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House buying, renting & selling

Archives for May 2021

When do lenders check your employment?
Regarding a mortgage on a new build property - I need to know if lenders double check your employment when you sign the contract (so before it’s built) or when you actually get the keys (so after it’s built). From what I’ve read, lenders check your income and employment when they agree to fund you, but then again about a…
Estate agent fees due date
Hello, just looking at the EA contract and it says fees become due on exchange of contracts, with payment within 30 days, is this normal? And if so, if my completion is more than a month after exchange, how do people find these fees before they receive the monies from their sale, is it required to take out a loan or…
Low salary can't afford to buy anywhere
I am 33 years and want to move out of my parents, I just looked at my finance and I can only borrow around £110,000 which means I will never be able to afford a house or a flat. I live quite near Enfield. I was thinking about maybe moving further out but I can see the government plans to level up which increase property…
Insurance
I moved into my partner's house, so just in case we quarreled or he died I bought a flat, which I let out, this was in 2015. Out of the blue I received from my tenants, an invoice, for £1098.69 going back to 2015. It is for Assign Property Insurance £147.31 every year, also Assign Terrorism for £8.00 all totaling to over…
Last stages of selling our new-build house with no final cert
Hi, We are in what should be the last week or so of selling our house we bought from new from Gleeson in June 2015. It's came to light from our buyer's solicitors that our paperwork didn't have a building regulations final certificate and they want it before proceeding. We contacted the local council (before we knew about…
Landord Emergancy Cover
Im moving into a propety with my partner and i am going to rent out my property. I'm looking at landlord cover for emergancy repairs, (such as British gas Homecare4 £18 per month) From what i understand I can claim this money back as an allowable expense. Are these packages worth it for the peace of mind? I like the idea…
Leasehold charge covenant breach Over 30 years ago
Hi hope someone can help. I purchased a house in 1990 which is leasehold and it had a loft room. I am now in the process of selling the house and during the conveyancing process the leaseholder has stated we had broken a covenant from the 1960,s as permission wasn't sought for this room. They have demanded £750 for this.…
No evidence mortgage has been settled.
Has anybody experienced the following scenario. My wife is in the process of selling her late parents home. We know for a fact her parents settled the mortgage, which was with Northern Rock (I know!!!), was fully paid in the late 1980s. Problem is, there is no written evidence the mortgage was paid in any documentation…
Covid - Am I protected from being evicted without an official tenancy?
I moved into my rented house 1.5 years ago and was on an assured shorthold tenancy for 1 year with an estate agent and then for 6 months privately with the landlord. This was fixed for 6 months, ending in May and I was given official notice in March but we agreed that we could stay informally (no contract) while he sold…
Non standard construction
Good morning, me and my partner are just in the process of starting the conveyancing process after having our offer accepted, I was just wondering if anyone could offer any information on whether or not the house I am in the process of buying is of non standard construction. May be a silly question but a few google…
Creating a contract race between EA and private purchasers
Our sale fell through when the buyers changed their mind after 2 months, and now we're at risk of losing our onward purchase. Naturally we're pretty upset and determined to play hard ball from here on. We have a new agent marketing the property, and also have a number of private purchasers lined up. Our position is that we…
Buying “used” surveys
Here’s an odd question maybe, if someone has had a survey done on a property they want to buy but the sale falls through, if you are also interested in the property is there any way to “buy” that survey off of them rather than commissioning your own survey? After all it’s no longer of use to them - Is this allowed under…
Issues with rented property
Hi all, We moved into a house on a farm in June 2019 The property is part of a working farm, they rent the surrounding fields out to the local farmer we do not use any of it, the house had been left empty since the death of her father for around 4 years.After a couple of months we noticed a hole in the carpet in the…
Moving day ideas
Hello, My property is SSTC to cash buyers who are not in any chain (they are living with family). I have put an offer in for a property yesterday, where the seller is not in any chain either, as they are moving in with their partner, so providing my offer is accepted my move should be straightforward. I will be getting a…
Over 50, relocating, mortgage and work!!
I've got several issues so not sure if this is the right place to post - if anyone feels there would be a thread more relevant then please do let me know. My husband and I have a decision to make about a future and whilst we've discussed these matters over and over, and also with one or two of our peers, I would just like…
Offer on a house etiquette
I have viewed few houses and I liked one. I am very FTB so do not have idea how do I go about making an offer. It is lovely house. But I think it is overpriced. It has been on the market only couple of days though. Guide price of 350k I have noticed few small things which would cost money to rectify but would only be about…
Protection for new build buyers?
Hi, since I'm interested in buying a new build, I'm wondering what kind of protection is in place for the buyer. For example, if the contract reads "delivery in september 2021", but the delivery is delayed because the builder is not in time, what kind of compensation could I ask? When I asked a builder if there's any…
Renting vs mortgage
I've recently started looking into mortgages and would like to make sure I'm not missing anything I've been renting the last 8 years, and been through a bunch of different landlords / letting agents. I've found that nearly all of them (with the exception of 1 or 2) have been a bunch of clueless, money-grabbing con-artists…
What's the best financial act for an outright owned home that may not be needed sell/rent..etc?
Hi All, I've been racking my brain and trying to research and am not really sure what to do. We are moving from our flat and it's owned outright but only one flat and our only owned asset. It's probably in the 100k range so not the most as far as properties go. In this scenario what do I do with it? Do I simply rent it for…
Offering during/immediately after viewing - anyone else reluctant to do this or am I too cautious?
I understand the market is still bonkers at the moment but I saw a property I was interested in, although with some potential issues that I wanted to check first. After the viewing, the estate agent called to say someone had made an offer and the vendor was going to accept so if we wanted it we would have to offer now. My…

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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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House buying, renting & selling

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