Owning your own home

Thanks @MrDrem, @Tango130.

I used money saving expert for the will advice, it's a good starting place for life insurance.

I barely have a pension, zero-hours contract bullshit. Not sure what happens if I croak it cover wise, must check. My girlfriend has multiple pension pots and insurance so it's more critical she get this right.

Obvs I don't know anything about your situ...
But if you croak your lass might get lumbered with your half of the mortgage.

Our, very basic, life insurance covers the remainder of the mortgage value.
So if I peg it our lass will get the mortgage cleared.
It'll do for now, but I am beginning to think about critical illness cover.

Yeah, I went with critical illness cover in the end. A lot more expensive but for something that is almost guaranteed at some point, it kinda makes sense.
Don't mean to be morbid...

I own the flat and we're not married. I should probably sort out a will so that she gets to stay if I croak. What's the cheapest way to do that? I did briefly consider just tweeting "Mrs Sparky gets the house if I croak" so that it's on record, but I assume that's a stupid idea?

How are the ownership docs worded, might already be sorted.

https://www.gov.uk/joint-property-ownership/overview

No docs. I bought the flat and she just lives there and pays me a little rent. We're not actually married, either, I just call her Mrs Sparky on here.

Well in that case, you need a will.

um, I need a will...

Everybody needs a will, unless they have no friends, no family, and don't care what happens to anything after they're dead. Sorting out my mother's estate is immeasurably more complicated due to the fact she died without one. People think that if they die without a will then all their estate goes to their spouse. Depending on the size of the estate this is Not Necessarily True, something which invariably comes as a surprise. And unmarried partners get SFA without a will*, which invariably comes as an unpleasant surprise.

*unless they resort to unpleasant and expensive litigation under the Inheritance (Provision for Families and Dependants) Act 1975, or unless property is held as joint tenants and passes under the principle of survivorship

I did briefly consider just tweeting "Mrs Sparky gets the house if I croak" so that it's on record, but I assume that's a stupid idea?

Completely ineffective. In order to be valid, a will has to comply with the technicalities of the Wills Act 1837. If it doesn't, it has no effect at all. You could get a will kit and try doing it yourself. Lawyers actually like people doing that - they don't get paid for drafting the will, but we get sooooo much more for sorting out the resulting mess. Kerching.

I need a trim and edge...

You don't know tired yet, son...

The truest of all the trus.

Enjoy getting up as late as 5am while you can. When the children are young that's a decent lie in.

Ditto wills. While I got the flat under survivorship laws and inherited everything else as the spouse it took 6 months to sort everything out.

Mind you that delay allowed the value of Toni's pension to increase by £10k so it's not all bad.

Any plumber recommendations for SE23 or thereabouts? Got a boiler that doesn't seem to think hot water is important...

http://www.puffinplumbing.co.uk/

Mike is a sound lad. Has serviced our boiler for the past few years and also replaced a radiator.

Just seen a rat in the kitchen. Arse.
Coming in behind the kitchen units again. I'm prepared to lay money that they've eaten a hole near where the mains water comes up out of the floor. Looks like I'm spending tomorrow morning blocking holes with cement and chickenwire.

Oh, and insurance, pay the little bit extra and make sure you have the illness cover. I didn't get it on mine, and it would have paid me £65k instantly when I got my cancer diagnosis...

Fuck that. Maybe put a big trap down as well.

In the past when I've had to deal with rats for clients I used broken glass in cement. Apparently the rats can chew through the chicken wire but not glass. I broke some beer bottles into decent size chunks.

Me too.

Dibs Ferrell!

Spot on, thanks.

rat in the kitchen.

What are you gonna do?

i fucking love ASWAD.

would this stuff work?
http://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/products/sealants_and_adhesives/foam_and_fillers/11678/bond_it_expanding_foam_filler/591573?vat=1&gclid=CPvfwei-2scCFQb4wgodcC0P4g&gclsrc=aw.ds

or do they chew through that stuff too?

Anyone got an electrician recommendation for SE15 or near? Electricians can install extractor fans in a bathroom, right?