Author Topic: Storm (Read 24365 times)

Beewyched · « **Reply #75 on:** December 12, 2013, 08:32:12 pm »

Sorry to have to say that the estate/letting agents aren't always playing fair either - when we were looking for a 3-year rental to cover my partner's initial job contract "North of the Border" we got caught-out too - decorated and laid new carpets downstairs, only to be told just before we'd been there for 6 months that the farm needed the smallholding back as their son was getting married in 2 months time!

No money back, deposit retained - as we had dogs & they had to get ALL the carpets professionally cleaned

- we didn't allow the dogs upstairs & we put down NEW carpets only a month beforehand!

Letting Agent told us that she hadn't been told about this by the owners & was very apologetic - only then to find out a year later at the hairdressers in the village we'd moved on to that the Letting Agent was a relative of the farm & her daughter was a bridesmaid, also that the wedding date had been arranged for 2 years to coincide with the farm manager's retirement

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #76 on:** December 12, 2013, 09:32:48 pm »

That's disgusting, Beewyched.

shygirl · « **Reply #77 on:** December 13, 2013, 04:31:07 pm »

Quote from: Beewyched on December 12, 2013, 08:32:12 pm

Sorry to have to say that the estate/letting agents aren't always playing fair either - when we were looking for a 3-year rental to cover my partner's initial job contract "North of the Border" we got caught-out too - decorated and laid new carpets downstairs, only to be told just before we'd been there for 6 months that the farm needed the smallholding back as their son was getting married in 2 months time!

No money back, deposit retained - as we had dogs & they had to get ALL the carpets professionally cleaned - we didn't allow the dogs upstairs & we put down NEW carpets only a month beforehand!

Letting Agent told us that she hadn't been told about this by the owners & was very apologetic - only then to find out a year later at the hairdressers in the village we'd moved on to that the Letting Agent was a relative of the farm & her daughter was a bridesmaid, also that the wedding date had been arranged for 2 years to coincide with the farm manager's retirement

was it a 3 yr lease?
its hard to evict tenants if their lease hasn't expired unless you go to court. things have changed now in Scotland with the deposit scheme - as it has to held in a trust account and landlords cant get it without good reason. tenants can oppose retainment too.
I cant evict my tenants even though I have to chase every single penny and they are a month behind with rent.

my ex was an estate agent in Australia and they are all crooked. they are commission based so compare them to a used car salesmen.

though in Scotland they are more likely to be solicitors.

im sure in spring there will be a lot more properties for sale. things are selling below valuation at the moment. Aberdeen property market is picking up but that ripple effect hasn't hit Orkney yet.

what was the valuation on the croft Clarebelle? I presume it had a homebuyers report?

my estate agent lead me to believe nothing sells over the valuation price in the homebuyers report, and a lot are sold under the valuation price.

Clarebelle · « **Reply #78 on:** December 13, 2013, 05:20:13 pm »

The home report valued the place at 140k and now I've seen it I think it is certainly worth the money, they have made alot of improvements to the house and is in walk in condition.

We upped our offer to 135k which is the absolute max we can go to but the vendors are away until tuesday so we won't find out if they accept or not for a few days yet. I can understand why they want more money for it, they just havent gone about it the right way! At least we know, if they accept, we are protected from them trying to change the goal posts again.

Beewyched · « **Reply #79 on:** December 13, 2013, 06:07:51 pm »

Shygirl - it was supposed to have been, but they included a 6 month probationary type of clause into it - something to do with them having to evict the previous tenants (the ones before them had been there nearly 40 years apparently).
I can totally appreciate problems with tenants - we rented-out our house while we were up in Scotland - nightmare that is probably going to cost us more than 10 times the rent that we managed to get out of her. We're also finding-out that she even left owing money to local businesses that are harassing us to settle

Clarebelle - I really hope this works out for you

Clarebelle · « **Reply #80 on:** December 17, 2013, 12:39:49 pm »

We have heard back today, they have accepted our offer! yay!

southernskye · « **Reply #81 on:** December 17, 2013, 04:28:56 pm »

Nice one Clarebelle.
All the best for the future. I am sure you will have a super life, enjoy the community and, as we do here, always seem to have loads to do, people to see and life is generally great.

Sskye

shygirl · « **Reply #82 on:** December 17, 2013, 04:41:26 pm »

welldone !!! I was wondering how it went. it is a lovely looking place. im so pleased for you. id love a place so close to the water

can I ask what you are going to do for work?
its just im seriously thinking of moving somewhere like that (maybe sanday) but with the outer islands its a fair way from the mainland for work. I have seen each island does advertise a few part-time jobs each year but how many people apply for those I don't know. I have been told that orcadians (quite rightly) give jobs to other orcadians before ferryloupers. so id very interested in how you will pay the bills etc. (sorry if its rude to ask.)

have you a move in date?
congratulations

btw Malcolm who used to be on here is on westray. he was a friendly chap but haven't heard from him for ages,

Clarebelle · « **Reply #83 on:** December 17, 2013, 05:02:26 pm »

Of course its not rude to ask, its a major consideration when making such a big move!

basically, my husband is in the armed forces and he will be staying in and commuting every other weekend up to Orkney to see me and the kids. His wage is enough to provide our mortgage payment and living expenses.

I do plan to get a job as soon as I can once we move up there and the plan is that once I am working eventually my husband will be able to leave the armed forces and get work up here aswell. I have been working as a carer and there is a care home on the island which i am hoping to get work at, in fact, the woman whose house i am buying currently works at the care home.

It is shift work though which i can't really do until my husband has moved up with us because of the kids, but really, i'll do anything, i don't need to earn much to cover our expenses and there are a few shops/the fish processing plant etc where I could work. Also, one of the lures of the house we are buying is that two of the buildings are halfway to being converted so we are hoping to use them as holiday lets.

We are lucky in that it I won't need to find work imiediately, we will have the luxury of being able to wait until something comes around.

Obviously, if you look at the mainland/south ronaldsey then you open up a whole world of jobs, the flip side is that the property is more expensive.

shygirl · « **Reply #84 on:** December 17, 2013, 05:11:15 pm »

thanks so much. I just need to find a husband , lol.
the schools are suppose to be excellent too.

yes the property is more expensive on mainland, especially land.
let us know if you going to do a blog!

congratulations