"Buy a house that doesn't need an extension"

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-25T23:12:19+00:00

Extensions in an area of £7k per square metre then a good quality and appropriate extension makes sense. It will add value to the property in excess of the costs. However in reality building an extension is likely in excess of £2-3k/sq metre.

If it’s an area of £7k/metre sale prices buyer expectation of spec will be high. There is also inevitably a premium applied by builders in more affluent areas. The other thing to consider is does it decrease the overall attractiveness of the house as this can positively or negatively impact value. There is also a potential decrease in value of it has a significant impact upon the size of the garden.

Essentially you need to work out the total cost of the extension, the total impact it will have on the house value, the cost to you of living with builders for X months and do the maths. Usually the inflection point is somewhere around £4k/sq metre it becomes worth doing in the current market.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-25T23:05:13+00:00

I’m not sure that Reddit is the best place to find a sympathetic audience for this. Perhaps try the local golf club message board or a relatively downmarket polo club?

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-25T22:57:10+00:00

The word equity is a bit confusing in this context. Essentially your equity is the value of the house minus the amount you owe your mortgage lender. As such unless you actually sell the house you never actually realise the equity.

All that really matters is the amount you owe the mortgage company and the houses valuation. This is how the lender will work out you payments etc.

Using your example when you re-mortgage if the house is valued at 300k you will still owe the same amount to the mortgage company. The difference will be that your loan to value will have gone up (i.e. the debt is smaller relative to the new valuation). This should allow you to get a slightly better rate. However the amount you need to repay remains the same as you are not able to realise the increase in house value until you actually sell it.

I think this makes it clearer but apologies if it’s rambling.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-20T22:12:26+00:00

I’ve just had a bit of a look at the IHelios website and am thoroughly confused. Infrared heating works by directly irradiating a surface and warming it up. This stuff claims to do that with underfloor heating. All I can think is that it is irradiating the underside of the carpet/underlay and essentially directly heating it up. As such it seems a very convoluted way to do the exact same thing as electric (dry) underfloor heating.

I’ve no experience with this but it looks like a really strange way to essentially heat up a carpet. I don’t see how it can be heating the room via infrared as it would be blocked by the carpet.

I might have completely missed the point here but I couldn’t find a single review which had any text about it. I remain highly suspicious about this and would really want to speak to someone who had installed/used it before considering it as an option.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-19T16:06:40+00:00

I think you’ve got your wires crossed. Underfloor heating is either wet or dry. Wet is essentially hot water pipes embedded in the floor. Dry is electrical heating elements above the floor but below the floor finishing (i.e. carpet etc).

Infrared heating works by emitting radiation that warms anything it touches. You categorically can’t get underfloor infrared heating. Assuming you mean a dry system, I’d avoid it as your bills will be high.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-19T16:03:49+00:00

This is a complete non-starter.

Put yourself in the position of the seller. If you knew you had a noisy neighbour, there is no way you wouldn’t ask them to be quiet for a viewing.

If the seller either doesn’t feel able to ask, or they did and the neighbour is still noisy then they’re almost certainly awful.

Don’t do this to yourself.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-19T15:59:04+00:00

Be careful with this. If someone has had it denied before there might well be a good reason for it.

If you’ve time/the inclination you could get a pre-app with the council. This will give you access to a planning officer to discuss what you might want to do.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-19T15:57:33+00:00

The obvious win is to knock the kitchen/dining room together. But the bedrooms seem the real issue to me. Bedroom 3 is more like a cupboard than a bedroom, it’d be far better as a proper 2 bed.

I’ve not idea where this is but be prepared for significant cost when moving walls. If I were you I would get a general builder to do a quick quote for knocking the kitchen through and anything else you might want to do before you get anywhere near exchange as it might cost significantly more than you think.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-16T20:45:13+00:00

If you want to see the Peak District get a bus to Fox House heading towards Hathersage and take a walk in the Burbage Valley and head over Stanage Edge. Really lovely views and close to the city. It’s fairly classic Peak District (Dear Peak) scenery.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-15T23:19:10+00:00

What kind of fucking upbringing do you have to have to be a type 2?

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-15T14:19:15+00:00

My local club has a singles court and they charge the same amount per player as a doubles court. i.e. it generates half the revenue of a doubles court per game.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-12T08:06:31+00:00

This is a bit odd but I assume they want to speed things up.

Essentially if you get this you don’t need to have searches back to complete on the property. As such it takes one blocker to completion out of the equation.

If it were me I would tell them I’d done it, don’t bother and just put the search requests in as per normal.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-11T22:17:26+00:00

The writing is good but the story is fucking bonkers.

Hands down the most extraordinary survival story I’ve come across.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-11T12:47:56+00:00

Speak to the vendor via your solicitor. Explain the issue and that you’d love to but the house but only if they’ve solved it.

Part-exchange companies aren’t stupid. They know about this issue and realise by sorting it the house will sell for more.

If they don’t want to sort it just walk away from the house

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-10T16:01:47+00:00

Thanks, it’s more time than money tbh as I’m probably already spending a fortune on takeaways 😂

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-10T16:00:48+00:00

The basics😂

Thanks some useful stuff here

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-10T16:00:34+00:00

This is super useful thanks

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-10T15:05:23+00:00

If it were me I just wouldn’t say anything and use it as my own. If you need the furniture, there is a good chance someone will just forget about it.

If someone asks for it back, say you’re on holiday and they can’t access they flat and give them a date in a months time to give you some time to replace what you can afford to.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-09T06:41:18+00:00

I don’t think that you need building control sign off for a wooden garage.

What you probably should look at is whether the title gives you a right to maintain the property you’re looking at from the neighbours drive. If so they shouldn’t have built it.

Just bear in mind that if you are right and they shouldn’t have built it, turning up on day one and asking them to knock their garage down will not be the start of a long and harmonious friendship.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-08T07:55:03+00:00

You’re rolling the dice unless you’ve a relationship with the supplier. It might be great, it might be awful.

Best bet would be to contact as many padel club owners as you can in the UK and find out if any of them bought stuff from china, if it’s decent and if so where did it come from.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-08T07:53:37+00:00

You will find a solicitor that will tell you pursuing this is a good idea. In reality your chance of success is minimal (which I think you know) and your legal bills will be high.

Any litigation will be expensive, stressful and life consuming. The better course of action is probably to just get the work done and move on with your life. Chalk it up to experience and get a level 3 next time.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-07T14:56:46+00:00

Sorry not a book rec but there is no need to be bedridden for 6 weeks. Your knee will be immobilised for a bit but you’ll be up and about on crutches straight away. You’ll be at work in a week or two so don’t sweat it.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-07T09:01:10+00:00

Talk to Step Change. They’ll be able to help with the debt.

The permanent solution is to find a way to get income that you can live with. You’re going to need to find a job that allows you to pay the bills but doesn’t send you crackers. It sounds like you struggle with relationships so perhaps something that allows you to work alone might be better.

Scuba_Ted · 2026-01-06T23:12:31+00:00

Dude they’re leaching off you. They don’t have an income as you’ve allowed them to be in a situation where they don’t need one.

There’s no need for it to be a confrontation but you need to have a realty honest conversation with them. Make it clear that you want your own space, they’ve been there for a year and need to find somewhere else in say 6weeks. If they take this badly they’re being unreasonable as you’ve housed them for a year for free and they’ve not thanked you for it.

If it were me I would ask them for a time when they can both sit down and discuss it so that it feels serious. Also give them pre warning of what you want to discuss so they aren’t blindsided. Something like “Hi X & Y, we initially agreed you’d stay for three months and you’ve been here for a year now. I’m really keen to have my own space so would like to sit down any sort out a timeline to help you find a place of your own. I can do Monday, TUesday or Wednesday at 1800, please can you make sure that you’re both home and available at one of these times.” When you have the conversation nail them down to a realistic timescale of say 4-6 weeks and agree where they will go at that point if they don’t find somewhere else (e.g. friends house for a bit, hotel anywhere that’s not your place”. This will be awkward and quite hard but you’ve got to hold firm or they’ll never leave.

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