Ally
Member
Registered: 2nd Jul 03
Location: Pontypool Drives: a Skoda
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.. over the last 11 months, may be helpful to you but i doubt it unless you are practising for the winge olympics
1. An 'estimate' of weeks for completion of a sale actually means 'I dont have a fucking clue, so heres a random number to get you off my back'
2. Calling your solicitor every day does not help, they deliberatly go out of their way to find ways to piss you off if you bug them
3. Walking round the house and thinking that 3k would be enough to completely redecorate a house on a tight budget is only somthing that should be done whilst high on a mixture of drugs and alcohol, not sober thinking that it is actually possible.
4. 'Getting the keys' isnt a joyous occasion like people make out to be. It is the start of the worst 6 months of your life.
5. Dont EVER remove existing wallpaper, you will only remove it to find the whole house needs to be replastered due to the utter shite underneath it.
6. Starting and stripping every room in the house is not a good idea. Do one room at a time or you will come to a year later, and have a bright purple hallway with bobbly wallpaper that cats feel the need to use as a rock climbing wall.
7. A builder is not a builder. It is a secret form of human that only survives using basic english. They have no idea of 'time' or 'dates' and do the opposite of what you ask them, even if you put it in writing. They will only work when you get on a high horse and threaten action against them - note to self, this is proving to work with most things.
Sorry, this isnt really educational but the only way i can look back at things and giggle. Especially on the day i was screaming at a builder down the phone... seems funny now but at the time it was the most stressful moment of my lifffeeeee.
It has been worth it thou, and to anyone out there rennovating a house, i wish you all the luck in the world!
and ps - there are decent builders out there, but if you need work done, ask your family and friends for good builders they know. The FMB website only provides you with andriods and leppers.
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--Dave--
Banned
Registered: 17th Feb 04
Location: Essssseeeeex Drives: Black Supra TT
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good post Ally
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Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
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..or you could just buy a descent house to start with
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Ally
Member
Registered: 2nd Jul 03
Location: Pontypool Drives: a Skoda
User status: Offline
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I didnt have 90k for a decent house
Just max 70k mortgage and a few grand i had saved
So shush
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Mark330d
Member
Registered: 25th Apr 06
Location: Netherlee, Glasgow City
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not all builders are bad. my dad is a good builder
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myke
Member
Registered: 7th Feb 01
Location: High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
User status: Offline
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FMB is a crock of shite anyway.
any fool can pay their money and register with them. it proves nothing.
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Andrew
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Registered: 5th May 04
Location: Skoda Octavia Estate, Ford Puma
User status: Offline
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My flat is fairly modern [15 years old]. Everytime i fix something, something else breaks So annoying!
Had a builder booked for today but the badger came on Tuesday when i was out and then left a call out invoice Won't be using him again and the cheeky git aint getting any money!
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John
Member
Registered: 30th Jun 03
User status: Offline
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Should find out exactly what you're in for before buying.
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ed
Member
Registered: 10th Sep 03
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You can buy a house for £70k
I am so fucked if I want to live anywhere round here when I want to go buy my own place
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Colin
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Registered: 4th Apr 02
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You can buy a house for £30k up here, not in the slums either
Most of thats true Ally, I remember taking 2 days to strip the whole of my place, bathroom & kitchen included then 8 months putting everything right. My mates thought I was dead when I didnt show face all summer
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mav
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Registered: 19th Jun 01
Location: Scotland
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Good post Ally
Not always as simple as that John as there are always hidden dangers...
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willay
Moderator Organiser: South East, National Events Premium Member
Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
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ally you rock
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Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by willay
ally you rock
damn right, willay
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Ally
Member
Registered: 2nd Jul 03
Location: Pontypool Drives: a Skoda
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by John
Should find out exactly what you're in for before buying.
Thats impossible, i only knew a certain extent of what i was getting into. Surveryors dont strip wallpaper
Theres no way of knowing exactly what you are letting yourself in for. Same for me Colin - We stripped the whole house within a few days last feb... now january the following year and still not finished but getting there!
Brett, Willay why ma thank you
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ed
Member
Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by Colin
You can buy a house for £30k up here, not in the slums either
Average house price round here is... Well, a lot and it's still going up.
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Ally
Member
Registered: 2nd Jul 03
Location: Pontypool Drives: a Skoda
User status: Offline
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Know how you feel Ed, if i wanted to buy in swindon i would need between 120 and 150k to get what i have here in Wales!
If you go right up into llanhilleth you can get houses for silly money!
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Scotty_B
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Registered: 11th Jun 03
Location: East Kilbride
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Spot on Ally.
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whitter45
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Registered: 15th Nov 02
Location: Norton
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quote: Originally posted by Ally
I didnt have 90k for a decent house
Just max 70k mortgage and a few grand i had saved
So shush
fuck me can't get a house around my way for that
I have just had to pay over double that for a house - going through now
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Hammer
Member
Registered: 11th Feb 04
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by Colin
You can buy a house for £30k up here, not in the slums either
show me and ill buy it!
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Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by ed
quote: Originally posted by Colin
You can buy a house for £30k up here, not in the slums either
Average house price round here is... Well, a lot and it's still going up.
Oh the average 3/4 bed Semi up here is £160-200k but you can easily find a 1 bed flat (all you need for single living) for £30-£40k
Theres one in the paper today £29,950. One round from mine for o/o £59k nice to know I paid just £35k for the same 21months ago
You dont have to be posh to be privalaged Anyone can buy a house, some folk need to lower their expectations a bit & figure out you cant jump on the market from scratch & land in a country mansion! Unless you have a rich dead uncle maybe that would be nice
[Edited on 11-01-2007 by Colin]
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John_C
Member
Registered: 5th Mar 03
Location: South east, Bromley
User status: Offline
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fuck me 35k!!! i paid 140000 for 3 bed house
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Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
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Proportional for a 1 bed flat though, 2 bed semi a few streets away just sold for £160k & 2 bed terrace over the road from me £110.
For me to buy a house then for £140k I would have need to been earning £35k.
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whitter45
Member
Registered: 15th Nov 02
Location: Norton
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quote: Originally posted by Colin
Proportional for a 1 bed flat though, 2 bed semi a few streets away just sold for £160k & 2 bed terrace over the road from me £110.
For me to buy a house then for £140k I would have need to been earning £35k.
yes i have just bought a house for 152k, tahts with a 18% deposit - the prices are just stupid
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eddiewhiteley
Member
Registered: 10th Mar 05
Location: down in albion
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quote: Originally posted by ed
quote: Originally posted by Colin
You can buy a house for £30k up here, not in the slums either
Average house price round here is... Well, a lot and it's still going up.
im glad i will never have to buy round chalfont,you will have to rob a few banks my brother is buying in berkhamsted and thats bad enough,but chalfont,thats more expensive still
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Robin
Premium Member
Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by ed
You can buy a house for £70k
I am so fucked if I want to live anywhere round here when I want to go buy my own place
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