-
Overlooked garden ideas needed
We are buying a house which is very overlooked from the side and the rear. We will be downhill from the houses behind us. Any ideas to get a bit of privacy that don't involve trees? We would prefer not to restrict our neighbours light if we can so looking for inspiration! Thanks in advance.
-
Buying a council freehold flat with subsidence
Hello, I have recently had an offer accepted on a flat in Brixton. It’s a leasehold flat and the freeholder is Lambeth Council. My would-be flat is on the first floor, and there are two other flats in the building. I had a homebuyers report completed last week on the property, and the surveyor noticed some subsidence on…
-
Open Market Discount Scheme - First time buyers
Hi all, My wife an I have just been to see a property on a new build estate (built in 2016) which is on the market ONLY to First Time Buyers who have lived or worked in the area for at least 2 years. The property comes with a 25% discount for people who fit this criteria (which we do) and is on the market for £360,000.…
-
Landlord never gave me details to pay rent
Hi all, A bit of background about my situation. I moved into a house on the 1st June this year, after speaking to the landlord on the phone without signing a tenancy agreement or even meeting him, the keys were give to me by one of my house mates. He said he would be in touch about his details to transfer him money for…
-
Renting home- problem in kitchen
Hello, I have been renting my current home for 7 ish years and have recently found the kitchen floor to be uneven. A year (or two?) can’t remember how long ago it was something was sticking out of the Lino so someone came and cut into it and said it was just some old metal and removed it. Since then the floor has coroded…
-
Shall I sell or rent
Hi. I have recently purchased 4 block of houses at an auction. The rental return will be around 8% after doing it up. Or I can sell it with 20% profit. Of course it's early days and it hasn't been renovated yet but if we go with thrm figures, would you let the property and keep it or let it out and sell it. We can assume…
-
Unprotected Tenant Deposit/ Unwinding Lease Agreement
Hello, I ended up renting a place that has become unihabitable due to the smell. The landlord is refusing to be coperative and I am trying to find a way to unwind the agreement as the landlord misled me on the condition of the flat. The deposit is unprotected. Is it possible to unwind the agreement on this fact. Or does…
-
Second Home Stamp Refund
Hi All Quick question please. I bought home A in June 2014 I bought home B in April 2018 (Home A became a BTL) home B is now my main residence. Now I obviously paid second home stamp on home B I am thinking of already selling Home B to buy another new main residence (home C) which I know I would not to pay second home…
-
Question for Landlords using letting agents
I've recently found myself in a situation with nightmare neighbours. I've reported the issue to the letting agency they are renting through. It has been around 6 weeks since I reported the issues, along with an extensive diary of events from the last 6 months. The agent has done absolutely nothing in this time. I've now…
-
Tenants' heating rights
Dear Forum I am in private rented accommodation, where I rent a self-contained annexe of the main house. The gas central heating is controlled from the main house, both in terms of when it comes on and goes off, and the temperature it is set at. The radiators do have thermostatic controls though, so I have some control.…
-
Inherited property with outstanding mortgage and IVA
I have recently inherited a property I completed the probate process independently and am in receipt of the grant of probate. The property in question was left by my mother I am the only beneficiary in the will. The mortgage is equity release it has approximately £40,000 my mother also has an IVA and was 35 months into the…
-
Tenants are parents
I have a house with my job so have invested in two buy to let properties over the years. One has a normal tenant with no problems. The other used to have regular tenant up until about five years ago when my parents in law moved in. I charge them a peppercorn rent in return for childcare. The mortgage is an interest only…
-
Should I escalate this to The Property Ombudsman ?
Hi guys, I’m an aspiring landlord who made the rookie error of agreeing to pay part of a sourcing fee to an agent for an advertised £25,000 discount on a property a few months ago. The property was marketed to me at £125,000 (guide price £150,000) To make a long story short when I viewed the property I was told by the…
-
Waiting patiently (!!!) for our mortgage offer...
Hi all, Apologies if there is already a recent thread on this subject, I couldn't find one so thought I'd start a new one. We're currently waiting for our mortgage offer to buy our first home. So far everything seems to be going well and moving quickly, but ever the pessimist, I'm waiting for something to go wrong! Our…
-
Periodic tenancy, tenant now leaving help
Hi My tenant has been on a periodic tenancy for a while now, and will now be leaving in January. I was wondering is there any documentation/proof I can get the tenant to sign to validate when they leave the property? This is just to cover me in case there are any unpaid utility bills, so I can provide proof who was living…
-
Student apartment investment
Hello, There are lots of student apartments on the market labelled as 'investment opportunities'. They cost between £40-£70k, usually single unit studio apartments in a big modern development, and say that you can earn around £3,500 net annual return, after fees. Are these types of investments too good to be true? What is…
-
Landlord in Arrears with mortgage lender *HELP!*
I am looking for any advice possible and appreciate any comments. I received a letter today addressed to some names I wasn't familiar with. I opened the letter because it is not illegal to do so if there is reason of suspicion. The letter is from a mortgage lender intended for the landlord of the property telling them they…
-
An unexpected covenant in my lease
I am not to use my balcony wearing anything less than trunks. If I was female, no less than a 2 piece swim suit. This was obviously the only reason I wanted a balcony, so I could sit out there naked all day looking at all the other tenants dangly bits. I am devastated. :D Has anyone else found covenants in their lease that…
-
Swapping a council flat
Hi all, Forgive me if this is a ridiculous question. I am living in a 2 bedroom housing association flat in the North East. I am hoping to stay here while I study towards my degree - I desperately want to go back down to London when I have finished. Realistically, what are the chances of being able to swap this flat for a…
-
Is my solicitor being over-optimistic?
So my solicitor has spoken to the vendors solicitor and they have proposed a completion date of 20th December. But we haven't even had a draft contract yet, and my solicitor is moving offices on Monday (so will be unable to make any progress with our file, take phonecalls or answer emails that day), so the earliest we…
