Owning your own home

Thanks! It is a ridiculously niche bit of glass- engineering.
Didn't even cross our mind when we moved here.

@bobble - good choice of bike rack ;)
Additionally- remember all these irritations, though massive now, will drift into insignificance when it all sets into place. Its part of the ?joy of owning the place.
We had similar issues in our old flat, but they were solved and now I miss it massively, even though the new place is ''better''.

If it's a double glazed unit, I'd er on the side of disturb it as little as possible unless you can see a problem with water ingress or very perished seals. Removing retaining beads/seals just to check, may cause more harm than good.

If a DGU has been clamped in a frame for years, releasing the clamping pressure can allow the glass to separate from the spacer. Moist air to gets pulled in to the cavity, as the glass warms and cools. Then condensation between the panes starts to accumulate once the desiccant becomes saturated.

If there are gaps in the corners up to 30-40mm, where the external glazing seals are, a bit of additional sealant will prevent excessive amounts of water getting down into the drainage system. Use a glazing safe sealant (or find a wedge gasket that fits)
https://www.dortechdirect.co.uk/soudal-silirub-n-neutral-cure-building-silicone.html

IQ glass are the only people I’ve worked with re. big architectural / frameless stuff. If it’s historic / stained glass chapel studios or ark glass are the dudes.

The last guy I had was definitely a cowboy. Managed to diagnose stuff without even looking at the outside of the house ...

Some homeowners prefer that approach! A tradesman who's confident in their abilities. Maybe lacking proven results but at least they're happy to try.

It would be a job, but could get a frame built for the outside, either single glaze it (glass is very cheap, maybe £50 for it!) or get some of that vacuum glass (zero glass I think is the brand?) which is very thin and achieves similar performance to regular DG

Scaffolding can get to fuck, unless you are doing really serious shit

So today whilst up in the loft I noticed a fair bit of water running down the chimney stack. Looks like I'll be getting the scaffolding in after all and emptying my bank account.

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How far and how much should I engage with their "appointed" mortgage advisor

Not at all, especially if you have your own broker

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I think it’s quite easy to fall into being suspicious about Agents. They may be working for the sellers but at the end of the day they want the house sold to get paid, they need to work successfully with both sides.

We had to speak to the sellers agents financial advisor when we made a bid to buy. They just want to make sure you aren’t a time waster. You don’t have to give them anything if you don’t want to, it’s not a big deal.

Also RE the EPC E rating, they’ve been hammered because 64% of their lighting uses old school incandescent lightbulbs. The sellers must either be a bit dim/elderly people/or love paying energy bills.

Easiest thing to change obviously, just changing the lightbulbs could bump the house to D which is pretty standard.

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If you want the house, play the agent’s game and chat to their broker. They will get a commission if you use them, but they also have a seller who is gutted because the last person couldn’t get a mortgage and they want to limit that risk again by getting you to talk to someone they trust.

If you come across as defensive and not wanting to even have a 30 minute chat with their person they’ll be nervous of why and so will the seller.

On the construction - you are right, you’d usually expect to see bricks end-on for a solid wall and most solid wall construction ended before the war. The EPC says it has solid and cavity walls. That could be the extension, dunno. There were a lot of houses built post war that were steel frame with brick cladding, I’d just clarify it’s not one of those. The agent should put it on the brochure if it is but it’s worth double-checking. Ring a local surveyor or another [experienced, good] estate agent, they’ll know because the whole street / area will be the same.

ETA: Maybe ring these guys. If you read the heading Housing Shortage it mentions 3 types of non-traditional construction that are used in Northampton, all of which are brick clad on the ground floor. We don’t have any of these types round here so I can’t tell you if the one you are looking at is one of them.
https://homesurvuk.com/residential-valuations-building-reports-northamptonshire/

When we were buying our place the vendors agents had us talk to one of their mortgage people - we got on the phone, told them we had our own broker and they basically explained it was a box ticking exercise from their pov and we carried on using our own broker. Bit weird but didn’t have any consequences.

Exactly same for me, just talked them through our position so they could confirm affordability to Agent and never heard from them again.

They were very proud that the boiler is still within warranty though.

If you suspect dimness I wouldn’t count on this. Unless they’ve had it serviced annually and filled in the book it won’t be under warranty.

Having said that I’ve never tried doing a warranty claim / call out without a service history. Maybe they don’t actually check / care.

speak to their broker but just ask for what rates/fees with your deposit and LTV they can do.
whatever they come back with tell them 'no my broker has a better deal thanks'

Oh they check and a lot of manufacturers now are trying to find get out of jails to repair stuff in warranty. Its a fuckin pain in the arse.

just come on the market very near me - obviously stunning (and it is completely hidden from the street) but are my eyes deceiving me; only 1 toilet in the £2.1M house?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/130534562#/floorplan?activePlan=1&channel=RES_BUY

also that car is never parked there.... the current owners have a volvo SUV

Definitely one in the master en suite too which is marked up as a shower room, Pic 16

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What happens If we told the bank in good faith and later found out it isn’t solid bricks?

The valuer sent on behalf of the mortgage lender should be able to tell.