The trials & tribulations of a 1st time landlord & investor

TallGirl

Good news we got the one bed flat on the 6th floor but there is a lift. It's not that big and no shower but it's all ours and no sharing. It's more money as we have to pay all utility bills plus council tax but happy and excited about moving currently uploading all the references and ID stuff need to scan some bank statements and get reference from employer. Pain but got to be done. We have six weeks so time to get it all in place before we have to move. Will be good even if a little rough we are right by the nice new bits let's hope that makes a difference.

Spent £2 on sweets and £20 topped up Oyester should claim my expenses back really. Still £200 left until end of month not bad but spending will start soon on move.

:j:beer::j:rotfl::T happy days here

SuzieSue

That's great news. I hope the move goes well.

vandanfc

That is good news. No sharing sounds good.

TallGirl

:j Thanks guys for the good wishes means a lot

Today I bought a coffee as I was early to a meeting and then I forgot another meeting in the same building as I went back to the office. Doh!

Got all documents uploaded to portal for guardian company and also spoke to them re no wage slips for a few months I just have to give them the contact. We can move to a property on a lower ground floor if one becomes available so just need to keep looking on their site. Now all we can do is wait for them to check documents and then we are stage two payment then we need to collect keys. We want to take a drive over tomorrow night just to check how scary it is but we're both excited about having got somewhere.

Not so cool re my rental house the two people I deal with who are brilliant have left and suddenly the person I'm dealing with has a different company name in his email. I know the company still exists but they might have been taken over. My gas safely has run out and the tenant wasn't prepared to organise it for them to inspect. New tenant is immidiately moving in so they suggest we leave it up to them. That's so wrong and illegal as it invalids the insurance and rental cover. I've told them I'm not letting it out until it's done and I'll do it myself on the 6/9. I'll see what he says they found the tenant really quickly overnight and if my old contact there thought it was a good one I trust him even if he's gone. If I knew he had gone I would swap to his agency. Never mind let's wait and see.

Tired so bed soon night night all watching bake off on catch up later in the week so no spoilers please. :T

wishingthemortgaheaway

What a nightmare with the rental.

All I can say about bake off, is don't attempt to 'eat along' this week, we did and felt a little
Sick after the signature round..

TallGirl

Agree bakeoff was a bit sickly put me off sweet stuff.

So all change again for new place to live decided it was too small and they do have bigger places. We're now viewing a two bed it's only £50 more a month and I won't need to shell out for a storage unit and everything will be in one place so no need for a 70 mile each way trip.

We're down as priority for geting it and we have been vetted ready to pay so should fingers crossed get it Monday after the viewing Saturday. Went around tonight around 8pm to see the blocks again it didn't feel that bad really quite well lit loads of parking and also no strange people hanging around. Tried to figure out which flat it was some have balconies but might not be one of them. Third floor is so much better than 5th as well.

Work ok busy but coming together. Loads to do and colleague off so will be busy plus have to write report for annual report about project I'm doing.

DG is working from home tomorrow lucky here I've got to get the 8.30 train tomorrow if not earlier I was late but made it however too full so had to get later one don't want to do that tomorrow.

No spend today and £59 back for iPhone cover and lead that got nicked in my handbag. That's over £200 left but will be shelling out £1700 on new place in a few days.

Also estate agent is paying for gas certificate to be done before new tenant moves in so that's a relief plus insurance for non payment of rent can continue.

Can't wait to see new place Saturday so hope we get it would make total sense to have bigger place but I will have to cull a lot inparticular things like my furnace for the garden and the box wil want to keep my cube garden furniture but we have rail with floorlengt curtain that could divide second bedroom into storage area. Should be fine I hope we can also take the shelving systems that's bolted to the walls here that will be excellent in new flat and loads of time to fit things sadly no ladder but might be able to make do with chairs or maybe table to stand on we shall see.

Night night all.

vandanfc

Hope the new digs work out.

daisy_1571

Good luck with the viewing on Saturday TG, I just have a tiny question that has been niggling but I may have missed you setting down your thoughts in earlier posts, feel free to ignore if you wish -

You are on such a different financial position compared to a short time ago with both inheritances, I'm curious why, with that and both of you also earning really good salaries, you are looking at these guardian properties in bad areas and needing bars on windows and sharing facilities etc. Do you never feel it would be a better use of your money to use it to get a nice home for you/you both? I wondered if it was because of London prices (which I admit i really don't understand), or perhaps a nervousness to get a joint property again but I'm sure with both your jobs and backgrounds you can work out a practical approach so as I say I was just curious.

Daisy xx

TallGirl

Thanks for popping in Daisy really good question and might seem not to make sense what we are doing.

Guardian is very MSE saves heaps over private rental we shall be paying £700 then bills on top where as a two bed in that area would be £1600 and where we are now £1800. To buy you're looking at £350k for a two bed so that would have used all my inheritance but the main reason for not buying is that the plan is to go back to the south coast where I lived before well we both did. DG has family down there I have my old golf club and we both have loads of friends in the area. Plan is to stay here foranother year max two but possible commute and stay working in London well I will be.

If I was to ever get that dream job I would be on £50k so could work less hours and stil pay train fare. Where my house is the wages are lower than London and the career opportunity isn't there for me. DG wants to open her own solicitor firm so she can do that much easier down there as rents are cheaper or buying and she has all the right connections.

So to buy wouldn't make sense and DG is currently on £8 less than me so for her the new rent will be as much as she can afford I already pay a bit more for joint bills. Plan is to move back to my house live in it to avoid capital gains tax then sell and buy a bigger place together. To be fair my place is big enough and in the perfect location but DG doesn't want to live there permanently due to it being my old marital home. I can't even begin to consider selling right now and DG will appreciate free rent when we move into mine. I might keep it but being a landlord is also hassle as I've seen this week.

Hope that makes sense why two middle aged women wants to live on a run down council estate that's being torn down.

In other news no spend today I work near a very famous shopping street so it's easy to be tempted but I didn't get anything today.

Might go golf later might not. Really need to return four bag I bought off Groupon the quality is awful.

TallGirl

So much for a now spend day £78.50 (will get £6 postage back) on two heavy duty mattress covers to help keep mattress and sofa clean and protected during move. We could just by plastic ones for £10 but they would rip. Looks like we need electric screwdriver and a ladder too hopefully find some cheaply or buy good one as needed for future. We do have most tools. Plan is to take down a nice wall shelving system that's here hopefully they won't miss it too much also take a mirror and other stuff like the grill things left here that will be damaged anyway when they do the building work here.

Threw some more clothes out and looked in a suitcase I knew had clothes I can't fit into. Turns out there was three pairs of next size up jeans which means I can now wear jeans again obovusly need to loose weight and get back into mine. Also found three pairs of nice sanders I had forgotten about plus one more pair. I think I have ten pairs crazy. Might have a go at selling on EBay in a big bundle of long Tall Sally clothes it usually sells well. Might make some pennies. Can't wait to find out what size flat we get.