benmorg

fishneed Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Nikthegreek - How does Zoopla know anything about > a property's condition? Zoopla uses various > algorithms to work an estimate. It doesn't assume > property condition, unless the uses fills in the > aditional forms which can help Zoopla adjust its > estimated value. It relies on information being > told to it. > > For example: The house next door but one to mine > sold a few years back at a low price. When I used > Zoopla it valued mine similarly. It didn't know > that house was lived in by an elderly man who died > and his son sold to a property developer for a > bargain price. > > I entered some information and emailed them > telling this. They then adjusted my value to > something far more realistic. > > Best > > James Hmm.. must remember to do that the next I sell.

sb Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > You can value it via hometrack for approx ?25. > Very good detail. Zoopla is just as good and completely free. Still no substitute for a competent independent surveyor who comes to visit and sees the property's condition, etc.

I don't visit the lounge, so like to see occasional topics other than burglary, cycling & navigation crop up on the main board. Nice to see that the moderators have left this thread unmoderated, despite the criticism.

> Don't like the Cromwell Road route as whenever > I've tried it the traffic has been terrible, but > obviously if there's congestion or diversions > elsewhere it might be preferable. I used the M40-A40-Westway-Marylebone route for years but found consistently heavy traffic (& endless traffic lights) all the way along the A40, then more traffic jams along Marylebone Road. The cut-through from Euston to Aldwych is a good tip though. Leaving London for the M40/M6 I always take the M4 exit, which is far closer to ED than M40. Just have to suffer the traffic jam on Warwick Road in Fulham, which is ever-present but fortunately not too long.

I would recommend m40, m25, m4 right into central London along Cromwell Road. It's the quickest way into the middle of London as the motorway comes much further in than the M40. Turn right down earls court road and follow the one way system to the river. Then along embankment, cross vauxhall bridge, oval, camberwell.

Even so, wage inflation in London is quite likely as companies have to compete to attract talent from an increasingly international labour market. The fall in the value of sterling means more ?? must be offered to stop people looking elsewhere. JohnL Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What Unions? I'm in UNITE and am one of only 2 > members in our department of over 200. > > The company imposes pay increases on us. Thats > how it works now, most of us are lucky to get a > pay increases > > I see a base rate increase and a slowdown in > inflation next year. > > > Saila Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > but.... if we get 'proper' inflation i.e. wage > > inflation which hasn't happened yet, then house > > prices may participate in asset rises. Equities > > and Houses have historically risen in moderate > > inflationary environments in the past. > > > > Who knows - it's only a matter of time before > the > > unions will be out demanding wage inflation (by > > year end?) then we'll see real inflation... > > > > If this happens and houses participate (an > > assumption that may not happen), then > everyone's > > mortgages will shrink, relative. A painful way > of > > sort of paying everyone's massive debts off is > to > > stimulate moderate inflation... i.e. just print > a > > load of money and keep interest rates low.. > > hmmmmmmm

edresi10 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Someone else suggested going through the Blackwall > tunnel and up to the M25 and around, has anyone > tried that at all? yes many times. Rotherhithe tunnel is much better from Dulwich - much shorter route and less traffic, though the A13 is irritating. The Blackwell tunnel suffers from bottlenecks and crossing Greenwich etc is long and slow, but early Saturday may be quiet. Once you're onto the A12 (whichever tunnel you've used) you make amazingly swift profess across NE London. But it's a long way back west on the M25, so you don't save time. More relaxing than navigating central London though.

toptotty Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- I find the best way is > over vauxhall bridge, marble arch, down the > edgware road, then turn right by lords cricket > ground nice thinking. I will try this next time I need the M1.

Avoid edgeware rd & Kilburn - far too much traffic in Kilburn. I usually go via Waterloo bridge, tunnel under aldwych, eversholt st, camden, finchley road (A41) to Brent Cross. There's no easy option - you have to cross central London. Take satnav in case you get diverted. And never attempt the Holloway Road route, the traffic jams are infinite.

joom Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I find the level of chlorine too high. Without > goggles my eyes sting for at least a day after > swimming there. Obviously, I need to get some > goggles but when I went there yesterday they > didn't have any and I was told they are "not > allowed" to order any more ...! It isn't chlorine that makes people's eyes stings when in swimming pools - it's the ammonia from urine and sweat. The solution is to increase the level of chlorine to destroy the ammonia.

Penguin68 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I suspect that the key issues here are simple > economics 101 factors. > > (1) Different types of house operate with > different elasticities of demand - properties > targeted at first-time buyers (who have little > equity to trade) are price elastic - falling > prices bring buyers in, rising prices exclude > them, primarily as a function not of desire but > availability of funding (affordability). At the > other end properties are relatively price > inelastic - quite significant changes in price > will have limited effect on purchase as people are > in a better position to exercise choice less > constrained by funds availability (simply because > they probably already have sufficient equity to be > able to borrow lower fractions of the total house > cost). > > (2) Prices also vary as a function of scarcity - > so scarce desirable properties (right size/ > location/ build quality etc.) carry a higher price > premium than less scarce properties. First-time > buyer houses are comparatively scarce (as a ratio > against those seeking them) but very price elastic > - so in the current borrowing climate to sell them > the price must fall - houses at the top end which > meet the desirability criteria are also scarce but > more price inelastic - so their values are > maintaining or even rising (i.e. their selling > owners can benefit from scarcity whilst not being > penalised by elasticity issues). Another factor is the new stamp duty of 5% for +?1 million houses, which comes into effect in April. The deadline is likely to cause a bit of a rush to complete on expensive London houses by the end of this month, which may be causing something of a false dawn by pushing up prices at the top.

The latest RICS survey suggests that prices are falling slowly in most of the UK but, on average, rising slightly in London. The apparently regional difference is probably caused by variation in activity in different price brackets. High-priced houses that tend to sell to people with a lot of equity are holding up best. Lower down the price scale, where first-time buyers usually dominate, the mortgage drought is preventing buyers without huge deposits from getting on the ladder and prices are still falling. Location isn't really the issue. As far as ED is concerned, prices of 1-bed flats are probably Still on the way down, big houses in the best streets rising, and everything in between flatter.

Have been cycling into central London for 20 years and still love it. It's possible to completely avoid main roads and avoid most of the traffic - the benhill road & Portland st route is pretty much car free. I shower before I go and take care not to wear too much, then just get changed at work. There's really no need for another shower after 25 mins on a bike.

Apologies if this topic already posted. Transport for London have proposed creation of a cycle superhighway (painted blue, as the few cycle lanes around London have been painted for the Boris bikes) running from Penge to the City. Judging by the route on the map (here: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/roadusers/Cycling/barclays-cycle-superhighways-map.pdf), the route runs all the way down Lordship Lane, Dog Kennel Hill, Denmark Hill, Camberwell Rd, Walworth Road. I think this is a great thing if it makes cycling into town from ED a bit safer.

The victim was an East Dulwich resident. There's no reason as yet to believe he was part of a criminal underworld. It could simply have been a road rage incident that blew up - other shootings in SE London have started that way.

You need to tell them you aren't the owner. When they ask for the owner, say they're dead, abroad, in prison, in a coma or you've never met them.

I lost a wing mirror the same way, plus damage to the door and electrical system. I wouldn't recommend getting it fixed privately. It's very likely there is deeper damage that will cost a lot more than your ?250 excess. To get a nasty bump like yours fixed for only ?250 is an absolute steal, and the insurance company will be obliged to fix the car perfectly - including any deep damage. You should also consider yourself amazingly lucky to have no claims in 9 years. If you speak to your insurance company you might findd that you can pay a little more than ?250 to keep your no claims bonus - it might work out worthwhile. Your insurance company will also provide you with a nice shiny courtesy car, which might make a pleasant change. I spent all christmas driving a courtesy vauxhall vectra and was gutted when my car was finally repaired and returned to me - the vectra was much nicer.

56 crystal palace road sold for ?750,000 in July 2007 (admittedly a semi rather than a terrace), so the ?725,000 asking price may not have been unrealistic at the peak of the market.

I think the euro might catch up with sterling's fall. Or more likely it will cease to exist if european economic union is torn apart by the recession/depression. As long as there isn't a full-blown run on sterling or hyperinflation in the UK, then exchange rate may well not be a long-term problem.

Mick Mac Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Benmorg - Why do we factor in a fall in sterling > if we live in the uk? Because you might want to retire to live the south of france or buy a holiday home abroad, or your kids might emigrate and you might want to spend part of the year living near then. Who knows how life will pan out. But if you're happy to commit to staying trapped in the UK for life then the fall in sterling needn't bother you. Fortunately house prices are now falling in france too, down nearly 10% in last quarter of 2008 apparently. Maybe the euro will start sliding too.

Mick Mac Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > With experience of buying a property in need of > work - I would not recommend this as an easy > option, or even a money saving one. There is a > huge hassle factor and in terms of bargaining with > builders, there is only one winner. > Buy a house needing work if you want to put your > own stamp on it by all means, but I don't think > you will necessarily enjoy the experience, > although the finished product will hopefully be > worthwhile, and I'd say you should only do it if > you intend to stay in the property long term, and > have a big budget kept back from the purchase, > thus avoiding stress if things go over budget. > Some good points made on trading up - certainly > quantifies the cost of doing so which is very > interesting. absolutely. The days of making a sarah-beaney-style quick profit are well and truly over - thank god. Perhaps we'll go back to thinking of houses simply as places to live rather than cash machines.

ibilly99 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Crystal Palace Road tip top 3 bed room top grade > refurb - marble work tops NEFF ovens etc - on > market July 2007 ?725,000 eventually went on > private sale for ?565,000 that's 22% - as others > have said the market price is what the property > sells for not what you think it's worth. I've said > before there's no cavalry waiting for the party to > begin again we're heading for /in a depression > (IMF says so and the Economist) and we'll be lucky > if prices don't fall 40% from peak. If you factor in the fall in sterling, house prices have already halved. The best hope now for overstretched homeowners is soaring inflation. It will wipe out the real value of debt (and savings). It's a genuine possibility, but so at the moment is deflation, which has the opposite effect, causing debts to expand in real terms. Nobody seems to know which way things will go - homeowners getting screwed or savers getting screwed. it's real knife-edge stuff.

It's brownish pink mush in the sausage rolls. If you buy them late in the day then the base will have hardened into what can only be described as scalding grease-filled cardboard. The bread is a different matter though. It really is much better than anything in sainsburys or the East Dulwich baker. Sainsbury's bread tastes revolting and stale after you've tried the loaves from Ayres.

seanmlow Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > benmorg - that Landcroft deal was run by yours > truly! Well done. And you can't blame me for pulling out at 340 if it went for 250! Deciding to rent for the year was the best decision I've ever made.

macroban Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > someone who had 40% equity at peak now only has > 20% equity > > 25%? if prices have fallen 20%, then 40% equity becomes 25% equity. If prices have fallen 25%, 40% equity becomes 20% equity. So it depends on how much prices have fallen. Moving can be quite expensive. When you factor in all the costs, particularly stamp duty, then trading up is even harder. Add to that the difficulty of completing a chain at the moment. The few people who are trading up at the moment are probably those who sold a while ago and have been waiting in rented homes for prices to fall. Speaking of trading up, I wonder if people tend to trade out of east dulwich rather than staying here and trading up?