Bloop

That’s great advice Fopsey, thanks so much. It does feel a bit like a revenge eviction because I pointed out the issues with the house and it was from that point she started getting frosty. Shame you don’t think the mould issue has legs - there’s nothing I’d love more than hit her where it hurts (her wallet) with a small claim. Fingers crossed the offer I’ve put in for a house will be accepted over the next few days and I’ll be able to tell her we’re buying a house and will be out of her hair as soon as we can - eviction or no eviction. If not I’ll definitely have another look at the section 21 and make sure it is in order.

Thanks, that's what I think too. I'm def going down the route of legal action against the condition of the house as well as I think on the whole we have had the p*** well and truly taken out of us. Funnily enough a suitable house came up this weekend - putting an offer in as we speak

I could do with some advice re. my landlord who served my family notice in May, giving us 6 months to be out by 7th November. Initially she wanted to sell to capitalise on the market bidding wars etc. I offered to buy at a mutually agreed amount as we are just about at the point where we can afford to buy - small deposit in place etc. She turned this offer down and then told me they had decided not to sell afterall but if we wanted to stay on we would need to pay market rates that she felt were at least £900 pcm for her property. That’s a £150 rise. At that point my heckles started raising and I pointed out to her that much better houses were being rented out for less in the local area. I also told her what is wrong with the house - mould in kids bedroom, paper peeling off the walls in dining room, radiator not working in annex that also has mould and a rotten back door - they have literally done nothing to maintain the house since we moved in 2 years ago. I offered to stay in situ while repairs were made so we had a bit more time to buy a house. She said no, as she felt it wouldn’t be in the renovator’s best interests to have a family under their feet if there was so much work that needed doing. So I said at that point fair enough, we’ll try and vacate by the given date. Fast forward a month and we still haven’t found anywhere that’s suitable, I messaged her asking for more time as a good will gesture as we have paid full rent with no arrears and have been good tenants, and once again she reiterated that she wanted us out by the 7th November. I’d like to know how long it will likely take for her to get possession, and also how likely am I to get a result on the mould situation? I’m considering legal advice, esp as we told the agents about it on the first inspection pre pandemic, they took pics and literally did nothing about it. My daughter has an inhaler since moving in here and I’ve noticed my lung health being significantly worse too.

Isn’t I just! I don’t think Count is alone in calling a crash that should have happened a long time ago but for numerous nefarious reasons has held back by the powers that be.

Same! This is where I am looking and what I am looking for too. Well, semi-detached/nice sized terrace for me - first time buyer and all that...

I've heard this too from someone who has recently bought but hadn't listed their house first, and that's what they had been advised to do by their agent - it's seems as if there's been a purposeful attempt on the part of agencies to manipulate conditions so that listings are staggered and stock is low - bidding war anyone?! I am currently trying to buy my first home because it's time (I'm 48), I'm finally in a position to (have managed to scrape together a 10% deposit,) and I'm just sick of renting and being kicked out from one place to the next because our landlord wants to move their son in (Last house I was in 2 years ago), or capitalise on current market conditions (current situation). But I have taken a step back from all the craziness of the last few months, and have refused to participate in it all - no way I'm going to stick my head in a blender like that...

I wasn’t stating that - correlation doesn’t imply causation. I was just saying it’s ridiculous that it takes 2 full time wages to be able to afford a mortgage these days when there was a time when this was not the case, and arguably kids were much better off having one primary care giver at home most of the time - back then it would have been generally women, obvs this ratio will have changed. But I never said that more women bringing in a wage caused mortgages to increase…

Not sure what that's got to do with the price of fish....

This exactly is it, the crux of it all. It takes two full time wages to buy a house these days, and who loses out exactly? Kids getting emotionally neglected and shoved from pillar to post by a system where stressed out parents can't afford not to work all the hours god sends in order to play by the rule book and get on the increasingly greasy ladder. It's neoliberalism at it's absolute worst, privileging the greedy, encouraging a dog eat dog mentality and allowing the better off to crap all over those who are most in need. Rant over 🙄

Oops, accidental post! Still getting the hang of this forum... Yep @highcontrast, I'm starting to see this in my part of the North West too....

Possibly, but perhaps not in the context of hyperinflation. My understanding is that interest rates and inflation are inversely correlated, so if they went negative on rates atm, that would cause inflation to spike even further. They seem to be caught between a rock and a hard place atm, where they've not got an awful lot of tools left in the box after all the can kicking of the last 13 years or so...

Sure it is, but in the exceptional circumstances of a once in a lifetime pandemic that affected the whole globe - every developed government was bailing their citizens out left right and centre. Once the pandemic is ostensibly 'over' the rhetoric changes and it becomes a case of sink or swim and the bailouts will most likely stop or be severely reduced. It's obvious that at some point our government is going to start talking about 'tough decisions needing to be made' and having to pay the piper - if (when) prices do come down to more sensible levels, no government is going to bail you out to make sure you are able to lock in your 80% mad gainz - if you have to sell because you need to (job loss or ill health for example) you will fall into line with everyone else.

Doesn't look like it has a sale history so it was likely built by the owners and lived in until this sale.

Another potential pin could be the fall in international students that is projected post Covid and also resulting from Brexshit: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/uk-cannot-take-attractiveness-as-international-student-destination-for-granted-40832009.html The BTL market for students has resulted in a glut of student housing in places like Lancaster with a top tier university, with inflated rents being charged to students in multiple occupancy houses that would normally go to local families, like this: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111354419#/?channel=STU_LET https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/113043041#/?channel=STU_LET With just a couple of weeks to go til the start of term, a number of these houses have not yet been filled, and I'm starting to see evidence of student accommodation coming to market for sale where BTL landlords might have given up on getting their house rented out due to lower student numbers: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/113912315#/?channel=RES_BUY Hope they get rinsed - next few weeks are going to be interesting.

Speaking as a non homeowner, right now a pop that brings things back down to pre-Covid levels I would take....

So what's the implications of properties sitting SSTC? There's a number where I live (North West) that have been SSTC since early March/April, just sitting there waiting to complete over what would appear to me to be an inordinately long period of time....

Snap - I’m in exactly the same situation if it’s any consolation, so we’ll both be buying at the top, if and when a house comes along that I can a)afford b)am prepared to live in for the next 10 years to weather out any negative equity.

Cheers satsuma, me too

God, I hope so! I'm willing to do pretty much anything, pride not really issue - 10+ years of being priced out of the market will do that to a girl!

Fair point, well made! I was actually dead upset at the time, but my other half who tends not to get annoyed at much told me I was being unreasonable as our LL wanted it back for a legitimate reason. Anyway, I certainly didn't feel as if I had a leg to stand on with him giving it to his step son. In contrast our current LLs using us as a clearly expendable cash-cow makes me want to stuff shrimp down the the radiator when we leave.

Yep, this is my second in a row after the last one two years ago who wanted his house back to give to his step son - couldn't really argue with that one, this one however has really p***** me off

Cheers, I hope we do too, although to be honest I am done renting now - at 48 I've had my fill of insecurity and throwing good money after bad; as I am in position to buy for the first time, I'm going to do my best to find somewhere to live over the long term, crash or no crash - at some point you just have to jump in. My latest ploy has been to flyer some local streets that we like, my policy being you don't ask, you don't get.

I'm in exactly the same position (although not such as large a deposit), compounded by the fact that our current money grabbing landlord has asked us to leave so that she can capitalize on the overheated property market herself. I offered to buy her house off her so we could stay in the area that we have been renting in for the last 8 years, where our 9 year old has a social network and goes to school, and after a week of silence she got back to me saying that they were now not going to sell but rather wanted 'market value' for the property aka £950 per month. We are currently paying £750 per month (zero arrears or late payments over the last 2 years) for a house that is barely worth that (black mould in upstairs bedroom and annex; wall paper peeling off some walls; dish washer and tumble dryer have never worked and we were told we would need to fix them or move them out ourselves, to name just a few of the issues with the house), and after pointing out these issues to her, I offered to stay in situ while they did some of the work so we could find somewhere suitable and affordable in current nuts market. After another few days silence she got back to me saying how sorry she was I had some problems with the house and blamed it all on the letting agent, and then said that it would not be fair to myself or the renovators doing the repair work for me and my family to remain in situ, so please kindly jog on on the specified date (7th November) given in your notice. I am now currently considering my position re staying put after the notice date and letting them evict us, in order to buy us a bit more time - the only thing that would stop me is if it would have an adverse effect on my mortgage application when I do finally find a house that we want to buy. If anyone here has the answer to that one, I'd be eternally grateful!