-
Stamp duty
Does anyone have a definitive answer please on wether I need to pay the higher stamp duty rate? Even the solicitors couldn't agree one says yes and the other disagrees. So if anyone knows for sure id be very grateful. My son owns half my property but has never lived here, he's rented for the last 10 years with his partner…
-
Chimney breast removed and steel beam supporting remaining weight in loft
I am about to complete on buying a mid-terraced house with chimney breast removed, but steel beam supporting remaining weight (including stack) in loft. Seller does not have paperwork confirming building control as they did not carry out the removal works (- they had bought property on probate). Seller will provide me with…
-
How to find out if Joint Tenants or if Tenants in Common
Not as simple as I thought. I assumed the Land Registry would have this info, but it seems uncertain where that information will be kept, apparently it can vary. A relative and his mother bought their house off the council back in the 1980s as joint owners, but now his Mum has died needs to know what sort of joint…
-
House still not registered at Land Registry
We completed a house purchase on 9 August 2024, yet our solicitor has still not sent the application to Land Registry. Is this a dereliction of duty, as I have recently found out that it was his responsibility to ensure that the Land Registry application form, along with the requisite documents, were lodged within 30 days…
-
Buying a flat
Do you only sign at exchange? How many times during the process of buying you need to sign any documents! My brother signed a sale contract nearly 1 yr ago and it fell through.Am surprised he was not asked to sign a new one. He did request for his files to be left open.Thanks
-
Carpet trouble
I'm new to fitted carpet until I had to have some fitted last week. I sent the attached photo to the company and at first they expressed that there were 'shadows' on it, although when I mentioned wrinkles they have offered to send their fitter back to 're-stretch' the carpet after it has 'acclimatised' over the weekend. Is…
-
Payment charges from a "property management" service
Hi, I live on a new build site and I am a freeholder but we have a property management service called Gateway who I think are responsible for managing communal sites. Gateway charge us fees regularly and recently they sent us a letter saying that we hadn't paid a "balancing charge" of £21.56 on 11th June and they had…
-
FTB - Searches Infilled Land & Floodrisk - Worried about subsidence
Hi Forum, Firstly, I would like to thank you for reading. I will try to be brief. I'm FTB with limited budget looking for a property for more than 2 years.I found this probate semi-detached house in a good location, ticking many boxes so I made an offer which was accepted. I received the searches from the solicitors which…
-
Buying a house with "rent-a-roof" Freetricity panels
Hi, We are first-time-buyers and recently got our offer accepted on a house after a very long house-hunt. The price is OK, at least for this crazy market, but our solicitors have just turned up the fact that the present owners of the house signed a 25 year lease on the roof to Freetricity back in 2012. We were not told…
-
Questions About Steel-Framed Houses
First, I will poiint out that my wife is Indonesian and wants us to have a house in Indonesia too. (Post-retirement, half the year in the UK, half in Indonesia? etc.) I do realise it's a bit of an ask to ask here, but I'd like to know if there are people with experience of steel-framed houses of different types. One of my…
-
Bigger deposit and more debt or visa versa?
Hi, I have a couple of options and would like to know which option is best. Debt Admiral / APR 10.8% / £212 month / £10928 in total / Ends 2030 I can either pay this off and have around £31k Deposit - being debt free OR have around £41k deposit and keep this debt. This is following a relationship breakdown, and the house…
-
Buying Housing Association Home with Solar Panels
Hi, Im in the middle of buying my HA home, it has solar panels on the roof, and i have only these options: -rent the air space to council for a one off £400 (hard to get mortgage lender with this option) or -buy out remaining contract for £4735. My issue is, i don’t want them, i just want them removed but im being told…
-
House
Hi, Just wanting advice please. I am in the middle of buying a house and the current owners will not apply for retrospective consent from the council for previous works that were done before they bought the house. The works were completed over 20 years ago but now i am wanting to buy the house, i am wanting advice if i…
-
Would you buy a house that had previously had spray foam insulation?
I had an offer accepted recently on what I thought was my dream home. A few weeks later I've been informed by the estate agent that it has spray foam insulation in the loft, which the vendor is going to have removed prior to me arranging a survey as he knows it's not mortgageable as it is. I hadn't heard much before about…
-
Undisclosed electricity provider
We moved into our new house 6 months ago. It comprises of a house plus 1 bed cottage, previously used as an Airbnb. The sales documentation noted Octopus as the electricity supplier (we have oil for heating and hot water, and the cottage has gas bottles for heating and hot water). We contacted Octopus with the meter…
-
Title Indemnity
I'm about to exchange on a freehold and we are missing some drawings in transfer dated 1980 when property was converted from leasehold to freehold. Original lease dated 1967 is not available. The current title plan is clear and marked as freehold. My Solicitor asked for a. indemnity to meet lender requirement. Does this…
-
Large Sign
A local put this on the side of his wall, does it need planning permission?It's a gap in a row of terraces and it looks rather threatening. I don't live there, asking for a friend.
-
Found out house at risk of repossession 4 months after offer accepted
We are in the process of buying our first house which is chain free because it was being rented out to tenants. The tenants moved out a couple weeks ago and the house is now empty/vacant. We are 4 months into the house buying process and the sellers solicitors have not been fast with responding to enquiries and have been…
-
Pressured by letting agency to sign contract within 5hrs; Incorrect info; no time to seek advice
(England) Was emailed a while ago by Letting Agency, informing me that Private Landlord wanted to increase rent and sign me into a new contract. I said I'd stay on (because difficult to find rentals), however I didn't write that I would accept the increase. Heard nothing until a few days ago on rent day. I dutifully paid…
-
Is it true the % used of your credit card limit matters when calculating affordability?
I am going to be a First Time Buyer in about 6 months and currently getting my ducks in a row. I have a £6k balance on a £7k limit credit card. I've read that the % used of a credit card limit is important and that: 75% looks very bad 50% not great 30% ok I do have other credit cards with zero balance and good limits so I…
