Ceilings

ceilingsWhen you view a house, how often do you glance up at the ceiling? You probably don’t! You should though! What state the ceilings are in is important! If they are really horrible then they may have been covered with polystyrene tiles or artexed!
If there are polystyrene tiles then you may want to take them down! Old ones are a fire hazard but new ones are available that have been treated with a fire retardant substance to make them safer.
If you can find a spare tile in the loft and test it outside by setting fire to it you should find out if they are fire proof. If they are not you should remove them all! Many people don’t like them and remove them!

If you remove them and the ceiling is in need of some attention it depends on how bad it is as to your solution.
There are extra thick paints that are good for fine cracks, textured paints for more problematic ceilings and as a last resort you could have the ceilings skimmed by a plasterer.
You can also get British Gypsum MF (metal furring) system. You just put this metal grid system up about 50mm below your existing ceiling and screw new plasterboard to it. You have a lower ceiling so it might not be suitable for all rooms but it will give you a level ceiling. You get tapered edge plaster boards that you tape the edges over and this just needs skimming over.
If you’re going for a plasterer to do the work then ask them how much it is to do the whole house worth of ceilings. It’s quite messy work and easier to do all at once on an empty property if possible. You could also remove all the old ceilings and replace the boards entirely from scratch. This is more messy!

Modern ceiling tiles are available and have different textures and patterns on. They also act as insulation too!

Finding a solicitor

Picking a solicitor for buying and selling houses

There’s nothing to stop you getting quotes and ringing round local solicitors as soon as you are ready to buy a house. In fact it’s best to do it carefully and take some time about it.

To get quotes solicitors often want to know the price you’re going to be paying. A vague idea is usually enough if you’ve not had an offer accepted yet though. If you’re planning on buying for about £110,000 then tell them this. You will have to give them the full details of the property when you’re ready for them to start acting for you anyway – including the address, so don’t worry about an exact figure at this time.

If you’re ringing up for quotes make a note of who you’ve rung, who you speak to and ask if it includes all searches and any mortgage related charges, and bank transfer fees.

You could get quotes from local firms, online firms or not so local firms. Ask how they want your documents to prove who you are. A local firm is easiest for this – you may have to factor in costs of getting documents certified and sent to them otherwise. Apparently the post office has this as a counter service for a small charge.

When you make an offer an estate agent will normally ask for your solicitors details so have them to hand when you’re ready for making an offer.

Solicitors will send out a letter stating their terms and conditions and what the charges are and what any extra charges may include.

If you’re buying repossession then make this clear and ask about how fast the process can be done. Sometimes a solicitor who is used to dealing with auction properties is a good bet if you want a fast exchange.

If a solicitor is slow at answering the phone to get a quote or doesn’t ring you back when they say they will, it might not bode well when they’re working for you. Ask about email enquiries as this can be easier for some people than dealing with phone calls.

When you’ve got a few quotes compare them – did one stand out as being more efficient? If you’re not convinced by any of them, get some more quotes.

Shelter

Shelter is the homelessness charity but they also give housing advice for people!
They have housing advice on Homelessness
Including: Emergency housing rights checker, Hostels, Help from the council

Eviction & repossession

Eviction of tenants, Mortgage arrears, Landlord repossession, Harassment & illegal eviction

Housing benefit

Local housing allowance, Calculations, Arrears, Discretionary payments

Paying for a home

Deposits, Mortgage arrears, Rent arrears, Debt, Benefits, Social fund payments

Finding a place to live

Emergency options, Letting agencies, Council housing, Supported housing, Buying

Renting & leasehold

Agreements, Joint tenancies, Repairs, Rights & responsibilities, Leasehold

Families & relationships

Splitting up, Domestic abuse, Living with parents, When someone dies, Pregnancy

Affordable Housing

Nothing personal about this particular venture but the phrase “affordable housing” gets my goat!
Plan revived for 269 new homes on edge of Sherborne.
There’s a line in the article that I felt was worth showing you.


Some of the housing will be affordable. This does put the spin on it that, indeed some will be affordable and some will be unaffordable!
Would you like to buy an unaffordable house?
Whilst talk of huge financial turmoil still over inflated debts caused by house price inflation and insane lending, it does strike me as particular silly that this one phrase is still used.
All housing needs to be affordable to the masses! Council waiting lists are packed with people desperate for somewhere to live, yet still developers will be allowed to build unaffordable housing.

Looking up house prices

Want to know how much a house went for? After a few weeks or months it should appear on the land registry figures and every month they’re put out on several websites.
The one I like using best is called House Prices – you can search by street name and town, or by postcode, or part postcode. You can change the number of properties displayed too!
It’s a useful site for tracking down postcodes too!

Listed Buildings

Look up information about Listed Buildings in England, Scotland and Wales
It’s got a list so you can browse listed buildings by country, county and parish/locality. There’s also a postcode search.
There are descriptions, photos and maps on the site so it’s a useful resource for finding out more about a listed building if you’re planning on buying it!
In some areas Grade I Listed Buildings and Grade II* Listed Buildings are listed together but Grade II may be broken down by parish if there are too many.

Picking a surveyor

About surveys and picking a surveyor.


If you want to have a survey done on a house then you can ring round and get several quotes. Ask about the different types of surveys and see how helpful they are at answering your questions. Tell them about the property and see whether they recommend a specific type of survey.


You can ask local estate agents for recommendations of surveyors, or pick from the yellow pages. As long as you get several quotes you should have a good idea of the prices and costs.


Some surveyors are happy to discuss their findings with you over the phone if you have any questions when you receive the completed survey.


Often a survey will recommend further inspection by specialists. This can cover damp and timber experts, electrical surveyors, heating engineers, structural engineers, drainage experts or other experts. After reading a few you’d get a feel for the sort of things that will be mentioned in surveys – generally they like to cover their own backs and get you to take more detailed advice on almost everything!


If they suspect asbestos then they will recommend you get a specialist in to look at it. If it’s undisturbed then it doesn’t really need looking at, and the only way to test for asbestos is to disturb it and remove a sample.


Don’t confuse a survey with the mortgage provider’s valuation.


The homebuyers’ survey costs under £400 and covers most basic things. This is suitable for properties that aren’t too old or quirky.


A full structural survey is much more detailed but costs more.


You can ask your surveyor if you can come with him when he does the survey. Some may refuse, but if you do go along you’ll be able to ask specific questions about particular things. If you can’t go, then ask him to look at anything that’s concerning you such as extensions, or the attic.


If the survey comes back full of scary stuff then ask the surveyor about it. To get quotes for work ask several reputable builders or specialists to visit and give the quotes to you. You can negotiate with the buyer about them doing the work before you move in, or ask for a price reduction when buying it.


If the owners refuse to reduce the price, then you have to weigh up whether you want to take the loss of paying them their full asking price for the property as well as doing the remedial work and having the hassle of living on a building site. Sometimes it’s best to walk away having only wasted your survey costs.


A surveyor might give you useful information about the house and you can ask them about any aspects. Some will also have an idea about extensions, so if you’re buying a property with a view to extending it in the future they may give you advice about that.


Pick the survey that not only offers you a good price but is approachable and helpful.