rantnrave

Because there is so little rain in Dubai normally, there is little infrastrucutre for water run-off. Drains on roads are a bit of a novelty for example - which has compounded the current situation.

Some millennials are about to inherit a sizeable windfall inheritance from Boomer relatives which will transform their prospects, while others will see that disappear on care homes - or never have been on the table in the first place. In short, the impact of unearned wealth is going to become even more extreme.

EA fees should be a % of the initial asking price, not any subsequent reductions. Might focus a few sellers' minds...

Prevailing view on this website 2013 to 2019 (approx dates) was that by choosing to prop up the bubble rather than blame New Labour, the Tories were setting themselves up for electoral oblivion. Then we had the 2019 election, which was in effect a Tory majority to 'get Brexit done'. That result masked over a lot of cracks in the Tory vote - which polling says is now indeed pointing to the very serious loss in public support.

Yep - that's what he did. There were some insulation grants available too, which have made a difference. He's been on a steep learning curve. Some context though - this is a house with three external walls. As others have stated, a flat may not be so bad. Our last place was a south-facing flat, with neighbours above and below. We barely had the heating on. In that scenario, befriend the neighbours below. When your flat gets cold, visit them for a coffee. Tell them their flat is cold, so they put the heating on. That heating then rises into your flat. Job done.

A relative bought a place last summer, which features normal looking radiators in all the rooms. He didn't do the research though - there is no gas supply to the rural location he's brought in. When the first electric bills on the colder months arrived, he was gobsmacked and stopped using all the heating full stop. He got ill with the cold and stress of extreme buyers regret. As others have said here, if at all possible - don't go down the electric heating option only... (also, if you're in a relationship women feel the cold *much* more than men)

Yep. Mrs Rave applied for a part-time job once our child was settled enough in primary school and was refused an interview because the employer said her still-in-date visa was not valid as a right to work. Apparently the visa stamped in her passport was superceded by a biometric pass six months after she got it. No-one told us. With that visa having been obtained as an international couple living in the the EU, then Brexit happening, everyone in the Home Office agreed she needed a biometric pass but could not tell us the route to apply for that. Took 18 months to sort out - during which she couldn't work. Can we have some compensation too please?

To be honest, in early 2022, EAs could just swat you away if you had any weird considerations like HTB ISAs.

The Green Party - speaking sense to people of all 27 different genders

I was in that situation. Took out one of the very early HTB ISAs when they were announced - interest rate of 4% was way better than the 1.5% I could get then for anything else. Could only put £200 a month in, so basically moved money each month out of one saving pot into the ISA. Took four years to reach the £12k limit in order to reach the full £3k govt top up. As pointed out, that required taking a mortgage, but - and here's the sting - it only applied on purchase prices up to £250k. That bought a lot more house back in 2015ish when these were launched, but was never raised. We finally went shopping - twice I put offers of £250k on asking prices of £260k. Market was just coming out of lockdown, so those offers were swiftly rebuffed. I said to the EAs that offering £250,001 would effectively cost £6k in the HTB ISA bonuses I and t'other half had. They had barely heard of the HTB ISA, and certainly didn't know of the limit (one insisted on checking, to prove I was wrong then came back to me to eat humble pie). In the end we bought for closer to £300k. The HTB ISAs did however earn us each in the region of £2k interest tax free, so still a great investment!

Shocker as non-seasonally adjusted initial asking price index increases in the run up to the Spring Bounce... Even in a post apocalyptic zombie wasteland, the RM index would go up at this time each year. It was up more ahead of the 2022 Spring Bounce, and still up last year despite the backdrop of rising interest rates.

Worthy of a separate thread IMO

Have I read the table right - they've got enough land banked for nine years of supply at their current building rate?

Sorting out child benefit thresholds (today), taking action to restrict immigration (a few weeks ago) etc are policies that have widespread support. I understand why they've been brought in. I just don't understand why it's taken so long. Do the Tories only actually start governing a few months before an election is held?

Blimey this thread's quiet compared to years gone by... Lots of HPC topics getting a mention by Hunt. Posted at 13:2613:26 BREAKINGHunt abolishes furnished holiday lettings regime The chancellor says he will scrap tax breaks which make it more profitable for second home owners to let out their properties to holiday makers rather than to long-term tenants to rent. Hunt says he will abolish the furnished holiday lettings regime. BREAKINGHunt abolishes stamp duty relief Within a raft of new measures rattled off in quickfire, Hunt is also announcing stamp duty relief for people buying more than one dwelling is being abolished. He says this is because it was being regularly abused. BREAKINGCapital gains tax reduces to 24% The higher rate of property capital gains tax is to be reduced from 28% to 24%, Hunt announces. He says the move is predicted to increase revenues as there will be more transactions.