A Year in the Life of...

astrocytic_kitten

Have just logged in and caught up, you've moved! I'm so happy for you that you're not in that situation anymore, and that you've got a garden! There's just so much adminey stuff to do around a move, even apart from the packing and unpacking. Good luck with it all.  

girlatplay

@joedenise thank you.  It's funny, after so long saying I want a garden to sit in, it's so hot here today I can't sit out!  That's a good idea about the chairs.  I'll need to speak to LMG too but that's definitely a consideration, thank you.

@astrocytic_kitten thank you.  I'm just a few weeks behind you.  See above for garden today!


I paid off the product fee earlier.  I misread and it was £999 rather than £299 (looked at the wrong fee) but all done now.  I remember with the last mortgage it took me a few years to realise the interest I was paying on the fee.  Decided to never do that again.  H5BC do it a weird way though, they added the £999 into the loan amount so total loan was £175,000 instead of £175,000 + £999.  H@lifax added the fee on top.

I have the dilemma now that I am desperate to overpay as the balance reduces instantly in the app but because it's a joint mortgage with LMG I have to prepare myself to possibly buy her out one day and the more I pay in, the more equity there will be and we've agreed to split equity 50:50.  Also, the more I overpay, the less I have to buy her out and the more I have to buy out.  This is where the mortgage neutral part comes in.  Need to think this through properly.

My driving licence came through this morning with new address.  I got an email from the electoral roll people saying they are working on my request.  I tried to sort the dual fuel account but I might just wait until they come knocking as it's impossible to speak to someone at BG.

Not looked at boxes yet today.

savingholmes

Well done on the OP. You are making steady progress.

EssexHebridean

Oh GAP I am absolutely delighted for you - congratulations and welcome to your new home! It's fabulous to hear you sounding so completely thrilled too!

Can you access the online chat with BG? If so just use that. tell them you've moved in, give them the meter readings and ignore all their efforts to tell you you "have" to take a fix! Keep screenshots or download the chat at the end then if they claim later that they never received notice you moved in you can say "oh but you did...!" 

Good plan on sorting out getting the fee paid off. On the overpayments front it sounds like you either need an agreement with LMG that you both overpay by the same amount at the same time - or alternatively that you work out the long-term impact and that then comes off her share of the equity if you buy her out - that one would be trickier to manage though I'm guessing. You may just have to accept that stashing the money in longer term high-interest at the moment is the way forwards. 

girlatplay

Thanks SH and EH.

I tried the online chat as well as calling.  It's one of those auto chat things.  It took me round in circles too.  The problem is, I want to use my old supplier and they have agreed but say it will happen three weeks after our move in date.  I only need BG to invoice me from move in date to the date of switch.  To be fair to BG, neither the auto system nor the phone were trying to get me to fix but I just wanted to speak to a human.  I might try online again as there were no exit fees so I could set up then the switch can go through in three weeks or whatever.  Not my fault the chat doesn't understand me.  Maybe it's my Scottish accent 🤣

I tried to talk LMG into making overpayments "just a fiver here and there makes a difference." was met with "I don't have any spare fivers."  I'll need to work on that one.  Maybe in a few months when things have settled down.  In the meantime, I'm in the process of setting up a new account called Buy Out Fund.  I have £10 to go into that as soon as they tell me it's open.  It's a 95 day notice account which suits me as I don't intend to take it out anytime soon.  After all of that, LMG could be the one who buys me out!  I've just got to be prepared as I'm 45 so less choice in mortgages as time goes on.  If she does buy me out then I'll have the funds from her plus the lump sum that I save.

I checked the central heating today and it's all working (🥵).  Dishwasher is on at the moment and seems okay so far.

@joedenise I spoke with LMG about the chairs, as opposed to the sofa.  It's a consideration so we will measure up and discuss all (limited) options.

I need to build up the clothes rail.  I've been putting it off but it has to be done.  In fact, I'm going to do it right now.

savingholmes

Are you just sharing new equity or from last house too?

Ignore me if that's too nosy a question 

girlatplay

New equity.  We both had our own deposits which we will get back, mine came from equity from the sale of the flat, LMG's was from her own savings.  Any equity after that is to be split 50:50.

girlatplay

Clothes rail is built (took less than 10 minutes).  Need a rest now so I'll fill it tomorrow.

EssexHebridean

Send the opening readings, address and your names and email address to BG in the post if you can't get them accepted by phone/online. I seem to recall that it's three weeks from moving in before you can instigate a switch, but I'm not 100% on that bit - the energy board might be of help here. I would urge a lot of caution around this one though as confused switches on move-ins seem to account for a lot of the energy related questions that get raised on these boards! There won't be any exit fees to worry about though as the tariff is already set as the SVR - and there can't be exit fees for the deemed tariff! 

girlatplay

Thank you.  I'll take a look at the energy board but actually, sending the details in the post sounds like a great idea.