All Activity

More big increases in cycling in London... "Cycling journeys in the capital have increased by 43% over the past six years to 1.5 million a day": https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly02lljdero?app-referrer=deep-link

Yes, Direct Line automatically rejected it when I tried to get a quote. Insurers really are a nightmare, and they have a huge psychological impact on buyers. When you’re about to put £1m into a pile of bricks, and the insurance companies either refuse to insure it or quote an outrageous premium, of course it’s going to scare anyone. I’m not actually worried about subsidence in this house main building , but the bay window has definitely been affected by that tree, and the council won’t remove it. When the movement continues, rebuilding the bay window would cost at least £40k. The seller will never admit this, but there are already houses on that street where the bay windows have had to be rebuilt. If not East Dulwich, I’m now looking towards the west. There are a lot of subsidence issues with properties in Forest Hill, and Bromley and West Wickham aren’t really for me. I’m not interested in any part of Dulwich except ED, ND and Dulwich Village — and obviously ED offers the best value.

Not sure what you are looking for, but my suggestion would be around Forest Hill, certain parts of Bromley and West Wickham Telegraph Hill. All nice areas- safe and you get more for your money. Really depends on how you travel, or don’t.. as inn needing good transport links to City. Like I said, feel free to pm me.. abit difficult to advise if not sure what you are after, but pretty sure not a flat! oh, West Dulwich and Herne Hill area.

I honestly can’t believe how TW operates. Just like the councils and UK Power Networks — what kind of people are they? I’ve cried my way through some projects because I had to liaise with these departments. No wonder I feel like running away every time their names come up. I first started thinking about walking away when I noticed the main water issue with TW (which would delay the project), the potential drainage problem, and the higher insurance claims than what I was initially told, plus the ongoing issues. Subsidences can be very different, my current house definitely had subsidence back in 50 years ago, but the previous owner never made any claims, and there has never been a drainage issue or damp issue. All of this has increased my concern about the project time and resale value. I don’t want this to turn into a liability instead of an asset. I’m now also looking at properties in Clapham common, same price, a lot bigger

Because the suggestion we should regulate all 'two wheeled contraptions' as though they are powerful electric mopeds, regardless of whether or not they are, is obviously silly.

I do not understand why people leave valuable items out on the road and then are actually surprised when they go missing

But surely it is obvious the issues that can arise if it is not easy to tell the difference between the two, where an illegal e-bike looks very similar to a legal one? How are you supposed to police this? I don't really get why you are nitpicking this point?

Well don’t buy in ED… Other places which don’t have these issues abit further out… with good transport links, unless you are determined to buy in ED. You might just have been unlucky with a greedy owner… problem is two fold, so I understand.. Owner has to by law, inform you of subsidence, knot weed etc . Buyers market and any competent agent, should have know there would be problems…. Other alternative is to pay a buying agent..

Porch Pirate? How about "Cheap Low Life Thieving Skank"

A common face around here. He and his partner usually hang around Goose green area - lives very locally. usually rides a black mountain bike. keep an eye out for him

Hello, I am a nanny looking for work starting now or January. I have an experience in childcare as a nanny/night nanny/nanny share/nursery assistant, for nearly 16 years. I can provide glowing references and my CV PM me if you like

But you say in a previous post that you weren't very interested in this house in the first place, and yet you have got to this point despite knowing there had been subsidence, and then having discovered several issues which the present owners hadn't disclosed? I'm wondering at what point it would feel so insufficiently right that you walked away? I completely understand your exhaustion, but won't you be even more exhausted if you go ahead with this purchase? As regards drainage issues, I can tell you from my own experience that Thames Water will argue that it is your responsibility to deal with a drain even if from their own website content it is clearly theirs. And you might find someone in an obscure TW department who tells you off the record that you are right, but that his department is not the department which deals with repairs, and he has no contact with that department, and he asks you not to quote him or mention his name, or he will get into trouble 🙄

30 years ago you could buy and sell houses that had been underpinned without too much worry as long as the paperwork was in place. Huge swathes of Victorian and Edwardian, and occasionally between the wars, properties are underpinned in SE London. Many after the 1976 drought and no doubt following the increasingly common droughts we are seeing in recent decades due to climate change. First issue was when insurers got funny, Direct Line I remember, wont insure many SE post codes. I'm not sure why there is more concern now, although five subsidence claims is quite impressive. As others say if is it discounted and you are prepared to take the risk... Not sure what others think of structural surveys, difficult here is that you need to monitor movement for six months or longer. And older properties will move slightly with the shrinkage and expansion of the clay. Most are out of true (look at how square original door ways are); some would have moved following bombing in the blitz. Odd how much we invest in a pile of bricks that will age and deteriorate.

They're not the very same bike though, if one has been illegally modified. Any vehicle can be illegally modified - by definition putting it into another category. This is just a nonsense argument.

You have to think to your self, if I buy this, will I have problems selling it? Ofc.you will. These kinds of properties are difficult, and although it may be reflected in the price, it will always be hard to sell. Stay clear.

Price reduction reflects risk.

I don’t expect any seller to agree to a price reduction — most of them feel it’s like robbery. For example, I was buying a property on Darren Road. They asked for £870k, I offered £830k, they rejected it. Then I offered £840k and they accepted. Later we discovered party wall issues, so we didn’t want to proceed unless the price was reduced to £780k. The seller refused and told us we were dreaming，we immediately pulled out. In the end, the house dropped to £730k, then £670k, and I believe it eventually sold for around £670k. This is a stage every seller has to go through, so I don’t bother arguing. If it doesn’t feel right, I just walk away.

drop your offer price dramatically and continue, or walk away.

The price isn’t as cheap as probate properties, yet the condition is basically the same as those probate houses, and most properties do not have subsidence claim history. I told the agent I was looking for a probate property, but they still ended up recommending this one to me. I don’t dislike the estate agent, I think they genuinely didn’t know! but I was indeed led into this step by step. I don’t believe the seller will lower the price, and I don’t have the time to negotiate anyway. As I said, there are many straightforward houses out there. I’ll wait to see the insurance quotation and whether the seller is willing to fix the main water drainage issue before deciding on the next step. Yes, this is something that needs to be fixed, as it’s painful to deal with TW and deal with drainage issue

Farage, like most of its pupils, wasn't a boarder.