Trying to keep my Clients happy I made an early start today, that is early for me, to look at a detached house in Coombe Dingle where I am pleased to say I found it in good condition. It was an interesting house that started life as a chalet style bungalow, but really more of a house. Originally it had a lounge/dining area and kitchen on the ground floor together with a bathroom and bedroom. At first floor level are two bedrooms. The previous owners had extended into the roof to provide ensuite facilities to each bedroom, a shower room to one and a bathroom to the other. It is capable of a further extension on the opposite side, if anyone ever wanted to, and I suspect one day they will. It is in a quiet cul-de-sac but I know one favoured by the dreaded learner driver who keeps conversing into it…

Later I saw a very traditional semi-detached house that had not been occupied for well over a year. Externally it was in well above average condition apart from the garden where I expected to find Mr Stanley, or was it Mr Livingstone coming towards me; it was so overgrown and looking like a jungle. The house will need significant modernisation and improvement but at least externally it is in good condition. That is pleasant for my Client because they can spend money where it can be seen and where they will take most pleasure, apart from rewiring and re-plumbing. A new kitchen, a new bathroom, new decorations throughout and I suppose new heating. They can even introduce a new door to the garage and then tackle the garden; I wonder who they'll meet? It won't be a learner driver, but they're in this attractive tree lined Filton road as well…   more »

It wasn't like Fort Knox, nothing like it but I do get a bit fed up having to climb over gates because tenants forget to leave the remote control in the lockable letterbox for me to gain entrance. (I had to do the same thing last week because there, the vendor had bolted the gate so I could not use the key!) Anyway having gained entrance I was able to get on top of the property and look down on it. It is a substantial three floored property in a reasonably quiet location close to Redland Road. Basically it was sound but my Clients had realised, and I have to say it wasn't difficult not to realise, that at first floor level the floor ran significantly downhill. I was not panting by the time I walked from the window to the door, but you know the feeling you're getting out of breath! Cracking has occurred through the party wall with the adjoining house and down through the internal accommodation adjacent to the party wall. Some of cracking seems recent even though it is of no magnitude, if that makes sense. Interestingly there is a double sealed screw down manhole cover set in the ceramic tiled basement floor which is how the entire lower level is finished. The walls may have dropped but the floor at this level has not. Nevertheless I am advising my Client instigates a video of the drains so that he is aware of their true condition and I'm also advising that my Clients insist that the vendor makes a claim on their insurance policy. My Clients can then take over the claim (under the Law of Property Act 1925) and we'll see where we go from here…   more »