and how much it might cost? I’ve tried a couple of double glazing/conservatory places but they couldn’t do it.

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You want a builder who knows about glass roofs / conservatories. That looks like perspex. Presuming you want it replaced with double glazing it will be £1-2k. What's the construction below?

You could also consider getting it replaced with a flat insulated roof but probably more £

Cheers! It’s plastic as the moment and we’d like it to be replaced with similar as it’ll be cheaper than glass. Below is a kitchen room with fridges and washing machine. We’d need it to let the light in.

I used to have similar in my old flat, I DIY'd with some triple ply polypropylene sheets and the appropriate bars. Was a pretty straight forward if a bit of a ball ache, but cheap.

That room did sting me when we sold as it wasn't up to regs and I had to buy an indemnity policy, but I think it was more than the roof stopping it from getting sign off.

Looking at doing our front drive/garden.

One of the tile companies my OH spoke to said we might need planning permission. Is this a thing? If so how onerous is it? And how likely is it to be enforced?

Almost the whole of our front is paved with a L-shaped bed in one corner. The plan would be to reduce the size of the L and add some plants in other parts.

Cheers.

I think you can get round it by using permeable paving. Usually in the form of concrete blockwork like Marshalls Tegula. Don't quote me on that though.

I doubt it if it's already paved and you are adding planting. We did the same thing last year.
It's law to add a soakaway these days to prevent runoff if water can't drain into the bedding.

Spoken about my stained glass window in a couple of threads but it is back in, flat and new piece made. Before and after attached. The guy was 10/10 in making the new piece and restoring it and extremely reasonably priced. The outer window which was a 40-50 year old singled glazed thing has fully gone for now and I am going to see how this is over the winter. The chap says it'll be fine and this was how the building was designed (to face the outside world on its own)

Now for me to paint the inside frame and the putty on the outside once dry

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Beautiful, I hope it puts all the hardship aside. I would never get my wife out of that bath.

holy fuck that's cool

https://www.lunaglassworks.co.uk/ < did one for a friend and it's amazing.

Others:
https://www.cgs.org.uk/

so an update on the rapidly worsening situation, basically solicitor said we have to propose a retention where monies are set aside in an escrow account until the final bill for the undisclosed section 20 works is received and the seller gets what is left over. though i guess there is a back and forth with offers for amounts of part payment.
No idea what happens next apart from a pissed off seller though it should be directed at the solicitor as it must be their mistake on not passing this information on and i wouldn’t want to pay them for their incompetence.

Oh and we have to complete by next Thursday....

lovely fenestration.

solicitor said we have to propose a retention where monies are set aside in an escrow account until the final bill for the undisclosed section 20 works is received and the seller gets what is left over

I would have a think before agreeing to this. You may find it easier to agree a price chip and both move on with your lives rather than pay solicitors £££s in extra fees to set up and monitor retentions.

i did ask if there were any fee’s and the reply was ‘no’.
it’s too late for a price drop as you have to reapply for a new mortgage (if i have understood things correctly) and this is why a retention was suggested.

Cheers.

I guess the contractor will also be able to give us a steer, but just wanted to have a bit more info.

We'll still be keeping a bed that water can drain into, half of it'll just be much narrower than before. But equally as the area is sloped the locations we're adding extra bedding won't be the end points(?) for any runoff.

ah OK, that does sound sensible then

Also if anyone has any suggestions/recommendations/wish-I'd-ad's on front drives and front gardens definitely shout.

I used a big cast iron tree grille for a fastigiata yew to get some greenery & drainage while leaving room for a bike shed & moving bikes around.

I also put a concrete pad in for a bike shed.
Think about bin storage/stowing
Replace your lead water pipes (if you have them) while you have the chance.
If you are parking cars consider where the charger might go for the future

Cheers.

All good points.

We’re coming to end of five year fixed mortgage next year. Before we get new one are you allowed to add more money to reduce the mortgage amount before we get a new rate?

Yes - you can put more in when you remortgage - technically you're paying it to the outgoing bank when you replace the mortgage (i.e. you'd just be seeking a lower amount in the new mortgage)

Thanks. Assume without charges applied? As we’d be effectively outside a term?