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Help needed please! New build house - 5 months in, find out they don’t have full planning permission
We’re 5 months into buying a new build house. The house is “built” with internal works nearing completion, we were expecting to be in the house in the next few weeks. The sale of my old place completed this week and we transferred the deposit to my solicitor (exchange of contracts hasn’t yet happened, we were anticipating…
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When can I legally reduce rent payments?
Hi everyone. I hope you can help me save on solicitors fees with this one. I am an undemanding tenant and have put up with a lot over the past 2 years while always paying on time. During a business trip away, the landlord then took the ultimate Micky and placed livestock into my private garden. He'd trespassed multiple…
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Changing Main Residence, Second Home, CGT and Council Tax
Hi all, I inherited a property last June when Probate completed, which I intend to live in as I am now being charged double Council Tax for the more valuable second home. Is it as simple as telling the two councils that I am changing my main residence then writing to HMRC and changing the Land Registry? Will this have an…
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Legionella/Landlord Responsibility
Hi all lovely peeps. Still considering coming away from a letting agent and managing my property myself. No hurry yet so teaching myself stuff gradually to see if I can handle it. Hit a bit of a block on the whole legionella thing. From what I read it is an assessment that I can do myself? Property has mains water in and I…
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Buying the freehold of a house - worth bothering?
Most of the discussion about property leasehold relates to flats - total nightmare. In my situation, it's a leasehold semi-detached house; 950 years lease, costing £15 per year. There doesn't appear to be anything in the lease that permits that £15 to be increased - it certainly hasn't changed for the last fifty years. The…
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Leashold - Lodger
Hello could you please let me know if I can take in a paying lodger while I live at the house (2 beds, 2 bathrooms). See below relevant clauses.
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Buildings insurance.
A few months back, a soil pipe cracked and caused damage to two of the Leasehold flats. There are 8 flats in all. The repair work was undertaken, and Zurich Insurance agreed to pay out. The freeholder paid the plumbers' bills, and has now billed us for his expenditure. He says the Service Charge bills will be amended…
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Been asked to chip in extra cash
Hi, in a chain of 5 buyers, one person has found they need to do extra work on their new house after a survey. The estate agent phoned and said would we mind chipping in £1000
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Council flat purchase?
Hey guys My friend is thinking of buying a new build perhaps 3 year old council flat under Right to Buy. It’s cheap but shes worried about future repair bills and service charges ( if their extortionate). For those who’ve done this or know the risks, is it actually worth buying, or is she just signing up for expensive…
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£100/month penalty from property management company
I own a small studio flat that I have owned for 6 years with no problems and a happy tenant. Yet now am being forced by the managing agents to replace my front door and a laundry room door for £2,818.80 with their contractor. This is as part of a planned replacement of the fire doors with their contractor for the whole of…
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Who do I complain to if the property manager is not part of a property redress scheme?
The government website states You must join a redress scheme if you’re:· an estate agent dealing with residential properties in the UK· a letting agent or property manager in England or Wales If a customer has a complaint about your service that you cannot resolve between yourselves, they can complain to the scheme. The…
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Using LISA for home then renting it out?
Hi All, I'm curious if anyone has or knows anyone who has used LISA for their home and then decided to rent it out instead? I'd assume one would use a residential mortgage to buy the property and then either get a Consent to Let from the lender or transfer to a new (BTL?) mortgage? How long did they end up living in the…
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Anyone else affected by Purplebricks removing “list until sold” promise?
I originally listed my property (in 2023) with Purplebricks because they advertised that once you pay their fee, your property stays on the market until it sells, with no time limit. That flexibility was a key reason I chose them. I didn’t expect to have to relist or repay if my plans changed. Now they’re telling me the…
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Estate agent's description is correct. But not much use.
I am pleased that estate agents are now strongly encouraged to tell the truth about properties they are selling but sometimes they really push the boundaries of what is and is not "the truth". For example, near me there are some very nice executive properties being sold. Amongst the estate agents blurb is the fact that a…
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Selling Shares to buy house for daughter
I have £150k in stocks and shares that I am considering selling to pay for a house. The house…. is currently owned by daughter No2 who is moving away to an island and will be renting for the next year or two. Daughter No1 wants to move into the house, buying it from her sister, I want to pay for it, no strings attached.…
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Unauthorised access to the electoral Roll for Estate Agent 'phishing' - not OK - but from where?
I was under the impression that when filling in the annual council tax/election residents list, that this would not be released to any person or company except for legitimate security reasons, whatever they may be, but certainly NOT for any person or company 'phishing' for business purposes.I was surprised therefore to…
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Buying land and storing materials on it
Hi, I’ve seen a fair amount of land for sale at auctions… if I bought some land like the below (just an example below). Is there anything to stop me lending/ renting the land to someone who might want to store green waste/ building materials on it? Or do you ALWAYS need to ask the council and change the land type from…
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Exchange Of Contracts Did Not Happen
My solicitor phoned me yesterday morning confirming that she has talked to the buyers solicitor and they have confirmed to exchange contracts in the afternoon and completion today. I sent my solicitor a email late in the evening yesterday to ask what had happened about exchange of contracts. I got a shocking response (The…
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Exemption from Stamp Duty query
We are in the process of purchasing a property which is a second home however the house has an functioning toilet (the report we have had carried out states 'not functioning properly'). My question is are we exempt from paying Stamp Duty due to this? If any one has any information to help whether it be a message on here or…
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Solicitor Holding Money from Property Sale For 24 hours because they are closed on Completion Date
Due to complete tomorrow and just found out solicitor is closed tomorrow! They didn’t point this out when we agreed the completion date ….. Is my money protected in any way? Can I delay handing over keys until money is received by me? TIA
