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House buying, renting & selling

Archives for July 2017

Extend lease or wait ??
We have a flat with 81 years remaining on the lease worth around 100K. The legal fees quote was £1600 + the lease extension cost We have also just saved enough money for a deposit on another flat, if we extend the lease now this will take a big chunk of the money thus de-railing our plans to buy another flat . Im thinking…
Survey Results
Hi So we got survey results back. Serious defects listed, Gas/Electricity/Heating looked fine but surveyor not a specialist etc so not too concerned. Blocked drain/gulley out the back but no drain cover or access within property so not covered in report, may be expensive? Again not too concerned. Low level damp on…
Unreasonable complaining from a neighbor
I just wanted to say thank you for all people who reply me here. You cannot imagine how much emotional supports each comment provides me. It is so difficult at least for me to stand alone when it comes to neighbour complaints...! Hi, I wonder if anyone can assure my situation. Cutting details, there is a neighbor of mine…
Selling home and pension credit/state pension
Hello there! My father is receiving state pension and pension credit. My parents want to sell their home and move in with me. They are elderly and I live too far from them to keep going back and forth to visit them. I constantly worry about them because they are elderly and I would like to look after them. My question is,…
Part of garden and a 2nd garage have been lost - vendor will not transfer to me
Hi, I've been buying an ex-vicarage off the church, ready to set a date for completion, BUT.. it has never been registered with the land registry before and.. They have voluntarily registered the entirety of the house and adjoining garden (I have paid for them to do this), they refuse to transfer all of it to me as they…
Lease Option on my Property
I have a lease option on a property I own. The person that took on the lease has handed me back the keys three and a half years into a 5 year contract, saying he has had enough. I have found out that the property has been empty for 16 months, has been completely trashed, and no Council Tax has been paid on it for that…
Where can I build my dream home?
Where can I find a piece of land (atleast 0.25 acres) to build my dream home? Here are my constraints: 1. Under 1hr commute to London 2. Safe, family friendly area 3. Near academic state schools (preferably grammar) Budget £350k max (for the plot) We've been viewing properties, but DH and I would really really really like…
Help needed on doubling ground rent
Hello all, i purchased my "lease hold" flat 3 years ago and have just found out that part of the lease agreement was the ground rent to double every 15 years starting at £150. Does anyone have any advise as i heard on the radio (LBC) this makes my property worthless as the ground rent will eventually be more then the flat…
Left agent, managing myself, new letting agreement??
Hi I am in the process of leaving the letting agent i have been using for a property i rent out as i will be managing myself. The tenant is long term and has been in for 2 years now so seems pointless paying agent commision (and they havent been very good at all). I have everything sorted (gas certs, deposit scheme, etc)…
Begging letter from Freeholdsers - what to do next
Hello, looking for some advice about what to do about a begging letter received from the freeholders. I own a leasehold property, and the freeholders want to charge me for having tenants. The ground rent is up to date. Will I need to look at the leasehold contract, to confirm that they can do this? I have a copy of it, so…
Title Deeds
Just need a bit of advice please. My husband no longer lives in the family home, moved abroad nearly 4 years ago (not yet divorced). I now pay the mortgage, but his name is still on the mortgage and the title deeds of the house. He has emailed me to say I can have the house and he wants his name off the title deeds. How do…
Landlady wanting to take deposit back
I used to live in a house that I was renting in a local village for 4 years. The property had mild / bad signs of mould of which I had to sort out. The landlady knew all about this yet did not do anything to sort it. The ground floor toilet did not have a sink either so I had to install one. The bath on the 2nd floor had…
Student Housing Deposit return
Hi there! So, last year I paid a £400 deposit as so did my other 3 housemates for the house we rented for our academic year. Basically, we got back a form saying we only will get back £305 from the deposit, which with some things we agreed with such as carpet damage and so on. Now, the only really issue or shall I say…
FAO Deanatrois
Hi, just wondered whether you moved from the flat you were in to the one that was bigger and was an exchange with blind couple and how are you finding it now?
Need advice - am I being duped?
Hello, I'm looking for advice on the following..my other half and I are currently house hunting. We went to view a house that has been on the market for over 3 months, and really liked it. We called to make a second viewing. At this point we get a call to say someone has made an offer on the property. We agreed to do a…
Japanese Knotweed in neighbours garden - what are my options?
Hi, my wife and I are in the process of selling our first house and moving to our 'forever' home only for the survey to show Japanese Knotweed in our next door's garden. We had a specialist come to inspect it and they provided a report to the buyer (and their lending company) to state there was no knotweed in our garden…
Fussy ftb
As the above. We are selling a flat in a fantastic central location 30 seconds walk from sea. For a quick sale property is in for 5-10k under market value (and 10k less than I paid 11 years ago). We had a property developer offer at 2k under asking price but he got scared off by council. (Building is grade 2 listed ,…
Property unregistered on Land Registry- who should pay?
Hi all, I'm buying a property with my partner and we had the searches back only to find the property wasn't previously registered by previous owner on LR. Now instead of the standard registry transfer fee, were being charged and extra £100+vat by our solicitor and the LR fee has doubled to £190 instead of £95. Please…
Low income - do I have chance of buying?
Hi everyone, in about 6 months I am hoping to buy my first house. I'm after some advice about whether I'm being realistic or need to save up for longer first. My basic income is £16850, I get overtime every month but generally only around £50-£100. I'm looking at houses betwee £75000-£80000. I have a 5% deposit - £4000 in…
Mortgage while renting?
Hello, So I currently live in London and I am renting a flat which the lease is up on in Feb 2018. I am originally from Northern Ireland and plan to move back there once my lease is up. I have found my ideal home and can afford the deposit on it now, I have a job lined up but obviously wont start it until after my move. I…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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