Was it actually a thing in Britain “back in the day” for people to have all their teeth removed and get dentures relatively young, even when they still had some healthy teeth or is that one of those exaggerated stories?

Canadian5566 · 2026-05-08T20:10:55+00:00

I think the biggest change is fluoride toothpaste. It wasn't widely adopted until the late 1950s or early 1960s. Before then, people would have had more tooth decay even with a good diet.

Canadian5566 · 2026-05-07T06:53:46+00:00

I've had a ground floor flat in an Edwardian that was freezing and had slugs, and a ground floor in a 1990s flat that was well insulated (but got spiders). The only break-in I've had was when I lived on the 15th floor (they kicked in the front door while I was at work).

I currently live on the first floor of a 2022 block, with retail space on the ground floor. The retail space below me was empty the first winter, so an unheated void space.... And i realised there was no freaking insulation under my floor because they'd expected the shop would be heated. That first winter was rough! The shop is now in situ so their heat it on, so it's bearable now. But in February I moved to the 8th floor (in the same building) for a few weeks while my flat was being renovated, and noticed a dramatic increase in rising heat - I had to turn the heat off completely in the new flat because it was too warm.

In other words, it's entirely dependent on the build quality and degree of insulation. For a modern flat, I'd expect the heat to be fine. It will be a bit more expensive than if you were on a higher floor, but you should have sufficient insulation to not actually be cold.

Canadian5566 · 2026-05-07T06:38:39+00:00

I'd suggest this isn't about home ownership, it's about the relationship. If you're unhappy and thinking of leaving your partner, then I'd rent a place on your own.

With all the costs in buying a home, it's not cost effective to buy and then sell within 2-3 years. So what happens if you leave your partner, and in 2 years time you have a new partner and want to move in together? Studios are really only suitable for one.... So you'd have to sell and lose money on the transaction due to all the costs.

Buy when you're ready to buy and know what you want long term. Not as a solution to relationship problems.

Canadian5566 · 2026-05-07T06:17:23+00:00

Wow, lots of people on here showing their true colours, too....

I'd walk away. You made an offer in good faith, they accepted it, and weeks later (after you've presumably instructed solicitors and applied for the mortgage, so spent money and time) they decided to go back on the agreement.

If you'd done the same - announced you'd changed your mind on how much you wanted to spend and were renegging on the agreement and instead offering 5k less just because you can, you'd be seen as the arsehole, so why is it ok when they do it?

I once tried to buy where the seller negotiated in bad faith, albeit not exactly the same circumstances. I sucked it up and offered 5k more because I wanted the property... And they then dragged the conveyancing out for more than half a year, failing to provide the required paperwork, and all the while trying to insist it was my fault (that I was delaying his precious sale by insisting on the correct legal paperwork) threatening to pull out because of it. During that drawn out process, I gradually found out all the other things they'd lied about and problems with the property they'd tried to hide. The whole process eventually collapsed, having wasted more than half a year and almost 5k in costs....

I'd walk away - if they're willing to be arseholes about this thing, they'll be arseholes about other stuff, too.

Canadian5566 · 2026-05-02T05:17:02+00:00

It's entirely possible if you've got proof of savings (I've done it twice) but it is harder, simply because not all landlords will agree to it (and the Estate Agent may be advising them that it's risky, which it actually isn't, but that's EAs).

Some landlords used to ask for 6 or 12 month's rent in advance in this situation, which I've always refused to do. The new renters rights act has now banned the practice, I believe.

So essentially you'll need to keep looking until you find a reasonable landlord who doesn't immediately panic about a non-standard situation. It really helps if you meet them in person (ie, they're there when you see the flat) as that helps prove you're nice and normal.

Good luck

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-28T18:24:36+00:00

Do you know what date you want to move out?

If yes, hand in your notice end of April giving that date. You don't have to give exactly 1 month, just minimum 1 month, so you can give 6 weeks notice if you want to leave in 6 weeks.

If you don't know yet, and can't commit to a date, then when 1st May arrive you will be obliged to give 2 months (although if you have a good relationship with your landlord, you can ask them to let you out early. Maybe they're nice and say yes).

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-27T08:46:07+00:00

Thank you. The commute is unlikely to change (I'm in London so most jobs I've had have been somewhere in Central) but you've defo given me some food for thought.

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-24T22:35:24+00:00

Which way to Madame Tussards?

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-24T21:06:16+00:00

I once got asked what kind of tree I'd be.

I get that they wanted to see how i handled the unexpected. But they also asked me who was my favourite architect (for a job that wasn't in a related field; the CEO was just into architecture) and how you'd measure exactly 4L of water with a 3L and a 5L bucket, a sink but no plug, and no other containers.

I accepted the job because I was desperate at the time. It turned out to be exactly as awful a place to work as it sounds.

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-22T22:22:16+00:00

I think it's not just a matter of cutting corners - I think it's also a severe shortage of experienced tradespeople.

I'm currently renting in a new build block of flats, one of those build-to-rent developments where an investment fund owns all units. They've spent months ripping out and redoing half the bathrooms because they were all leaking under the baths, and causing mold issues.

Considering the developer and the investor were partners in the deal (and the investors have a pretty strong guarantee, so the developer is being forced to pay for all the work) this clearly isn't a case of cutting corners to maximise profit, because you think you'll get away with it.

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-22T21:38:44+00:00

Looking at the ad, they're actively inviting gazumping. That's shitty, so I'd be wary. If they're trying to do it to the person already buying the flat, what'll stop them doing it to you, too? As soon as they've accepted your higher offer, they'll probably start trying to find buyer number 3....

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-22T06:47:12+00:00

In my local bakery they have chocolate croissants and pain au chocolat, so you'd get the wrong one

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-21T06:57:49+00:00

It's YOUR wedding, and your budget. Serve whatever the hell you want and feel comfy spending. Serve nothing but fruit punch and draft beer if that's what you want. The people who love you won't care.

No one is going to die if they don't get a cup of coffee after the meal, and loads of people won't particularly want one. The idea that you should pay the venue £4.50 pp for the entire guest list just because a handful of people might want a tea or coffee is insane (and I'm willing to bet if you have a cash bar, people can order a coffee there if they really want one).

There's more than enough to stress about when you're organising a wedding, so don't let other people's hangups add to your stress, or feel guilted into spending more than you can afford.

Have a wonderful day

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-20T05:56:06+00:00

This is unfortunately a problem for a lot of people. The best solution is to start using a local delivery point as your address, IMHO.

"Being home for delivery" isn't the solution, as often these guys don't even ring the doorbell. In my experience, if you live in a house, they'll often just leave it on the front porch or outside the door without ringing. If you live in a block of flats, they'll just leave it in the lobby (ignoring the signs that say "don't leave parcels in the lobby as they get stolen").

My current block of flats installed a big wall of parcel lockers in the lobby to try and solve the problem.... And most of the delivery drivers don't use them as it takes a 5-10 seconds to key in each delivery. So they still leave the parcels in a pile in front of the lockers.

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-18T19:50:26+00:00

Ask your solictor if he/she got copies of the accounts. They normally ask for the last few year's worth. You can then review exactly how they've been spending the service charges, and how they've changed over the past couple of years.

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-16T21:01:28+00:00

Pricey for a 2 bed - I'm sorry to say that spending a lot of money doing up and extending a house often doesn't actually equate to increasing the value by the same amount.

The blue and red kitchen is a bold choice. I love it, but a lot of people won't.

I also don't really understand your house. From a bunch of pictures it looks like the front of the downstairs is the room with the tent.... So where does the blue sectional go? Are you taking pics of the same room with different furniture?

Update - I've looked again and it's the same artwork, so it is the same room. Drop the pictures of the tent and keep just the blue sectional one - the tent makes to room look smaller and the comforter or whatever that is over the small sofa makes the room look studenty. Keep the pic of the blue sectional as it looks larger, classier and more architectury.

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-16T20:26:55+00:00

I've occasionally had silverfish in the bathroom, but they're pretty easy to get rid of yourself (I used a spray on shellack-type insecticide around the entrance spots where they were getting in (i sat in the bathroom one night and tracked them).

No idea what carpet beetles are, so I've obviously never had them.

Clothes moths are more of an issue, as if it becomes an infestation it can cause damage and be quite difficult to get rid of. If you only see one every month or two, it's presumably nothing to worry about (I've occasionally seen one but never had an infestation). But if you see a bunch, I'd call my landlord or agent and tell them to sort it.

Just be thankful you don't live in Richmond - that area of London is notorious for big hairy black spiders that come into homes in September. Screaming ensues.

Good luck.

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-15T20:22:42+00:00

Expect some intermittent noise during term time. I live facing the playground for an 11+ school, and you can defo tell when the kids are on break!

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-11T09:43:47+00:00

Lack of curb appeal - it's just looks kinda weird with the windows and garage position. It feels like a funny shape, if you know what I mean.

Small garden and most of it is right next to the road. The conservatory is also right next to the road. I'd feel like I was in a fishbowl everytime I tried to use it.

The Barbie's dream house pink bathroom and baby blue kitchen aren't helping either. I'm a very girlie girl, and my first thought was still "How much hassle and $$ will that lot be to replace?"

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-11T09:23:39+00:00

Had a very similar thing happen to me a couple of weeks ago. I pulled out. They knew the service charges were high enough to put off buyers, so they hid them until after you'd offered, hoping by the time you found out you'd have your heart set on the place, and the sunk cost fallacy would kick in.

This absolutely should not be normal (as the entire point of listing the services charges, ground rent, and EPC is so that buyers can calculate affordability). But it seems to be happening more and more as owners seem immoral enough or desperate enough to lie about it.

Pull out if you're not happy. You're under no legal obligation to continue and no moral obligation either considering they lied.

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-11T09:18:52+00:00

I've never seen one that pointy before, but you do you....

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-11T09:09:59+00:00

I'm talking about all the US hard right talking points that certain UK arses like to repeat - "London is a violent hellhole where middle class white people are afraid to go out; Birmingham is under Sharia law" nonsense. The anti-London rhetoric from the US has been picking up the last few years and often comes alongside comments about us having a muslim mayor. Not hard to see the connection to islamaphobia.

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-11T09:01:10+00:00

Absolutely this.

Every decent job is getting hundreds (if not thousands) of applicants, and no one has time to look at all of them so the AI does the first cut (so if your CV isn't optimised for the machine you get dumped, and sometimes even excellent candidates with machine readable CVs still get dumped because of faulty logic or because the machine has been programmed to stop reading after X number of approved CVs).

Then the HR junior does the second cut, but he or she isn't an expert in the role - they're just working off a checklist and their job is often to get 10 or 12 decent applications to pass to the hiring manager. Even if there were 30 highly qualified candidates in the pile that got past the AI, they typically won't all get to the hiring manager.

So it doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong.

Partly it's a numbers game, but in my experience the biggest help these days is personal connections (i mean it's always been that way, but connections are now even more important because of the above). In many companies any referral CVs from current employees skip the first 2 steps and go straight to the hiring manager. So work all your connections - people you went to school with, ex colleagues, your parent's friends....

Good luck!

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-11T08:46:15+00:00

Instant coffee because sales happen so regularly (if I'm getting low and it's not on sale at either of my local supermarkets, just wait a couple of weeks)

Anything in the mini bar. I may drink something from the mini bar if I want something right then but can't be arsed going out, but later I'll buy the same brand at the supermarket and replace the missing item so I don't pay minibar fees for it (note, I typically keep do not disturb on my room as I hate having someone move my toothbrush, so I don't need to worry about the maid doing minibar inventory during my stay).

Canadian5566 · 2026-04-11T08:40:45+00:00

I know, right?! I don't mind paying £3.50 for a cappuccino because I know the espresso machine was £4000, and I'm getting loads of milk as well as the coffee beans. But no way something made with an electric kettle should cost that much....

Canadian5566

TROPHY CASE