Monday 12 March 2012

Stairway to heaven

The cladding and remodelling in oak of the gate lodge stairs is moving on nicely with the tatty old stairs coming on well. Another five weeks and we should be on the exterior...good stuff!

6 comments:

Electro-Kevin said...

Got our house on the market with one particular house in mind.

A beautiful Victorian. Stunning, original features. Extremely well kept. Roomy with two bathrooms - 3 WCs in total. Beautiful extension.

275k. Would command around 750k just within the M25 where we used to live. Has dropped in the last year by 1/4 but we know they've been offered 250 and declined.

Means extending our mortgage to retirement to be able to live and leave a buffer to either overpay or handle shocks. No lump-sums or anything like that coming our way.

Would take us to 1/3 monthly take home pay factoring at 5% interest without any over time. Would reach over half monthly income at 12% if we reverted to interest only.

We are not renovators - but then nor are we people who wish to travel the world or go to swanky restaurants. We'd be happy in this beautiful town and in a home like that.

Presently our mortgage is 1/4 take home and is due up in 8 years.

Job pretty much secure - well as it can be given the circumstances.

What to do. What to do.

Thud said...

Kev, without digging a financial hole like so many ( you know your limits obviously)then I'd always advise buying the best house you can,houses are so much part of how we livethat an unsatisfactory house can be soul destroying. only too happy to help by the way in any restoration probs etc you may come across.

Electro-Kevin said...

Thud - If we do it I'll post some piccies. I'm sure you'll understand what drove us to it. We weren't expecting this to come along at all and so have been settled here a while.

A comfort zone.

What's wrong with comfort ? It can be stultifying and, in truth, not pushing one's self is not very comfortable at all.

There is always that 'why didn't I ?' affecting all of life's pleasures.

I feel that the figures are well within limits and have (barring me losing my job)wriggle room.

I've based my calculations on 5% and 7% and have also taken them to 12% which would be extremely difficult but still do-able.

There seems nothing to be done on this house. Even the decor is exactly how we would have it. Thanks for your kind offer and wise counsel.

James Higham said...

... or to the poltergeist above.

Vinogirl said...

So much better than the stairs I teetered up last April :)

About Last Weekend said...

Oh just that stairway makes me miss London so so much. Vertiginous and oaky - you can't beat it.