House buying is the worst

[Eenuh]

And this is the easy move. Just think what it will be like when the chain goes both ways and you have to move out and move in all in one day, the same day as your whole chain, hand over your old keys to new sellers and receive your new keys on the same day etc etc D:

 

I think if we're ever buying again, we would at least make sure there is more than 5 days between exchange and completion. At least they you will have some time to get things sorted... If we ever move again. :P

 

I have to figure out if I need to get the home insurance sorted by Monday too then, don't I? Urghhh.

 

Jeez my move would have been a disaster. Thankfully it was a no chain sale and i was patient. My rental contract was just month to month. Everyone I knew said they would have pulled out long before it finalised. Ended up taking 6 months

 

Well we were told the house they are buying is vacant, but then were told last week or whenever, that it has a tenant in there who will be moving out on the 20th (or so we hope)...

 

We switched to a monthly contract after having our offer accepted, but it does mean we've been paying £50 extra per month to be on a rolling contract.

Not sure when to cancel it though, as we will be away during most of December so won't have much/any time to move/buy furniture then. But then taking another month extra means paying double on rent/mortgage, taxes, electricity etc!

 

I honestly thought about pulling out of the deal a few times, but then I didn't really see any better houses come up either so yeah... Hopefully it will all be worth it!

[Raining_again]

Just breathe and be patient. I know EXACTLY how you feel. I didn't think so at the time but everything worked out!

[Corsair]

By buying a house you are basically relying on a bunch of pratts and idiots to do things in a timely manner which almost never happens. I agreed and worked towards a moving date suggested by the vendor and they still left me hanging until the last minute to confirm they had done everything. The hold up? They decided to return their contracts to their solicitors by 2nd class post rather than 1st. Yea don't worry, your desire to save 9p on a stamp is well worth inconveniencing me on a six figure purchase.

 

It all works out in the end even though it feels like it will never end.

[Eenuh]

Well our completion was supposed to be yesterday... and of course nothing has happened yet.

 

This is taking the piss now really. Our solicitor is trying to push things along, even threatening that we will pull out of the deal, but it's not helping at all. Apparently the house our sellers are buying has solar panels, and they are waiting on documents for that. It's been going on for weeks for just that one thing...

 

Solicitor told us to enquire about a mortgage offer extension as it's getting increasingly unlikely that we'll be in before Christmas.

 

Can't even set up our Christmas tree now because our flat is filled with moving boxes and junk.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Reality has definitely set in that we're not going to be out of here by Christmas. Dare I say it, I don't think we'll even be out by my birthday, which is in mid-January.

 

Absolutely nothing we can do about it either. We've done everything on our end and have had our solicitors on the case, but to no avail.

 

Buying a house is over-rated.

[Goafer]

We have a bird trapped in our chimney. It's either pay someone to come out and potentially demolish our fireplace to get it out, or listen to it rustle around for a few days until it eventually dies. We have neither the money, not the desire to do the former, so we get the delightful knowledge that a bird is slowly dying in our chimney. Joy.

 

I thought the chimney would have been capped when the fireplace was sealed up ages ago, but I guess not. Will definitely see to that at some point.

[MoogleViper]

We have a bird trapped in our chimney. It's either pay someone to come out and potentially demolish our fireplace to get it out, or listen to it rustle around for a few days until it eventually dies. We have neither the money, not the desire to do the former, so we get the delightful knowledge that a bird is slowly dying in our chimney. Joy.

 

I thought the chimney would have been capped when the fireplace was sealed up ages ago, but I guess not. Will definitely see to that at some point.

 

No chance it will find its way out?

[bob]

Just play this song loudly up the chimney, he'll be out in no time.

 

[Pestneb]

No chance it will find its way out?

 

that's what I was hoping... but the exit point needs to be large enough for it to be able to flap it's wings as it travels up. Most birds aren't so good at flying directly up, and even those that kinda can, they need a big space to fly through, falling down would have been easy enough. it does depend on the design of the chimney (and species of bird) I guess.

 

Depending on how the chimney was sealed... if the old design is know it would be possible to reopen the sealed areas, but even knowing the old layout I could understand a reluctance to do so, the potential of a whole chimney collapsing around (and on) a person isn't a great motivator.

 

Could the rspb/rspca be an option?

 

Another (but perhaps not more appealing) thought, it might be something like rats. rustling could be bedding/insulation they've bought in to make a nice warm nest over winter? :P

[Goafer]

No chance it will find its way out?

 

Judging by the 2 dead ones we found in there when we re-opened the bottom to refurb it, probably not.

 

that's what I was hoping... but the exit point needs to be large enough for it to be able to flap it's wings as it travels up. Most birds aren't so good at flying directly up, and even those that kinda can, they need a big space to fly through, falling down would have been easy enough. it does depend on the design of the chimney (and species of bird) I guess.

 

This basically.

 

Depending on how the chimney was sealed... if the old design is know it would be possible to reopen the sealed areas, but even knowing the old layout I could understand a reluctance to do so, the potential of a whole chimney collapsing around (and on) a person isn't a great motivator.

 

We sealed the bottom of it and it's all plastered shut. No way to open the bottom without tearing it all apart.

 

Could the rspb/rspca be an option?

 

There's not a lot they can do really, other than tearing our fireplace apart or getting up on the roof. Neither of which they'll be willing to do I imagine.

 

Edit: From HERE:

 

"If the chimney is sealed at the bottom then the only way to help the bird will be to make a hole in your wall! You need to decide if you are willing to have this done and you need to have someone there who will do this. A wildlife rescue will not be able to do this for you."

 

Another (but perhaps not more appealing) thought, it might be something like rats. rustling could be bedding/insulation they've bought in to make a nice warm nest over winter? :P

 

I thought that, but as far as I know, the only way into the chimney is through the opening at the top. Definitely no way in on ground level. I'm fairly sure the rustling is too loud for rats too.

Edited November 28, 2016 by Goafer

[Pestneb]

Sounds like the RSPB are fairly pragmatic about it all. You may find that if it is in your chimney and unable to escape it is likely to have sustained serious injuries that may make it's rehabilitation unlikely?

I thought that, but as far as I know, the only way into the chimney is through the opening at the top. Definitely no way in on ground level. I'm fairly sure the rustling is too loud for rats too.

 

Rats are fantastic climbers, brick work is surprisingly easy to climb for smaller creatures, even people with very strong grip can manage to climb brick work, so I should imagine for a rat it wouldn't pose too much of an issue (there are cases of snakes climbing brickwork too).

 

Also the volume of the rustling doesn't necessarily mean it's not rats - an adult wild brown rat grows about twice the size of most pet rats I've ever seen, I remember seeing one that was the size of a not particularly small rabbit, although that was in the countryside, not sure how they fare in cities.

[MoogleViper]

Also the volume of the rustling doesn't necessarily mean it's not rats - an adult wild brown rat grows about twice the size of most pet rats I've ever seen, I remember seeing one that was the size of a not particularly small rabbit, although that was in the countryside, not sure how they fare in cities.

 

Yeah some rats are huge. I once saw a rat get run over by a car (a VW Passat, so not exactly small) and just shake itself off and scamper away.

 

But still, rats are very agile. As you say if it's rats they're likely not stuck, so wouldn't make much noise.

 

Besides, surely it's dead now, @Goafer?

[Goafer]

Was still alive this morning. Haven't been back to the house yet, so not sure.

 

If it were rats, we almost certainly seen evidence in the pantry, as it links directly outside and it's where all the food is kept.

[Goafer]

Well, the noise has stopped.

 

	Audio

[Raining_again]

>___<

 

RIP little birdy

 

Now go get a cover sorted for your chimney lol

[Charlie]

Just had a mortgage in principle approved for £135,000 with a deposit of £15,000.

 

Think I need to carry on saving. Amazing to think that for every £1,000 you save you can spend a further £10,000!

[Will]

I'm going to attempt to buy an apartment in Tokyo before I leave. The rent vs. cost of ownership here is quite skewed in favour of owning here which I'm pretty surprised by. Going to look at some 3 bedroom places over the weekend and see if we can get something worked out.

[Eenuh]

So it has finally happened! We finally got our keys!

 

 

 

Whoooo!

 

We did have a bit of an underwhelming feeling when we walked in there yesterday (didn't help that the entire house smelt of dog!)... but after going back today and trying to figure out what we can do with it, we feel a bit better. :P

 

It's going to take lots of work, but we should be able to turn it into something nice hopefully.

Yay!

[punio75]

I love a happy ending! (Especially at Christmas )

[Goafer]

We did have a bit of an underwhelming feeling when we walked in there yesterday (didn't help that the entire house smelt of dog!)... but after going back today and trying to figure out what we can do with it, we feel a bit better. :P

 

It's going to take lots of work, but we should be able to turn it into something nice hopefully.

Yay!

 

It'll feel so good when you've finished. It'll be shit for a while, but you'll get to a point where everything just comes together. For us, it was when the carpets went in and the rooms looked finished.

 

I still occasionally get that feeling of "Holy shit, this is mine. I did this." when I'm sat alone in the living room.

[Eenuh]

It'll feel so good when you've finished. It'll be shit for a while, but you'll get to a point where everything just comes together. For us, it was when the carpets went in and the rooms looked finished.

 

I still occasionally get that feeling of "Holy shit, this is mine. I did this." when I'm sat alone in the living room.

 

Yeah, I think having the floors done and painting the walls will help quite a bit. And getting nice furniture in!

 

I do want to get rid of the textured ceiling somehow, I hate it! Not sure if they can just plaster over it though... plus I am worried it might contain asbestos, urgh!

 

The walls in the hallways/staircase also have a horrible drip paint texture (who likes these things?!) which I'm not sure how we can get rid of either (again, not sure if it would contain asbestos)... These people had horrible taste haha!

 

I've basically been spending my entire evening/night looking at ideas for the house! Need to get some sleep at some point, but my mind just won't stop thinking about it. :P

[Pestneb]

Yeah, I think having the floors done and painting the walls will help quite a bit. And getting nice furniture in!

 

I do want to get rid of the textured ceiling somehow, I hate it! Not sure if they can just plaster over it though... plus I am worried it might contain asbestos, urgh!

 

The walls in the hallways/staircase also have a horrible drip paint texture (who likes these things?!) which I'm not sure how we can get rid of either (again, not sure if it would contain asbestos)... These people had horrible taste haha!

 

I've basically been spending my entire evening/night looking at ideas for the house! Need to get some sleep at some point, but my mind just won't stop thinking about it. :P

 

Surely the survey should have picked up if asbestos was present and reported back to you? In any case, I'm sure you guys will have it sorted quickly enough! Congratulations to you both!

 

if asbestos is present (or even if not) :

Can I cover up or skim over textured coatings that contain asbestos?

 

If the textured coating/Artex is in good condition then it is safe to apply a sealant, cover the coating with new plasterboard or skim over it with a new layer of plaster. In fact, sometimes this can help to make the material safer as it encapsulates the asbestos making it less likely to be disturbed.

 

Avoid sanding, grinding or chipping off the asbestos-containing coating first as this can damage the asbestos and cause fibres to become airborne.

link Edited December 11, 2016 by Pestneb

[Eenuh]

Surely the survey should have picked up if asbestos was present and reported back to you? In any case, I'm sure you guys will have it sorted quickly enough! Congratulations to you both!

 

if asbestos is present (or even if not) :

link

 

We did have a survey done, but all it said was:

"A textured decorative coating covers the ceilings. This may contain small amounts of asbestos fibres and if disturbed, they could be a safety hazard. If the ceiling needs decorating or repairing, you will have to use a contractor experienced in this type of work or an asbestos specialist."

 

Didn't mention the paint in the hallways, but I imagine it might be a similar thing, hard to tell.

 

Also just found out that the garage might have asbestos sheets in it too (given a piece of paper from some check the previous owners had done in the past). They were told to just leave it as it is a garage and people won't be there much, but we plan to use it as a gym, so might have to look into that too!

So that might be a headache!

 

 

Other than that we've just spent the day looking at laminates. Fun! :P

[Fierce_LiNk]

We're looking at a few different choices for laminate floorboards and we've got someone coming over tomorrow to give us a quote and to measure things up for us.

 

Vertical radiators: What is everyone's opinion of them? I think they're good for saving space and I quite like the one that Ine's family have over in Belgium. The two radiators in the new living room just take up so much space.

[bob]

The two radiators in the new living room just take up so much space.

 

Have you tried mounting them to the wall? Take up much less space that way.