Owning your own home

I'd start with just calling or emailing them and asking for an update.

Definitely don't bother emailing first.

Call. Then email the summary and outcome (or lack of) after.

Surely emails and calls have been tried in the 11 weeks?

Yep, contact attempted by myself and the agents - there's even a blanket out of office reply to all email to say don't call them for updates...

It hasn't been absolutely nothing, on that first day they emailed across forms to fill in RE: our details/proof of funds, and a month ago after we and they got copies of the mortgage offer they sent across the mortgage deeds for us to sign and return - so not complete silence for what it's worth.

Guess this stamp duty holiday has probably meant they've taken on more than they can handle - we (perhaps foolishly) took them via the agents' referral scheme.

Ditch them and go to Debbie Valentine Knight at Paul Robinson

I'd be tempted to ditch them, what is the firm? Sounds very much like my Buyers Solicitor, it's not EHL Convancing is it?

I’ve inherited a lot of odd stuff in the new home - has anyone got a more elegant solution to this?
It’s where the sump pump drains into the main waste.
I’m replacing the pipe as it had split in 5 places and my bodge isn’t going to hold for the next flood.

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there was a really good thread on damp cellars in the ride sheffield group on facebook the other day

Heh, share of freehold flats if you want a different kind of pain

@rogan

I should have heeded @Howard advice when i was buying mine years ago, was a PITA to sell even without EWS1

Please can you share the advice? I am buying 1 of 5 flats in a Bristol victorian building. Freehold is owned by a random guy down the street, management of the building is run by the residents. 2 main concerns so far are 1) diddly squat in the sinking fund 2) what if 1/5 of the flats didn't want to pay for something e.g. new roof. Don't think there is a contract on how decisions are made.

just that leasehold is a PITA, buyers had questions only the freeholder can answer, each reply took weeks, or only for another question to be asked of the response. painful.

also, not applicable to you, but while ex LA flats have some upsides IMO a whole wad of downsides too, which Howard had also warned me about 😂

TLDR im just glad i dont have to think about it anymore

buyers had questions only the freeholder can answer

I had to pay my Freeholder to answer!

I got shafted by that too. They wanted 500 quid to answer some very standard questions and in the end I agreed to pay them 375 for doing so, but I still felt like I was robbed.

The joke was the enquires sat in their inbox for two weeks before I chased as my Solicitor hadn't. Despite them sitting on it for two weeks, they offered to expedite them for an additional 150 on top the 200+ VAT I had to pay anyway. They agreed to do it for the 200 in the end but I still felt robbed too!

We are completing tomorrow, and will finally have a freehold.

I would caution anyone buying a leasehold to really do your homework and get a Solicitor who understands them. With modern builders/freeholders there is so much in the lease stacked against you, that you can't really get around such as rising ground rents etc.

Please can you share the advice? I am buying 1 of 5 flats in a Bristol victorian building. Freehold is owned by a random guy down the street, management of the building is run by the residents. 2 main concerns so far are 1) diddly squat in the sinking fund 2) what if 1/5 of the flats didn't want to pay for something e.g. new roof. Don't think there is a contract on how decisions are made.

@ReekBlefs knows a lot about this stuff. It could be that the block is RTM , I'm not sure how leaseholders could do day to day management otherwise.

If the RTM company decides to spend money, it needs to get the money from the leaseholders like any other freeholder or management company. The leaseholders can either volunteer the money as per the terms of their lease or they can fight or just ignore it, but there are consequences if they do, it's just up to the RTM company to implement.

This looks well weird. Is it sealed at the top, because there's no u-bend and is basically a direct access to the foul water drain below?

It appears that it used to be sealed at the top and they’ve hacked a hole in the top to put the pipe in.
It works fine but doesn’t look great. As I’m replacing the pipe anyway thought I’d try and do something better.
Something like the connector in the picture should work but there’s nothing for it to screw into.

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Wouldn't you be better finding the right T piece with a reducer on it, something like this?
https://www.bosta.co.uk/all-products/fittings/fittings-for-drainage-sewage-pipes/pvc-glue-fittings/drainage-reducer-t-piece-450-komo-12694

Do you know what it 'was' before the hole was put in to it? What kind of purpose did it provide before it was adapted?

Does it go in to the sewer or is it surface water?

Thanks - yeah that could work

It’s a pipe which connects the downstairs toilet waste to the sewer

Is there no surface water drain nearby? Can it be sent somewhere else? Not sure I'd want it connected to the sewer myself. You'd need some kind of u-bend at least.

late to this but keep an eye on gumtree for extra/unused wooden worktop. I got 3m of beech for £30 which i used for a desktop and shelves.

Does it go in to the sewer or is it surface water?

From the brickwork, it looks like a Victorian / older property.

Which usually means that the surface and sewer water go the same way anyway.

Not sure I'd want it connected to the sewer myself. You'd need some kind of u-bend at least.

An in-line fanny trap would / might suffice (although I'm not sure if building regs actually allow it).

What @chiroshi wrote. With a fanny trap to stop the smells.

(* For the life of me, I can't remember what they are actually called in the shops)

Thanks :) Some more info from the solicitor which I will ask her to explain once she gives me a full report on the lease

"The title for the block is made up of three parts:-

· The lease that you will be taking over (known as a sub-lease or under lease)– registered under title AV96701
· A lease to the Management Company (known as a head lease)
· The freehold (currently registered to two private individuals X and Y) – registered under AV23887

There is nothing wrong with this set up and you should not be overly concerned that there is an additional lease above yours.
At the moment the sellers have not provided me with a copy of the head lease or the title associated with it and this has been requested within my enquiries. Without this I cannot provide you with a full report in relation to your lease as there may be covenants (do’s and don’ts) contained within this lease that impact your own."