Owning your own home

Pumps like that are always remote controlled by the boiler or thermostat system. Why do you need to turn it on?

My discover feed is just feeding me endless articles from the telegraph that the housing market is going to implode, people must really enjoy doom and gloom

I mean, the power is turned off.

Was a building firm bloke on the news this morning saying there was absolutely no point in building houses if there was nobody about to stump up his asking price.

Do these building firms still sit on big land banks and build whenever they want to keep house prices high? I thought the government had put a stop to that.

thought the government had put a stop to that

Nope, I think some measures on that are in the lab manifesto though, if they get elected

Sitting on land banks and claiming all sort of grants is 95% of their business model. The working to build houses bit is an unfortunate byproduct

Checkatrade vs Trust A Trader vs MyBuilder - any that are better than the other for some small damp repairs?

Obv I used to at MyBuilder so I'll say them. They've since been bought by a bigger company HomeAdvisor so things may have changed but checkatrade, despite the adverts, is basically a wild west for reviews. They give physical forms to the tradesperson to get their customers to fill out and send in which is very...secure and they will remove any disputed feedback instantly. Trustatrader was just copying what we did at MyBuilder except worse.

do you have a local area fb group? it's a bit wheat/chaff, but I've had luck sourcing trades from recommendations i've found on there.

that, or if you've used any other trades you've got on with/had positive experiences with - could drop them a message and ask if they know anyone with X specialty.

Good shouts, thanks both. I've got a date for moving (end of this month) and I've got damp I need to fix!

paying off your mortgage early at the detriment of investing early and loading your pension up, very often was actually the most unwise choice you could have made in your 30s/40s

Ain't hindsight great...

or do what the previous owner of our place did, and just box it in :/

(pls don't)

100% agreed on these approaches. nextdoor app (as tedious as it is) is good for this

I think I am local, happy to share traders contacts as I build them up (hopefully slowly) as I am quite new to the area. So far only plumbers and bifold door experts (both great!) Feel free to drop me a line

Today's the day we're meant to be exchanging contracts.

My email inbox so far today (17:44 on a Friday):

Well there was supposed to be something there but it hasn't showed up. Quite apposite.

When buying this house our survey said there was damp and needed a damp survey. Damp guy said there was damp and needed all sorts doing. When we moved in had half the front room and under the bay stripped to bare brick and the floor boards up. No damp apparantly........ just due to not being lived in for two winters. Large bill and denial of liability for all surveyors and trades....

I guess you actually have damp though..

Another good source of local tradespeople is often an independent, well established DIY shop

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86181201#/?channel=RES_BUY

Ground rent is unfortunately a little on the high side.

Possibly the first time I've seen fairytale and Wood Green in the same sentence.

Never noticed that place, looks interesting.

That’s superb but like you say ground rent and short lease is a putter offer .
If you had spare cash and knew you weren’t going to live more than 70 years at time of purchase it could be good.
But then Wood Green is shite (when I lived there in 1993 it was) but may have been delified now

Fairly sure this was up for sale a few years back

may have been delified now

It has not

That’s so good. Key-clamp stair is a fucking death trap though

Holy shit!! That’s more than my mortgage!!