The Mock Turtle

Our house went on the market 12 hours ago and the agent’s already had 4 calls about it which is a good sign. I need all the turtle power for our open home this weekend!

Just also been back to the house we have the offer on (while our building inspection was done) and I still love it. There are projects to be done, but there’s so much space inside and out.

That sounds promising, Est! for your open home!

Don't wobble Del! Just think, no more shitey council bin disputes My mum thanks her lucky stars she's in Southwick which is West Sussex and is removed from all of that. I am taking a bag of rubbish to hers later..

You're not kidding - it's disgusting round here at the moment, particularly along Western Road

I had a full survey done yesterday, and it turns out the house is 1950s rather than 30s (I did think, but the EA was so adamant ). Ah well, 20 years fewer wear and tear! And the garage roof needs redoing (not a surprise) and they don't seem to have got any formal permissions for the work they've done, so that will have to be remedied asap (and will take fuck knows how long) but other than that, it's pretty solid.

My house was built in the 50s and apart from some of the walls not being entirely straight, it's sound as a pound

Good luck, Est!

What work has been done, Derek? Hopefully nothing too complex.

My buyers won't budge on wanting to delay completion until January which I'm more disapponted about than I thought I would be. It's not so much the money (although that is annoying and I could do without it) but I realised I was really looking forward to everything being sorted with the flat and my divorce before the end of the year and this delay means I'll still be dealing with flat-related stuff in January. It's not a big deal at all but it would have been nice.

I totally get that - you had a mental deadline that 2021 would be an end to all the stress and upheaval, and it's jarring that it will spill over to next year. I hope it doesn't take the shine off things.

Turns out that they do have full permissions for the work they've done (things like putting in a downstairs toilet, knocking down a wall or two) are in place, but are so new that they're not registered on the council website yet, so that's good. I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop, which I expect to be my buyers' valuation survey which they had done this morning

I think so long as we exchange contracts in December so that all that's left is the financial stuff then it won't be so bad.

That's good news about the work. Are you not expecting good news from the valuation survey?

Well, they're paying about £40K more than the last flat on my floor went for in the spring (although my place does have a better view) and more than any other flat has ever gone for in this block, so I'm dubious that the lender will be OK with it. We shall see!

Derek Nimmo wrote: ↑Wed Oct 13, 2021 5:43 pm Well, they're paying about £40K more than the last flat on my floor went for in the spring (although my place does have a better view) and more than any other flat has ever gone for in this block, so I'm dubious that the lender will be OK with it. We shall see!

Mine was the same, Del. Went for more than any other similar before and since actually, and I was convinced the lender would down value it, but they didn't!

I'm well gel of the new toilet, wall removal and stuff. I had my boiler serviced yesterday and then swiftly condemned. Proper bright red danger notice and everything. I'm still using it

Oh shit! Was it working OK as far as you knew?

Derek Nimmo wrote: ↑Wed Oct 13, 2021 8:24 pm Oh shit! Was it working OK as far as you knew?

It was. Though the flue fell off a while ago and I gaffer taped it back on. (Which was the wrong thing to do apparently ) That was leaking condensation back in anyway. The previous owners had built a shed around the flue which isn't safe, and other internal leaky and corroded parts. I'm not surprised really. I knew it was old and everything in this house has been very badly maintained and is dirty and needs attention. Oh, Sb1 woke me up at 2am the other morning to tell me the kitchen was leaking. Rain pouring in through the wall around the extractor fan outlet.

Anyway I like the sound of a newer 1950s house. I bet the room sizes are good

We had a boiler condemned once, Marth. The engineer made a song and dance about closing it down and sticking labels on it - and then very quietly showed me how to get it up and running again. It was clear that he had to condemn it (but it was okay to use while I waited for the repair). He didn't strike me as the type who'd play fast and loose with with anyone's safety.

It's so frustrating discovering the last owner's bodged jobs, even when you know a house needs work.

Beena wrote: ↑Wed Oct 13, 2021 10:02 pm It's so frustrating discovering the last owner's bodged jobs, even when you know a house needs work.

Fourteen years on and we are still sorting out the last bloke’s hidden messes.

I hope you can get the boiler sorted with minimal fuss and expense, Marth.

How long are boilers supposed to last, anyway?

Edith Bacon wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 6:55 am

Beena wrote: ↑Wed Oct 13, 2021 10:02 pm It's so frustrating discovering the last owner's bodged jobs, even when you know a house needs work.

Fourteen years on and we are still sorting out the last bloke’s hidden messes.

I hope you can get the boiler sorted with minimal fuss and expense, Marth.

How long are boilers supposed to last, anyway?

I have a new boiler booked in. I knew it was old. I think maybe 2009 or something. It seems like there was no service from 2014 until 2020, and that didn't give any indication of problems, especially the very dodgy flue placement. I really do lack confidence in professional reports to do with houses. You can actually see the rising damp one estate agent photo (looking closely once I knew about it - under the console table with the photos) so unless the vendors put something in front of it for the survey, the surveyor definitely should have picked up on it. I seriously don't know if I would bother with a survey again. They seem pointless. I would either go for the full on building survey or get a targeted report on damp etc. Or I would take a very disinterested 3rd party with me for the viewing

My experience (a long time ago) was the same marth. They highlighted things which were total non issues and missed pretty obvious ones. Felt totally pointless.

smalex wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 8:19 am My experience (a long time ago) was the same marth. They highlighted things which were total non issues and missed pretty obvious ones. Felt totally pointless.

Exactly. He wanked on about the living room door not having safely glass but missed all the rising damp, slopey floor and wallpaper literally hanging off due to other damp issues on all external walls.

I don't think I'd ever bother with a survey again either. Ours missed the entirely visible asbestos in the cellar and also wanked on about not having safety glass in a metal door.

I dug our survey out recently after a dispute with Thames Water over whether the drain in our front garden is a shared and the survey only said that he couldn't seem to open the cover to check it I managed to open it!

It’s enraging to pay all that money for pointless information, especially when such huge sums of money and our actual homes are involved.

I will definitely get targeted reports from plumbers, builders, electricians etc. next time. Although J is very keen to have our own built (because of this issue), which is very dramatic way to solve it