Future Proofing my life: Deposit saving then MFW journey in under 13 years

LadyWithAPlan

Suffolk_lass said:

Don't forget stamp duty...

Ah yes .. I am a FTB but if I buy over £425k ...... plus i have £3k from my h2b isa if i buy up to but not over £450...
tx!

savingholmes said:

Like the sound of the new man. 

On the house / flat - greenery nearby would be a must for me. Also consider what level of ambient noise you can cope with. Cleanliness of the neighbourhood too. .Whether the area is smelly. 

I think space is the ultimate luxury.

On the house move costs - just be aware with a house move comes home maintenance responsibility. This week alone I'm due to spend £9.2K on essentials home repairs... My survey meant it wasn't all a surprise - but the home owner wasn't willing to budget his price and argued he'd priced accordingly. That initial spend for me root, pointing, gutters, soffits and fascias - is only part of what's needed.... There's also the 'fripperies' and seeming essentials of decorative items that match your taste, light fittings etc. You may find your furniture doesn't fit and you want to change it etc... Definitely make sure you leave yourself some £ in the kitty post move for both any immediate repairs - and some guilt free £ to make it feel more your own.

Initial spend …£9.2k ouch -  yep that £395k place would definitely need a new boiler soon plus kitchen was awful .. 
I do have light fittings white goods and all my furniture but as you say things may not fit or suit … 

Sistergold said:

Still doing the victory dance for you on the MIP! 💪🏾💃🏾🌺. It is good not to overstretch yourself ofcause when you finally buy BUT make sure you don’t squeeze too hard too. In a way one person can always fit into a small space once you put your mind to it. Over £2k mortgage does feel a lot! Once you find what you love you will know! 

Tx SisterGold .. 
I think you are right I need a middle ground 
I have far too many clothes and shoes to want to be too minimalist 
but since you started my DIY bug I have been making large things .. so I need a dining room /study if not a second bedroom. 

triple_choc_chip said:

Another category: Post redirection - not as important as yesteryear but I still get mail approx weekly and occasionally it’s important.
I also make a spreadsheet of everyone and everything needing a change of address and record the date I advised, date confirmation received etc

The spreadsheet idea is great ! Tx 

debtfreewannabe321 said:

I don't chant but I have a vision board always on the go so when I was looking for a house I put down everything I wanted and set about finding it. The house is perfect I found one just like on my vision board (which I used as visualisation in meditation)... I need to work on remembering to put down what I want in the surrounding area of the house next time, bit of a fail there  

LOVE the idea of a vision board - will do this weekend 
- with what’s around it as well ! 

Watty1 said:

Just catching up.    Like the sound of MwaP.  Big fan of vision boards too @debtfreewannabe321  Mine is to the right of the computer I use for work.

If MWAP is half as nice as your VNM I am in luck ! 

He was organising our next date 8 hours after our Friday date finished  ! And then chucked in an amazing show idea on  Monday .. 
do you have your new barn idea on the vision board ? 

SIPP
put the giant sum of £115 in there
Go me..  
Ynab does make you feel poor when you look at all the annual expenses /12 .... I am still not fully loading those long term expenses as hse deposit sipp and taxes  keep getting in the way. 

Travel
I may only go on two trips this year (unlikely knowing me mind you ) Europe and North america
so I am just organising a work visa for one ,... so need to cost that all out and ynab
I do have a major American airline complaint  so want to do that soon so I can see if I get a credit for one of the trips..



Invoice chasing ... done it hugely today. They now want me to present it differently argh ... 
However should get a decent chunk this month ..so that will get used for the mortgage costs etc. 
I am still waiting on my few thousand rebate from the tax man for my excess payments on acct - need to use it for my corp tax  and a month later ..nada as yet - yet they charge you interest if you late paying!

Watty1

i do indeed have my barn on my vision board.   The original architect did a lovely report with photos of the conversion in the actual setting and i have printed those out and stuck them on so there is the front view from the drive with the apple trees (mini orchard to one side) and the glass windows showing a dining table and chairs and the sofas beyond and the bookshelves set into the wall with the kitchen at the left and also a picture of the rear.  It is really fabulous and makes me want it so much. (The architect made models and pictures and said for her that was the fun part so she did it anyway rather than just the drawings needed for planning) Just struggling to get to March to make a call on next steps.

I also have a pale pink sofa on my vision board because I want two just like that and lovely metal tubs with plants in as another picture as I will not have a garden and then a old apple tree with wild flowers because somehow my orchard will be like that and finally a wooden garden bench with plants around as I will manage something just like that in the small outside space.  

My visions are really specific.   

I did a goals session on a coaching programme recently and I couldn't get beyond my vision board and the leader asked what my goals were when I had achieved all that and I said "enjoy it"   I'm really clear how that life will be. He was a bit stumped because I am clear that is what I am working towards.

beanielou

@Watty1. Much as I would love a pale pink sofa my cats 🐱 🐱 would trash them. 😿😿

Watty1

@beanielou  WattyDog will too so it will probably have to be hidden under old blankets   My current sofas were left behind in the "spoils" of the relationship and the feral cat does scratch them but they seem very substantially made and so far other than a tiny number of pulled threads the sofas have survived really well.  

beanielou

My sofa although robust has lots of pulled threads. Just as well I am not too house proud! 

LadyWithAPlan

Last night -  £1.84 spent
Went out to a gig - 3 singer songwriters - my fabulous friend being the last 
It was in an art gallery so we had to pop to the off license or local pub for drinks .. 
so £1.84 total for  a can of soda and £1.25 crisps 

plus travel there and back on overground - Gig was in a nice NW london area I dont go to - lots of big old houses so I will have a look at flats though I did look at the Estate Agents windows as I passed as 2 bed w garden more like £600k.... so maybe not!
but so important to support live music and venues  - I am aware though I am spending lots of time  reading others people work etc and if I used 10% of that time on my own creativity - so a rebalance needed on my down time.

MSE
I tackled the Voda*one overcharge of b/band - they basically charged me a month early. So a credit there of £10
I am now tackling Quick*ooks as I made changes to subscriptions and not seemed to have folloowed through on the bills + they seem to go up every 6 months at present

Japanese knotwood knowledge anyone? 

House buying - anyone know much about mortgages for Japanese knotwood in the garden ? 

The £475k flat EA has called and asked what offer I would make / I says £440 maybe 450 not sure and he sending me a form 
I love the flat 
however it has a shared garden and Japanese knotwood ‘  programme of eradication with a monitoring period is in place’ 
so thinking offer of £438k 

beanielou

I don't think they lend but I could be wrong.

redofromstart

I think you have a limited number of lenders as long as you can prove that there is a contracted certificated plan in place

KajiKita

We had JKW here and the valuation initially came back as zero! 😳 because of the JKW.
However, lenders will lend if there is a management contract / plan in place (they are likely to want proof). Also, JKW has been downgraded as damage risk for properties now, still notifiabke etc. but far less serious unless actually causing damage. This is quite a useful overview:

https://tpknotweed.com/guidance/new-2022-rics-guidance/

KK

LadyWithAPlan

KajiKita said:

We had JKW here and the valuation initially came back as zero! 😳 because of the JKW.
However, lenders will lend if there is a management contract / plan in place (they are likely to want proof). Also, JKW has been downgraded as damage risk for properties now, still notifiabke etc. but far less serious unless actually causing damage. This is quite a useful overview:

https://tpknotweed.com/guidance/new-2022-rics-guidance/

KK

Zero!!!  thanks for this guidance - I will ask them to send what they have as I could be paying for a full survey by the sound of it and not getting a mortgage

@redofromstart thats not good news ...
@beanielou I hadnt heard of it...

The EA was supposed to send me the offer form ... cant see it - I guess he trying to shake some offers out the trees..


Feb  Grocery £114.83 + £21.59 bulk + £7.88 crisps 
This  GC also includes a £10 morr+ gift card I bought on a tcb offer - £2 cb plus 25p ... back - not yet soent - there is a morrisons but its a bit of a trek.. This also reminds me I have maybe £3 left on a waitr*se gift card

Tesco today £10.75
- a reduced pork crackling joint, YS sugar snap, tesco club card reductions on satsumas etc, kale, eggs

College was fun but tiring - worked this morning.. I took in a flask of hot coffee and meant to take some food as well but a delayed zoom call happened so... I didnt buy any sweets or crisps or coffee from the cafe so Just had a couple satsumas...