Getting a mortgage and then becoming mortgage-free!

MichaelDH

Hi Kittenkirst

Happy New Year!

Haven't been around much the last few months, not been in prison or anything like that, just been busy with work and house etc.:rotfl:

I've just caught up with your diary. Well done on smashing your OP target for 2017. What have you set as this years target?

Glad your return to work is going ok

Kittenkirst

Hi MichaelDH, nice to ‘see’ you on here

Target for this year is a nice round £3000- which means £250 a month which is quite steep for us (especially as we started Overpaying we were aiming For £80!

How’s your house and everything going?

I’ve started this year by a renewed effort on Prolific- I have £18 awaiting approval so far and have had £3 on pinecone.

The mortgage rate runs out in April so I need to call The bank and see what rate they will offer us

ch4rly2002

Sounds good KK, definitely a good aim and a great start to the year with surveys.

Also, from experience, I have found that the banks can take a couple of months to sort everything out for a new mortgage (unless you're staying with the same bank with the same term and just choosing a new interest rate, which I found to be instantaneous) so it's good that you're looking around early

Kittenkirst

Oh my goodness my thighs and bum hurt so much! That kettlebells class followed by yoga was not my best idea I have to admit!

Went to a spin class last night and did some chest and back exercises after- I was booked into early morning yoga but cancelled it last night- I’m so glad I did. My friend is on the last day of her 3 day free pass for my gym so have to go tonight but not sure what I’m going to do once there- I’m struggling to stand or sit down at the moment :eek:

Working from home today from 10am so hoodies and snuggle socks on to keep the heating on minimum, washing load is already on so it can dry on the airers shortly. Works going ok, new role is getting really busy already which is giving me a bit of anxiety but it feels a lot better than June-November last year, keeping practicing the CBT techniques and remembering to breathe....I’m hopeful things will continue to improve.

Brothers gf has gone a little off the deep end in that she has dumped him we’ve had lots of chats this week and he’s obviously very hurt but we’ve discussed giving her some breathing space to get better in the hospital and talking to her properly once she’s in her right frame of mind (that’s not meant to be patronising).

We’re going to go and visit on Sunday and hoping to get him out his flat as he’s been shut in a lot of this week as his mental health is suffering- thinking a local museum to him which has awesome displays and gives us something different to chat about rather than all the heavy stuff that’s gone on recently.

Payday on Monday....it feels so far away but looking forward to doing our monthly overpayment and the council tax overpayment

ch4rly2002

I'm sorry to hear about your brother, but with a sister like you he's in good hands! I think the museum is a great idea, like you said it will change the focus for a bit as I'm sure it's on his mind all the time at the moment. Good advice to give her space and then talk when she's feeling more like her usual self, I hope it works out ok.

You're a braver woman than I am... Kettlebells and yoga in one night :eek:

How's the fleabay going?

Hope kitties are ok x

MichaelDH

Kittenkirst wrote: »

Hi MichaelDH, nice to ‘see’ you on here

Target for this year is a nice round £3000- which means £250 a month which is quite steep for us (especially as we started Overpaying we were aiming For £80!

How’s your house and everything going?

I’ve started this year by a renewed effort on Prolific- I have £18 awaiting approval so far and have had £3 on pinecone.

The mortgage rate runs out in April so I need to call The bank and see what rate they will offer us

Hey

Wow £3k is a great target! I'm sure you can do it, especially now some of your furniture is paid off. It's amazing how even little amounts add up over the year. I think Drew and I should sit down in the coming weeks to try and come up with a sensible target too. Definitely need to get surveying again!

House has taken a giant leap forward this week, we've had flooring and new skirting/architraves fitted in living room/dining room and hall - looks amazing, so pleased! Still some painting to do and of course the skirting will need glossing and we will get new doors fitted some time next month, but feel like we are finally getting somewhere. Have ordered some furniture for downstairs, dining table, a side board, and a high board unit. Blew the budget a little (£3k :mad:) but will definitely make the place feel more homely and we can start to enjoy what we've worked so hard for over the past 17 months. Still got to order our new sofa too, that will be a job for the weekend.

Our mortgage renews in June/July. Need to log in and check the balance, would still love to get it to below £160k so will have to see how far off we are. Aiming to have the house as finished as possible by May and then get some valuations done. Still thinking about house extensions but I'm a little worried about what will happen with the property market and house prices so being cautious...

How are the boys doing? It's Oscar's 1st birthday today. We will treat him to some new toys over the weekend. Someone we know is expecting a litter of Cockapoos over the weekend, we are considering having one of the puppies so that's exciting :j

Kittenkirst

So what started as an average Friday turned into quite a momentous occasion!

Called the Student Loan Company as I have paid the last three instalments by DD and wanted to check what the final one would be, the lady who answered was very confused and had to get the account triple checked as it appears I’ve overpaid and am due a small refund of £126!

She’s getting it checked again for me but if it’s correct I’ll get a refund in 15 days!

This means that it was actually cleared in 2017 and I will be £98 a month better off from January. Hurrah!!

A_Frayed_Knot

themadvix wrote: »

!
AFK - there's loads of yoga videos on Youtube: you could always try one of them as a taster. DH and I enjoy Yoga with Adriene and Boho Beautiful. I'd love free yoga classes!

Thanks for that, Had a quick look, not sure if I was extremely tired or yoga relaxes you so much I could feel myself drifting off for a snooze.

If it does relax you then I think I've hit the jackpot . . . maybe just the medicine I need to lower my (extremely hughmungus /GP - never known anyone as high as mine) BP :eek: as the conventional methods do not work on me apart from a lengthy spell off work

A_Frayed_Knot

Lovely surprise and bonus if you have already paid off your student loan without even knowing it :j

o/p's or extra spending holiday money, whatever you decide - it will get put to good use. :T

wishingthemortgaheaway

Hi Kitten,

I had a bit of an issue with the Student loans company when I'd paid off my loan. I cleared the balance in the June. They took the July payment from my salary, so I knew I was due a refund. Summer holidays happened, then I fell pregnant and suffered from severe sickness so never got round to ringing them to claim the refund. Decided to just let it sit there until the April when they generate the annual statements. The following August (a year after I'd paid off my loan) I get a letter saying I was due a refund. Ring them up, refund was considerably more than I thought it was (expecting about £100, was nearly £300) lovely I thought.
Fast forward another year and I get a letter saying 'HMRC have reviewed your student loan contributions and you have around £200 owing on your account' - I didn't think my refund was right.

My advice, in your case would be, work out how much you think the refund should be, don't accept a penny more. Or wait (probably 2 years it seems) until the SLC have got all the info from HMRC.

It's money you weren't expecting, so just leave it sat there a bit longer.

I overpaid my tax whilst on Mat leave, and all bar £30 of my tax refund ended up being sent back.