The grumpy thread

[danthecapriman]

Was it just one mortgage advisor?

Like any profession there are good and bad ones and it sounds like you found a bad one.

The loans and rates available change on a daily basis.

Find a decent INDEPENDENT mortgage broker and they can sort a loan for most situations. Some companies target specific types of customers such as those with lower loan to value or bye to let and if you aren't in their target group then they won't be interested.

I tried a couple of banks, one of which being the bank I have my account with. None of the banks were all that helpfull, in general they weren't willing to lend me as much as independents. Don't know why? Risk maybe?

 

Then I tried an independent guy who seemed ok, at least as ok as these people can be. But I think he was just stringing me along tbh. He was always very vague and didn't contact me when he said he would etc etc. he also wouldn't stick rigidly to figures, I'd show him a property for example and he just say yeah that should be do-able.

 

In the end I just got sick of it and put off so I gave up. Not really bothered looking since.

[Cavcraft]

Round here every sodding square inch of land has been/is being snapped up for 'luxury apartments' most of which seemed to be owned by landlords, then rented out. They can fuck paying £120,000/whatever a month to rent for some poxy, one bedroomed shitbollocks apartment by a stinking canal or squashed in with hundreds of others the same.

 

Anyhow, I used my £53 to have it serviced lawnmower for one small job, which it managed. Went to it again today and it's reluctant to rev enough to make is actually useable, so I wheeled my other one out with a missing belt guard, non-existant throttle cable which has to be kept running by jamming a bit of wood into it, and stopped by twatting it one with adjustable spanners instead. That one actually completed the job without any major agro, save having to cable tie and bunjee cord the grass collection box together.

Oh, and I very nearly got knocked off my cycle by some back-and-front in a Corsa, right in front of two special coppers who just grinned. I hope they enjoyed the string of expletives I directed at the Corsa driver. 

[richardmorris]

Well not like cavcraft but sympathise. Can we have this as a button option?

[Rusty_Rocket]

Find a good independent adviser, Dan- not a bank !

Re the property issues, I'm 37 and only now (6 months ago) am I happy in the house I'm slowly paying for.  It is very difficult but not impossible like some say.

I got my first mortgage 12 years ago.  It was very difficult indeed and in those days, the lender would ring your employer etc.  All I could afford was a tiny studio flat.  For those of you who aren't familiar, that's a tiny flat with no separate bedroom... however, it did/ does have a driveway!!

Much to the amusement of my pals, I stayed in that tiny little flat for 9 years.  That is a long time to exist in such a cramped place!  however, I also managed to save for another deposit...

When I met Mrs Rocket, we moved about ten miles away to a house.  Finally, an actual house!!!!  It was nice but not exactly what we wanted.  We saved up again, but this time, there was two of us so it took half the time to build up some money.  This allowed us to buy another, better place in a better area.

It's been very hard work.  We drive £200 cars.  We don't have Sky TV/ big tellys/ anything new at all really!!  But it's worth it.  I should mention we both earn minimum wage in shitty care industry jobs and take all the overtime and night shifts we can.

Honestly, if we can do it, anyone with a full time job and just a little bit of luck can get there in the end- but it will take years to get there in my experience.  It's a long game for sure.

[danthecapriman]

Find a good independent adviser, Dan- not a bank !

Re the property issues, I'm 37 and only now (6 months ago) am I happy in the house I'm slowly paying for.  It is very difficult but not impossible like some say.

I got my first mortgage 12 years ago.  It was very difficult indeed and in those days, the lender would ring your employer etc.  All I could afford was a tiny studio flat.  For those of you who aren't familiar, that's a tiny flat with no separate bedroom... however, it did/ does have a driveway!!

Much to the amusement of my pals, I stayed in that tiny little flat for 9 years.  That is a long time to exist in such a cramped place!  however, I also managed to save for another deposit...

When I met Mrs Rocket, we moved about ten miles away to a house.  Finally, an actual house!!!!  It was nice but not exactly what we wanted.  We saved up again, but this time, there was two of us so it took half the time to build up some money.  This allowed us to buy another, better place in a better area.

It's been very hard work.  We drive £200 cars.  We don't have Sky TV/ big tellys/ anything new at all really!!  But it's worth it.  I should mention we both earn minimum wage in shitty care industry jobs and take all the overtime and night shifts we can.

Honestly, if we can do it, anyone with a full time job and just a little bit of luck can get there in the end- but it will take years to get there in my experience.  It's a long game for sure.

I will look again, I really need to honestly, but I think at the moment I've got other issues I need/want to overcome first. Maybe if/when I do it'll make getting my own house easier and better.

 

In all fairness my deposit isn't bad and I could work with it and find something even now prices have risen again, I think I give up too easily sometimes! I can't complain too much either, I've spent a lot of money the last couple of years on my cars. It goes without saying that if I didn't do that I'd be well sorted now!

Besides that I don't think I want to live on my own either. Maybe if that ever changes I'll be much more keen to start over with it.

[Sheefag]

It's hard graft right enough and it isn't for everyone but I can't help but tip my hat to those with an eye for the opportunity and the strength of character and self sacrifice who manage it.

 

It's definitely worth it in the long run.

[Cavcraft]

I will just say some estate agent bird came to see the house two down from us, and I would most definitely have spent my deposit on her. 

[Rusty_Rocket]

Honestly, now is a great time to buy.  Yes, prices are high but interest rates are very low and look to stay that way .  Don't believe the media shite either, there will be loads of lenders willing to give you money, particularly as you have a deposit!

We met our mortgage adviser by chance really.  We viewed a place and the estate agents always ask 'so, do you have a mortgage in place?'  When you say no, they'll instantly do everything they can to book you an appointment with their adviser.  They want YOUR business, it's not the other way round!

Take an appointment, you have nothing to lose- and I guarantee it will go from there.  Good luck!

 

Edit, lol Cavcraft.. but, yeah, mine too !

[Sheefag]

Surrey/ Berks borders

 

I think we may be neighbours!

[richardmorris]

Last time I checked with a mortgage advisor I was offered a 6x salary mortgage with a 25% deposit. Still wasn't enough to buy anything here. Possibly would be now, as my salary has increased a fair bit in the last five years, but I'm happy where I am renting ( apart from prince Edward's noisy helicopter).

[r.welfare]

Six times? Holy cow.

[Sheefag]

Ah, you're in Bagshot then, we really are neighbours.

[wuvvum]

I've got no chance of ever buying a house in this part of the world - partly because I'm single and not earning a huge amount of money, partly because the house prices here are being driven into the stratosphere by a combination of buy-to-let landlords and baby boomers buying second homes, and partly because I'm so utterly shit with money that I have about as much chance of saving a decent deposit as Jeremy Corbyn has of becoming the next PM.  I can't fall back on the Bank of Mum and Dad as my parents need every penny they've got to fund their upcoming move back to England - where property prices have gone up a hell of a lot more than they have in France where they've lived for the last 23 years.  I also haven't had the option of living with my parents and saving for a deposit, due to points 3 and 4 above. 

 

I've been on Rightmove a fair bit recently, as quite a few people my age and younger at work have been looking at buying houses - albeit always with someone else - and the only place that's reasonably local that I could afford to buy is Great Yarmouth, which is a shithole.  I've decided that I'm not yet that desperate to get on the property ladder - I like where I'm renting now so I'm going to stay here as long as I'm able, then I'll reconsider when I do eventually have to move out.

 

The one thing that does piss me off a bit is that I lived in a council flat for 6 years, which I could have bought if the selfish spoiled little bitch in the flat downstairs hadn't turned her place into a nightclub / drug den which kept me awake all night at least 3 nights a week and was literally driving me insane (to the point where at one point I went out for a late night drive in my Mazda 121 just to get away from the noise, and seriously contemplated driving it into a tree at 60mph).  Up until then it'd been an OK place to live (apart from the scrotes from the local shithole estate messing around with my cars, but then they did rather attract attention...) so would have been a nice easy (and cheap) way onto the property ladder.  Nowadays, as a single bloke with no kids, my chances of getting another council place - even if I lost my job and had to move out of my house - would be pretty much zilch, so I won't be getting that opportunity again.

[jakebullet]

Property thing terrifies me. Until this time last year I was sorted. Dear old Ma Ma had wrote a will that gave me and evil sister 50:50, but with the handy clause that I could live here as long as I like and evil sister couldn't force sale / get me out. Sweet.

 

Then I met kinky girl, Ma Ma went psycho over it. I know there's now a new will, haven't a clue what's in it. Could all be going to dogs trust for all I know. She's calmed down since, but probably best to take it I'm going to have to sort somewhere to live at some point. Problem being if I go to any mortgage people they're going to piss themselves stupid. So just to clarify mr. Bullet, you're self employed, drilling holes in pool balls? There's a career with prospects......

 

Only solution I can see is save my pennies and buy for cash. Or not have Ma Ma die.

[Lankytim]

MyHermes want £4.99 from me for underweighing a parcel. I thought it was a scam email but sure enough I've got a pending request in my paypal! Not only that but I have another from a month ago I didn't even know about. They reckon if I don't cough up they're going to destroy my parcel, but seeing as it's been delivered they can swivel. I was thinking of changing couriers anyway, seeing as Herpes have been getting quite a bit of bad press recently.

[Ghosty]

 

Oh, and I very nearly got knocked off my cycle by some back-and-front in a Corsa, right in front of two special coppers who just grinned. I hope they enjoyed the string of expletives I directed at the Corsa driver. 

 

Police don't give a toss about cyclists, simple as. Disappointing tbh. 

At least you aren't like my mate who's constantly fucking his bike up 'cause he's too aggressive, then comes complaining to me that it doesn't work properly as he's tried to occupy the same space as a bus...

[cros]

I will just say some estate agent bird came to see the house two down from us, and I would most definitely have spent my deposit on her.

 

I suppose she's kept well busy with all the new erections everywhere, lots of interest in brownfield sites too.

[Noel Tidybeard]

Looking forward* to getting my wife's car back from the garage at the end of the week. It's been off the road for nearly 4 weeks after refusing to start at the supermarket, would turn over but not catch. Recovery man diagnosed fancy keyless fob no longer talking to immobiliser. That'll be a main dealer job, thinks I, so instruct him to tow it to local Nissan agent. This is on a Wednesday.

 

Local Nissan agent says we can't look at it until Monday. I lend Espace to wife and take train to work. Monday comes and goes. I ring Nissan. "The battery is now flat and we don't have any so we are charging it, keys will be recoded tomorrow morning no problem". Tuesday morning turns into afternoon. I ring Nissan. "We've recoded the keys but it's still not starting and it's turning over like it has no compression, can we have your permission to spend half an hour taking the valve cover off?". I agree. 5.30pm looms. 4 hours to take off a rocker cover? I ring Nissan...

 

"Your timing chain is slack, you have three options sir - throw the car away, we can fit a new engine (we don't do reconditioned on this model) for 5 grand or you can take it somewhere else". It's a six year old Qashqai so option 1 is taking the piss, as is option 2. So I pay them £180 for their time (1.5hrs labour!) and get it transported (another £60) to my usual garage, where I am beginning to realise it should have gone in the first place...

 

Later that afternoon I go down and it's already in the bay. They think the tensioner might have gone as the timing seems to be out - one cylinder has 165psi compression but the others are around 50. I am told this is good as zero compression would result from bent valves. They don't think chain is slack but propose changing chain, sprockets, tensioners, guides etc before retiming and seeing what's what.

 

A week passes; I know they are always busy (a good sign because it's all word of mouth/repeat business) and I'm in India for work anyway. I give them a bell and they say the timing chain kit doesn't come with the right exhaust cam sprocket, which has to be ordered from Nissan in Japan and this takes five days...

 

Another week passes. The part arrives but now they are busy again. I get fed up with the train and borrow my brother's 323Ci. I like it so much I don't want to give it back. Meanwhile my wife complains the electric handbrake won't release sometimes in the Espace. She is wrong - something is occasionally jamming up the gear mechanism so she can't get 1st or 2nd, leading her to pull away in 3rd. The burning smell is the clutch...I dismantle half the engine bay and fish out a broken cable tie from around one of the gear cables.

 

Yesterday I get a call. The news is not good. It's all timed up, they twist the column switch and...it's still turning over like it's got no compression. They're fed up. Mrs W hates the Espace. The only person happy is me - this BMW I am driving is ace - but nagging the back of my mind is that the music will stop soon.

 

Today I get a call. The mystery is solved. The reason the car would not start? The throttle body has seized shut. This is good. Except it isn't. A new one is £700. On top of the £800 for the new timing chain, sprockets, tensioners, guides etc and labour. This is a lot of money. I have it, but rather would spend it on something else. Like a 323Ci.

 

Suddenly it all makes sense. The recovery man mentioned a throttle position sensor fault code, but dismissed that as a byproduct of repeated cranking. The cretins at Nissan wiped the codes. And my trusted garage worked on the (incorrect) diagnosis from Nissan. The new chain etc isn't really wasted because the car has done nearly 140k.

 

There are many learnings. Modern cars and main dealers live up to their reputation. But also Renault Espaces are really reliable cars, if you periodically remove obstacles from the gear linkage. I don't know what it all means. But I do know I am keeping the bloody Nissan as long as possible to amortise the cost. And my wife's next car will be <£2000. And my brother is giving me first refusal on the BMW.

 

i had to but TB for a primevil but that was more like £175 iirc shirley the cashcow one isnt that much different

[twosmoke300]

MyHermes want £4.99 from me for underweighing a parcel. I thought it was a scam email but sure enough I've got a pending request in my paypal! Not only that but I have another from a month ago I didn't even know about. They reckon if I don't cough up they're going to destroy my parcel, but seeing as it's been delivered they can swivel. I was thinking of changing couriers anyway, seeing as Herpes have been getting quite a bit of bad press recently.

Surely it's your fault the parcel was too heavy ?

[Jazoli]

MyHermes want £4.99 from me for underweighing a parcel. I thought it was a scam email but sure enough I've got a pending request in my paypal! Not only that but I have another from a month ago I didn't even know about. They reckon if I don't cough up they're going to destroy my parcel, but seeing as it's been delivered they can swivel. I was thinking of changing couriers anyway, seeing as Herpes have been getting quite a bit of bad press recently.

This happened to me last week, I know the parcel was exactly the weight I said it was but I had to pay up as what can you do? I could hardly start a dispute with them when I have the buyer expecting delivery immediately (as most on ebay seem to do these days) and having my parcel stuck in a depot somewhere, I won't be using them again.

[Sheefag]

Wuvvum, ever considered a Houseboat?

That's where my money would go if I was starting out again. Buy one on it's arse, make it nice, live aboard and save for a few years then rent it out and borrow against it.

Just a thought.

[Lankytim]

No, they were all weighed beforehand and were within allowances. I didn't even get an email about the first alleged transgression. A quick Google shows they seem to do this quite a bit nowadays.

[Negative Creep]

MyHermes want £4.99 from me for underweighing a parcel. I thought it was a scam email but sure enough I've got a pending request in my paypal! Not only that but I have another from a month ago I didn't even know about. They reckon if I don't cough up they're going to destroy my parcel, but seeing as it's been delivered they can swivel. I was thinking of changing couriers anyway, seeing as Herpes have been getting quite a bit of bad press recently.

 

 

 

I tried them once, sat in all day waiting and no one turned up. Tried to complain but got nowhere so took it to the collection point myself, driver comes along 2 days later to pick it up with the excuse "sorry mate I don't work Tuesdays". Never again.

[BavarianRetro]

There's a reason why Parcel Force, UPS, TNT etc. are £12 or so per parcel and MyHermes are £4.99.

 

What do you expect?

[Supernaut]

I hate / love you lot.

 

Making me think about my problems. I'll pop past the GP on my way home from work and get an appointment (they're round the corner from my house, and open until 6pm).

 

Suffice to say, lots of the problems listed apply to me. I hate myself, and have done for probably about a decade now, and I'm convinced my friends / family don't actually like me but just tolerate me, etc. etc. all the other stuff people have already posted.

 

I remember trying happy pills before, I gave up on them after a week. I should try harder.

[danthecapriman]

I hate / love you lot.Making me think about my problems. I'll pop past the GP on my way home from work and get an appointment (they're round the corner from my house, and open until 6pm).Suffice to say, lots of the problems listed apply to me. I hate myself, and have done for probably about a decade now, and I'm convinced my friends / family don't actually like me but just tolerate me, etc. etc. all the other stuff people have already posted.I remember trying happy pills before, I gave up on them after a week. I should try harder.

Not liked because you hate yourself, but liked because you've got bigger balls than me for going to your GP. I think it is the right thing to do, I just can't!

Best of luck.

[Supernaut]

Not liked because you hate yourself, but liked because you've got bigger balls than me for going to your GP. I think it is the right thing to do, I just can't!

Best of luck.

Do it.

 

Doooooo iiiiiiiit.

 

Will you go if we peer pressure you enough?

[danthecapriman]

Maybe, but I'm a stubborn twat!

[taxi paul]

My doctor gave me happy pills for my anxiety a month ago. My anxiety is caused by my need to do everything at 100 mph. Or I should say my perceived notion that I do. Nothing to do with confidence or negative thoughts. I have had it for years and would go to my old doctor feeling tired with pains in my ribs , upset stomach and headaches. He was hopeless and when he retired I seen my new doctor because I was getting short of breath. He diagnosed anxiety gave me tablets. I was sceptical at first but stuck with them and now have no more physical symptoms. Its not magic because I am waiting for behaviour therapy to support me in changing my behaviour which I am doing myself slowly but surely. The symptoms I had including shortness of breath are apparently panic attacks , so the doctor says. Make the appointment, start the ball rolling and hopefully life will improve for you. We should get bumper stickers with YOLO get happy tablets and therapy. Fuck landrovers😊

[Lankytim]

There's a reason why Parcel Force, UPS, TNT etc. are £12 or so per parcel and MyHermes are £4.99.

 

What do you expect?

I've used them for a few years and to be fair they've been good, even refunding for a damaged radiator with no quibbles recently.