Arranging multiple trades (and other questions)

velvetti

Hi All,
We’ll be exchanging soon and hopefully completing by end of October. We are renting currently on a rolling monthly contract. Assuming we exchange by 18 October , with the aim of 25 October completion, we’ll give notice to our landlord that we’ll vacate by 18 November. This gives us around 3 weeks to do any works before moving in. 

1. Is there any flaw in the timeline apart from paying mortgage + rent between 25 Oct - 18 Nov? For example, would house insurer be worried that the newly bought house will be empty for 3 weeks? Can I terminate my rental tenancy on any day of the month (with a month’s notice) or does it have to align with my rent cycle (rent is paid on 14th if every month). Any other issue that I’ve missed?

2. We want to install a downstairs toilet. Option 1 is to use the understairs storage , Option 2 is to carve it out of the kitchen. I guess we need plumber, plasterer and electrician for this job. How do I coordinate with all of them? Would one of them be in charge of the overall job? Any idea of costs in the solent area? We want something very basic (no windows, just WC+handwash basin+exhaust fan). 

3. We also want to change the WC and basin jn the main upstairs toilet and add new carpets.

4. This house has a water tank in the loft, another tank in upstairs cupboard and a combi boiler in the kitchen (“conventional heating system”?). My wife wants to get rid of tanks and just go for a combi system directly supplied by the boiler. Any rough idea of costs of this conversion for a 3-bed mid terrace house?

I’m a but reluctant to spend so much at the outset but my wife says it will be more disruptive later after we’ve moved in. Probably tasks 3,4 can be postponed.

Sorry if my questions are vague. Let me know if you want more info

Thanks in advance 

MikeJXE

The biggest problem as I see it is expecting GOOD tradesmen to fit in your month while you are renting

All GOOD trades are busy, they might quote high because they haven’t got times but will fit it in if you accept the high quote

p00hsticks

velvetti said:

For example, would house insurer be worried that the newly bought house will be empty for 3 weeks? 

From the sound of it it's not going to be empty though, at least not during the day ?
There will (you hope) be tradesman going in and out, doing changes / additions to plumbing and wiring.

I think that would concern an insurer more - you need to make sure that the insurer is fully aware of this or you may find yourself not covered ...

FreeBear

velvetti said:
We’ll be exchanging soon and hopefully completing by end of October. We are renting currently on a rolling monthly contract. Assuming we exchange by 18 October , with the aim of 25 October completion, we’ll give notice to our landlord that we’ll vacate by 18 November. This gives us around 3 weeks to do any works before moving in.

The earliest you can start work will be the 25th.

Absolutely no chance of getting trades in at such short notice. Plumbers & electricians are likely to give you extortionate emergency call out rates. And you can forget getting a decent plasterer that quick. The good ones will be booked up for 6 months at least, and the bad ones will do a crappy job (trust me, I had one <grrr>). If you want a decent job at an affordable price, you need to be looking at spring time before starting.

anselld

(1)  Your notice needs to align with a rental month unless you negotiate otherwise with the L.

Agree with others, the only people available at such short notice you wouldn’t want.

Regarding the downstairs WC, a significant issue to consider is the routing of the soil pipe into existing drainage.  Try if at all possible to avoid needing a Saniflo.

Sapindus

If I was moving into a house where I wanted to do something major like a new toilet (and I probably will be) I would leave the work until i had lived in the house for long enough to be sure that was where I wanted to put it.  New carpets WOULD be something i would do before I moved in while all the rooms were empty.

RAS

Your notice has to align with rental periods. So a delay might help you. Also ask your provider about the dates when you make mortgage payments as well, don't assume. And ask the LL is they would consider early surrender but ask here for help.

Use any time between to deep clean both houses.  Given winter is coming, check all rainware and that all airbricks are clear, move soil away from walls etc. Look at windows and doors and replace any damaged draughtproofing.  Make sure drains and grates are clear. Get a plumber to discuss options for the downstairs loo.

Bigphil1474

OP, we sold our old house mortgage free, and took up a new mortgage on the house we bought. We completed early August but the first mortgage payment didn't go out until late September so you may be in the same boat and avoid paying twice in the same month. Our house insurer said they'd cover us on both houses for up to 30 days so it's worth checking with them.

We also considered having a downstairs loo fitted, but we've decided to wait and see how things go first and where we'd want it. There's only 2 of us though. I don't think getting hold of trades is as difficult as some are saying, especially if you've been their customer before, it just depends on the size of the job. Our plumber can nip and do small jobs within the week, bigger non-emergency jobs I'm waiting about a month. Our plasterer needed a month's notice when I booked him in to do a ceiling in our new house last week. The electrician quoted me a couple of weeks ago and is coming next week for a days work. All local trades I've used before. It's worth trying a local Postcode Facebook group, as local trades tend to be a bit more available in my experience - they aren't all busy for 6 months in advance.

FlorayG

1) your rental contract will say if it's 'one month' or 'one month from payment day'
2) you get a decent builder and he or she will co-ordinate the others. I had recently a new bathroom, engaged a person I know well and have used many times before and was surprised that he said he needed to co-ordinate his plumber and electrician to come at the same time ( I hadn't even realised they were needed duh!) so it was going to be at least a couple of months before he could get everyone together.
You can, of course, get a 'bathroom company' who have everybody available but will cost you a lot more.
Please, please DO NOT take whoever is available. I have two new-ish friends who moved in and wanted stuff done quickly and the workmen who were available did the jobs so badly they had to be done again. Any workman who is any good, even if they know you well, won't be able to fit those jobs in quickly

MysteryMe

 I don't think it is the case that a good workman will never be able to fit in a job quickly, construction / home improvement work can and does have unexpected delays and hold ups.

All trades will have periods of downtime, they have to be flexible because much of their schedule is dependant on others, particularly with 2nd fix works or delays in materials arriving from manufacturers etc.

Obviously downtime is unlikely to be for an extended period but it is feasible to get a good tradesman in for smaller works at relatively short notice.

What the OP is planning is not smaller works so their timeline is not going to be achievable and it's never a good idea to rush through with anything that involves a substantial outlay. I agree with others, live in the house for a while and see how space is used.  There is an argument to lay flooring down before all the furniture goes in, if that is being changed.

The OP first needs to find a reputable plumbing and heating engineer and discuss with them what they would like doing and take it from there.  The plumber will see where existing water pipes / waste are located and advise accordingly.  I agree with others that it is best to wait a while to see how you are actually using the living space. A good plumber will almost certainly know a good electrician etc because they will be working along side regularly on kitchen / bathroom refits or on new builds. 

If you don't have family, friends. work colleagues who can recommend a plumber who has done work for them then try not to use online trader finding websites /apps which can contain a load of fake reviews and very little vetting. They are not all cowboys of course but they contain too many for comfort.  Use sites that operate a proper vetting scheme such as those by Which or Trading Standards. You also have trade body members, again use ones where some kind of vetting as to qualifications held takes place and not ones where all someone has to do is pay a fee to be included.  

DullGreyGuy

p00hsticks said:

velvetti said:

For example, would house insurer be worried that the newly bought house will be empty for 3 weeks? 

From the sound of it it's not going to be empty though, at least not during the day ?
There will (you hope) be tradesman going in and out, doing changes / additions to plumbing and wiring.

I think that would concern an insurer more - you need to make sure that the insurer is fully aware of this or you may find yourself not covered ...

"Empty", or probably more accurately, "occupied" will be defined in the policybook let and does vary between insurers. Some state its only occupied when people are performing the normal life activities of their home such as cooking, sleeping, showering etc and so just having workmen there during the day won't meet the requirements. 


To the OP

1. The main challenge is going to be able to get workmen that are good enough that can work to your time table. The seller probably isn't going to want you to do a dozen viewings with different trades pre-purchase and most trades will want to check the place out before quoting. 

Most policies are comfortable with at least 28 days of the property being unoccupied so assuming the vendors are living in the house now then it shouldn't be a problem unless your timeline slips and you go over. If it's empty now then the clock on the 28 days is already ticking. 

You'll also need to ensure that the insurer is happy with the level of work thats going on. Doesn't sound structural so should be ok but some dont like any significant works. 

2. With trades you always have the option of hand selecting each of them but then you need to know the order of things to be done and have to deal with matters if the plumber calls in sick on the first day. Alternatively you can give the whole project to someone who'll subcontract to the other trades, if they dont have them themselves. Less hassle but you dont have control of who's doing the work. 

4. Are you sure you know what the different tanks are for and are certain that it's a combi-boiler? Have you checked the water pressure is sufficient to have no tank in the loft?