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

TallGirl

Thanks Bugslet really appreciate your comments yes London is ok but I do miss home going down this weekend will be so nice but struggling to decide how many friends we want to catch up with maybe jut stay to Saturday not sure yet.

Did go for a run yesterday felt really good taken 11 weeks to get to week 7 of the podcast but I don't mind can now run for 25 min and sprint the last 1 min happy with that. Did run in Gambia once along the beach so so nice compared to a park in London.

Door will cost £900 quite a lot but that's just one quote I can get another one. Need to think about my next move with the agent they tried to fix it without letting me know so took the barrel out and I had the key all the time just seems an odd thing to do.

Going into work late today as I'm covering an outreach quite nice to have a lie in even if alarm off at normal time. Work ok if a tad busy due to one member being off sick.

TallGirl

Busy day today at work but good my team is finally coming together and I can see my role slightly more clearly if it's still muddled with ceo. One member is off sick hopefully she'll be back Monday she's amazing and I miss her input.

Dg with her mum down south we're all meeting tomorrow flat empty without her. Read the meters in debit with both but it's because we only set it up in Oct so all winter payments. Need to organise MOT don't need service and book flights.

Dg had a result on holiday we didn't have any hot water then someone else asked if we had problems so dg lodged it with the rep who fobbed us off basically. A notice then went up in reception that there was a problem and by Tuesday it was sorted so four days but really only two days. She did email company after rep fobbed us of its a small local company but anyway when we got home they followed up their inital reply with giving up £80 back £10 a day each for the inconvenience really nice bonus. Will travel with them again.

House issues carries on now leak with pump and my British Gas doesn't cover it. Local plumber who fitted pump is going out Monday tenant arranged it. Fingers crossed it's fine.

As for door saga wrote a complaint to agent got dg to put the solicitor spin on it and also saying I was thinking of leaving them if they didn't get any better. They are going to see if the previous company who basically they took over from will pay something towards it. Quite a good result I think but we shall see old agent was great but those people didn't come over to new company it's all a bit off really. Anyway will know next week hopefully.

Not going to bother tenant though no need.

Think I need my bed slightly later start tomorrow as I'm on a course and a bit of networking I want to keep my hand in this area as it's connected to dream job and it's a field I really enjoy so want to keep my skills up.

IFA on Saturday will do some updating after that and set new financial goals. Kind of lost my way replacing the £10k I wasted while I was off but recon I have saved about £5k since. No gambling for 7 months so pleased with that though.

Any way Night night all.

TallGirl

Fab weekend and some very good MSE results Friday.

Email from agent previous agent will pay £600 towards the door which will be £1055 so good result as it's old and would have needed to be replaced at some point. Not going to claim on insurance as it would put premium up and also excess.

Got down south after a three hours drive but got off early as course finished at 3pm and it was really really good. Enjoyed the networking as well. One of the speakers was from dream job he's leaving in two weeks bet it was his job they were advertising.

Friday nice saw DGs mum briefly then we went to the pub and walked back to place we were staying and had take away kebabs. That's how all out Friday's were before we became a couple when we used to go out with ex friend. That night we had one bottle of wine in the pub, two large beers from off license and then one glass each of another bottle. In our hey days we had three bottles of wine in the pub, several double vodka and cokes before heading home via Asda to buy a bottle of vodka which would be drunk as well. How things have changed for the better. Still had kebab I know but didn't eat the pita break lol.

Saturday saw IFA really good everything is staying the same so will do a post on my goals for the next year basically save like hell so I can keep those repayments up as my savings dwindle. I am a dynamic profile so not scared of risk so he is certain I can do well with the investments. My pension has increased by 3.4% but stock market did crash a bit and I have obviously got the 20% from HMRC on top so done well.

He's not super keen on my P2P venture I think I'll rain it in a bit too much in RateSetter and their rates are quite low at 3% now.

After IFA saw DGs aunt then Makro to buy loo roll bulk and then off to Lidl so much easier than here less people. Got everything but had lunch in town so parked in Tesco and got the rest there. Now fully stocked up for sure.

Then went to friend who has my old cats. Only saw one he's not well but as I've just renewed the insurance they can now take him to the specialist vet I used to use so hopefully sort him out. Their dog had just had ligament operation but covered by insurance. Didn't see Thomas my sweetie pie he turned up 30min after we left. Shame but lovely to see human friends too obviously. He's being made redundant he thought they would keep him in a different role but thy didn't so he's got two weeks left. He's quite down but I've been there myself and he was ace with me so I'll do what I can to support him. He was in the same field as me but he's change slightly he's a manager too they always go first. Anyway hopefully stay in touch a bit more.

Saturday we then drove back it snowed a bit but nothing like it looked when we woke up wow a lot here for London.

Today not been outside other than to empty car off loo rolls but done lots of cooking. Koftas ready to cook in freezer, jelly for the week, red cabbage salad, boiled eggs for snacks, smoothie for dg, Bircher muslie for us both and prepped pomegranate for toppings. Cooked a butter nut for dinner tomorrow tonight it's koftas.

Done 18 min routine from bootcamp ondoors feel unfit so good to get back into it. Dg not well so hasn't run but I did manage two runs this week. My friend was doing C25K as well.

Going to cook the koftas then watch the Wonderwoman movie we started watching last night.

To Do:
Ring pet insurance and change address
Do some calculations and work out savings goal for this year. Post in diary re goals
Book MOT
Book flights to Denmark

Moneyfordreams

Hi Tall Girl,
Thanks for looking at my diary. I've always enjoyed reading your diary, I'm glad to catch up

TallGirl

Thanks for popping in Moneyfordreams much appreciated

Just a quick post and sorry to bore you again but agent rang re dream job it's the same one they contact me about six months ago just as I had accepted this one. The person didn't fit in the team so that's why they are recruiting again. Well we spoke and he likes my CV and thinks I'll get an interview so I said yes put me forward. Job It pays £15K more so significant payrise but I'm not getting excited I like my current job and they may very well not interview me so it's put firmly to the back of my mind although if it happens it will be this week or next week.

Work super busy as team member still of sick and the other one on leave next week so I'll be holding the fort on my own with the two job sharers.

Door at old house is being fixed but none of my list has been done.

SuzieSue

Hi TG

Fingers crossed for the dream job.

I missed what happened to the door. Why was it partly the agent's fault?

TallGirl

SuzieSue wrote: »

Hi TG

Fingers crossed for the dream job.

I missed what happened to the door. Why was it partly the agent's fault?

Hiya SuzieSue the agent changed just as I was getting new tenants without telling me a new company with one of the same people suddenly took over no explanations. The prev tenant suffered a relationship breakdown and didn't pay rent on time so glad when he gave notice. Prev agent found current tenant but then new one took over and planned change over on the same day so even though I paid for an inventory it couldn't be done properly as he hadn't moved his stuff out and new tenant found leeks and the cooker not working something prev tenant never reported, anyway he didn't leave a key so I offered to send one to current tenant but it didnt arrive. I didn't know this so kept chasing if it was sorted and to cut a long story short the agent got someone in to try to change the lock but couldn't so the door became unusable even with the right key. Of course the never told me any of this until the tenant sent me a picture. She's really nice sorted a small leak out by calling the plumbers in who installed the pump as my British Gas plumbing cover didn't cover. Go figure but never mind hopefully soon be quiet on that front.

Interesting day at work today a steering group meeting I have been promised I'll take over held today CEO arranged only one person turned up so I should be able to beat that when I get my hands on it eventually.

Bulb gone in uplighter found two on amazon for £3.99 free delivery happy days hate top light being on.

Been for a run dg didn't make it not in right mood but did week 8 first run of 28min was hard but did it.

So tired now won't be long out of bed for sure. Feels like a long long week already and it's only Tuesday.

TallGirl

Ok update timeM

To Do:
Ring pet insurance and change address done
Do some calculations and work out savings goal for this year. Post in diary re goals
Book MOT done going in tomorrow
Book flights to Denmark done £170 for two
Ring British Gas find out what the plumbing cover actually covers if not the shower pump

So two left to do not bad also got my fringe cut for free and done a run this evening that's two runs and two 20min sessions happy with that.

Agent re job sent email saying they hadn't had any feedback so I emailed back saying I'd seen job advertised on portal so assumed it would be a while now. No reply so that's fine I assume they didn't find anyone and need more before they interview but I should hopefully still be in the running for interviews.

Going for a shower now then homemade wraps with tuna and coleslaw plus avocado for dinner plus two for tomorrow.

Friday tomorrow then two four day weeks and next week I'm on a course for two days.

TallGirl

Stood on the scales lost 1 kilo now reached my goal so happy but still need to tone up. Did manage two runs and two 20 squat session so that's good. Food still going well aka what we learnt at bootcamp but th odd donut (Greggs triple chocolate) snuck in and we shared a bottle of wine last night.

Need to collect car this morning and an Argos order for some weights. Dg still snoring away so won't be just yet. A bit of golf practise then playing tomorrow hopefully.

Still not done British Gas or looked at my savings goal but nothing else needs doing as far as I know right now.

TallGirl

Car passed MOT £55 that's £5 more than council place but it's much nearer so nice to have it done. Also got car washed today £10 but it was covered in bird poo so needed doing and it looks great.

Friday ended up having a bottle of wine in the pub but got my fringe cut for free at hairdressers and it was nice to sit in the pub. Felt rough so didn't drink any more Friday but dg did have some vodka very small bottle so not too bad.

Saturday collected the car and went to Argos to get new weights perfect doe arms and shoulders so almost got the full kit now just need kettlebells.

Today chilling out did most of the meal prep for the week yesterday so ended up just going to hit some balls and Asda. Really finding those double the discount vouchers stack up bet loads don't check the, but it's usually some money off and you just print the voucher and take it in.

Almost succumbed to Costa at the Golf range but they took ages and I dislike them as they don't let you swipe your Costa card. They are weird really.

Got tickets to see dreamgirls on Saturday with DGs mum it's £25 each really pleased have wanted to see it for ages. Going to meet her at Holborn do a picnic with wraps and then see the show at 2.30. Last time we met her there we couldn't find anywhere to have lunch it's all so posh around the strand and Covent Garden so fingers crossed it doesn't rain.

Lunch made for tomorrow need early night still go sore throat which isn't very nice.