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Misinformation in Planning Application
A planning application has been submitted for a new build preschool. Old prefab preschool had capacity for 30 - new build 42. Applicant compares our village population of 750 to suburban area of up to 100,000. Applicant states they will employ 5 staff - legally a minimum of 9 are needed. At the last committee meeting the…
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Mortgage clause help damp/timber survey
Offer accepted, mortgage has put clauses on and confused re exactly what they mean, solicitor directed us to estate agent, estate agent confirmed seller not willing to pay anything but is happy for us to... Mortgage clause attached. We are OK with getting builder for work on ceilings between exchange and completion, going…
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Shared Ownership Staircasing to 100% - SDLT due?
Hoping someone like @SDLT_Geek will be able to help here - have read great advice to others. As a first time buyer, I purchased 50% of a brand new shared ownership leasehold flat in June 2019 based on a value of £420000, paying £210000 for the 50%. I did not opt to pay SDLT based on the full value, as even though it would…
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Replace carpet or not?
Briefly our situation is this. We inherited this house a couple of years ago. Now trying to sell it. Its a 1930's semi detached on a desirable road going out of town. Other similar properties in the area which have been modernised go for £600,000 or above. Ours has not be modernised and needs some work but is structurally…
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Leasehold shock: what can I do?
It’s a perfect storm. I was very ignorant about leasehold when I bought my flat in 2004. I didn't know a thing about leasehold -- how could I? I was a German citizen, moving to the UK so my children could attend the schools I'd chosen. Yes, it was my fault for not seeking advice and informing myself. I acknowledge that. It…
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Run away? Victorian terrace survey help
Hello friendly folks! Clueless FTB here, so thanks in advance for your patience and insight. Any thoughts are very welcome and so appreciated. In the process of purchasing a late Victorian end terrace in the North of England. Trying to be very sensible about survey, but it's so tricky when you don't have any context or…
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Certificate of structural adequacy
The surveyor of a house we are buying has suggested we hire a structural engineer to provide a Certificate of structural adequacy. The house has been underpinned in the past, but the surveyor did not comment on any signs of current subsidence. Is this normal to get a certificate?
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Selling home emotions
We have been living in our present home for almost 30 years, but it’s too big for us now and we feel that we ought to sell it and buy somewhere smaller. Even though this is clearly a sensible idea, we are both really unhappy at the prospect of moving. It feels quite a lot like a bereavement. We have found a really nice…
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Selling - Can;t get Building Control Certificate for old works (>10 years)
Hi Everyone, A few different moving parts here so very grateful for any suggestions / out of the box ideas. We're selling our house - conveyancing has thrown up we didn't get a BC completion certificate for an extension we did 11 years ago (dunno why - we simply forgot to chase up). Lacking a certificate, it turns out it…
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Sellers solicitor holding things up
My son is buying his first home, a flat in Birmingham. The process began end of October but is still being held up by the sellers solicitor. He accepts that the extra searches re leases, cladding safety etc for flats takes a bit longer but we feel this is getting ridiculous. The latest feedback from his solicitor is that…
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How much does it cost to move?
I have a flat here in the South East, valued at 240k. Outstanding mortgage is 60k. How much do I need to budget for moving costs? Solicitors 5k? mortgage broker, Haysto 1600 Moving removals 5 mile move 1k? Stamp duty? selling for 240k and buying for 265k? anything else I've forgotten….. thanks
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Solicitor inappropriate questions?
My daughter in law (E) is buying her first house. I myself have moved many times, and worked as an estate agent back in the 90s, and am puzzled by things that are happening to her, causing her some distress. 1. The solicitor has asked for access (via the banking app) to her and her husband’s bank accounts. In the first…
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Council tax work around
I co-own a house mortgage free. We'd like to move to another council area and I've got a bank job with the NHS in that area already and work occasional shifts. We'd like a house in that area so I'm not always bunking with family, we can get our pets used to a new house plus the rental market is woeful. However, the council…
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2011 change to house buying contracts passing risk to buyer. Why?
In 2011 the rules governing house sales changed to say the buyer takes all the building risk after exchange. This means the buyer still has to complete even if the house burns down between exchange and completion. Yes, I know you would buy insurance to cover the risk, but I'm not sure I would be happy having just spent all…
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Japanese knotweed plans. How long is too long?
Hello. This is rather a niche question. We bought our house 6 years ago. There was a small amount of jkw found in the garden about 4 years before. It was treated and under a 10 year guaranteed management plan. It is has never come back since initial treatment. The guaranteed plan has now ended and they are trying to sell…
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Wife left, Ordered to sell up, Neighbour wants me to split cost of fence
my neighbour spoke to me a year ago about possibly splitting the cost of a fence in the back yard. He mentioned they’d always just gone 50/50 with the neighbours for fences and walls as the deeds don’t make it clear who is responsible. Looking out at the yard this fence is on the right. I didn’t confirm i would agree to it…
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David Wilson new build home - garage issues
I’m looking for advice regarding ongoing water ingress in my detached garage (new build, moved in March 2023). I first flagged damp/water ingress to the developer in 2024. They carried out what appeared to be surface-level remedial work. Their own paperwork referenced a “potential leak”, but no proper investigation was…
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Purchasing freehold
Hi, does anyone have any experience of purchasing the freehold of their home? Our lease has 940 years left and we only pay £15 per annum for the lease, but we want to do work to the house (garage conversation, knocking down walls etc) and so would need to get permission from the freeholder to do this work. With our…
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Chimney removal certificate
Hi all, I’m a first-time buyer and would really appreciate some real-world advice from people who’ve been in a similar situation. We’re in the process of buying a semi-detached house in London. A survey has just been carried out, and it’s confirmed that the chimney has been removed on all floors. The seller says this was…
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What tools did you use to track and manage your house or flat hunt?
I'm not great with organisation, especially with things I'm not particularly excited about. I'm currently looking for a new home and finding the whole process surprisingly hard to manage. When I start searching I end up with tabs open on Rightmove and Zoopla and can never remember which ones I've already looked at, or…
