Owning your own home

^Utter bell-end.

He may have been arrested for everything from smuggling a gun onto a plane to bribing the old bill, from armed robbery to assault, but he's always paid his taxes and never parks in a disabled bay.

Apparently...

...that's utter bollocks. He used to park in the disabled bay around the back of Harrods, put a blue badge in the window before getting out and limping into Gucci.

You seem to be taking me rather more seriously than you ought

Me? Never...

Just completed missives on my purchase. Feels good! No more gazumping risk, hurrah.

well done!

A week into my new place and I am just so damn happy. It's a lovely house, in a great area. A new Balzac sofa arrived yesterday, the big sideboard is in and all the booze is unpacked. Sky TV gets installed tomorrow. I love it.

Brilliant.

Whereabouts are you now?

I am so excited about moving on 8th July. Can't wait.

Exchanged & Completed today!

Relief

In one day? Congrats!

now hell begins

Yep, not stressful in the slightest...

Lots of work to do. Could someone take our kids away for a month or two while we decorate?

The Warner flat (E10) upstairs from me had its open day on Saturday. I sat in the shared garden with a cup of tea and provided my phone number to prospective purchasers. Answered questions about the lease and freeholders and all that.

Some said they appreciated meeting a neighbour (and you have to get on with neighbours if you live in E17/E10's Warner flats...). Others seemed a bit freaked out by my being there.

I hope no elephants move in.

EDIT: Sold already!

Hit them in public, have them taken into care, appeal, get them back a few weeks later.

We exchanged and completed on same day on the 19th. Its the way to go.

Home ownership has been great so far. The only snageroo so far has been me blocking the bog with my inaugural dump.

See you on the DIY thread with that one.

I exchanged and completed back in Feb. The vendor was either bankrupt or in serous financial difficulties.

Since then I would say about 10 letters arrive each week, addressed to 3 or 4 different people, and clearly from debt recovery/enforcement agencies. A little bit concerning!

I don't have a forwarding address for the vendor.

Should I open the letters and contact the agencies, or is there another way?

I'd contact them if I were you, and let them know there's been a change of address and pass on the details of the estate agent to them.

We had the same, and started opening them when it became clear who they were from, as they were threatening to send bailiffs round.

I open them and tell them that Mr Ukelele doesn't, and has never, lived at this address.

100% success rate at stopping them so far whenever they crop up.

Should I open the letters and contact the agencies, or is there another way?

Cross through the address on the front and write (on the front) "RETURN TO SENDER - NO LONGER AT THIS ADDRESS". If it's got a return address on the back then circle that. Stick it back in a post box.

The post office will deal with it and get it to the original sender (opening it if required).

They may try again a few times but eventually they'll get the message and stop trying to write to the person at your address.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/post/post/problems-with-post/stop-getting-someone-elses-post/

Meanwhile, a certain 'Mr Ukelele' continues ripping off sellers of scales, power meters and Volvo parts across the land, evading capture...

Simples. Thanks @Greenbank

Send to the solicitor representing their side in the purchase. Maybe?

We've had this at our last two places with bailiffs turning up regularly. Just open the post and write back to them or do the return to sender thing. It takes a while but eventually disappears.

We had the police rock up at 3am in our last place to raid it as they'd arrested the guy and he told them he still lived at our address. We had kept all the bailiff warnings so handed them over to the police.

Yeah, I've always done the cross through address, write "addressee unknown, please return to:... " thing, if there's a return address on envelope. Seems to work. I'm uncomfortable opening other people's post.