Owning your own home

Good sanity check, thanks. In my head I was thinking it would be about £250 but that’s based on absolutely nothing other than a gut feel.

I probably should have done it myself in the summer but now it’s cold and I want to make sure I’m not without heating for longer than a day!

Thanks.

The Bosch Q&A says

This can be a used with a plug, however the plug is not connected to the power cord. You have to choice to either hardwire or attach a plug. (https://www.bosch-home.co.uk/product-list/exclusive/HHF113BA0B#/)

Which I guess is the simplest way for it to arrive and install, as it sounds like the existing Whirlpool one will be hard wired? https://whirlpool-cdn.thron.com/static/OC51ZW_PR857720715500en.pdf_XEI3SS.pdf

I pulled it out today to look but the cables run behind the adjactent cupboard near floor level and I've not explored past that.

Recent quotes from local plumbers all were £100/110 labour per hour. £108 for changing 3 radiator valves with minimal changes to pipes and that was because we were already getting the boiler serviced £96 and drained with an inhibitor added £48 (all without VAT). As others mentioned, draining and checking the system is time-consuming. Your quote seems reasonable specially if they need to makes changes to fixing and pipes

We just got quoted £200 labour PER RAD in London's famous London. We need 6 changed...

Need some help .
We are in the middle of buying a house.
It is the right hand of two properties owned by a housing association. End of terrace .
Original site plan did not allow side access to the side gate along the central shared path.
So they created a new plan to do this , but also made what is our ok left fence ( the currently non existent one ) our sole responsibility , by sticking a big T on it . Right fence is actually ok and I understand is joint . So if we go with this I am responsible for 1.5 fences . In reality house association will not part pay for left fence as we asked but surely I am best to leave as joint ownership and then pay for it all of if I have to, to future proof scenario where left side is sold . Any thoughts - ho hum..

I don't understand which fences you are and aren't responsible for but I think more is better. Sure there is a liability but also control and that is more important IMHO.

Currently we are shared on both . Right is ok so no need to do anything . Left is non existent , so in theory be nice if we shared the cost of it , but I am understanding housing association will not agree to pay anything. So I am happy ish to pay and yes I am thinking making it my responsibility could be easier to get the fence we want in the short term , but looking for 2nd opinion and if this is best long term for us

Unless the fence is massive or there's a requirement for some type of specific fencing that's expensive I wouldn't really care.

Trying to get HA sign off if you want to redo it may well be a hassle if it's a joint responsibility.

Thanks for replies ,fence is 15 metre of standard fencing and I am thinking I take it on to avoid that approval process :)

Selling a house or flat. Given the choice of putting it on the marker mid December or early January, which is preferable?

Early January. No-one wants to host house viewing over Christmas.

Would you still think that if you were paying an agent to do the viewings?

No one is going to view it during the Christmas period, the only reason to put it on during that time is if you think you're gonna get eyeballs on it over the holidays to set up viewings for the new year.

It may be different north of the border, but when our purchase fell through in October last year, our agent told us we basically had a month to find somewhere new, as December is their quietest month by some margin.

Cheers both.

@Gewürzt the thinking is getting eyeballs as you say, but don't want to appear desperate what with December being quiet - @andyp our agent's view seems to match your experience; everyone's busy eating mince pies at Christmas markets instead of making offers on houses.

We were going to wait until early next year to sell but ended up doing it last week. The agent we used told us we pretty much had until the end of the month and then it wouldn't be worth it. Rushed through a million little DIY jobs to make the place presentable and he got about 12 people through the door in 2 days.

Now having trouble finding a place though that might also be down to my very long wish-list. Offered on a couple of places at 10-5% under asking but they obviously weren't motivated enough to accept that (strangely one had previous sale fall through so you would have thought they would be desperate).

he agent we used told us we pretty much had until the end of the month and then it wouldn't be worth it

I never quite understand this sort of thing. Tempted to say it's not worth it for the agent. From a seller's perspective, maybe your property stays on the market for a bit longer than normal, but we're talking 4 weeks extra, not 4 months!

Presumably congratulations are in order if you managed to accept an offer that you're happy with!

Offered on a couple of places at 10-5% under asking but they obviously weren't motivated enough to accept

I can understand that. Do you think offering under valuation is the done thing at the moment? Just so I can prepare myself...

I think things are returning back to the way they were, stuff was being sold for way more than it was worth and giving folk the wrong idea.

This was my thinking.

Historically I think it's been common to buy for a few percent over valuation if its a nice property and/or in a desirable area, and perhaps a few percent under or fixed price if its a bit less nice or needs some work.

During the last few years I saw some places going for 20%+ over valuation. Wild.

It seems not, might try another that is within our budget so probably won't test the theory to that degree again. Was hoping it might be the case of an agent marking up from what they were actually willing to sell at. Fwiw these two have been on a while and, I feel, were asking a lot for what they are but probably just waiting out the 'good catchment' to pay off, someone will take it eventually for that alone.

We kind of just wanted the sale agreed to we could start looking in earnest but your right to an extent, stuff hanging around on the books for ages doesn't look good. In the end we got a quick sale and as much as we could have realistically hoped for. Laughably aggressive marketing from the agent with Instagram reels, drone footage complete with composited flock of birds, this is for a very modest 2 bed Victorian so no golf club.

P.s not London so I don't think things ever got quite as hectic here.

Glasgow got hectic as fuck and down right ridiculous.

Ive just missed a great place that went for 127 and home report was 155, needed a ton of work but had great potential.

I reckon although there might not be viewings there are a load of people browsing property websites over Christmas (although this is based on nothing other than a gut feeling).

I'm currently paying 180 per rad, materials included. This includes moving it to where ever I want within reason. Another local plumbing firm charges £70+vat per hour with materials on top.

I think you could find someone that would do a deal on 6? The hard part is draining the system and then filling up/bleeding and testing for leaks haha.

My wife an I seem to have massively different ideas for what we want our next house/appartement.

Viewing places has been interesting.

Viewing houses is good then, no? Because you can both see what you like and don’t like and work out what the middle ground is.