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House buying, renting & selling

Archives for June 2021

Coming Off Tenancy But My Deposit
Hi , I'm looking for some advice regarding my deposit when I come off the tenancy. Me and my partner have recently split up, she is going to stay in the property with our 3 children, for her to receive the full amount of housing benefit/universal credit, I'm not sure what it comes under, I would need to remove myself from…
Asking questions before the viewing?
On my other thread people seem to think I've viewed too many properties and therefore am not a serious buyer. One of the reasons I've viewed places and not offered on many is that there have been dealbreakers which became obvious upon walking in. I try to gauge as much as I possibly can from the photos, but sometimes…
Letting agent demanding guarantor for anyone under 25? Legal?
My sister is looking at moving into a professional house share in London - she gets on well with the people who live there and it's good value and convenient for her. We're not in contact with our parents so they cannot be a guarantor for her, I'm not able to be one either because of my mortgage. She has a job that is more…
Mining report dispute valuation
Has anyone had and luck disputing the mortgage valuation from Connells over mining report comments the Connells state the property is ‘not suitable security’ and now the valuer ask for mining interpretative report any suggestion if they would change there mind after 3 mine shaft were found out side the boundary. TSB my…
Holiday is over (well mostly)
I wonder how things will pan out now - solicitors will hopefully be able to offer some level of service again instead of saying they're too busy trying to meet the deadline for buyers, and the market will possibly settle down a bit. Obviously we have the lower level of holiday now so that will still have some impact (I am…
Vendor present at the viewing
Hi everyone, I'm just wondering if I'm being unreasonable here. I went to a viewing today and to my surprise, the vendor was there, working from home during it. This really annoyed me immediately and I felt SO uncomfortable, especially given the Delta variant being on the rise! I think even there weren't a pandemic, it…
Buying a property in BR6 Orpington
Hello, We are considering buying a house in the BR6 area - in the catchment of 'good' rated primary schools. I've come across mixed reviews on Orpington. The Crays, Swanley etc. are clearly no-go which is why we zeroed in on BR6. But even within BR6, I understand (from many hours of Googling and a bit of walking around)…
Property is a bit knackered.....what do I fix first
Hi all, We've just purchased a property that needs quite a bit doing to it (I am happy to decorate etc) but it's where to start first! The boiler is ancient and somewhere there is a water cylinder attached to it. The circuit board looks to be old.....does it need re-wiring or can I just get an up to date board with an…
Fee to change stock tenancy agreement
Hello, Is an agent/landlord allowed to charge the £50 fee to amend the initial tenancy agreement for a brand new AST? As in no agreement yet exists, but they wish to charge £50 to change the agreement from the boilerplate one they use on all properties to include the allowance of pets. Thanks
House buying - solicitors... do I have redress?
We are buying a house for 333k the house is of vacant possession with no onward chain. We're selling our current house for 162k to a first time buyer. The purchase of our house should have been a simple conveyance. The title is Absolute. There are no rights or way or leeways on it. No works have been done on the property…
Missold flat with garden
Hi, I hope someone can give some advise. I brought a flat that was advertised with a garden and i went to the viewing and was shown around the garden. I brought the flat some months ago and after getting the contract and deeds through my email i noticed the deeds show that the other flat in the building actually owns the…
Ex signed TR1 and funds exhanged now he wants more money
My ex husband and I agreed via his solicitor the amount I would give him to purchase his part in our joint home following our divorce. I paid the funds to his solicitor and he signed the TR1 in mid June. His solicitor has failed to send the conveyencing firm a certificate of independant legal advice and therefore my…
Solicitor is holding on to my money and ignoring me
Long story short, I was a cash buyer who hoped to buy a house last week. I transferred the money in anticipation on advise of the solicitor a couple days before it was meant to complete. On the day I was expected to buy, the solicitor called me. I won't go into great details, but it turns out I'm effectively buying a…
Unsure on which type of survey to get
I'm trying to decide between level 2 and level 3. The property is around 90 years old, end of terrace and has an extension at the back. There is also a claim for coal mine subsidence on a nearby property (my solicitor has requested more details on this). I've noticed that the level 3 does not include a reinstatement cost…
Should I buy or wait?
Hey, The silver lining to my recent divorce is selling our house at a good time. Even though we are splitting the equity, I now have a half decent deposit for my next place (approx £75k). The issue is that since getting our mortgage I went back to uni (I wasn't anticipating the separation!), and so my income is much lower…
Another capital gains question!
I bought my house in 2012 and lived in it until November 2018 (about 6 years). I then moved out for 2 years and tenants lived in it. In 2019 I bought a tiny flat elsewhere as a second home. I returned to my main home, my house in November 2020. I understand that I do pay some CGT when I sell as it was tenanted for 2 out of…
Viewing houses when you live far away
I'm currently renting in Hampshire, and want to view houses in Harrogate/Knaresborough. Given the distance, and the fact I don't drive, I'd need to stay overnight up north. Probably a silly question, but how have others handled viewing houses when you live a fair distance away? Are Estate Agents open to you booking a few…
Suggestion with house that needs work
Hello MSE! I need a little bit of help regarding a possible purchase. Please bare with me as I have no experience with this nor do I know anyone personally to help me with it. Me and my partner were looking into buying a house for quite a while now. We are first time buyers so we don't really have any experience with…
Buying a house privately - how are things different?
Hi all, just looking for some guidance please. Family friend has offered to sell us their parents house, which is currently empty. We've seen the house and agreed a price with them. Everything done on email so there is a paper trail but we need to sell our house which we will do. Essentially I'm wondering if there's…
Asking Estate Agents About Leasehold Terms
We are in the process of putting our first house on the market and so we are trying to arrange viewings for properties we are interested in to purchase. We bought our first house as a new build off-plan, so we’ve not had much exposure to estate agents in the past. I saw a property I liked the look of on Rightmove, but it’s…

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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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