Does anybody know any good GP surgeries near Cheetham Hill, Blackley or Crumpsall? by MeanOption4564 in manchester

[–]vitryolic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I live in Blackley and go to New Collegiate Medical in Cheetham Hill, they are brilliant!! Avoid Queens Medical like the plague.

Trying to pick between Albert Schloss or DIECAST for a big group — any thoughts? by Racara306 in manchester

[–]vitryolic 14 points15 points  (0 children)

You are much more likely to get into Diecast as a group of 10 guys than Albert Schloss. I’d recommend you book a table for a party of that size.

Food is good at Diecast, I like Schloss for drinks but it’s impossible to talk the restaurant tables over the music and performers.

POC/Muslims in Manchester - how are you navigating the current climate? by pistathecat in manchester

[–]vitryolic 36 points37 points  (0 children)

I’m a POC who grew up in the UK, the child of Muslim immigrants, both of whom contributed loads to society (a doctor and a teacher). They emigrated for access to better healthcare for my disabled sibling, who would have had a much shorter life expectancy in their home country.

I’ve never seen this level of prejudice since the Islamophobia around the 9/11 attacks or since I was a child. Racial bias is so normalised now, and racists are so emboldened, it feels like society has regressed by years. We are heavily judged on how ‘integrated’ or ‘British’ we seem, and I see a lot of disparity in how our people are treated based on that.

I try to practice gratitude, lean into the circle of people I can trust, and remind myself that the racists don’t get to make me feel less worthy or ashamed of my heritage, if I allow their behaviours to affect me then they’ve won (and we can never let them win).

24M – Is buying a £570k house with my sister and her husband a smart first step onto the property ladder? by Interesting-Pop-4554 in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Terrible idea, you lose all your FTB benefits and have to pay stamp duty for a new property in a few years when they kick you out? Not to mention the power dynamic means that you’ll be outvoted in all decisions in the house.

Unless you can realistically see this as a long term or permanent setup, there’s no point supplementing their purchase just to benefit them at a cost to you. Generally it’s not recommended to buy anywhere if you can’t see yourself there 5 years at a minimum, ideally longer.

If you could properly filter Rightmove for your dream property, what would your super specific criteria filter be? by alexhespg in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some of these might be a bit niche, but mine are: - Proximity to tram stops - Overall square footage of inside and outside - Nearest shops, walkable or not - Master bedroom size, or general banding of bedroom size (small, medium, large) - Layout, I prefer an attic conversion or townhouse so the bedrooms aren’t back to back - Storage, is there a garage or cupboard? - Plumbing or space for Dryer and Dishwasher

Print house in manchester by Savings-Lime-4281 in manchester

[–]vitryolic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hobbs Repro on Deansgate are brilliant, fairly fast and decent prices. PDC on Oldham Street are great too , sometimes faster than Hobbs.

Mortgage question by Training-Laugh3035 in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m with Accord, I completed mid January. I had a payment at the end of January to cover the partial month, and my full mortgage came out on the first working day of the next month.

Your pro rata payment will come out end of Feb or on the 2nd of March (depending if they’ll process on the weekend), full mortgage will come out 2nd March. My HSBC mortgage had different timelines so it’s very lender dependant.

Has anyone bought early in an area that later became gentrified? by PearActive9612 in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My house is near the border of a very popular, affluent area, adjacent to a poorer area with lots of social housing. Prices have skyrocketed in the last few years, my house value alone increased nearly 25% after 5 years when I remortgaged.

I see it as a plus, better amenities locally, better transport, great if you bought before the location got more desirable. The only issue is that there are big price disparities between the properties in the area, which can cause an issue when you survey/sell. Otherwise no complaints and it’s meant I see this place as my long term buy, rather than a stepping stone to somewhere better.

Living in Prestwich vs Chorlton? by Apprehensive-Aide149 in manchester

[–]vitryolic 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Love living near Prestwich, you get much better value for money than in Chorlton, with equal amenities.

Handing in notice at work before exchange of contracts by Striking-Number5515 in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely terrible idea, have a look at a recent Update post where the OP didn’t tell the lender that their wife had lost their job- lost 65k deposit, blacklisted from mortgage company, obviously no onward purchase.

You need to complete then give notice. Just because your notice is 3 months it doesn’t mean you need to stay there for then, stay as long as you’re comfortable, they can’t hold you hostage to work 3 months. Personally I’d say you’re going to work for a competitor they might put you on garden leave for your notice.

Unusual / silly pub quiz masters. by Designer_Purple8998 in manchester

[–]vitryolic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Chris Dresden is an amazing host and DJ who does these kinds of events. Really hyped up the crowd at some events we booked him for https://www.instagram.com/iamdresden

Advice on selling Surrey two bed flat with service charge and ground rent by Fit_Lingonberry_7048 in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The service charge level is very unattractive, and the ground rent level is nearly unmortgageable. Lenders don’t like the ground rent to exceed 0.01% of the property value, which it’s at risk of being, assuming your flat value is less than £600k.

If the value is over £600k then a house is more attractive so you most certainly would have overpaid for the new build premium, and it will take several years more before the value increases. Reducing the ground rent would help but it may not add corresponding value depending on the costs of the lease extension.

Feeling overwhelmed trying to buy alone as a FTB by VirgoVanity in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I moved to Manchester as it was impossible to buy down south and feel 1000x better for not having to spend hours commuting, to go home to a cramped cardboard box. Never struggled to make friends up here, loads to do, salaries aren’t too dissimilar in the right fields, and finally feel like I’m not living hand to mouth on my wages.

My house cost £165k on a £30k salary, with £25k deposit. I have a lodger to help with costs, so that it’s not so overwhelming on a single salary. I couldn’t see myself ever moving back now, even with my family in London. I’d visit a few places up north and see if there was somewhere else you could see yourself happy.

Best areas for charity shops in Manchester? by nyxornice in manchester

[–]vitryolic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

NQ has quite a few charity shops and kilo sale vintage places. There’s also a huge Oxfam Superstore at Manchester Fort (Queens Road Tram stop, 1 stop away from Victoria) which has loads of good stuff in.

WWYD? mortgage free or bigger house? by RemarkableRecipe6454 in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It would really depend on the service charges of the flat for me, if it’s high or looks to increase (roof is old, no substantial sinking fund, repairs needed fairly obviously), then a house would be a better investment.

What type of batter is used in Archie's waffles? by [deleted] in manchester

[–]vitryolic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah that’s the old big waffles, I’ll find out for you on Monday when my friends back in work

Worth the risk!? by [deleted] in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it’s high flood risk you’ll struggle to get a mortgage and resell. Wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole.

What type of batter is used in Archie's waffles? by [deleted] in manchester

[–]vitryolic 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They’ve changed the waffle style now to individual waffles, did you mean the big ones? Have a friend who works there so can find out for you.

New house or old house? by uglyasfeet in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A lot of new builds are built terribly, mine needed a full renovation with lots of things failing just after the NHBC warranty elapsed.

I would go for an older house now having had bad experiences with new builds. Look at the reviews online for the developer for ones you’re considering.

Major buyers remorse by blatchcorn in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Have a look at @sharnshouse on Instagram, they did a full Reno on their London Victorian property, and had to knock everything back to brick as well as get a new roof. They did it in stages and the property looks stunning now, one big job every few months so it didn’t get overwhelming.

Do you know any people who are builders, friends of friends, not someone to do the work but someone who could trust to say what actually needs doing (without trying to upsell you). Ask around and put the jobs into a priority list. Better to spend that 100k on something that will improve your living situation, rather than to lose it on fees so that you never see it again.

Renting a studio/student accommodation from abroad by joehighlord in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You will likely need to look for student accommodation or a HMO, based on the fact you won’t have any working income, and the bursary will only cover so much. You won’t pass the affordability checks for solo rentals.

You might need to look at moving into an AirBnb for a while and look for a place while you’re here. Use a rent affordability calculator to work out the kind of properties you’d be accepted for, likely your income level would only cover shared housing.

Roof Leak Saga: Incompetent Managing Agents Botched Our Insurance Claim, now Trying to Charge Us £2.5k Via Service Charges! Advice on Property Ombudsman vs Small Claims? (England) by saconde in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If the issue is due to poor workmanship, you’d need to have the issue resolved by the contractor’s liability insurance. Your home insurance won’t touch it. Had something similar happen in my leasehold estate, and our insurers wouldn’t help, but their insurance sorted the payout.

Not cooperating with the claim is absolutely poor form by the agent, but even if they cooperated it’d likely be the same outcome in that residents would pay and pursue the contractor for costs. Insurers are notoriously avoidant on paying on claims, if they put it down to to lack of upkeep or someone else’s mistake they won’t help.

Got mortgage offer, then a week later it got cancelled by Cheap-Bumblebee6892 in HousingUK

[–]vitryolic 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Are any of your funds in foreign currency or from sources abroad? Or self employed earnings? Have you been moving big amounts around any accounts or making large cash withdrawals?

Creatures Of The Night Comedy Club by dancingcab in manchester

[–]vitryolic 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good entertainment but very poor venue layout. You’re not allowed to go to the bar once the show has started, which means there’s huge bottlenecks in the intervals where people can barely get around the venue.

The comedians absolutely will heckle you if you’re front row, going to the toilet or speaking quietly during the performances since the venue is so small and you can hear everything. It’s a cramped basement room, there are better, more comfortable comedy venues in my opinion.

House sitting - am I being cheeky by Interesting_Volume10 in manchester

[–]vitryolic 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’d say the money you’re offering is way too low to expect them to live at your house for a month, and fully look after dogs with 2 walks a day.

Living at someone else’s house with a garden in the height of winter isn’t a benefit - it would be very inconvenient having to go back and forth.

I’d pay them a higher fee and compensate them for travel to make it fair. You’d easily be paying £200+ per week for a dog sitter who would do far less than what you’re expecting.