NewStats: 3,265,061 , 8,185,491 topics. Date: Friday, 13 June 2025 at 10:19 AM b2s6q

Thanks a lot for clarifying. This is going to be a tough one for me. At least now I know that I can find out who the lender is as I didn't know I could previously.

elengine:



For your situation, you need to up your deposit to 10% before you can get a good deal. Nobody on this platform has claimed to have got a good deal for a 95% LTV as a foreign national. Ordinarily, it is difficult to get a mortgage if you don't have ILR or port. But some lenders relaxed their rules and say that they can lend to visaholder provided they have 10% deposit. So if you have any lender that want to give you mortgage on 95% LTV, then they are going to charge you higher rate to cover the risk, plus they are usually not highstreet lenders. Is the property a new build? Reason is because Most of these lenders with 95% LTV won't give you mortgage for a new build.

Meanwhile you have the right to know the lenders.tellyour advisor to send the DIP issued the lender. You will see the lender's name.

Hi Guys, so in my current property journey, I have been made aware from two separate mortgage brokers ( L&C and Purple Bricks) that for my situation of being on a skilled worker visa with 2 years left, only one lender is willing to accept a 5% deposit for a 220k house but are insisting on a five year fixed deal at 6.5% and (can't the %) leading to monthly payments of £1,400 and £1,600 respectively. Note: I don't know who the lender is or if it is the same lender that both brokers are quoting.

Are there people here with similar experiences because I thought from general knowledge shared here that as long as you were on a skilled visa with at least 2 years left, you could get a 2 year fixed deal with fair rates. It doesn't seem to be the case for me as both advisors seemed hung up on the lack of indefinite leave during our discussions and insisted that there was no other options for me unless I can increase the deposit which I just cannot afford currently.

Thanks a lot. A lot of information and valid points that I will put to good use.

kwakudtraveller:


1. The level of survey you do would be based on a number of factors like the age of the property. We opted to do a Level 3 survey because it was an old build built in the 1940s. Surveys are done by chartered surveyors; you can find them online on comparison sites for quotes. We found ours on Reallymoving.com, and he was fantastic. Regarding repairs, if it’s just a minor repair, you could either absorb the costs or ask the seller to fix them with proof. If it’s major issues with the property, you could renegotiate the price like we did or move on to another property if the issues are unbearable. Just know that you would lose some money based on the latter, as you would need to repay for searches and a new survey on another property.
 
2. The level of survey depends on factors like the age of the property. Ours was an old build, built in the 1940s and we chose a Level 3 survey. Chartered surveyors conduct these surveys, and you can compare quotes online, Reallymoving.com worked well for us. Minor repair issues can be resolved by absorbing the cost or asking the seller to repair them and put this as part of the solicitor’s process by getting them to ask for proof of repair. For major issues, you can renegotiate the price (as we did) or walk away, though you'd incur costs for new searches and survey on the next property you choose.
 
3. Valuations sometimes come with Level 2 surveys. Most times, the banks offering you the mortgage do this for free. They rarely get anyone on site; they just use an online source for the valuation.
 
4. Look for solicitors closest to you. Check their reviews on Trustpilot. It’s better to have a solicitor in your city so that you can always walk into their office to seat on them. We got a solicitor in another city, and I regret that decision. Or maybe someone here can recommend theirs because they were good.
 
5. Offering 10-15% less can be risky, especially if you love the property and homes in that area sell quickly. But it’s still worth a shot. Start by checking recent sale prices of similar properties to gauge the market value. In many cases, sellers might only be willing to drop around £10k from the asking price. Some estate agents overprice their properties and reduce the price after a couple of weeks if there’s little interest. If your offer is rejected, the estate agent will often tell you the vendor’s acceptable range, and you could negotiate further to perhaps knocking off between 5-10k. But just know that if the property is in high demand, you could lose it to someone who’s offering more.

Finally bro, you shouldn’t expect to close by January. Lower that expectation as it’s a process that usually takes between 3 - 5/6 months.

Hello Family, I am such a huge fan of all the encouragement, advice and assistance that is being shared by the elders and gurus on this thread for those of us new in the country and trying to get onto the property ladder. Although I am a silent reader, I have been following the thread religiously and I have learnt so much here i.e. Oga Lexus's famous saying " Rent money is dead money" or Madam Ticha's informative posts and so many other people's wisdom which has really helped in motivating many of us.

I am currently in the market for a 3 bedroom property in Birmingham and I have a few questions I will be grateful to get assistance and advice on.

1. I have done a viewing for several properties and I have narrowed it down to 2 I like. Do/Can I make an offer before a survey is done?
2. I am aware that there are 2 types of survey - basic and structural which is far more expensive. Who does this survey and if a property seems alright needed just minor repairs and work is there any advantage in doing the structural survey or that is for houses that might require extensive renovations.
3. Is valuation of the property something that is paid for? I have seen several websites that are able to give an idea of what it should cost and I wonder if there is something else I am missing
4. Finally, could the house recommend solicitors that have very good ratings. I have heard a lot of people warn about the need to go with tested and trusted solicitors especially through referrals. Since I was able to know about L & C here with very good reviews I would appreciate help/advice in the solicitor area as well.
5. Finally, is there a any tip that can be given to a newbie who hasn't made an offer before? I have read of getting the costs of similar properties in the street/area and making an offer 10-15% less than the posted price, but if that is rejected do you wait a day or two before upping your offer?

Apologies for the numerous questions, I started the process last week and hope to have it completed before January 2025 end or February if all goes well. Thanks in advance for all your replies.

Oga@Lexusgs430, please could you direct me to your comment on items to check for before going for an MOT? I thought I had it saved somewhere but can't find it.

Thanks a lot Oga Lexus!!! Much appreciated.

Lexusgs430:


this app.....

Loveholidays.....

Holiday bookings are ATOL protected & it's all inclusive (don't forget to book your transfers, within the app)......

Enjoy the sun....... 🤣😁

Hi Everyone, I am hoping to take my wife and 3 kids ( ages 8,5 and 3) on our first summer holiday outside the UK, but I have no idea how to get a great all-inclusive package deal with a rough budget estimate of around £500/600. I have heard nice things about Tenerife, Algrave, Gilbratar etc. I don't mind if it is just for 3 or 4 days or if it is grand or posh, as long as it has a beach or nice facilities for the kids to have fun and run around and have a break from the UK weather and school routine. There is so much information online and so I don't even know how to filter the right information as I know that the best value deals will be hidden and gotten mostly through referral. I am not even sure of the number of rooms to book for all of us and so all suggestions will be highly appreciated. Apologies if this is not the right thread to post this inquiry.

Hello Boss, could you give examples of those traders you mentioned that we could study/copy their trades and positions daily and learn from that?

Lexusgs430:


The beauty of T212, you can copy pies..... I copy a pie called '' Almost daily Dividends '' ....... This pie is a brilliant pie .......😜🤣

Some people might say, buying individual shares is too risky..... So they stick to ETF's or other instruments....... My answer to them is, why not do all.........😁😜

A comparison of one of my portfolios vs ETF.....🤣

Nice one Boss. Is there a reason you go with them over others like Interactive Brokers for example? And are you recommending Stocks ISA or General Investment from the moneyfarm?

Lexusgs430:


with moneyfarm......😂

https://app.moneyfarm.com/gb/?promocode=MF613416&PartnerId=84714d4e-4ee9-44cf-a90c-7a7095995d36

Hahahahaha Oga Lexus, I have already ed, as it was mandatory at the recruitment stage, so I was just curious about it. I would prefer the fund manager to reduce any stress but something that I can have a dashboard view or be adding installment amounts to monthly for compound interests or something like that

Lexusgs430:


with your employer's pension provider...... Nobody go chop your money .....😜😂

Do you want a self managed investment platform or fund manager.......

Hello House and especially Oga@Lexusgs430 @dubaiprince @ednut, what investment platform would you recommend a newbie to in the UK? I have been hearing about ISAs and other stocks platforms, but would appreciate a single platform or app that offers a simplified way of investing in shares of major companies here in UK or US in the safest way. Any educational video or link to respect will be highly appreciated. Also, I have been getting emails from my company pension provider and I wonder how that it works here in UK and if there is any optimal way we could use the funds or it is untouchable till retirement or so. I hope I am asking the questions in the right way. Thanks.

Makes a lot of sense. Thanks!!

koonbey:


Get a laptop. Even if it's a cheap one off eBay, it'll work for the basic coding he'd be doing, and be way better than a tablet.

There are tablet apps for coding but most are just gimmicks. Best to start him on the right foot.

Thanks a lot. I completely getting the being bored part

Lilipo:

==========≈=========================
No, I didn't get a laptop. He goes to the club twice a week and he has access to their computers. The software they use is tailor made for kids and not the adult version we all know (else kids will be bored😀). They teach them the same concept though as they would be able to, with time, use it in adult version. No need for laptop.

Mine isn't keen about the online as well, but I don't mind having a look at any details you can send across. What is the name of the F2F that your son is on now? Is there a similar one in Birmingham?

Lilipo:

===========================
Oh! That's a shame. I thought they were expanding recently and covered Birmingham. @OP, if you struggle to find a physical one, I know an online one which your son can start with until you find a face to face one? I tried them with my son, I liked the content but my boy wasn't keen on online, he preferred face to face (which of course is more expensive, I was looking for cheaper option, lol) so we kept with F2F. If you are interested, will dig out their details.

Hi, I just checked and confirmed they are not in Birmingham or even close. Is there any like them that you can recommend please?

hustla:


Was about to mention them cos I see them around Enfield town.. Seems they aren't in Birmingham area though

Thanks a lot for this response. I will look them up. Did you have to get a laptop for your boy? Mine just has a samsung tablet and I don't lknow if that works

Lilipo:



≈========≈===≈========================
Not sure if you got any response to this but my son has been doing a face to face session with Code Ninja's since he was 8 (now almost 11). He has been learning to code in a fun way starting with scratch, a bit of python, sql and now java script. I would suggest checking if you have any code ninja hub near you - they are really good. I know because I code too and I always check on what they teach him.

Hello House, I have a 7 year old son I am really interested in getting to start coding/programming classes for kids. I would prefer a hybrid approach of both in person and online classes as I feel interacting with other kids might also add to the fun and generate more interest. I live in Birmingham, but unfortunately, most of the options I have found through google are just purely online.

Since the options I have found are so numerous and similar, I would really appreciate any recommendations that can be given that can narrow my choice and give him the best experience. Thanks a lot.

Lol...I like this. Making lemonade with lemons. How much did you pay for the MOT though?

Lexusgs430:



Categorised vehicles are not that bad (you get a considerable discount).......😂

I bought my daughter a Cat N vehicle, rather than paying £35.00 to a driving instructor........ We take her out about 3/5 days a week, for 2 hours driving around.....😊

It was written off, because of a small dent on the OSF fender....... (I did not even fix it).... We dey drive am so ....😊

The vehicle is so economical, that i drive it now most of the time ...... Put it through an MOT yesterday, it ed with no advisories........😜

I love this Jazz .......😁

Thank you, My Oga. Point noted...Lol

Lexusgs430:



The only time I would advise you to buy a cat s vehicle...... Is only if you can see the post accident damage.......

Cat S - Simply means vehicle was structurally damaged and BER ...........

Another car is always available around the corner..... Never get emotional about a vehicle purchase, but realistic .........

An honda jazz, would comfortably sit 7 (although illegal) and the extra 2 (must be kids)........😂😜

Not for long journeys.....🤑

Hello House, I have been on the market for a car, and based on my budget I have seen a really nice Vaxhall Astra 2010 for 2,500 pounds. However, my cousin is against me buying it as he said it is a Cat S car and no company would agree to insure it because when we called the number on the page, the seller confirmed it and said he got it as a part exchange and there is no engineering report or repair document for the car. But he told us that the MOT and other things were all up to date. Following that, I called 2 insurance companies from comparethemarket who both said they wouldnt insure it as a Cat S.

I am asking if there are any recommendations for companies I could try. I really like the car because of its relative size. I have 3 kids and so most of the Astra type size of cars are currently over 4k, which is just totally beyond me at the moment and due to work and school runs, I am under a lot of pressure to get a car quickly.

Please, I would appreciate all the advice I can get. Thanks!!!

Thanks for this. So based on your explanation, can a full time and permanent role be started before end of the course date if all academic requirements are completed ie classes, course works, dissertation etc

quote author=icon8 post=115827603]

Full time means you are contracted for full working hours (e.g. 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday). The opposite of this is part time (e.g. 3hours per day, 3 days per week, etc.). This could be either as a temporary worker (temp) or as a permanent employee (perm).

Permanent means that you are employed by the organisation until you sack them (resign) or they sack you (fire). This usually comes with other perks and benefits (see below). Temporary on the other hand means you are hired for a defined period (usually short term, but could be long in some cases), for a specific purpose, but you do not have the full rights and benefits of a permanent employee (e.g. pension, annual/sick leave, private health insurance, standard notice period, death in service benefit, etc.).[/quote]

Hi, please is there a difference between full time work and permanent job in of student visa restrictions? I see both in different places and it is a bit confusing. I ask this because i saw on a website that you can work full time during holidays but not a permanent role.

Also, after submission of dissertation, can one commence a permanent job role immediately since official school is over? or the correct thing as some websites i have seen, say you must wait till course end date shown on the CAS, while others just state after term time which is still not clear or that you can't do a permanent job on the student visa.

Thanks

Thank you for your response. My course start and end date is the same for my other fellow Sep intakes, Sep 6 2021 to Sep 11, 2022. Their BRP validity period extends to January while mine ends in November hence my concern and query. I am going to take advantage of the PSW definitely but the extra 2 months can go a long way in helping me as you imagine.

cbn4main:


Kindly confirm your course start date and end date. This is tied to the duration of your visa. Some one year courses have 12 months duration while some are more.

This may explain the variance in the visa duration btw yours and your fellow sep intake mates.

However if you would finish b4 the current expiration, just apply for PSW and switch.

Thank you so much for your response. Could you explain a bit what you mean by recorded message?

Lexusgs430:



Send an email and recorded letter to UKBA, highlighting your case .........

Sure, [email protected]

yemstico:


Hello! Thanks for your long lenghty message. It's really educative. Please is there a way I can get your email or mobile? I will be on Coventry next month and there are so many questions I want to ask about the place. Thank you.

My email is [email protected].

Hi Everyone, please I need some advice from the house.

I applied for my student visa in September 2021 and when I received my BRP in October 2021 after arriving in the UK, it said it would expire in November of 2022. At the time I didn't know much or thought there was a problem, but recently I have confirmed from several people who also applied at the same time or even before me for the same September school start date, that theirs are ending in January 2023, as there are some months of grace added.

Please how do I go clarifying this and can this be rectified as it will go a very long way in helping both me and my dependents whose BRP are also tied to the November expiration date. I would just like to know if BRPs for the same cohort can have different end dates or it must be the same.

Thank you so much

@justwise @Lexusgs430 @ @TheGuyFromHR @dubaiprince

Thank you for response. I will try out your advice

tshoboy:

Question might be best answered in student thread.
Are those people studying same course with you? If not, first confirm from your own course mates.
If still an issue, reach out to UKVI and they should issue new BRPs to you. Although you will have to pay for it. https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/report-problem

Hi Everyone, please I need some advice from the house.

I applied for my student visa in September 2021 and when I received my BRP in October 2021 after arriving in the UK, it said it would expire in November of 2022. At the time I didn't know much or thought there was a problem, but recently I have confirmed from several people who also applied at the same time or even before me for the same September school start date, that theirs are ending in January 2023, as there are some months of grace added.

Please how do I go clarifying this and can this be rectified as it will go a very long way in helping both me and my dependents whose BRP are also tied to the November expiration date.

Really? That is surprising because I actually called the Council directly to inquire and they confirmed that a dependent would be exempted. Did you apply for exemption with all your documents proving that you are a dependent?

teeboi77:

I only got 25% discount from Birmingham city council as a dependent,despite all the dragging

Thank you so much

AirBay:


Exempted.

Write a letter to the council, stating you're a student and attach proof of student record, copy of dependant brp and port.

Hello House, in Birmingham, is a student's dependent liable to pay council tax or will be exempted just like the student?

Lol, I know you can fully relate. You were among the people that specifically helped me all through, you, Oga @Lexusgs430, @TheGuyFromHR @Mamatukwas and others as well responded on so many occassions to my several questions.

It is just a huge relief to be able to be past it all now.

dubaiprince:


Congrats... I can relate with what you must have gone through preparing for your family's arrival. I had a similar experience (wife and 3 kids ing 7 months after). Madam no gree me rest lol. Points 1 and 2 are VERY IMPORTANT