Owning your own home

Here you go: How to Get a Council House on C4. Had me properly dumfounded at points.

That's a big IF. What happens when stuff crops up in the survey that needs to be resolved before completion?

It's not a big if.
If it needs to be fixed it's fixed otherwise the sale won't proceed. Either the seller fixes or the price comes down or they part ways. Most houses in oz aren't about to rot through so problems are minimal.

Martin Browne at Gisby Harrison.... http://www.gisbyharrison.co.uk/martin-browne.php

Used by at least 5 forum people (including myself), with great success.

Ha! The man knows his stuff. He also appears to be a human being which is nice to see from a solicitor :)

From quotes we had from other solicitors at the time, GH also appear to be very reasonably priced.

Do you mind me asking how much you were quoted?

Does he have any experience of dealing with shared ownership places?

Or, does anyone on here have a shared ownership place, and a solicitor they could recommend?

Thanks forumengers...

I've been in a shared ownership place since 1999.
It didn't cost much but the rent has risen a hell of a lot every year.
You have security of tenure, and we know most of our neighbours, but the current owners (the HA we bought it off has been absorbed by another, and then that was taken over by another) are fucking useless at sorting out problems. Quick to issue dictats though.

Overall I'm happy with the arrangement, or I wouldn't still be there, but I plan to sell up this year or next.

Do you mind me asking how much you were quoted?

Does he have any experience of dealing with shared ownership places?

Or, does anyone on here have a shared ownership place, and a solicitor they could recommend?

Thanks forumengers...

We paid about £1,200 including all fees and survey costs. Not sure about shared ownership but I would have thought he'd be fine with it.

Give him a call... He's very good to talk to and pretty much always available.

Here you go: How to Get a Council House on C4. Had me properly dumfounded at points.

Some people are unbelievable...

your man at Gisby Harrison is on his holidays (back on the 12th I think)

Solicitor just phoned. Final report about to be emailed through. If I'm happy with that and completion date can be agreed, exchange should happen early next week.

Not quite in celebratory mood yet, but it's getting closer...

Well done Brun!

Sorry to keep banging on about feckless estate agents, but I need some perspective please!
Wednesday 11.30: put in an offer, EA said he'd get right back to me. 20.30: called him, he hung up on me and called back 5 mins later: "I've left a message for the seller and will call you when I hear back."
Thursday 10.00: called EA. "Oh yes I spoke to him yesterday evening, he's holding out for asking price." 13.00, raised my offer.
Friday at 11.30: "I will have an answer for you by 13.00"
I have yet to hear whether it's been accepted.

I know he's working on behalf of the seller and not me, but a friend who also bought a property through him described him as "clumsy, unreliable and a bit incompetent." Everyone has sympathised with my frustration but I need to know if I should be climbing the walls and considering a strongly worded letter to the estate agency, or is this the norm and I just need to suck it up?

I've just reread my own post and think I know the answer. sigh

Is he working today? Go to his shop and have word face to face.

Contact seller direct?

We're in on Tuesday.
The wife has done a sterling job of packing up the house while I am out of action. Stoic old girl.

Now, onto the next stage...
I need a builder and kitchen fitter to come and quote for a job in SE London (Hither Green).
Anyone got any trusted and meticulous tradesmen to recommend?

We're in on Tuesday.
The wife has done a sterling job of packing up the house while I am out of action. Stoic old girl.

Now, onto the next stage...
I need a builder and kitchen fitter to come and quote for a job in SE London (Hither Green).
Anyone got any trusted and meticulous tradesmen to recommend?

Yes. Crimsonape on here is really bloody good.

Nice. Cheers BQ.
Have PM'd Crimson Ape.

I'm finding this thread invaluable.
Our place might end up being the house the forum built!

In the name of reciprocity I would like to say that my old man is a Independent Financial Advisor and mortgage broker. He specialises in first time buyers and complicated circumstances so if anyone needs some completely impartial and well informed advice on mortgage stuff give me a nod.
He won't try and sell you owt.

Good luck with the move. Drop us a pm when you're done with the unpacking etc... We should have a hither green forum drinks.

Elitist Hither Green bastards. There's just as much fun to be had on the other side of the tracks.

Ha. Okay... A hither green and places that are sort of close by, drinks.

Hither Green and Hither Green borders?

And Boarders.

If I drop the estate agent speak we are probably Lewisham/Hither Green borderderdedders...
Just off CourtHill Road.

Is hither green a nice place? Only ever seen signs to it.

Like all places, it has a few negative points / areas but it has a nice cluster of community shops and is very quiet. It also has awesome overground links into charing cross, London bridge, Waterloo East and cannon street. Greenwich park / Blackheath are only a 20 minute walk as well.

The house prices are also pretty reasonable (for now).

I love it.

I think we are about to step onto this fun ride...
Been in kennington/stockwell for 6 years, love it here and tempted to just stay as long as possible (nice flat, chilled landlord, everything is fine) but we know that it is unlikely to last. the discrepancy between direct private rental < evil letting agent rental < buying round here feels like it's at its peak, and either our rent will start going up dramatically, or landlord may sell.
plus we should be thinking about the future, assets, security etc.
we have started speaking to a mortgage advisor.
haven't really started looking but thinking crystal palace. sister is in lewisham for now but thinking of moving way out to a (railway) commuter town. don't want to be too far out. must be relaxed commutable, not epic commutable. don't really know hither green. love brockley area, but probably can't afford.
argh. we don't like change. I don't like this :/

I like Brockley but it is a ridiculous goldrush at the mo.
2 bed flats in Victorian terraces were going for £50k over asking before they were even on the open market when we were looking.
A lot of this is down to estate agent hype, but still the result was it quickly became unaffordable for us.