What's made you grumpy today?

[The Panda Nut]

Any decent solicitors will give you up front costs, had this on my mums probate and the sale of three houses in the last 5 years. Always the amount stated was what was paid. Always ask to be contacted if there is any movement on the price quoted.
Most of what they do can be done by anyone and I do most of this myself.
Deed name changes they charge 800 to 1400 for round here can be done for gov fee only, quoted 1800 for power of attorney, got it done gov fee only, many of these things are quite straightforward.
Accountants are another scam used one once charged 570 to do a job that took me 5 minutes once I'd learned how to do capital gains tax myself its really easy most of the time. Been doing my own taxes for 20 years again so simple once you've done it once. I keep my books each week and add up and at end of year taxes done in an hour or two on gov.uk.
Also never get a will by a solicitor loads out there who come to you and do it for £99.00 but again these can be done by yourself with a little learning. Just need the signatures etc to be correct.
So many rip offs in this country you can get around by searching for info.

Sometimes its a matter of available time. With some things you need a solicitor to hold funds in a registered clients account. We paid for my daughters house in advance and were amazed to get a cheque for interest paid on the money. Better still, at a better rate than our own bank. Just as well too or we would be eating bread and water at christmas. Now we can have baked bean

 

[porta]

Sometimes its a matter of available time. With some things you need a solicitor to hold funds in a registered clients account. We paid for my daughters house in advance and were amazed to get a cheque for interest paid on the money. Better still, at a better rate than our own bank. Just as well too or we would be eating bread and water at christmas. Now we can have baked bean

Just one bean

 

[The Panda Nut]

Just one bean

Yep. Now pretty nearly 100% broke unless she starts payin us back. Ive got to finish renovation 1st...

 

[sandeel999]

I had a selection of houses and the associated rental business and tenants to deal with.
But had been doing mums accounts for years, again self taught. Took me a year in lockdown and never even met the solicitor all done by email and mail for signatures.
5 years to shut the business down and sell off properties. So wasn't quite straight forward

 

[bugsymike]

I had a selection of houses and the associated rental business and tenants to deal with.
But had been doing mums accounts for years, again self taught. Took me a year in lockdown and never even met the solicitor all done by email and mail for signatures.
5 years to shut the business down and sell off properties. So wasn't quite straight forward

In the old days owning a few properties and collecting a fair rent was fairly straight forward and common practice, these days with all the regulations imposed and tenents who deliberatly default and when the case is finally heard in court the landlord after months of unpaid rent is awarded £1 a week that is often unpaid, only to take repossesion and find the property trashed costing thousands to even get it in a sellable position, I know of several who have gone down that route.
The problem these days to me, is from government all the way down there is no accountability.

 

[sandeel999]

Never had a problem with any tenants In 20 years, not one late rent payment or bills owed. No damage except accidental.
I always chose our tenants, ads in local paper shop window, I would leave it empty for 2 or 3 months if it took that long to find what I thought was a decent tenant. Never charged a deposit to any tenant.
Did upgrades in houses every year windows or doors or more insulation. When empty bathrooms or kitchens etc and full paint.
Always said to tenants. If you have the slightest problem or worry call me. As an early problem found might be an hours job no disruption.. if left might be a bigger problem which might cause disruption.
Always called and always went and sorted it straight away for them. The properties needed for nothing and we're easy to sell 2 going on the second day on sale, another sold on day 3 and one took 4 days all priced at price recommended by 3 agents.
Always charged a reasonable rent and many of our tenants our still my friends now.
Government interference is losing lots of properties for rent. Most of my friends have all sold up. All of mine are now second homes as are many of my friends. They are not bothered by double council tax as I am friends with all the buyers of mine.
My local council thinks double council tax will make them all sell up and stay home, most properties here are 300000 to 1.5 million so an extra couple of grand council tax is nothing to them.
Holiday homes here are a big problem can rent over 500 places within 3 miles without all the static caravan sites (40 within 10 miles) and site fees on most of these is approaching 5 grand, so double council tax highish rate for a caravan.
Just had partners stepdad on phone only 1 property he rents is his mother's old place. Yes he's selling up so another rental gone.

 

[The Panda Nut]

In the old days owning a few properties and collecting a fair rent was fairly straight forward and common practice, these days with all the regulations imposed and tenents who deliberatly default and when the case is finally heard in court the landlord after months of unpaid rent is awarded £1 a week that is often unpaid, only to take repossesion and find the property trashed costing thousands to even get it in a sellable position, I know of several who have gone down that route.
The problem these days to me, is from government all the way down there is no accountability.

Sadly I agree. No core values around right and wrong and no or an often misaligned sense of what is commonly decent and what is P.C.twaddle. No ability to hear an argument and make a quick reasonable decision. Ambiguity, indecision all the way.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Noops dashboard erupted into hideouus rattles yesterday, no warning, no provocation and no reason. Its where dash board meets dashtop and radio. Can be stopped with light upward presure on the left side of the top of the radio. I cant drive it like this so radio, and possibly dash must come out. I NEED RADIO REMOVAL TOOLS NOW. cant find my old ones. Does anyone know are these panda specific please?

 

[portland_bill]

Noops dashboard erupted into hideouus rattles yesterday, no warning, no provocation and no reason. Its where dash board meets dashtop and radio. Can be stopped with light upward presure on the left side of the top of the radio. I cant drive it like this so radio, and possibly dash must come out. I NEED RADIO REMOVAL TOOLS NOW. cant find my old ones. Does anyone know are these panda specific please?

If this is a 169 Panda, the tools shold be standard size.
First though, check the passenger airbag. They sometimes rattle or craek a little.
When I first got my Panda, (2010), the airbag drove me nuts. There's no adjustment on the fixing points.
My solution. (169 Panda)
Disconnect battery, have a cup of tea, allows plenty of time for the capacitors to empty.
Remove the glovebox. Don't forget the large central fixing.
Now you can see the airbag fixings. Slacken them and draw the airbag outwards.
Clean the surface of the dash where the airbag sits agianst it. Put a tiny bead of silicone around the aperture. Leave until fully set.
Press the airbag back in, and tighten the fixings. Refit glovebox.
No more rattles. Been quiet for the last 15 years, so that's a success.

 

[portland_bill]

Had to go to Richmond yesterday. (London, not Yorkshire)
Surprisingly, on all the main roads, instead of the usual rush and stop, everythign was moving slowly. Lights turned green, everyone ambled away. Or not if they were on their phone.
Get into the back streets though, all 20mph limits, and there was always some clown on the back bumper.
It has all changed since I was last there. Really looking forward to returning late November. Not.

Leaving, along the M4, all very slow. Hit 70 for the first time just before Reading.

 

[sandeel999]

So the government has just bought a load of mobile crematorium from Poland and has tendered for cold storage of 3 million plus bodies.
Seems strange something they are not letting us know.

 

[The Panda Nut]

So the government has just bought a load of mobile crematorium from Poland and has tendered for cold storage of 3 million plus bodies.
Seems strange something they are not letting us know.

Sounds like a fake news item from Russia to me. Wait and see....

 

[bugsymike]

So the government has just bought a load of mobile crematorium from Poland and has tendered for cold storage of 3 million plus bodies.
Seems strange something they are not letting us know.

Good to know when we die, we will be kept fresh, does this improve our "sell by date"?.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Good to know when we die, we will be kept fresh, does this improve our "sell by date"?.

Some maybe ... You ans me, no kinchance!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Actually a 319. It sounded like something was broken and rattling appallingly.
I decided to try silicon spray first. First dose made it quieter, second dose normal rattle and creak free running restored. I see the correct radio tools are £21!! From the racket that broke out Im astounded spray cured it. Dry plastics can make an appalling noise.

 

[SB1500]

First puncture I’ve had that I could hear hissing and a noticeably flat bottom of tyre…. £15 and 45 mins to sort on a Friday morning.

This car is lucky that some idiot politician oil shareholder in the 1950s altered Northern Ireland’s infrastructure to pretty much force car ownership as the only practical way to get around…. Otherwise I’d give up and trade in the car keys for a decent season pass and reclaim time to close my eyes during my commute…

(The tyres look bald but that’s just how these ones are even when new…oddly)

 

[bugsymike]

Actually a 319. It sounded like something was broken and rattling appallingly.
I decided to try silicon spray first. First dose made it quieter, second dose normal rattle and creak free running restored. I see the correct radio tools are £21!! From the racket that broke out Im astounded spray cured it. Dry plastics can make an appalling noise.

Many years ago a mate of mine worked for the then Datsun Dealership (Nissan) their cure for creaking dashboards on brand new vehicles was to use talcum powder. Don't know if it was scented or not.

 

[porta]

Many years ago a mate of mine worked for the then Datsun Dealership (Nissan) their cure for creaking dashboards on brand new vehicles was to use talcum powder. Don't know if it was scented or not.

Yes, same for sticking mig wire feeds

 

[The Panda Nut]

Many years ago a mate of mine worked for the then Datsun Dealership (Nissan) their cure for creaking dashboards on brand new vehicles was to use talcum powder. Don't know if it was scented or not.

Beauty of the spray is it wipes off, just cleaning the dash slightly, no mess. This was a hell of a creak!