[Stubbs]

I say interesting as in many cases I think that's where a lot of the uncertainty is...consider all of the posh new cosmopolitain flats build in cities like Sheffield, Leeds etc - does anyone know what they're actually worth?

Does anybody actually want to buy any of this type of property? I know that the firm behind Granary Wharf are falling over themselves to get shot of stuff at the moment.

There's a school of though that the explosion of flats in the early-mid 2000s was essentially building a load of stuff that nobody wants.

I've talked to various people about these properties, particularly in Leeds, a large amount of them have been sold to people from outside of the country as long term investments, and they aren't that bothered whether they get rented or not in the meanwhile.  I've heard that a lot of the blocks between Granary Wharf and the station that have places to rent are mainly empty, even if they are '90 % sold'.

I agree with you though, looking to move back to Yorks next year or the year after, and we'll be looking for somewhere with some character and a garden!  One of my friends moved into a new build as they weren't bothered about how the place looked, only the location, and that the property was ready to live in and they had warranties against structural/electrical defects, etc. so they wouldn't have to do any DIY - convenience housing?

[slackline]

Boost your butt (just not with this 'guy')

[tommytwotone]

I agree with you though, looking to move back to Yorks next year or the year after, and we'll be looking for somewhere with some character and a garden!  One of my friends moved into a new build as they weren't bothered about how the place looked, only the location, and that the property was ready to live in and they had warranties against structural/electrical defects, etc. so they wouldn't have to do any DIY - convenience housing?

That's what I'm looking for at the moment, though at my budget (a mere £100k-ish, dictated by my paltry deposit) it's mainly back-to-backs in the areas I'm looking at.

On the new build thing, was considering this the other day - my Dad used to work for a firm that did a lot of new build stuff in East Anglia and after what he's told me there's no way I'd go near one. Apparently the build quality is sketchy to say the least, I'm assuming for reasons of speed / cost.

I wonder what it would cost to build a "proper" - say standard 3 bed semi with a drive and a garden - house from the ground up in today's money. Surely bricks and mortar / land / skilled labour can't be that expensive can it?

[Fultonius]

I live in a new-build flatted development in Glasgow. I sip espresso on my balcony, not cappuccino. 

I'd much rather live somewhere with character, but, at the time we (me & the parents) were looking for a place (2003ish) the bubble was at its biggest. 2 bed tenement flats were going for silly money. There was a place that had an asking price of £112k, we put a bid in, got rejected. Found out it went for £188k 

So, for us - fixed price, walk in, no hassle, seemed like the best option...apparently!

Problems we've had:

Dodgy combi boiler that is well known as "The worst combi on the market".
Leaks from above.
Leaks in our bathroom.
Cockroaches
Cracking render on outer walls leading to damp
Insufficient insulation on outer walls leading to condensation at the window.
Monoblock paving in Carpark subsiding
Problems with the flat roofs causing water ingress. (not in my flat fortunately)


I'm sure there was others, but I can't remember...

I'm also sure some modern developments are well built. Ours was clearly thrown up in a hurry, minimum spend, maximum profit and the insurance companies pick up the tab for all the problems.  I think the law should be changed to hold the builders more liable for the shoddy work...

[tomtom]

Yup, though my 'period' house in Hull seems to be built of spit and soot. Since I've been there in 5 years, new roof, new windows, just having kitchen finished (that was £3k kitchen itself and £5k+ other structural shizzle due to rot bad building in first place etc..). So that's getting on 20 big ones in 5 years.... None of the above really showed up in the survey... House. Money. Fuck. As an old fella I knew described it..

[Oldmanmatt]

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/Top-Execs-High-Pay-Corrosive-skynews-364161092.html?x=0

AAArrrgghhh!!

[Oldmanmatt]

I bought a house on a similar scheme to that now proposed back in 1990 (during the last bubble).
The Gov Guaranteed the deposit (allowing us to take a 100% mortgage) and gave tax relief to the developer in exchange for the developer paying 50% of our mortgage for the first 3 years....

We moved in.

Developer did a runner, payments stopped.

Bank immediately demanded we find a 10% deposit and refinance at a crippling 15% apr.

Ten years of legal battles ensued.

The developer made off with 12M quid and lives in Spain, Gov washed it's hands and said it was the developers liability.

I sold the house ten years later, with an equity of ........

Wait for it...

1.5K.

Yes, 1500 pounds sterling.

Just love these schemes, can't wait to see them return. 
 

[slackline]

New tactic to reduce in-patient length of stay in hospitals 

[mrjonathanr]

Richard Littlecock, scumbag@ Daily Mail

Trendy teaching methods and ‘child-centred’ learning are what lie behind the fact that more than one million young people in Britain are not only unemployed, many of them are unemployable.

It’s also a crime to shut every school in Britain by staging a politically-motivated, self-indulgent strike....The strike is going ahead, even though only a third of 80% NASUWT members voted in favour.

Any teacher who walks out on November 30 should be sacked. Our children deserve better than this criminal neglect.

Where do you even begin? Liar - check! Rabble-rouser-check! Hypocrite -check! Children as political football- check!

I'll just settle for scumbag.

[Ru]

New tactic to reduce in-patient length of stay in hospitals 

The complete lack of judgement of MPs never fails to astound me. This is one of the most idiotic things Lansley's done, amongst a very strong field of contenders.

[mrjonathanr]

  I hope it's as good quality care as we can possibly make it

Subtext: I'm not confident it actually will be, hence the qualifiers, diffident tone and striking inability to assert it  will be good care.

[mrjonathanr]

It’s also a crime to shut every school in Britain by staging a politically-motivated, self-indulgent strike....The strike is going ahead, even though only a third of 80% NASUWT members voted in favour.

Any teacher who walks out on November 30 should be sacked. Our children deserve better than this criminal neglect.

Let me see..

Proposals to increase working hours (current agreement max: 50 per week)

Proposals to extend working life

Average teacher's pension: £10,000

Proposed pension contribution increase: 3.2%

Time of govt intransigence before NAS balloting on action: 18 months

Current agreement date 2007 saw concessions from teachers and a declaration from government that teachers' pensions were sustainable and affordable. Why?

Could it be related to the interest-free  loan the teachers pensions contributions afford the government? According to government data, this is a measly £46.6 bn in credit.

£46.6 billion.    In credit.

[Oldmanmatt]

On a less serious note...
I shall mostly be taking the kids climbing on the 30th...
The daily wail can go describe a helix up it's own rectum (normal).
Imagine, at this point, I'm giving you a full on Wolfie Smith salute.

Up the revolution!!

(If you knew me you'd see why that might be funny. Not exactly a natural left leaner, but reaching a new level of pissed off with this bunch of Facist gits).

[Jaspersharpe]

Notes on a Police State #126:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/24/met-police-tasered-man-toy-gun

[Jaspersharpe]

This is 100% certainly, definitely NOT a U-turn:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2011/nov/23/youth-jobless-will-coalition-resurrect-future-jobs-fund

[lukeh]

Careful, rocks may become slippery when wet...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-15878361

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Margaret Thatcher has been killed in a road accident

http://mobile.oregonlive.com/advorg/pm_29233/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=yapQ62lH

[slackline]

Privatisation of public sector isn't the only solution

[Johnny Brown]

Bizarre article, don't remember seeing such innumeracy broadcast quite so publically before. From the comments, it doesn't look like the facts are too hot either.

[slackline]

Got any links to more accurate pieces for us to read, I've not heard much about Iceland since the banking problems and UK investment was in the news a few years ago?

[Johnny Brown]

Probably best to start here?

[slackline]

Cheers, might find time in about 23 months to sift through the ~1.6x10⁸ results and guess at those which fit with your knowledge on the subject.

[Jaspersharpe]

I was reading it thinking "this doesn't make any sense" and then I realised why. The one fact that is definitely right is that Iceland's population is around 320,000 (or roughly the same as Leicester) which is just one reason why comparing to Greece, Italy etc doesn't work. I agree with the sentiment, but the article is nonsense.

Every piece that I've read re "Can Iceland be a model for anywhere else?" comes up with the conclusion that it can't.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/9550667.stm

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=iceland8217s-recovery-provides-lessons-for-eurozone-plans-2011-11-06

etc

[slackline]

Found the Iceland Constitutional Council which will make for useful (and presumably accurate) reading on the matter.

IMF corroboration that public didn't/won't absorb bank losses (its a blog but from someone who works for the IMF).

I noticed that she wrote that they are part of the EU, which they're not, although as pointed out in the comments it is part of the European Free Trade Association.

EDIT : Cheers for additional reading Jasper

[SA Chris]

I think now Solomon is in charge, things will get better. Katona was making a right mess of things.