House buying, renting & selling

Bit vague on details but https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv8e33gdw17no

I viewed a flat on Friday that had been posted on Wednesday. Fixer upper, requires a proper survey to establish whether it's a Good Project or a money pit, but felt like the former. I'm expecting confirmation of funding next week, so told the estate agent I'd be in touch about the survey. Everything seemed okay and I…

We’re selling our four-bedroom townhouse in Bicester and have reached the point where we’d really value some completely impartial opinions. We originally listed at £425k, have since changed estate agents, reduced the price to £400k, changed the lead photo and updated the kitchen cupboards to give them a more neutral look.…

A friend is close to completing the sale of their property and the draft statement of account has been sent. The total charge is nearly £2,000 for a firm based in Wales that does almost everything online. This is in sharp contrast to the initial quote. Can I query the additional charges - is it reasonable to pay for…

Hi everyone, I finally found a 2 bed house I love in Essex and intend on purchasing it. In the near future, I plan on converting the conservatory to a bedroom due to family requirements. I have done a Level 3 survey with RICS to assess the condition of the property and they have made several recommendations for urgent…

My friend is thinking of renting his flat to a neighbour's brother. His brother is in the UK on a refugee visa. He is an Iraq national and his home office travel document states that he has the right to stay in the UK until 12.08.2026 My friend is happy to rent to him and if he has to leave in August, he will put his flat…

There are a couple of issues raised in our recent level 3 survey. The first of which is that the property has been found to have cavity wall insulation, which no one has mentioned. I’ve only ever heard bad things about this. The second is “The damp-proof course to the front of the property is of bitumen type and is…

I am sending out my first Section 13 rent increase to my tenants (with whom I have a great relationship). The tenancy started on 18th September 2021, however they wanted to pay their rent on 1st of the month, so when they moved in they paid 13 days which took them up to and inc. 30th September 2021 and then they paid…

I've been quoted 0.95% + VAT to sell my 2 bedroom semi detached house. However, with so many tools now available online, I was thinking of doing it myself. I already have an existing EPC certificate and I don't mind doing viewing myself, especially as some estate agents don't even do viewing in the evenings/weekends when…

Currently in a shared ownership house at 45% share, bought in 2022 in the Covid price hike. The plan was always to move on, as with most SO properties, but house prices have dropped back and I wonder if it’s worth the loss? Currently the same houses are selling for 240k at full value and I bought this at 260k full value.…

I'm a first-time buyer and I've found a flat I really like, in an area where there are slim pickings in my price bracket. The location is ideal for work and the flat is in tip-top condition, which is a real bonus for me. Current asking price is £285,000 and it was already reduced in price a couple of months ago. I think…

Hi all, I am a 25 year old freelancer working in the theatre and festival industry. I have recently moved to London, and am looking to get on the property ladder. I am very much new and have no experience with properties as I have only ever rented before - since moving out of my parents house 7 years ago. I would…

Please move to a more appropriate category if this isn't the most apt one, I couldn't see any that quite fit. Some party wall questions if anyone can help... We have completed a new build, and our neighbour is saying we need to permanently resolve a crack in their living room. The crack was pre-existing (evidenced by the…

Do you need to renew the EPC if the same tenants are in the property from when it was valid? Our tenants have been in the property for a few years and the EPC was valid when the tenancy commenced. It's now due to expire and I was wondering does it legally need to be renewed?

Hi All, I've had a quick look through the forum to see if there is somewhere in particular to post so my apologies if I have missed it. My partner and I are looking to move and have viewed a house we like - however as we haven't moved in over 15 years we are unsure of how the market is at the moment and how best to decide…

Hi, So will try and make this a quick question. My mum and dad got divorced about 25 years ago. In all of that my dad paid the mortgage off and left the house to my mum. She eventually found a new partner and then after a few years she sold the house and moved and bought another house. Now I advised her at the time that…

We are selling our property and the buyers solicitors have said they require us to pay to merge the title deeds on the basis the lease only appears to grant easement for water supply and drainage so cannot see any benefit in keeping the lease. Would this be something we need to pay for before we sell? Or should it be up to…

Hi fellow MSE’s, I’m sure someone will be able to help with the following, and thank you in advance to anyone that can help. Currently purchasing the remaining shares of our shared ownership property, and trying to work out how much SDLT that should be paid, and so far our solicitor has not a clue, with a chocolate teapot…

Hi everyone, My solicitor submitted an application to HM Land Registry in March 2026 following the completion of my property purchase, and it is still pending. I have contacted HM Land Registry several times, and they keep giving me the following update: "The caseworker dealing with your application has needed to refer to…

Hi, My new works contract requires me to be overseas for up to 16 weeks of the year on equipment trials. I live in a flat on my own in UK. Do you think my landlord is going to be OK for me to just keep paying rent so that i have somewhere to come back to when i return to UK? (I could be out of the flat for 4 months at a…