The grumpy thread

[DodgeRover]

Surely the rules of supply and demand still apply in Germany?

Not enough housing for people to live in then prices will rise as people attempt to secure themselves somewhere to live by offering more than the next person, if they have stayed static then in real terms rents/ house prices are falling there.

With the influx of people into Germany all wanting housing I can't imagine prices will stay stable for too much longer unless they have massive schemes of social housing on a vast scale already under way.

 

As to one person owning 200 places how is that any different to a housing association owning a couple of 1000 properties they're both profit making entities?

[BorniteIdentity]

Calm down, princess.

 

I didn't say they were solely responsible, did I?

 

I didn't say that prices should remain static, did I?

 

When you incentivise higher selling prices via percentage-led fees and commission-based earnings rather than natural growth caused by other factors then you get the unnatural rise in house prices which we saw from the mid nineties through to the 2008 crash, and the rises since.

 

Average earnings here: £14k

Average rental cost of a 2 bedroom place here: £475/month

Average house price here: £125k

 

All Median, not Mean.

 

If you're reeeeaaallllly lucky you might get a £60k mortgage on your £14k earnings, which is fantastic because it means you only need to save twenty grand in order to be able to afford the cheapest two bedroom place around (which is in an area where you will literally find used needles in your garden).

 

Twenty grand is easy to save when you take home £1k a month and you're renting the cheapest place (£425/m) within ten miles of where you work, isn't it?

You’re still suggesting that agents are pushing up prices to increase commission fees though? Laughable.

 

And please, don’t assume my gender. It’s 2018.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Bloody school parental behaviour nonsense continues.

Out working on the car (well, just tidying up to go cool off actually), car pulls into the drive. Parent gets out, starts wandering off to the school.

I politely made my presence known and asked if they'd mind parking somewhere other than my driveway.

Their response - not even stopping walking or removing iPhone from their ear -

"Oh go f*** yourself mate!"

Oh well, the four month out of date MOT, four bald tyres (one down to the cords) and lack of insurance have been reported to the police.

I'd have instantly slipped with the tool in hand and taken out a window or something....... sorry officer I launched it from under the car as I was annoyed I'd fudged up another wheel cylinder bleed nipple, obviously wanting to hit the scenery - imagine my surprise to find some car out of MoT, uninsured and with dodgy tyres sitting in the way on my private property......! Tuh! What can you do eh?

 

  

Answer is : jack it up and drain the oil from the sump neatly, daft twat will likely drive of and come to a shuddering halt 1/4 a mile away

 

Or this for stealth fuck you mode........

 

  

Surely the rules of supply and demand still apply in Germany?

Not enough housing for people to live in then prices will rise as people attempt to secure themselves somewhere to live by offering more than the next person, if they have stayed static then in real terms rents/ house prices are falling there.

With the influx of people into Germany all wanting housing I can't imagine prices will stay stable for too much longer unless they have massive schemes of social housing on a vast scale already under way.

As to one person owning 200 places how is that any different to a housing association owning a couple of 1000 properties they're both profit making entities?

They have the property hoarders too dude - my exes folks have quite a few, I'm obviously person non-grata but little ETG should be covered. Mercinary blood thirsty social climber that I am.

Bloke I rented a garage from has 60+ here in Belgium at last count. They changed the law here so rental income is now taxable - he promptly fucked off to Panama. Trophy wife with kids already in tow from over there is now fleecing him for a huge amount. What goes around comes around.

[Supernaut]

Coincidentally, I had a look at a mortgage calculator this morning.

Basically, I need a much better paid job in a much cheaper area to live.

 

 

That's beside the point.

 

This, however:

 

She is a selfish twat who knows where I live. Can't be more than 20 - hence as a bloke in my mid 30s and a scruffy looking bugger, my trying to keep a low profile, being polite, and doing everything I can to not inflame any situation as I know it'll only blow up in my face.

 

She's only gone and reported *me* to the plod for harassment apparently...had the knock at the door while I was in the middle of dinner.

 

FFS.

WHAT THE FUCK?!

 

Who's up for starting a crowdfund to get Zel some nice sturdy gates across his driveway? I'll chuck £5 in.

[oldcars]

Painted the fence few weeks back. Neighbour has just sprayed his and all the colour has come through. I just love wasting my fecking time. I need to move.

[Cavcraft]

Just get pissed one night and get creative with the Halfords spray cans.

[sierraman]

Painted the fence few weeks back. Neighbour has just sprayed his and all the colour has come through. I just love wasting my fecking time. I need to move.

Creosote mixed with diesel. No chance of overcoating that with some shitty Ronseal Shed life.

[DodgeRover]

Creosote mixed with diesel. No chance of overcoating that with some shitty Ronseal Shed life.

Creosote and used Diesel engine oil gives a nice dark long lasting colour. Smells pleasant* too whilst being applied.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

An acquaintance* may or may not have sprayed the interior of his home just before leaving for the last time after cheating ex was going to be given it in the divorce proceedings...... apparently it honks in there no matter what you do for bloody ages. Norfolk folk - gotta love 'em.

I miss Wrexham for some strange reason

 

Edit - stealth style, he rolled up the carpets and covered all the floors and crevices...... he was quite proud of it.

[yes oui si]

Surely the £475pcm rentals aren’t the £125000 houses? There must be cheaper? That’s a very low rental yield

Yup, they are. You might scrape £525 if you're really lucky. Returns on an £85k house are £425ish.

 

It's difficult to find direct comparisons but...

 

https://www.onthemarket.com/details/4308320/

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/s6p/73443089

 

Yeah :/

[yes oui si]

It’s very normal in other countries. German friends of mine have never owned a property but there isn’t the whole “must get on the ladder” mentality. As a result the rental market is large and well regulated and funnily enough German House prices have remained fairly sensible compared to ours.

 

 

Yup, rent controls work - we need them. And I say that as someone who personally benefits from higher rents.

[BorniteIdentity]

Yup, rent controls work - we need them. And I say that as someone who personally benefits from higher rents.

The freer the market, the freer the people.

[yes oui si]

The freer the market, the freer the people.

That sounds suspiciously like untenable libertarian nonsense

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Fucking stupid rear wiper motor design on the MkIV Golf.

 

The screenwash goes through the centre of the motor mechanism, and the screenwash jet is the spindle (basically).  This means that after time the screenwash line leaks and takes out the whole motor.

 

This happened last year.  I got a second-hand one.  It happened again.  I've bought an aftermarket one now.  It's not hard to fix but it's a pain in the arse.

 

This time, the screenwash I was trying to use has gone into the boot catch so it's flashing up as 'open' on my display.  Which is really annoying.

[Kiltox]

Mk3 golf does that too

[SiC]

2010 Audi A4 does that too. Already been through one pump and I've noticed the washer has stopped working again. No doubt leaking all over the pump.

[Pillock]

Pretty much everything VAG.

It's why you see a lot of them with a plastic bung in the hole and no rear wiper at all.

 

I've had to do the Touran and it's fucked again. Plus it was an aluminium "nut" in the washer arm on a steel spindle so it was tighter than my wallet on a night out, but you can't put any force in and it's through the glass. The plastic arm just pulled off leaving the nut behind.

 

Fun.

[SiC]

This is where it leaks from.

 

The mess it makes.

 

After all these years, you'd think they'd fixed it. But then it usually lasts 3 years ... By which point they don't care anymore.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

I really, really like my Golf.  I know they're not exactly popular around here but mine's been pretty much trouble-free beyond service items (and the washer motor) since I got it.  It's quite quick, comfortable, practical, decent on fuel and actually pretty decent to drive.  Wafts along motorways quietly and without issue.

 

In other words, it's a really good car.  Mine's also only just ticked over 100K.

 

It does need a new clutch (my Gran - whose car it was before she died) rode it all the time because of her size and I've taken it another 50K in the last two years.  It also needs a new cambelt eventually.

 

I can't really complain though.  I like my car.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

This is where it leaks from.

 

The mess it makes.

 

After all these years, you'd think they'd fixed it. But then it usually lasts 3 years ... By which point they don't care anymore.

 

Thanks.  I've fixed this fault before.  It's a pain in the arse but there you go.

 

I've bought an aftermarket one this time.  The current one (a replacement) was a Bosch but it was second-hand.

 

I think I might start treating it as a service item.

[Jazoli]

I really, really like my Golf. I know they're not exactly popular around here but mine's been pretty much trouble-free beyond service items (and the washer motor) since I got it. It's quite quick, comfortable, practical, decent on fuel and actually pretty decent to drive. Wafts along motorways quietly and without issue.

 

In other words, it's a really good car. Mine's also only just ticked over 100K.

 

It does need a new clutch (my Gran - whose car it was before she died) rode it all the time because of her size and I've taken it another 50K in the last two years. It also needs a new cambelt eventually.

 

I can't really complain though. I like my car.

Yup I like my Bora too and would echo all your comments, it's miles better than an Astra, Focus or a Corrola.

[Guest Hooli]

Just don't use the rear wiper.

 

 

/Saloon owner

[STUNO]

Calling all tradesmen.... shortage of all housing related trades covering a whole (small) country. 

Reason....not enough houses and no-one to build them.

Contact our local High commission to apply.

You may help to cure the rocketing house prices and you can even build your own !

[Des]

I have to admit being impressed when I first saw one of those wiper spindle VW washer jets, shame they give trouble, could not a separate jet be drilled in elsewhere? Or aim one of the front screen jets high.

[Pieman]

Bloody school parental behaviour nonsense continues.

 

Out working on the car (well, just tidying up to go cool off actually), car pulls into the drive. Parent gets out, starts wandering off to the school.

 

I politely made my presence known and asked if they'd mind parking somewhere other than my driveway.

 

Their response - not even stopping walking or removing iPhone from their ear -

 

"Oh go f*** yourself mate!"

 

Oh well, the four month out of date MOT, four bald tyres (one down to the cords) and lack of insurance have been reported to the police.

 

Meant to comment on this the other day.  If that git had done that to me, I'd be contacting the local banger racers i know and offering them a free car.

[RobT]

I really, really like my Golf.  I know they're not exactly popular around here but mine's been pretty much trouble-free beyond service items (and the washer motor) since I got it.  It's quite quick, comfortable, practical, decent on fuel and actually pretty decent to drive.  Wafts along motorways quietly and without issue.

 

In other words, it's a really good car.  Mine's also only just ticked over 100K.

 

It does need a new clutch (my Gran - whose car it was before she died) rode it all the time because of her size and I've taken it another 50K in the last two years.  It also needs a new cambelt eventually.

 

I can't really complain though.  I like my car.

I was surprised how much I liked it when I had a mooch around at the Kent meet. Is it a high spec as the seats were a pleasantly soft, strokeable material, and the estate looks better than the hatch IMO.

 

Soz, wrong thread, I should be moaning about something really. This Spanish red I'm drinking tonight is shit. There we go.

[Guest Hooli]

Calling all tradesmen.... shortage of all housing related trades covering a whole (small) country. 

Reason....not enough houses and no-one to build them.

Contact our local High commission to apply.

You may help to cure the rocketing house prices and you can even build your own !

 

I used to be tempted but not being a tradesman I couldn't & currently I have other reasons to stay here.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

I have to admit being impressed when I first saw one of those wiper spindle VW washer jets, shame they give trouble, could not a separate jet be drilled in elsewhere? Or aim one of the front screen jets high.

 

 

It probably could but it would require some re-routing and a mount to be made for it.  It's theoretically clever but in practice really annoying when it fails.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

I was surprised how much I liked it when I had a mooch around at the Kent meet. Is it a high spec as the seats were a pleasantly soft, strokeable material, and the estate looks better than the hatch IMO.

 

Soz, wrong thread, I should be moaning about something really. This Spanish red I'm drinking tonight is shit. There we go.

 

It's quite high spec.  It's as high spec as the estates got, apart from a brief run of some higher-power petrol models.

 

I've seen a few with alloys and mudflaps but I think those must have been further options on top of the trim level.

 

Agreed about the estate being better looking.  Of course I'm deeply biased but it does have a bit of presence.  Mine isn't better looking though, given that every single panel has some kind of dent or scuff...

[Steve79]

Had to return my new folding bike to Decathlon after a week, as one pedal bearing was playing and the seatpost was bent somehow, meaning it wouldn't go in properly.

Tried to explain to them it was faulty, but they wouldn't take it back without charging me for the tyres and chain as it 'wasnt in saleable condition'. The bloke didn't even look at it properly, then I said I wanted to make a phone call to get some advice, and he fucked off and didn't come back. After 10-15 minutes one of the till staff asked if I was alright and went to get the shift manager, didn't even have to ask she just went and did it, good on her.

He reitetated the first guys stance, also tried to tell me they had a legal right to repair it and wouldn't accept that the bike was unfit for purpose as the seatpost was replaceable?

Wouldn't even replace the pedal as they deemed the play on the pedal axle normal?! Was it fuck. Again he didn't even look at it properly.

He couldn't accept that it wasn't really my concern that a faulty bike wasn't in a condition to be resold, either. 'well you've used it' he said, well it's bloody meant to be used, and if a fault develops in a week it's clearly not fit for purpose is it??? He tried to compare it to things like returning a torn tent which was just fucking daft.

All they'd offer me was a replacement seatpost or a partial refund.

Shift manager wouldn't budge and kept trying to use the vague returns policy to his advantage while I'm trying to pick holes in it, but then went off to 'let me think about what I wanted to do', came back and I got a full refund again without even asking.

Whole thing took about an hour - fuck Decathlon.

That's a real shame. Me and a mate got our Triban 500 road bikes from the Wednesbury store and had nothing but positive attitude from them. Didn't have any issues with mine but my mates pedal threads went within a few weeks. Didn't even quibble about swapping and got 2 extra free services thrown in as a way of apologising. Think they might have felt bad as we had travelled from bristol especially to get the bikes.