From Flat to Farmhouse

Watty1

new horse ???? !!! Tell us more ....

FloppyDisk

Vetting cancelled, 'never had a day off' New Hoss has history of 'just a bruised hoof' four times this year, on different hooves. NOPE.

hiddenshadow

Bummer. I hate vettings - so easy to get your hopes up (and then dashed).

FloppyDisk

Thankfully I pulled out before the vetting so no money wasted at all, the horse ticked all of the right boxes but definitely something fishy about his competition record which made me too nervous, particularly with the lorry STILL not sold. I am constantly fobbed off by the mechanic but it's MOT is due soon and if it stays with the mechanic he will pay for it so I am hanging on, perhaps unwisely.

For now, I have a horse to ride a few days a week at my old yard and they don't want any money or chores in return. Word on the work street is that next year's contract might mean working away from home in the week but with extra pay and T&S, it might be ideal to have a horse-free 6-month saving sprint.

So after a whole month of cottage bliss without killing each other - here's the updated life situ - we'd like to buy a £300k 'project', ideally without having to sell my flat, (if I did we could get something for £430k but given house price concern, I'd like to spread our risk with an urban BTL and a country project, which also gives BF 2 years to get his business going and for us to claim back 2nd home stamp duty if we sell the lot to buy a Farmhouse) which, because of the new lending criteria on BTLs leaves us with a very small deposit for a new place - currently it would be about 11%.

Spreadsheet says that should be possible to increase that to 15% by April just in time for the end of our rental fixed term, so anything more while we look for the perfect pad is a bonus.

That has given me a push to sort my shiz out.
- Joint account is working a charm and all Team Members are On Board.
- Emergency savings need to increase to £20k to be prepped for any issues with the flat and tax etc.
- SS ISA needs a platform review as, although performing well, I think the fees are higher than they could be. I also might increase the monthly saving to this in lieu of feeding Hoss.
- Credit report needs to be sparkling for the next 6 months so no more new accounts regardless of better interest rates, must work with what I have.

Floppy's Financial Adventure take 568.

hiddenshadow

Very nice. (FWIW I think the credit check only counts as a hit if it's in the last 3 months, and/or you're opening 25 accounts and clearly desperate for lines of credit.)

FloppyDisk

Very nice to have other financial keenos to ruminate with!

(I did get turned down for a re-mortgage with a different bank and could only put it down to too many new current account applications. I don't have any debts but with new credit checks for joint account and rent referencing I hope I am on the right side of careful about it.)

Although the joint account management is working well, I still haven't managed to get an actual debit card delivered to the correct address, so I had a nag and just got an email saying I'm due £70 compensation for the inconvenience. Thank you very kindly!
Also owed council tax from the flat which I'm looking forward to getting, and dinner is all planned and bought so it's all looking good so far!

smallholdingsister

Well done for pulling out BEFORE the vetting. Sellers will have decided you are a "timewaster" now because you chose not to buy their lame horse. Minefield!

FloppyDisk

The vetting history showed 4 lameness work ups in the last year, seller refused to return my calls for two days so I had no choice to pull out before I was billed. She then sends me texts about how it was just a little bruise. :think:

smallholdingsister

!!!!!!! How did you find out the vetting history?

FloppyDisk

My instructor insisted that I asked for it. I would have thought it would be too cheeky but apparently not. In hindsight I imagine insurance companies would have a field day excluding everything on it between that and a 5 stage vetting!