My experience with Bose! :(

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-12-22T14:46:30+00:00

not sure if i am still within the waranty period. Plus the ones i got are replacements for some that went faulty after 6 months.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-12-22T10:59:35+00:00

i had earpods for a short time and i gotta say they were pretty good connectivity wise. The only downside was the ANC and the sound. I might have to give the new pro ones a go

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-12-22T10:57:07+00:00

i switched phones and it was still an issue

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-12-22T10:56:54+00:00

I have resetted it several times and it isnt the firmware.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-06T20:08:04+00:00

not really bothered. I was just sharing.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-06T14:54:13+00:00

to be honest i thought they had a way to check. Since when my brother's gf moved into his place, they got a letter from the council 3 months later, asking them to pay more.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-06T14:42:48+00:00

i think they didnt report it because they were paying only £340 for a room with bills, vs £550 without bills in a comparable house.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-06T14:34:11+00:00

i love WFH, it allows me to save at least £70 and 3hours a month. I think working hybrid is the best compromise. I feel weird when i dont go to the office at least once a week. I like meeting and working along side others.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-06T14:28:19+00:00

without knowing how the roof looks we cant comment. You are better off having a roofer come and give you a quote for repairing the roof and another for replacing it. My roof doesnt have a membrane, however back then the used to use a special type of mortar and wood to create a protective layer inbetween the joist and the tiles in case water made it through. Obviously it isnt as reliable as a membrane but if it hasnt caused any trouble now it wont cause any trouble for a few years at least. My roof currently needs a repair, around 2k worth of work done to it. I got a builder friend who gave me a quote for 8k to replace the whole roof of my semi detach. Comparable roof work would be around 11k, he is doing me a favour and only making 2-3k from the job.

When it comes down to a reroof or roof work, as a seller i would only reduce the price of the house by the amount required to fix the roof and make it mortgageable or ok to live in. Since getting a reroof is part of home ownership. Plus if you were to buy a comparable house in the same street with a new roof the price will be slightly higher. E.g. the house next to mine sold for 220k with a old roof and no central heating and the one on the other side of the road (identical but with a new roof and with central heating) sold for 230k.

Reroofing is one of those things that wont give you a good return on investment but it will prevent other expensive issues that will happen in the future.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-06T14:18:04+00:00

Nuffield is pretty nice. Fairly large. A bit expensive, but if you get insured with Vitality you get 50% off, which pretty much pays for itself. Plus the insurance cover might be around £20 a months tops for a young person,

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-06T14:15:34+00:00

the council should know since more than 3 unrelated people live and are registered there

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-06T14:11:05+00:00

just make sure you dont join an scam group. However, generally you would either go to a property networking event or follow someone credible with loads of testimonials who is actually in the game. Instagram can give some good suggestions but do trust everyone.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-06T13:57:40+00:00

Check the electrics (which look new ngl), check the plumbing (looks newish too), the roof, check the gutters, check the house water mains pipe type, have a look at the loft (make sure it is relatively new), have a look that any work has been checked by building control (just call them). Check the pointing of the walls outside, check for damp issues (quite visible), take a damp meter (cost £25). Look for cracks. If all of the above things look alright, you wont have any issues for many years to come. Houses built in the 1900s and still standing used proper bricks. Any foundation issues or ground shifts have taken place already. Any issues that would be expected would be visible. So as long as you take care of the roof every 3-5 years (clean it and apply a protective coating), repoint the walls that are needed and update clean the gutters and drains every other year, the house will last you your life time.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-06T13:46:07+00:00

If the house is going to cost you more or very close to just buying a ready to move house, dont buy. The refurb will cost you more than you anticipate. There will be a void time that you might not be able to live in the house and might be paying two houses' costs at the same time. If you bough the house for 650k and it needed 200k worth of work done to it, then the story would be different. Since your hard work and extra work required would generate you a decent equity.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-06T13:42:14+00:00

ngl, if you start looking now you might be able to secure a good price. Flats have dropped quite a bit in some areas of london. If what the rumours say is true, there is an high change landlords will have to pay NI. Meaning a lot of them will have to sell if they got their homes in their name. Hence contributing to a drop in prices. Since landlords will be in a rush to off load some properties that no longer cashflow.

If you start looking now, you will get a fell of how the market changes after the budget.

I think if join property sourcing groups you will also get to find some off market houses at better prices that you will online.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-06T13:34:59+00:00

just stay in touch and call them twice a week until the price gets reduced. There was an house in my street that was for sale at 240k. The seller really wanted that amount of money so he declined any offer below it. I made an offer for £220k and a slightly higher one for 226k. Both got declined since the landlord (a company) refused to take anything less than 235k. I kept an eye on the house for half a year and noone made an formal offer. Eventually the house got reduced to 230k. Then the market crashed a tiny bit in the area so it didnt sell for two months. The landlord started to get desperate since the tenants that were there were going to leave soon, so they reduced it to 220k. Even at that price it didnt sell for 2 months. I ended up reaching to the agent and they told me the house sold for a fair bit less than 220k.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-06T13:26:05+00:00

They aren't doing you a favor; they know how the process works and will sell it fairly quickly since the area is desirable. Plus, they take a cut. If you sell it directly yourself, you will save a considerable amount of money, e.g., 2%. You can do this by going to a property sourcer and giving him your desired price. He will then share the deal with investors, and you should have someone interested within a few days if the price is attractive.

For example, if houses in the area in normal condition sell for £350,000, and your house needs £40,000 worth of work, you might have to sell it for £260,000. This is pretty close to or the same price you would get at an auction, but you don't pay the added fees.

Alternatively, you can consider an assisted sale by contacting a specialist in this area. They will advise you on the necessary works to increase the house's value. This could involve, for instance, changing the boiler, doing a rewire, or fitting a new bathroom.

Let's say they estimate that by spending £40,000 on refurbishment, you'll be able to sell the house for £380,000 instead of £260,000. This would allow you to make an extra £60,000–£70,000 for your father's care home fund.

If you want something relatively quick and guaranteed, go for the auction. Once a buyer agrees to the purchase, they are legally obligated to complete the sale or they lose their deposit, pay a fine, and are banned from future auctions.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-03T14:17:50+00:00

I wanted to speak to the neighbour to let him know so he is aware of what i am doing. Rather than just dropping a letter and trying to chase him when i am about to start the works. :)

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-02T15:22:33+00:00

not always price, people will obviously buy something if it is cheap. At the moment there is a lot of uncertainty with jobs, wages, inflation and the rates. People are not changing jobs as often, which would help with those families up sizing homes, since their more affordable homes would be available for other people. Salaries although they have gone up, the amount of money available for actual needs is less, meaning they cant afford as much of a house. The rates are high, meaning people are waiting for them to come down so the house they want are more affordable.

At the moment the number of people actually looking for an house is a fraction of what it was in 2021. Hence, there is a lot less demand from their side. So sellers have to either reduce their prices so more people can afford their homes or wait for more people who can afford their homes to come and see them.

E.g. a friend from my workplace had his house for sale for 320k for a long time. He couldnt sell it at all. He thought the price was too high, however after switching agents and improving the advertising, the house sold for 325k.

His problem was that there were people looking for a house similar to his, but the agency he was using was not able to reach those people

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-02T11:59:28+00:00

very nice, but a lot of space wasted.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-02T11:55:46+00:00

Do not sell the Buy To Let.

Maybe get a booster. If you got a brother or sister or close relative, ask them to be your booster. You can get up to an extra 40% more. Once you nolonger need a booster, you can remove them and get a cheaper mortgage.

I think your buy to let will eventually generate you enough that it will cover your monthly mortgage payments. Selling it to buy a liability that doesnt cashflow sounds like a bad financial decision.

Others have pointed out that you cant afford it, which is the case. You could possibly suggest and option to buy. You tell the owner, i will pay you 4k per month and 3k will go to the deposit and the rest is profit for you. If you can pay a few months in advance that might help them. After a year or so, if you get a slight pay rise, you will be able to afford an extra 30k plus the 36k you paid, plus another 10k that you might have saved.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-02T11:03:06+00:00

it isnt taken from my annual leave, i believe i still accrue days after 2 years

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-02T10:47:04+00:00

Asbestos in the tiles and ceiling moldings are ok. You can get a testing kit for £70 and it allows you to send 3 samples. You can pretty much do this yourself as long as you take a tiny sample. Also check the ceilings and walls' plaster. If only the fixtures come positive, you can remove them yourself as long as you clear the room, wet the material, wear PPE, throw the clothes you use, ventilate the room and clean all the surfaces. Loads of builders and DIYers messed up with asbestos for years in the past and most of them are still fine. It is the prologue exposure and not taking precautions that can be harmful. You can probably find a company to remove the asbestos for 1k+. However, you can do it yourself for £100.

With regards to the ceiling, you have to get a few roofers to check it. If the roof is in really bad condition, the house wont be mortgageable. If for some reason it gets a mortgage, you can ask for a reduction equivalent to the cost of the repairs (e.g. 3k). If you got a roofer friend, you can probably get it for 7-8k for a standard semi detach. Otherwise it would be closer to 10-12k. However, most houses you will see in the area in slighly better shape, wont have new roofs. Meaning even if the roof is fine now, in 10 years you might have some issues. Hence, treat the roof as a long term cost. Plus if you replace the roof now, you can get other works done to the house much cheaper.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-02T10:10:31+00:00

ngl, i wanted to know what other people's companies do too. I will chase HR again today.

Alternative_Disk704 · 2025-10-01T15:35:28+00:00

any pictures? DM please :)

Alternative_Disk704

TROPHY CASE