# Things to be aware of when moving house!



## Woodchips2 (12 Sep 2013)

Some 25 years have elapsed since we last moved house and things seem to have significantly changed or maybe old age has affected my memory  ! The following tips are what we've gleaned recently.

•	Before an estate agent or solicitor will act for you be prepared to prove your identity. Not that easy when you don't have a passport or a photo driving licence  .
•	Warn your bank in advance that large sums of money will come in and go out of your account or they'll suspect you of illicit activities :roll: 
•	You'll have to produce records of planning permissions, building regulations approvals, gas and electrical checks, FENSA certificates for double glazing, central heating commissioning certificates etc. I am starting to get into the habit of scanning these types of documents so they are easy to find in one place.
•	Be prepared to answer endless questions from your buyer's solicitor about alterations, additions (especially electrical), boundaries, disputes with neighbours etc
•	Be aware of restrictive covenants on your land. We built a porch on a shared drive having consulted with the neighbour, obtained planning permission and used it without any problem for the last six years. Then a smart-*rsed lawyer says we have to take out insurance against a possible claim for obstructing the joint access. In the end it's cheaper (sic) to take out the insurance than incur legal costs to argue there's no obstruction!
•	I presume everybody at risk has insurance against Chancel Repair liability? If you have no idea what this is (like me) have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancel_repair_liability. In 2003 an unlucky couple got stung by the Church of England for £100,000 bill towards repairs to their local church. In the end it cost them close to £500,000 with legal costs to lose the case in the House of Lords. It's not expensive to insure against (cost us £15) but something to be aware of.
•	Read the small print on furniture removal quotations especially what is included for insurance against loss or damage. Some companies include it as part of the fee and others charge extra so factor it in when comparing quotes from different companies.

I should think others have things to add to this list. Just hope the next move is to the undertakers (hammer) .

Regards Keith


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## marcros (12 Sep 2013)

I can never understand why the church doesn't enforce the chancel tax. From a money raising point of view it would surely make sense.


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## Woodchips2 (12 Sep 2013)

marcros":3as3i5jr said:


> I can never understand why the church doesn't enforce the chancel tax. From a money raising point of view it would surely make sense.


True but it would alienate an awful lot of people that may be tempted to attend church (hammer) 
Regards Keith


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## Steve Maskery (12 Sep 2013)

I think if the church tried that one on me it would definitely cause me to flip. I'd do things that would ensure I would be locked away for the rest of my life. It is simply wicked to do that to people, legal or not.


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## marcros (12 Sep 2013)

well, to that degree yes- i didnt mean £100k, although the point still stands. However as the OP stated, if you buy a house now, it is a part of the searches, and you pay a nominal insurance figure to cover it. I am not saying it is right or wrong, or that i agree with it, but it exists regardless. It is like effectively getting free gas and going and buying oil fired heating. I am not sure when the searches started to highlight it, and no doubt if it was called in, the nominal insurance would skyrocket


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## DrPhill (13 Sep 2013)

We just moved, and our purchasers were too tight to get a survey. We got a letter requesting answers to a long list of questions such as 'has the building ever sufferred from subsidence, is there any evidence of subsidence or likelyhodd that it will suffer from subsidence?'. It had similar questions about damp, woodworm, and structural and wiring defects, state of the boiler and plumbing. My answer was 'Get a survey'. They did not (and fwiw I do not think that there is much for them to worry about). But the cheek of it riled me.

The best question was 'Why are you selling for less than you paid?' . I spent many happy hours composing answers in my head. Some of them over-informative (lectures on supply and demand) and some of them sarcastic ('because that is all that I have been offered - do you want to offer more?'). I think that our lawyer wisely declined to respond to that query.

Depending where you are in the country you will find 'your' agent so desparate for a sale that they will shaft you. I have never trusted that an agent would put my interests ahead of their own, but I have never seen such a blatantly disloyal agent as on our last transaction. Ah well, just part of the game.

Good luck to anyone who is moving. Despite our traumas we are now much happier than we were.


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## Phil Pascoe (13 Sep 2013)

We've just sold, and haven't yet bought. I think anyone who tries to do both at the same time is completely and utterly insane.


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## Graham Orm (13 Sep 2013)

phil.p":3cfu2baj said:


> We've just sold, and haven't yet bought. I think anyone who tries to do both at the same time is completely and utterly insane.



Agreed....having done just that 2 years ago. The stress and endless questions from solicitors AND spurious insurances that we had to take out against all sorts of rubbish was infuriating. We ended up paying out over £700 in insurances against things from problems with trees on other properties 40 yards away to blocking joint access, there were several others that I can't recall, I'm sure our solicitor was on the take.

For us the worst part was our own solicitor. Her blurb stated that she would keep us up to the minute with developments....we ended up informing her of most developments. When she was too busy to speak to me on the phone I went to her office and the very embarrased secretary came out of her office and said she was too busy to come out and see me!! We were in the latter stages of a very protracted deal otherwise I would have sacked here there and then. Disgusting! Thankfully we are happy where we are now and I can't see us moving again.


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## mind_the_goat (13 Sep 2013)

Our solicitor nearly has us cancel our purchase because of long disagreements with the vendors (their solicitor mainly) over 'indemnity insurance' for various things. Eventually agreed that they would pay for some we would pay the rest. Got completely forgotten on day of purchase and we didn't get any insurance for anything at all. Not something that casues us any propblems, and saved a bit of money.
One thing to look out for is a clause that nullifies any policy if any changes are made to the property, so now we've built an extention is would have all been worthless anyway.


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## Steve Maskery (13 Sep 2013)

Can we please stop this thread? I'm currently buying a house and it's making me nervous.
S


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## Phil Pascoe (13 Sep 2013)

:lol: I'd rather be buying than selling!


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## david123 (13 Sep 2013)

12 years ago we had a church tithe attached to our old house. It took us two years to sell. It was left to me to find the insurance to cover it as my solicitor told me that nobody would touch it. I did find insurance but it, cost us an arm and a leg. then the cheeky solicitor tried to charge me for finding it. Needless to say I made him cut his costs by a third after a furious row over the phone, which ended in me telling him I was on my way over to see him. He rang back before I got there and agreed with the cut. That was just one of the problems I had with him.
We are now selling again and hope to have a smoother ride this time.

Thanks Eriba for the thread. I have taken note. Like Phil, we intend selling before buying.


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## monkeybiter (13 Sep 2013)

Steve Maskery":3742xk95 said:


> Can we please stop this thread? I'm currently buying a house and it's making me nervous.
> S



I'm not but the Chancel repair stuff makes me nervous, I'll have to check with the land registry. I think if I received a legally enforcable repair bill for the bloody church I'd dynamite it! 

Trouble is the bill would then be bigger!


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## Phil Pascoe (13 Sep 2013)

Dave - the problem you will have is 
1/ It's prohibitively expensive to rent if you need 3/4 bedrooms, and
2/ If you find somewhere they invariably want a twelve month contract, and either no children or no pets.
I was lucky, a friend had a large empty bungallow on the market which was not attracting any attention, so we've rented it very short term.


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## david123 (13 Sep 2013)

Hi Phil
We have a fair sized caravan (for the two of us) with all mod cons. We plan to use that as a base to do our searching. We will leave the house stuff in a warehouse until we buy somewhere to live

Devon is to far away to keep popping down to look at houses, also we will be in a better position with cash and no chain, to bargain with. Still it will be nice when its all over and we can get back to a normal life again.


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## RogerS (13 Sep 2013)

Oh God....selling - renting - buying.....don't remind me. Last time we did that, we ended up driving hundreds of miles at weekends from London where we were living back to Worcestershire looking for a place to buy. Weekend after weekend...clever estate agent photo's skilfully framed to leave out the abattoir or the waste-disposal plant. Thank God for Google Streetview these days....


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## StevieB (13 Sep 2013)

I completed and moved last week. So I have a couple of other things to add to the list! 

Don't believe any time estimates. We had renters buying our property and were buying an empty one. Shortest three step chain possible and estimates from sale to completion were 6-8 weeks once we had a buyer lined up. It took 12 weeks in the end - mostly waiting for surveyors to be instructed and mortgage companies to send paperwork. They apparently laid off lots of staff in 2008 in the crash and have not yet hired more now the housing market is picking up again. 3 months start to finish is good going we were told (at the end of the 3 months!). There was nothing wrong with any of the surveys and no problems with the mortgage monies - its just takes a long time for lenders to process documents.

Financial checks will take ages - companies are now being ultra cautious as regulators are taking a keen interest in their mortgage lending.

I second the opinion that all estate agents are a lying bunch of shysters out only for themselves.

Stick with it - if your buyer hasn't pulled out it is invariably quicker to hang on for them that go back onto the market (although it doesn't hurt to threaten to go back up for sale!)

Getting a survey is a must, but when you get it, it will be so full of caveats and get outs, generalised info and recommendations for further 'checks' that you will wonder what you paid £400 for in the first place. 

You will soon forget the hassles of moving, so bookmark this thread to remind yourself before you attempt it again!

Steve


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## Graham Orm (13 Sep 2013)

Steve Maskery":f1kvgyjd said:


> Can we please stop this thread? I'm currently buying a house and it's making me nervous.
> S



Steve, it's the apparent lack of communication that causes the problems. There are too many tiny details that require daily phone calls that can stall things that make the process crash time and again.
This new fashion of requiring insurance for everything including the kitchen sink is over complicating things even more.

I also think the solicitors have too many balls in the air at one time and don't have time to act when a call or fax comes in. You end up with the scenario of your purchaser telling you that the document was faxed, their solicitor swore it had gone, and yours, via the secretary swearing nothing has arrived yet. They're solicitors.....surely they don't lie??? It turned out ours was a borderline compulsive liar.

Good luck.


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## doorframe (13 Sep 2013)

I last moved about 13 yrs ago. My buyer was a cash buyer with no property to sell, and the chain above me was about 4 long. I took 9 months to complete. My buyer was the biggest a-hole ever. The chain collapsed due to his messing and was only restored due to my wife contacting all the parties to patch things up. If I had kicked him into touch and gone with another buyer I'm sure it would all have gone a lot quicker and smoother. The clown even went on holiday for a fortnight just before the exchange day! The conversation I had with him from his sun lounger on a beach in the Med was one I'll never forget.

My estate agent was a lying clown. And my solicitor even worse. I never want to move again.


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## DrPhill (13 Sep 2013)

StevieB":21kcn08o said:


> Getting a survey is a must, but when you get it, it will be so full of caveats and get outs, generalised info and recommendations for further 'checks' that you will wonder what you paid £400 for in the first place.



Try to find a local (to your purchase) acredited surveyor and aski if you can walk round with him. You will learn far more, with a better sense of proportion. When writing the report he has to cover everything and be pessimistic. When talking directly to you he will be more balanced. Ours was really informative about all sorts of things that would never make it into a report. He loved houses and structures and the history. I originally hired him on the basis that the verbal report would be enough, but he afterward insisted on writing one too. I think he really enjoyed sharing his expertise in a more personal manner and the fact that we were interested in the building rather than just the investment.


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## Graham Orm (13 Sep 2013)

DrPhill":3ha3z3kp said:


> Try to find a local (to your purchase) acredited surveyor



That's a very important point, the local guy will know all about the different building types in the area and any local land problems.


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## Phil Pascoe (13 Sep 2013)

22yrs ago when I bought my last house, my solicitor advised me to have a structural survey as the house was 100+ yrs old, and I declined. He asked me to sign an indemnity as he would be deemed negligent if it came back on him, which I was happy to do. When we had finished the business, he asked why I was sure I didn't need one. I replied that half my working time was spent doing maintenance on a building older than that, and I intended to take my friends, a builder and an electrician around with me to look at it and put £100 on the bar of the nearest pub afterwards so we could have a good chat. He said not to quote him, but I would find out far more doing it that way.


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## RogerS (13 Sep 2013)

phil.p":1w88z00a said:


> 22yrs ago when I bought my last house, my solicitor advised me to have a structural survey as the house was 100+ yrs old, and I declined. He asked me to sign an indemnity as he would be deemed negligent if it came back on him, which I was happy to do. When we had finished the business, he asked why I was sure I didn't need one. I replied that half my working time was spent doing maintenance on a building older than that, and I intended to take my friends, a builder and an electrician around with me to look at it and put £100 on the bar of the nearest pub afterwards so we could have a good chat. He said not to quote him, but I would find out far more doing it that way.



Ditto! The first building society surveyor we had was more used to Barrett boxes and refused to recommend our house as mortgageable. So we got a more sensible surveyor and another survey! As my builder said to me when I questioned the bowing walls...."Roger, that house will outlast you!"


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## Phil Pascoe (13 Sep 2013)

:lol: I regularly pass a house with a belly in the end wall - my grandfather was offered it in 1951 and turned it down. I think his £90 would have been well spent!


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## Lons (13 Sep 2013)

david123":1v9faz6p said:


> Hi Phil
> We have a fair sized caravan (for the two of us) with all mod cons. We plan to use that as a base to do our searching. We will leave the house stuff in a warehouse until we buy somewhere to live
> 
> Devon is to far away to keep popping down to look at houses, also we will be in a better position with cash and no chain, to bargain with. Still it will be nice when its all over and we can get back to a normal life again.



There is of course a risk in that if it takes too long to find something to buy as in a "reportedly" rising market, the difference between your selling value and buying price will have changed and your purchase will have increased in price.
Worth the risk though to escape some of the anxt!

Bob


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## david123 (14 Sep 2013)

We are happy to take the risk Phi

I think on balance having the freedom to purchase on the spot without a chain will give us greater bargaining power. I guess also, the fact that we are pretty flexible in the area of south Devon that we want to move to, will give us a better chance of finding the property with the requirements that we need.
Once we have sold here it will be a full on search, We don't intend on hanging about.


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## devonwoody (14 Sep 2013)

phil.p":14hf1o1u said:


> Dave - the problem you will have is
> 1/ It's prohibitively expensive to rent if you need 3/4 bedrooms, and
> 2/ If you find somewhere they invariably want a twelve month contract, and either no children or no pets.
> I was lucky, a friend had a large empty bungallow on the market which was not attracting any attention, so we've rented it very short term.




We've got three daughters, we could always have our own back and stay for ten years with each :wink: :wink: :wink: 

I think after reading that lot above, we will stay until we drop off our perches and let them worry about all those problems. They would most probably sell to a property developer anyway and the developer would want the property to do up or not, so no worries!


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## david123 (14 Sep 2013)

Morning mate
See where you are coming from. I should spring that surprise on our kids, that would give them a shock :lol:


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## devonwoody (14 Sep 2013)

david123":2k11zv92 said:


> Morning mate
> See where you are coming from. I should spring that surprise on our kids, that would give them a shock :lol:




We came down from Essex nearly 55 years ago to Torbay, got a model railway in loft, double garage workshop, no commuting , you are a bit late realising what we have in Devon.


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## david123 (14 Sep 2013)

the kids live in Cornwall and Wiltshire so we have been traveling down that way for years, but business has kept me here in Essex for the last 12 years and now we have grandchildren, we feel it is time to move. 

Looking forward to being closer them


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## Andrewf (14 Sep 2013)

I sold my house earlier in the year and are presently renting whilst looking to buy. Unfortunately I don't think this is an advantage as the property you end up buying means you are at the bottom of a chain and are subject to all thoise above you without being able to bring much pressure to bear to complete within a time scale that suits you. 
Since selling have failed to buy one house due to vendor pulling out. Present purchase might collapse due to the vendor wanting to delay completion for various reasons. This Is really annoying as the vendor is local in desperate financial position and contacted us. We offered the asking price on condition that we could exchange by a set day. This doesn't look like happening, so am threatening to reduce my price or look at somewhere else. Beginning to wish I hadn't sold.


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## RogerS (14 Sep 2013)

Andrewf":3f3il86a said:


> .... Beginning to wish I hadn't sold.



No, i reckon you did the right thing. It can be/is very frustrating but you are in a much better position re purchasing/getting a good price.


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## david123 (14 Sep 2013)

Agree


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## Andrewf (24 Sep 2013)

Well the saga of house moving continues. The rented house am in at present has been sold. So need to move out of that soon. Wife less than impressed that I am away working for next couple of months so she'll have to move on ber own. The vendor of house I am looking to purchase has pulled out of buying their house. Has found another one but this is pushing completion back further and further. So by the time I finally move will have spent a fortune in moving and storage fees. Am getting really hacked off. All my tools and gear is in storage and wife has decided I can't have another dog until we are moved.


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## Steve Maskery (24 Sep 2013)

Well I've had a bit of good news today. The people who live i the house I am buying have exchanged on their new build. So the chances of it falling through now are virtually nil. I have Oct 25 as the completion date. Can't wait.
S


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## Graham Orm (24 Sep 2013)

Steve Maskery":33kcv7o0 said:


> Well I've had a bit of good news today. The people who live i the house I am buying have exchanged on their new build. So the chances of it falling through now are virtually nil. I have Oct 25 as the completion date. Can't wait.
> S



Good luck Steve, never an easy process.....almost there!


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## Woodchips2 (24 Sep 2013)

devonwoody":8tpr7af8 said:


> david123":8tpr7af8 said:
> 
> 
> > Morning mate
> ...



Realised earlier in the year when we visited Teignmouth! Exchanged contracts today on our house in Bedfordshire and heading your way next week so please keep the drawbridge down :lol: 

Regards Keith


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## Phil Pascoe (24 Sep 2013)

I can't speak for Devon, but so many people left Cornwall in the late 1800s and early 1900s that it was 1971 before the population reached what it was in 1861' and since then it has doubled. I wouldn't mind if only they weren't all retired, Londoners, or Poles. :wink: :wink:


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## Phil Pascoe (24 Sep 2013)

Seriously, I've sold my house and am searching at the moment, but when the time comes I'll agree the exchange and completion - if the person can't find somewhere to go, it's not really my problem. There's the cash, I want you out by such and such a date - they either want to sell or they don't.


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## Steve Maskery (1 Oct 2013)

Well I have exchanged contracts.
I should be ecstatic, but I'm going to have an argument with my solicitors about why they quoted one price and then billed me for £350 more. Not happy with them at all. The Estate Agents are threatening to report them to, whoever. The Law Society? I don't know.
I just want the keys and to put 56 years behind me.
S


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## monkeybiter (1 Oct 2013)

Congrats Steve M, once the overcharge is paid, right or wrong, it'll soon be forgotten and will have been overtaken by the nett good feeling of having your own place.

Workshop by Christmas?


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## Steve Maskery (1 Oct 2013)

monkeybiter":1bznz7tc said:


> Workshop by Christmas?



Sadly I don't think so. Planning permission by Christmas if I am very lucky. But workshop by next summer is realistic. At least, I hope it is.

S


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## monkeybiter (1 Oct 2013)

Steve Maskery":sdpl9jqe said:


> But workshop by next summer is realistic.



Double Congrats!


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## Flynnwood (1 Oct 2013)

Steve Maskery":12f6wao0 said:


> Well I have exchanged contracts.
> I should be ecstatic, but I'm going to have an argument with my solicitors about why they quoted one price and then billed me for £350 more. Not happy with them at all. The Estate Agents are threatening to report them to, whoever. The Law Society? I don't know.
> I just want the keys and to put 56 years behind me.
> S



I would push back hard against that £350 (unless you were advised in advance of incremental fees).

You entered into a contract to pay for a service at a price agreed by both parties. Remind them of that.

From the info you have given, it appears they are on a 'profit optimisation trip'.

You have nothing to lose by trying, and £350 to gain towards your new workshop.

Forget the comments from the Estate Agents. That's a waste of time/life.

GL


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## RogerS (2 Oct 2013)

Good news, Steve.

Re your solicitors. This link explains what you can do http://www.access-legal.co.uk/services/ ... ns-692.htm


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## Woodchips2 (2 Oct 2013)

Moved home today to sunny Devon except it`s raining :lol: 
Regards Keith


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## Phil Pascoe (3 Oct 2013)

:lol: It'll be raining for the next seven months. It's the south west.


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## Andrewf (23 Nov 2013)

After all the trials and tribulations. I have finally exchanged on a house. Only 2 months later than originally agreed with vendor when I made an offer. Am away from home working at present so wife will have to move again on her own. This will be the third time this year she has done it. Do feel guilty about this. Though she is good at this stuff, suppose she has to be as I work away from home for over 6 months of the year. Have done since leaving school in 1980 and we've been married 22 years. Now all the planning can come together. New dog, bigger workshop oh and I suppose she deserves some major work on the house. Bigger kitchen, ensuite downstairs loo that sort of stuff.


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## Woodchips2 (23 Nov 2013)

Just an update on Chancel Repair Liability which I mentioned in the opening post:

"Iif there is no entry placed against your title at the Land Registry by 2013 (because of legislation passed in 2002) then the liability cannot be enforced against you.

Chancel Repair Liability loses its status as an overriding interest at midnight on 12 October 2013."

Full information at http://www.cluttoncox.co.uk/site/blog/b ... guide.html.

Regards Keith

ps had a lovely sunny day here today and I almost felt the need for the suntan lotion :lol:


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