Owning your own home

ask jeez. he's an estate agent.

Cracking place for rent: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-29590503.html/svr/3109;jsessionid=50D2588B9787C1400D9F37027ECDADC5

Especially as it only appears to exist in some bad computer renders.

The council tax band is pretty reasonable though.

Haart estate agents have (without asking me first) allowed a damp survey to be made on the property which I've had an offer accepted on by a company which I assume they are affiliated with.

My offer was actually the second highest sealed bid, but the top bidder pulled out after around one week, and according to Haart, did not have a survey conducted.

The damp survey estimates I will require about £1500 worth of work required in the form of a damp proof course at the back of the house, and some wood worm insecticide in the loft, and some other bits and bobs.

So, my question is, should I be concerned? My initial thoughts were that they probably do this in every house to try and make a bit of easy cash. Then I thought that maybe Haart could be trying to cover their backs if they know that there are some real issues, and this could be tied in with why the top bidder pulled out. I suspect I may be being paranoid, but I don't trust anybody in this business.

My initial reaction was that the previous buyer backed out after having a survey saying the house was damp but wouldn't provide a copy so the agent, very sensibly, got one carried out so the owner could see what they're dealing with.

Except they said the previous buyer didn't have a survey.

Getting a damp and timber report carried out for no reason is odd - if you were the panicky type you might have run off at the sight of a £1500 bill.

Regardless of the motivation, I think you're right: Give a copy of the report to your surveyor before s/he goes round. S/he can then check the suspect areas and tell you if the report is accurate.

Damp and timber companies don't charge for their inspections, so they always find something.

Because Jeez could be showing someone round next week and you might miss the boat!

No he won't.

I enquired about a place recently and was told that the seller wouldn't talk to me as I would have to sell my flat first.

The seller will never sell because the seller isn't serious. As long as the agents perceive you to be in a procedable position, then they'll push the seller to allow you access. A lot vendors are well aware that there are cash purchasers who can "move quickly" and would have been told that this is significantly better than anyone who has a mortgage. If you have a mortgage ready then there shouldn't be any problems whatsoever. The other side of the sword is that the cash purchaser will probably look to "chip" the price on the day of exchange because the process has been taken so far and the seller has already found something else which they're committed to.

Jeez is a surveyor.

I remember this because I was amazed at how someone given to such painfully protracted conjecture could do the job.

He is.

is jeez an estate agent?

No.

ask jeez. he's an estate agent.

No he isn't.

They might have had a mortgage valuation not a survey, making the EA technically correct. Even so that would still be misleading and in breach of EA regulations (IMO).

Haart have a notoriously terrible reputation and all their agents wear the most appalling suits and the ubiquitous "Joop" aftershave...

He is where it matters...

In his heart

haart.

http://lizzysiddal.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/sdc12143.jpg

I had him down as a Paco Rabanne kind of guy, rather than Joop.

Popped collar on his polo shirt and Timberland deck shoes?

Mortgage advisor is calling me this evening and sent off 4 emails requesting viewings. Its amazing how many places become affordable when you massively lower your expectations......

Fsck me, a flat in our building just went for 60% more than it was valued at 15 months ago and £100k more than another one went for 6 months ago. Insane.

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/32833849

Notable that the laundrette opposite the station just got replaced by a big sniny new estate agent. Don't know whether to be pleased with our timing of sneaking in *just *before the mega-boom happened or narc'd that the place will soon be awash with red fucking trousers (as opposed to the retired hipsters, young couples, new families and Dammits it's currently awash with).

The former I think. Still fucking nutsto though. Meta-bubble.

*pop

Boast post

Busted.

Nah, not really. been unlucky with this sh*t all my life and i'm just constantly amazed at how crazy the current market is is. Until we bought, we had to move flat every 18 monthsbecause greedy landlords kept upping and upping the rent to ridiculous levels. Felt like I was actually going backwards in terms of quality of life between 2006 and last year. I've been earning ok money for along time now but have always had to accept that even eye-watering rents will still turn up tiny places with tired decor, mouldy carpets, knackered bathrooms, no outside space etc. I *never *could have afforded to save to buy until I was unexpectedly gifted some money for a deposit.

I'm so shocked at what a total change of lifestyle for the better that money (every penny of which went on the deposit) has made to our lives, I can't help but sympathise the majority of people who weren't so lucky as to have recived help. The fact that it now seems to be accelerating totally out of control makes me yes, mightily relieved to be looking back from the other side of the fence, but still with serious empathy for those trying to figure out in this seemingly unsustainable market.

It does feel a bit like trying to join a fucked up roundabout at rush hour. I thought we were a year or so away until my folks said they had £9k to give us (I was expecting £2k) so we're now trying to build up a head of steam. I was worried about fucking off our current landlord but I am now more in self preservation mode. A coat of paint and he'll make more money from the next pair, what with the rent prices in Camberwell.

Well best of luck with it chap, and no, I can't say I'd be overly worried about the feelings of anyone who's been raking in London rents the last few years.

There was an auction last week and there was a property in West norwood I had my eye on - guide price of £250-£300k which was very cheap but presumed there was a lot of work to be done.

I just checked the auction results and the property sold for £610k!!

Fuckinell. And the soul-crushing thing is that the crash never comes

winning!

WN4L

Fsck me, a flat in our building just went for 60% more than it was valued at 15 months ago and £100k more than another one went for 6 months ago. Insane.

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/32833849

Notable that the laundrette opposite the station just got replaced by a big sniny new estate agent. Don't know whether to be pleased with our timing of sneaking in *just *before the mega-boom happened or narc'd that the place will soon be awash with red fucking trousers (as opposed to the retired hipsters, young couples, new families and Dammits it's currently awash with).

The former I think. Still fucking nutsto though. Meta-bubble.

*pop

To be fair it looks good in the add, whoever owned it has done a lot of work, be interested to see what one in so-so condition goes for.

I have no idea what ours is currently worth, bomb-site that it is.

I thought it was finished..?

Retention. How much can be put into retention?

My brother has just had his plans approved by the Merton council for an extension on his house.

The cuntstruck cretin next door (so called because he's missus rules with an iron fist and keeps his balls in her handbag) opposed the build because "it just didn't look very nice" in his opinion.

It's taken brother of b&d nearly a year to get this through. He's so happy.

I'm overjoyed because I'll have somewhere to stay in London whenever I go back to visit.

the place will soon be awash with red fucking trousers

I doubt Clive is moving to Honor Oak any time soon

If he did he'd surely be gifted the title of Mayor