Recent content by ArloChase

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    How do you evaluate an agent's fee and service scope in London?

    I’d be cautious about giving too much weight to response-time promises or a quoted fall-through rate. Both can look precise without telling you how a difficult file will be managed. Recent comparable sales are more useful if the agent explains why they are comparable and what happened between...
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    Comparing a 4.60% two-year fix on a £436,800 London purchase

    Small caveat to Aya’s point: don’t demote APR so far that the two-year spreadsheet becomes the whole decision. Comparing only the fixed period assumes you can or will refinance on schedule. Run another scenario where you remain with the lender after the fix, even if the future rate is currently...
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    Renovation budget for a 2,100 sq ft small multifamily in London (need advice)

    I could price the visible refurbishment tightly and rely on a large contingency, or spend more now investigating the hidden risks. I would prefer the second approach, but I am unsure which checks will genuinely improve the budget. The working figure is £97,140 for a 2,100 sq ft small...
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    Comparing a 7.53% one-year fix on a £483,600 London apartment

    For a one-year fix, I’d compare the total cost over that exact year: monthly payments plus all lender and broker fees, then account for the mortgage balance remaining at the end. APR can be less helpful if you already expect to change deals quickly because it reflects a longer assumed period...
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    How should I adjust thin comparables for a £1.03m London villa?

    I’m torn between using the one completed sale as the main anchor and giving some weight to three current listings. Neither approach feels entirely reliable for this London villa: it is a 1-bed of roughly 2,530 sq ft, in average condition, and has been advertised at £1,030,000 for 43 days. The...
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    [For sale] 1-bed serviced apartment in Lagos — NGN 1,116,000,000

    I would ask for the current service charge and exactly what it covers. A serviced apartment can have a very different total annual cost from the headline purchase price. Also ask whether there are any separate charges associated with parking, energy provision or shared facilities.
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    Buying in the United Kingdom: which legal and tax costs are easiest to miss? (4-bed villa)

    £561,600 is the price I am using for a four-bedroom London villa, and small assumptions now produce very different totals. Transfer tax, legal work and registration are in the budget, but I am less certain about expenses arising from the form of ownership or continuing after completion. Before...
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