Making Property Less Painful
Money Trouble
Who can you trust these days when even the clock on Big Ben gets it wrong? The dials in this photo of a two-timing Big Ben have not been doctored or manipulated in any way, either in the camera or the computer. The picture was taken when the famous clock was undergoing repairs in 2007.
Mortgage misery. Higher interest rates, higher petrol and food prices, higher everything have increased the financial pressures on many mortgage payers. Some desperate borrowers simply hand in their keys. Others are lured by Sale and Rent Back schemes which can prove ruinous. To learn about better alternatives - including some that may allow you to remain in your home, and maybe even retain ownership - see the Mortgages page.
More Trouble
Pass the morphine, please. Shortly after buying a country home, the new owners discover (true story) that a public footpath runs through—and gives ramblers right of access to—their living room.
In a case currently being heard in court (February 2010), the owner of a riverside house in an upmarket London suburb is suing his seller because the garden - not the house - regularly floods.
Several sections of PWP - particularly the entries on solicitors and estate agents - provide information designed to help you sidestep this sort of muck.
Estate agents: good, bad, ugly...or all three? The Agents page has some answers.
Money: Where have all the mortgages gone? The Mortgages pages explain the basics, and the Money pages discuss affordability and other financial issues.
Leases. Ever seen one? If you own a flat, you (should) have one - and you should know what it contains. Click on this thumbnail image to go to a larger image and the full text of an actual 1988 lease.
Surveys: waste of money or worth every penny? The Surveyors page peers behind the scenes.
Cracks in walls. Some spell trouble, and some don't, but how can you tell the former from the latter? Owning tackles various issues facing property owners, especially involving repairs, renovations and extensions.
Much of the earth dug up for a conservatory foundation went back into the hole from whence it came. But not all, and when the builders left, they left behind a big mound of earth. The homeowner realised, too late, that should have specified in his contract that the builder would remove all rubble and waste. The Builders page tackles this and other big jobs (after we've had our tea).
Contracts to be exchanged - as soon as the solicitors get around to exchanging them. Commonhold? Managing agents? Leasehold rights? Many legal issues and technical terms are discussed on this site.
The Internet: A vast and wondrous resource, but how do you find what you need, and who can you trust? Internet cuts the web down to size.
Nice flat, nice building, nice tenants, nice area, nice everything except the managing agent, whose service charges are literally unbelievable. Tribunal time.
Home Information Packs Who needs HIPs? Who pays for it? Are they here to stay?
Dear Diary
Property Without Pain contains all four installments, enlarged and adapted, of the author's diary detailing his experiences - mostly unpleasant - buying his house. The kind of problems I experienced are still around, so the diary may provide some helpful warnings. A fifth unpublished diary entry addressing the problems awaiting new owners is also included.
A Day (4 December) in the Life of a Housebuyer
9:30am – The branch manager of the building society I have 
dubbed the Lousy tells me that my mortgage approval is in the hands of the Lousy area manager. I ring him directly and ask when I can expect a decision. Soon, he replies.
10:30am - The branch manager phones and tells me approval has been granted.
11:30am - The branch manager withdraws his earlier approval. He has discovered another item that he needs to check.
12:30pm - I phone the area manager, explain my exasperation, and ask if he will refund my fee and cancel the application. He agrees to do so.
12:31pm - The branch manager asks me to reconsider. I do, and reinstate the application. He conducts his final check. I pass. Is my mortgage now approved? No. He has now found yet another item which needs investigation.
Diary of a First-Time Housebuyer details this tragicomedy.
To get a head start and get some hints about property hunting and conveyancing, start with the Start page.