Zim-Babe

I had been renting a 1 bed flat for about 3 months when I received a letter from my Landlord, the jist of it was he hadn't informed the Management company that he would letting the flat and they required references etc. I was quite happy to get my boss to write a quick letter recommending me. They were also not very happy that I had two cats, but stated because there hadn't been any problems with them in the previous 3 months they would allow them!!!! (Not sure what they could have done otherwise, try and kick me out?). Not sure what the norm is, but this was my experience.

Thanks for the advice. I know he bought the property in January 07 (he's also a first time Landlord) as I was trying to get his name and address from Land Registry so I could contact him privately, sold price isn't yet listed on Rightmove. I'm a single mother to two cats, and have loads of experience in renovating properties, so I have no problem with getting my hands dirty. I checked in with the agent yesterday who told me there's been no further offers, although someone has a second viewing tomorrow. Will phone the agent again on Friday, reminding him that he is losing £190 a week while it's empty. I do remember the agent telling me that my offer didn't stack up to the mortage / rent ratio, combined with him being a first timer and only purchasing the property in January. Doesn't look good for him.

Update: 2nd property in same road that was up for £1040 has now been reduced to £950, cheaper property has already been reduced from £925 to £895. Both houses are the same in the same development, one is at end of Cul de sac (with busy road on other side of fence) and other is at other end nearer the small access road to the cul de sac. I will now bide my time, and see if I can get one of them this time next week for £850 or less.

Thank you for your advice, having put leaflets through doors and not had a response I bit the bullet and made an appointment to view the cheaper property (£925) which they told me before the viewing has now been reduced to £895. The agent told me it was bought (January 07) by a first time Landlord and it looks like he's made a start in renovating the property and got bored half way through. Theres brand new plug sockets on the floor waiting to replaced, theres new lighting in some of the rooms and they have been painted. The kitchen however is a bit of a mess, wall tiles are those really thick textured ones with animated fruit on them and they have been laid cockeye on one wall and the floor tiles suddenly stop and are then continued with new floor tiles (darker green and a different pattern), theres no turf in the garden and all the floors are different (lino in 2 of the bedrooms, really old disgusting carpet in the hallway, and mismatched sticky lino tiles in the downstairs WC). I offered £825 per month stating that I would retile the kitchen, replace the plug sockets, re-turf the garden, put up nets and curtains and re-carpet the house. I also stated I would be a long term tenant and could move in next week. The Landlord categorically stated he would not allow the kitchen to be retiled and would also not allow carpeting!!!! although he was planning to finish off the plug sockets and re-turfing next week. He told the agent he would consider an offer slightly less than £895 but would not go down to £835 (I upped my offer to £835 max). How bizarre is that, I reminded agent that landlord is losing £190 a week and told him to ring me in a few weeks when no other tenant is found.

Thank you, made an offer today. Would like a few million (zim) dollars to help me along but would probably just be enough to pay for garden to be returfed!!!

I made an offer on a 3 bed house in Croydon, and was told that total fees come to around £200, but it's OK because this was all inclusive!!!!! (and agent said they didn't make any money from this?). Included: Holding deposit, reference searches and check in etc etc. My last place cost about £135 in total.

I've noticed the same thing in Croydon/Wallington area. I cant' back it up with specific numbers, but maybe it's Sods Law that now I am ready to move onto a house, there is barely anything available. Made an offer on a 3 bed place that needs work today, although I was only looking for a 2 bedder (size of the 3 bed is practically a 2 bedroom anyway).

I have given notice on my current flat and am looking for a 1 or 2 bedroom house with a garden and preferably parking space (even a 1 or 2 bedroom G/F flat would do). I have been looking within 1 / 2 miles of SM6 8JN and found nothing on the market suitable. My dilemma is this, there are a couple of 3 bed houses that fit the bill, one is priced at £925PCM and other (exactly the same house, just other end of the road) is priced at £1,040PCM. The cheaper of the two has been on the market since early February and the other has been on the market for at least two weeks. As a landlord, what sort of offer would you seriously consider? I would be signing for at least 1 year, possibly staying there 2 or 3 years, maybe more depending on how long it takes for this crash to come and how much deposit I could save in the meantime. I work full time and have excellent references, I am also excellent at DIY and wouldn't mind decorating and landscaping the property in question (I also have to move between 31st March and 14th April). The other dilemma is, I have tried to find out who the owners are so that I can approach them privately, but both are registered at the properties which I know are empty. If I could approach them privately I would have a much better chance of getting the property cheaper as they would save the agency fees, and I could save myself agency fees. Any ideas what else I could try?

I have given my 2 months notice (ends 22/04) did want to move out sooner if poss, and hey presto 2nd person two see my place have taken it, they want to move in between 31st March and 14th April. So I started registering with agents (probably more than 20) and there is absolutely nothing suitable. I'm not that fussy, am looking for a 1 or 2 bed house (or even a G/F flat with a garden and preferably parking space). I need something with access to outside space for my 2 cats. I am looking for something within 1/2 miles of SM6 8JN as this is close to work, my sister and my mum. (Croydon, Beddington/Wallington areas). I have found nothing, the few places I had my eyes on had gone when I registered and the 1 house I viewed was gone the following morning when I phoned the agent about a second viewing. I am now about to try and negotiate getting a 3 bed house for the price of a 2 bed with 2 properties that have been on the market for more than 2 weeks, fingers crossed as time is ticking and I am starting to panic.

I really hope this is the case as I currently rent a dodgy 1 bed flat in South Croydon. I sold my lovely 2 bed EOT in June 06 for £192,500 but recently saw another house in the same development (expect this one is mid terrace and faces onto Stafford Rd) up for sale at £212K. I cant see it selling for this because I know a house a few doors down from it sold before mine at about £185K. http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-144...=1&tr_t=buy I am watching it carefully, as well as all the other 2/3 bed houses within a mile of my old address.

I once did a search on RightMove and came up with the same house 8 times, the whole page was full of the same house with the same price. Didn't bother watching it as it was well out of my price range, but I think it has just come up for sale again with just 1 agent this time. Will have another look.

Inside out for London viewers will be broadcasting: New ways of tackling the housing shortage. Will probably be absolutely useless, but worth a quick look. Now I live in Croydon which is sometimes London and sometimes Southeast, so I might just end up watching: A sushi bar learns more about its fish and for those of you who live in the East it will be: The identity of a POW is finally solved

Not to mention the fact that land prices are just as extortionately high as existing property prices. To give you some idea heres an anecdote: Piece of land in between two houses measured 15ft wide and extended back about 100ft just off the Purley Way, Croydon. Sold early last year for £100K, to build (at best) 3 bed house would cost approx. £80-100K. At the time you could buy a 3 bed house in the same area for around the £200-225K mark. Now to flip this around, the estate agent told me that the seller had bought the 1 bed ground floor flat that came with the freehold of the entire building for £130K ish, he re-developed the flat, seperated the land from the freehold title and then sold the land (£100K) and then sold the flat, which I think at the time would have been around £140k ish. So he made around £110k in less than a year. If you can find something like this, then you will be extremely lucky. I have always dreamed of building, but it is extremely difficult to find a building plot in an area you like for the money you're willing to pay. Finding land is easy, wether it can be built on is another matter, if the land owner gets a whiff that you want to build, they will more than likely try it themselves and make a large profit. The other factor is the time it takes to build your own place, from planning permission to completion can be a few years at least, by then your dream house may have crashed into your price zone.

My sister phoned up earlier, neice has now moved into a bedsit in Hackbridge. Apparently she was disgusted because the fridge had mould growing in it and it smelt, so my sister bought her some rubber gloves and cleaning fluids and left her to it (also has to share kitchen and bathroom with other residents). Few tears, but I told her she'll be home within a few weeks! Heres hoping

Can I have the address if it's close to Croydon, my neice (16) has moved out because she thinks life is easy and doesn't respect her mum. Might make her think a bit more before she throws in the towel, otherwise at least she could give them a run for their money with her noise and attitude!!!!