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Plumber charging £225 for blocked toilet
we told our landlord the toilet was blocked so he called a plumber who is charging £225. There was a large lump of toilet roll stuck in the toilet and excrement. We have received another quote of £150 + VAT. Are we liable to pay the whole £225? We didn’t choose the plumber nor did our landlord try to minimise costs by…
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Reclaiming mortgage early repayment fees
hello, I hope someone can help me, and I hope that this is in the right forum. Recently, whilst moving home I wanted to port my mortgage over to my new house. I was aware that my solicitor had to be on my banks panel, so emailed a solicitor asking if they were on the panel. They replied saying they were, and so I…
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Certificate of structural adequacy
The surveyor of a house we are buying has suggested we hire a structural engineer to provide a Certificate of structural adequacy. The house has been underpinned in the past, but the surveyor did not comment on any signs of current subsidence. Is this normal to get a certificate?
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Should estate agent have done checks?
My FIL is buying a flat that is currently rented out but the seller said that the tenant is moving out soon as his contract ends at the end of May but he wants to move out earlier. I used to be a landlord so I know all the risks associated with this. We have found out through the TA6 forms and the survey report that the…
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Responsibilities of being a director of a freehold
So still considering buying freehold for our leasehold block of flats, still worth it with new legislation? Regarding directors, we need two. What are the responsibilities of the role?
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Utilities and moving house
I will be moving shortly ,at the moment I have different suppliers for my gas & electricity , but I want a new supplier with dual fuel when I move house . I am totally confused as to what the procedure is to arrange this change of supply whilst having a supplier from day 1 that I move in . A, do I have to keep my current…
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10% Share of Shared Ownership
I’m looking at purchasing a shared ownership flat at a 10% share (fully aware of the pros and cons). Has anyone successfully secured a mortgage on a 10% share with a 10% deposit. This is marketed by the housing association, but in initial conversations with a mortgage broker it sounds like it would be difficult to get a…
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Communal flats/ freeholder question
unsure of which forum to put this in I am The free holder of a house, split into four flats. Two of the flats are on a v long leasehold. we share the communal space and bills etc one of the flats I own is the ground floor, the other the basement. the communal hall lights have gone and I think need fixing, but my basement…
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Neighbour's extension - boundary window
I live in Milton Keynes, England. My neighbour has a planning application in for a single-storey extension, which includes a window (red circle) right on the boundary with my property (red line). My concern is twofold: privacy (direct overlooking into our front garden/property) and the risk that a boundary window could…
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Buyer's buyer pulled out - what now?
I'm in a 4 length chain where I'm buying a vacant property, selling to someone, and they were selling to a first time buyer couple. It's about 5 weeks since I accepted the offer, and their first time buyers "broke up and can't get the mortgage" (ahem). So my buyers lost their buyers. I'm due to get a call on Friday from my…
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New house unoccupied prior to taking possession
Just wanted to see if anyone had any practical things we may have not thought about regarding taking on a new house that has been vacant for (we think) 6 - 8 months before we move into it. Ex rental, was on the market from just early January with no tenants and we believe the last set left before Christmas time. I know we…
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Did you wish you'd had more property research before making your offer?
When I was buying my first home, I spent hours Googling the postcode, checking flood maps, looking up sold prices, reading about the area — basically trying to find anything that might give me a nasty surprise later. It was exhausting and I still wasn't sure I'd covered everything. My solicitor's pack eventually answered a…
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Should I be worried about this ? (Water Report)
I'm buying a house and in the water report from my solicitor it says :- Does the public sewer map show any public sewer, disposal main or lateral within the boundary line of the property? Answer: It has not been a requirement for water companies to keep up-to-date public sewer records; therefore it is possible for…
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What rights do tenants have when renting a room from a landlord with a shared ownership?
I’m trying to understand my situation and would really appreciate some legal insight (UK – England). I am considering renting a room in a flat from a landlord who does not live in the property. The landlord is on a shared ownership scheme, and is renting out both rooms in the flat to two separate tenants. From what I’ve…
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Rent increase due to Iran.
Hi all. My landlord is wanting to increase my rent from £900 to £1100 (22%) and is blaming it on Trump and Iran. I think it’s a very high increase. Is there anything I can do? Thanks!
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Court eviction claim - help
Hi all, I’m looking for some advice. I received a Section 21 notice that expired in February 2026. The landlord has now applied to the court using the accelerated procedure. We informed the landlord and letting agent that we were in the middle of selling our house and buying another. The process has taken longer than…
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AML payments
I recently saw this on an estate agent listing - can't remember having to pay this when I brought and sold about 3 years ago? Aml Procedure - To comply with anti-money laundering regulations (AML) all estate agents must be registered with HMRC. Gowland White complies with this legislation by using an online AML risk…
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How much should I budget for removal costs with packing service?
Does anyone have any recent real example costs for moves by well established national removal firms (e.g. Pickfords) with a full packing service and insurance please? We may downsize / relocate to 3 bed in a city 40 miles away in NE England. Just two people and we do not have a huge amount of stuff (e.g. one bed, no…
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LPL Conveyancers Due to exchange but file 'to be signed off'
Im on tenterhook today, my exchange is imminent but my FTB in the chain have their file 'with the compliance team for final sign off' god knows how long that takes? Anyone got any clue? AI seems to think 7-10 working days which will be the end of me if it is! Everything is ready, funds received etc. Just no idea how long a…
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Stamp Duty on a House Bought by an Unmarried Couple (our only property)
Hi. I'm trying to calculate the stamp duty on various properties my partner and I are looking at. The official government calculator can be found here: https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/calculate-stamp-duty-land-tax/ ..but I'm finding one of the questions really unclear and I'd really appreciate someone who knows this better…
