Owning your own home

Had my second offer accepted!

I had it accepted partly on the basis that I'm a FTB who can complete quickly. My solicitor is saying they're doing 8-14 weeks completion at the moment. Does that sound reasonable given the current rush?

Isn’t it different in a block of flat where alarms are connected to make sure everyone get out if one flat go off?

My solicitor is saying they're doing 8-14 weeks completion at the moment.

Sound on par, but only if the other side go smoothly as well.

I had to have them installed (in almost every room) in my previous flat as I had a loft conversion (so three floors in the building) but the rest of the flat didn't have fire doors. Seemed a bit pointless as the other flat didn't have to have them but it seems thems the rules.

Sorry my comment was unclear; I certainly get the need for smoke detectors, just not sure about power line powered detectors in a residential setting.

Unless you mean it was mandated to you that you must have power line operated detectors? I suppose building them in as the LC was done makes sense, retrofitting to them to a single story purpose built flat on the other hand...

Isn’t it different in a block of flat where alarms are connected to make sure everyone get out if one flat go off?

Better not burn your toast then

Yep, building regs meant I had to have them in all rooms without a fire door. Wasn't too much of an issue as obviously other work was going on.

My new place also has them but not that surprising given the whole place was gutted and rewired. As you say, retrofitting them without other stuff being done seems a bit excessive.

From experience, it's dickheads having parties and deciding to smoke indoors that is the issue, you can burn toast no problems.

Anyone know much about Huntingdon? Going to look at a house out that way

To live there?

It's a bit quiet / boring around that way no? I guess if that's what you are looking for....

I grew up just down the road (Somersham). There's some nice parts and some definitely not nice parts.

Personally, I'd look just outside - hemingfords, offers, godqmanchester, buckden etc

They are tarting up the centre at the moment, removing the old a14 and building a more pedestrianised bit. They've also recently had a lot of the industrial bit by the train station redeveloped into a decent retail park.

There are nicer places with good train links to London, out that way, though:

Royston (where I live)
St Neots
Sandy
Biggleswade
Letchworth etc

All of them have nicer countryside which is part of the reason you'd move out that way, I guess.

Yeah to live - before we commit to work on our place we’re just making sure that moving out that way wouldn’t work better + really nice house.

Yeah this was what I kinda thought - have been looking at Sandy or St Neots as well.
It’s closer to both our parents but still near enough to work. Really helpful cheers mate

No worries. @ me or PM me if you're looking at certain villages etc. High chance I've cycled or motorbiked through them pretty regularly so can offer an aesthetic opinion if nothing else.

The countryside around Godmanchester looks great. A friend moved out there recently from London and it's great for a visit.

Obligately key photos.

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@amey take your shit away please.

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welcome to catford :)

live, laugh, catford cat

Congrats Ed!

would love to! welcome ed, lets get a flat white

Not sure what the use case for power line operated smoke detectors are in a residential setting TBH

Well they're required by current building regs but apart from that you're golden 😂

Also if mains ones are already installed I suspect that @NickCJ replacing them with battery alarms would not be kosher.

I have Nest mains powered smoke alarms because I've never found a battery operated one I trust to be reliable - they're made down to a price point and I've had new ones from supposedly reputable brands not pick up smoke.

Standard mains powered alarms are cheap though.

Congrats Ed! Nice keyring.

Can't believe you're already thinking about moving!

I have Nest mains powered smoke alarms

Are these worth the extra cost? We've just had all the wires put in each room for smoke alarms as we're having a loft conversion, been reading alot of stories about false alarms with wired smoke alarms. Nest ones look appealing but spending the best part of a grand on smoke alarms makes me feel a bit sick.