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House buying, renting & selling

For all questions to do with buying, selling, renting and letting homes.

Who to be chasing when buying a house?
Hi all, We’re FTB and are in a chain of 4 properties. We put our offer in mid-Feb and have been ready a few weeks (to be fair it happened a lot quicker than I expected). In order of houses in the chain: 1 (top of chain) - Last we heard a couple of weeks back there were enquiries going on. 2 - Damp & timber survey took…
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…
Professional Consultant Certificate impasse
Hi - we are in the process of trying to buy a property that has been extended and “renovated” recently. Our surveyor says that we should not buy the property unless a PCC is provided. The seller is saying “ The architect did not oversee the renovation works, he simply designed the extension and obtained planning consent -…
Lack of Party Wall Agreement
I am purchasing a property that does not have a Party Wall Agreement for a loft conversion undertaken 10 years ago. I need to purchase indemnity to satisfy my lender. The loft conversion has building regs and retrospective planning permission. I am not sure why it has retrospective permission, as I can’t see that it was a…
Buyer pulled out
Accepted offer on our house 2 months ago. Cash buyers which was great and they were super keen to get moving. We found a perfect property and had our offer accepted, short chain as they were buying a new build which was ready in 2 months time. Our buyers did all paperwork, searches etc. on our house, we were close to…
Council RTB, is it worth getting the district valuer
As the title suggests. I've put in an application for right to buy. The council value the house at £195,000, but I've just had a RICS survey and valuation done and they value the house at £175,000. Looking at online portals, Zoopla value the house at around £188,000, where as on the market value it at £160,000, so there is…
Solicitor forgot to take their fee out of equity
Evening all myself and my wife moved up the property ladder last summer and took equity out our old house to pay for renovations to the new property we purchased. The solicitors we used for conveyance sent us a bill and stated they would deduct the £1300 or so we owed them out of the equity we were due. We were sent the…
Buying out a former partner from their share of a residential property
My former partner has walked out and I am looking to take on the mortgage myself and buy out their 50% share. I have obtained a number of valuations - all of which are lower than the one that my former partner got (albeit my former partner was not at the property when the valuation was done but my partner was cc'd in to…
Additional stamp duty and reclaim
I purchased a flat in 2002 and lived there for 5 years. It has been rented out and I have been renting another property since that point The flat is now under offer but won't complete prior to purchase of another property. The new house purchase will attract additional stamp duty as I will at that point own two properties.…
Unsure of purchase price of house for CGT purposes
Hello all and thank you in advance for any help. The problem we have is regarding a CGT return which will be due upon the imminent sale of my partner's house. She divorced some years ago and bought out her ex. She then lived in the house for several years and then we have been living together in my house for a number of…
Selling home to parent
I am in the fortunate position to be able to buy my next home without needing to sell my existing home first.My original plan was to move in and then put my original home up for sale but the potential there is that this sale could be drawn out and I would like to access to reclaiming the second property stamp duty asap.My…
Do valuers just agree with Remortgage Lenders Figure vs Open Market
I bought a 2 bed semi in 2017, nice area, and every time I have remortgaged/switched rate I have always put in a figure that is always slightly higher than the screen which has triggered a physical valuation. Every time, the valuer has just agreed. I ask, because I know full well if i put it onto the open market, I would…
Offer accepted 12 days ago, buyer still hasn't appointed solicitor or booked valuation or survey in
Just wondering whether it's unreasonable for us to be getting anxious at this point? The agent spoke to them Monday morning and they told her they had had a solicitor lined up and were just 'getting a few final details to their mortgage advisor'. They asked her to please reassure us that they were doing everything possible…
Mortgage affordability and bonuses
Newbie here - my daughter is currently buying her first flat and Nationwide have just lowered the offer they will loan her because she paid her £19k profit share from her employer directly into her pension last year, avoiding tax, planning for her future and getting a further £3k contribution from her employer. Nationwide…
Rental - should I keep or look to sell?
Hi i have a buy to let rental, interest only,3,75% rate that ends June 2026. I bought flat for £138k in 2006. Amount I owe is £90k. Exact same property next door has just sold for £140k. i bought this property19 years ago, just before the recession, so the property since has never been valued at what I paid for it - a long…
Using inheritance to pay off mortgage or save?
Im expecting to receive £250k in May. We're looking to move house ASAP, though currently haven't seen anything we like and haven't started getting the ball rolling on our house sale yet. Our mortgage fixed rate ends on 31st May and we were looking to remortgage - though we'll be going from our very nice 2.3% to a less nice…
What does the estate agent mean?
Hello All. Finally grant of probate arrived in February and I was able to properly prep the property to go on the market (quite frankly I'm beat, after all the work that I've been doing to get the house looking better than it did last year). I picked the estate agent who thought that the house had potential and had…
Mortgage valuation vs HPI estimate: how different can they be?
I have a question about the difference between my lender’s House Price Index (HPI) estimate and their recent mortgage valuation. I am with Nationwide and in the process of selling my leasehold flat in SE London. I can see what the estimated value of my property is according to the HPI information in my online account. This…
Should I lower trench or leave
1935 semi-detached Yorkshire. I had raised ground levels and obstructed air bricks which caused damp (image 4). Created a trench but I now found an old brick below new one (image 2) I dug down to get all air bricks to at least ground level. I've removed big stones to just have soil. There's 2 drainage gulleys for my house…
SDLT replacing main residence 3 years rule
Hello. Wondering if anyone can lend any advice. Years ago I bought my grandmother’s property off her, as she got herself into debt. Later, my mum moved in and cared for her u til she passed. My mum now lives in the property and pays the mortgage so it’s on a buy to let. Me and my partner bought our own home in 2018,…

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MSE News

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.
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 Payments 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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