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House removal
hi All. When you find a suitable property, is it too good to be true? How do you find out the real reason for what seems to be a good price?? You can get a "Full structural report on the property" but what about,Neighbours rowdiness, when you visit in daytime, how do you really find out before committing yourself to misery ?And there is Broadband Reception, what is the truth about Fibre Optics in that area? I live in London and it is often very slow or worse of all "Down" ! Even Out of Order, and BT may claim to be the Biggest but are they the best?
all the best. Kevin
Last edit: by Passed Driver
Staying on the thread Kevin.
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I drove 1500 miles in 2 weeks going round Norfolk looking at estate agents and areas. Often just driving around and stopping somewhere. Watching what was going on, taking a flask of coffee and sandwiches.
Having chosen the top ten houses on the list we put them in order of the most suitable and started looking at them I saw about 8 but this one was I think the third.
I drove around here several times after choosing this one, looking at facilities ( not many), traffic, flood level ( we are 19ft above the flood plain but surrounded by it). Then I walked around the nearest shopping town and stopped for a pint chatting to the locals, being quite open about moving to the area.
We got the one up from basic report, the house is over 110 years old it has been treated for wood worm and dry rot, it will outlast us.
Mobile phones don't work here unless you stand upstairs in the bathroom, but we have a land line. We now have 25 MHz broadband, but broadband outside of major cities did not exist when we moved here. The broadband drops out regularly, but they are still digging up the roads a mile away installing the fibre, which stops half a mile from us.
Now I've finally started a model railway…I've inherited another…
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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You can choose your house/flat, neighbors are something else. Never mid "Location, Location, Location", you need to do a Reagan ("Trust and Verify").
Avoid residential areas with: large pubs (especially recently built ones), bars, clubs, takeaways, large schools, colleges, university housing/lodgings, hospitals, rat runs (a route through a residential area connecting 2 main roads), airport flight paths (look up the noise envelope data), old Victorian/Edwardian houses with lots of entry buttons and lots of green and blue bins in the front garden. Check the state of the front gardens, if they're scruffy, lots of weeds, bags of garbage, rusting fridges and old mattresses, run a mile. Lots of front gardens converted to parking spots? The neighborhood has a parking problem. Same if there are parking permits required for on-street parking. Demand exceeds availability. What's the street lighting like? What's the beer can count/takeaway container count in the gutters? Lots? Run even faster.
Check the bus routes, and where do they go? How frequently? Where is the nearest shopping center? Is there a local taxi service? Where is the nearest police station? Is it open 24h a day? Nearest A&E? Ditto. Many aren't. Banbury, population around 60,000, doesn't have a 24h copper shop.
Best time to view a neighborhood is during the morning rush hour and evening rush hour. If it's a central location you also want to check the Brahms and List score late evening/early morning. Gangs of inebriates wandering around creating mayhem? There is a reason agents take you around late morning/early afternoon. It's quiet, children are in school, most people are at work. The drunks are still guzzling away inside the pubs.
The first house we bought was in St. Ives, Cambs, about 5 miles away from an RAF station. "Is this flown over by aircraft?" I ask, "no, the RAF never fly over here". True, but they performed static jet engine tests at 02:00 hours. The US planes from the other side of Cambridge overflying us were another story. Numerous flats and lodgings around East London when students, and 12 houses/flats/condos in various countries later we're a little bit wiser. And have learned estate agent speak.
Nigel
©Nigel C. Phillips
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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Forgot to mention - near a railway station is useful.
Twenty or so miles from the coast would get you away from most of the day trippers.
Avoid descriptions like "quirky" or "unusual" or "one of a kind". You are probably buying somebody's failed project.
I'm not familiar with South of the Thames, so general advice is all I can offer.
Nigel
©Nigel C. Phillips
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Cheers MIKE
I'm like my avatar - a local ruin!
I'm like my avatar - a local ruin!
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I think that all serious problems with neighbours, noise or indeed poblems with the property MUST be disclosed by the seller/agent
'Kev
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If it looks a bargain compared with the rest of the area, then you should ask the agent for details of the selling price for similar properties in the area for the past 6-12 months.There should be a good reason. Do the sellers have an impending move, and have to sell? Can't afford the mortgage? If the sellers are older with no mortgage that's when you should start digging. Is there a new development that is likely to drop prices? Ask to see the PIQ if you haven't already seen it. If it's not forthcoming walk away.
Any issues with the house the seller has to disclose. There is however nothing like your own house survey by a qualified surveyor.
"In simple terms, the CPR’s require a seller to inform their estate agent – and any potential buyer - of material information that may affect an average consumer’s transactional decision, not only to buy a property but even “an omission that may affect a potential buyer’s decision to view a propertyâ€. No longer can you choose what to tell your agent or buyer.
Before they market a property, a reputable agent should ask you to fill in a Property Information Questionnaire where you can put down any relevant information. This will include issues you may have with your boundaries or other disputes with neighbours; notices of any developments nearby; whether the correct approvals have been obtained for building works such as building regulations or the freeholders consent for alterations such as a loft conversion; any significant occurrences at the property, such as a murder or a suicide; and details of any major defects you are aware of."
http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/property/when_selling_my_house_am_i_legally_obliged_to_disclose_any_information_that_may_affect_a_potential_buyer_s_decision_1_4170528
Nigel
©Nigel C. Phillips
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Years ago I moved to a regional office for work. Did not have clue about areas etc. I took a number of copies of a map into the office and asked a half dozen people with a pen to tell me the best place to live.
I took the maps away and overlaid them. Where the circles overlapped I started looking. Not really scientific but it gave me a start on where I did not want to be.
Andrew
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That is when my thoughts turned to property, and I looked at Headcorn , a village near Ashford , buy a house near the railway line, and bus route, but the properties in my "Price Bracket" were not up to par, that is when the net spread far and wide, leaving me where I am today. all the best. Kevin
Staying on the thread Kevin.
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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Similarly to your search? But not for work, but based on the Stations that I have passed through on my way to both the Coast and Kent countryside , After looking up properties and estate agents online( perhaps not the best approach) with a collection of maps and my copier, I have been selecting and laminating various destinations along with the train timetable and setting off with high hopes. But Gardens, Garages, even a Two Double Bedroom house come at a premium, and as for an "En Suite" that seems to be a luxury. But, I will keep on looking, there was mention of a "Brexit Bubble?", knowing my luck that ,if it happens? Will await until after my purchase? all the best. Kevin
Staying on the thread Kevin.
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Staying on the thread Kevin.
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What so many expats fail to understand before charging off to a carefree life in the sun, is that one has to put a great deal of work into it and one needs to have an income stream to sustain the new lifestyle. Like with all things in life, it only works well when you are prepared to do it properly and there is no free pass to a carefree lifestyle!
That said, the rewards can be bountiful.
Good luck with your research and preparation for your move, if it really is what you want. If so, please make sure you get good advice from trained, experienced people (not just from a railway forum), after you have made a well thought out list of what is important to you in a new environment, together with which aspects may be of concern to you. This is important. To start, try making a list of what you like and dislike in your current home and its environment. The Citizen's Advice Centres will be able to direct you in the right direction and further specialised assistance. Please do not simply rely on what you can find on the internet and above all, not estate agents, as they only want to earn money, not match your needs to a new home. They will be used in the later stages, but do not start by talking to them.
So take your time, set out your requirements, find good advice and don't forget your railway!
Best wishes,
Bill
At 6'4'', Bill is a tall chap, then again, when horizontal he is rather long and people often used to trip over him! . . . and so a nickname was born :)
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A good local agency is by far the best choice. It's also worth keeping an eye on Rightmove and Zoopla on line.
Cheers MIKE
I'm like my avatar - a local ruin!
I'm like my avatar - a local ruin!
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Last edit: by Passed Driver
Staying on the thread Kevin.
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Last edit: by Passed Driver
Staying on the thread Kevin.
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