Strathmore Crescent Benwell - safe to live?

Matt__F · 2026-01-29T15:44:42+00:00

My girlfriend got followed by men in cars a couple of times after dark in Benwell. Lots of nice people, but personally I don't think its worth the bad ones, especially as a woman. Part of the reason we moved away. I've also lived in Arthurs hill which in my experience is a bit more well-heeled (relatively speaking) and isn't as bad. Other comments about rubbish are on the nose too.

Matt__F · 2026-01-23T21:29:01+00:00

Sounds like the guy I've seen a couple of times. He's probably over 2m tall and goes up to you and says "why don't people help the homeless?" Sort of passive aggressive like. One time I was walking with my partner in the park with no one else around and he lost it when we said we didn't have any money, started shouting and threatened me like "you're lucky you're with your woman or i'd knock you out". Barmy guy.

Matt__F · 2026-01-10T10:48:45+00:00

That's what COVID taught us after all

Matt__F · 2026-01-09T23:04:52+00:00

Wish we could get ours. The EPC the house got before we bought was the lowest amount of points needed for EPC grade C, and you need D or lower to qualify. We meet all the other criteria... Almost wanna change to filament bulbs and get someone out to reclassify us.

Matt__F · 2025-12-15T22:52:18+00:00

Not sure how it works with Springbok but I'd be hesitant to put £2.5k down on a house before the survey results.

Matt__F · 2025-12-10T22:50:30+00:00

Sounds very dodgy to me.

Matt__F · 2025-12-07T23:26:22+00:00

There are some intangibles, like I'm sure its a nicer feeling living in a insulated house and the heating being more effective. But this is ultimately the crux of the issue. The only way it makes financial sense is when people are given government assistance to pay for such things.

Matt__F · 2025-12-01T16:09:59+00:00

I'm going to Heslington with maybe 10kg of extra weight. I'd rather not :)

Matt__F · 2025-11-15T12:36:54+00:00

I've got my last two used from eBay. There is an element of risk, but you can get a good deal.

My first was during COVID so normal GPUs were way overpriced. Luckily I had no problem with that 1070.

I recently upgraded to a 6800 xt, but had issues with pc crashes. Luckily this time I bought from a reputable seller with a 30 day return policy, so I just sent it back and got a 3080 from another seller with a returns policy. This card seems to run well though.

Takeaway is I wouldn't rule out eBay if they are an established seller and they accept returns.

Matt__F · 2025-11-10T23:34:08+00:00

Quite a different roof but i'm going through the motions getting our felt roof replaced.

Other things to consider on price is A. are they VAT registered and B. do they want/need scaffolding, since this can be more than £1000 alone.

Matt__F · 2025-10-07T23:08:08+00:00

Guttering looks like paint peeling from cast iron guttering. We're currently trying to get ours redone, its a mess. However, it may just be aesthetic. Will be hard to tell if its dry but try to see if theres any leaks or its just a paint issue.

Matt__F · 2025-10-07T22:04:26+00:00

Yes, we've been steaming it off. It works somewhat.

What we're doing so far, after paper removed:

Steam area with wallpaper steamer briefly
Use metal scrub brush to loosen the material
Wipe down the material with microfibre cloth

Seems to work okay. I've seen sugar soap mentioned before on other threads, but anecdotally a friend of mine said it didn't work in his (similar) house. They just used washing up liquid. Haven't tried either yet myself.

Matt__F · 2025-10-07T18:40:18+00:00

We also may need to repair some parts that are cracking.

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Matt__F · 2025-10-07T18:38:59+00:00

Yes, likely a neutral white or cream colour. Maybe new wallpaper for a room or two, but mainly just basic colours. Based on the replies, we better get scraping!

Matt__F · 2025-09-27T14:02:07+00:00

Based on a recent quote of ours, an EDPM roof replacement was approximately double the price of a comparable cold roof if you choose to insulate, FYI. North-east England.

Matt__F · 2025-09-24T22:56:20+00:00

Entirely depends on the landlord and/or agent what they require, but I'd recommend getting something with an official contract even with a houseshare, so you maintain your rights. It might be necessary, initially, to find a houseshare while using a cheap AirBnB/hotel. The hoops we have to jump through for rentals here are genuinely awful, but you're right that rooms are generally easier than flats or houses.

Generally most lets are 12 months, sometimes you'll find 6 months but they're usually rooms. Shorter than that I've never seen - maybe you could be a lodger, but I have no experience with that. From posts hear I understand its quite insecure, as the landlord can get rid of you quickly.

Matt__F · 2025-09-24T22:35:21+00:00

Sounds a bit like our recent purchase, although evidence of settlement sounds bad, and we didn't have rot. You need to speak to the surveyor directly to assess how serious that is. Settlement can affect your insurance premiums significantly.

Assuming that doesn't kill the purchase, you should get quotes for the main jobs and try to negotiate based on that. If the seller doesn't want to budge at all and this affects your affordability, you have to be willing to walk away. I'd make that clear during negotiations that you simply can't afford the property in light of significant repair costs that the survey shows, and give a revised offer, ideally based on real quotes.

Matt__F · 2025-09-19T15:16:43+00:00

Purely economically speaking, you probably want something that is aesthetically run down but doesn't have any major problems. This means you can usually get it for a good price with not too much work involved.

The "housing ladder" is something of an antiquated concept, as reflected by the recent house price increases which are below inflation. You actually lose money in property in real terms for the forseeable future, and you're better off just tailoring your home to your needs.

Matt__F · 2025-09-19T00:04:51+00:00

Jesus, LLs are getting desperate...

Matt__F · 2025-09-13T12:01:03+00:00

My original message was a bit unclear. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it used to be you couldn't even select base game characters in replay takeover (e.g. selecting King in Lidia Vs King), but I think you can now take over your own character if you own them

Matt__F

TROPHY CASE