The Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Act 1944 launched a program of factory-built temporary homes, known as prefabs. Just over 150,000 were built. They were designed to last between 10 and 15 years.
Many lasted far longer. The Excalibur Estate in Catford, south London, was built in 1945 and 1946. In 2009, six of its houses were listed as historic buildings, and demolition of the estate was scheduled to begin in 2013. Prefab bungalows in Letchworth were still maintained and occupied in 2014.
In Scotland, many homes are advertised for “offers over” a stated price. A Scottish property centre explains that “buyers are generally expected to bid higher than the listed price.” One Scottish money guide calls offers over “Scotland’s sealed bid system for selling property.”
A seller can set a closing date. The Scottish government’s guidance describes it as “a deadline by which all written offers must be given to your solicitor.” It adds: “You don’t have to accept the highest offer.”
In England, a developer can first ask whether a building project is acceptable in principle. The Planning Portal, the official planning service, explains that outline planning applications “are used to gain an understanding as to whether the nature of a development is acceptable.”
Outline permission “does not act as consent for development to begin.” The details, called “reserved matters,” such as appearance, layout and scale, are confirmed later.
In 2019, the trades app Paddle surveyed more than 1,500 consumers about hiring tradespeople. Forty-six percent said they contact only tradespeople “who have been recommended by someone they trust.” Thirty-nine percent check online reviews. Ten percent always choose the cheapest option.
In 2017, the Federation of Master Builders reported that “nearly 90% of home owners carrying out work at their property do not ask builders for a written contract.” According to the same research, 80 percent of builders said most customers do not ask for an agreed payment schedule.
Citizens Advice explains the difference between two words that British tradespeople use. “A quote (sometimes called a ‘quotation’ or ‘fixed estimate’) is a promise to do work at an agreed price.” An estimate “is the trader’s best guess.”
“The trader can’t charge more than they’ve quoted, unless there’s a good reason.”
In British house sales, a buyer who lowers an offer after it has been accepted, shortly before contracts are exchanged, is said to gazunder. The estate agent Hamptons calls it “a hard-nosed financial tactic rather than an illegal one.”
Hamptons describes it as increasingly common in slower markets. “Few things rattle a seller more than a buyer dropping their offer days before exchange.”
The British government’s guidance on disputes between neighbors begins with a conversation: “Before making a formal complaint or getting others involved, try to discuss the problem with your neighbour.”
If talking does not work, the guidance suggests a letter, “sticking to the facts,” and then mediation, which “is confidential and usually quicker and cheaper than going to court.”
A tornado caused several million pounds of damage in Selsey, on the south coast of England. Shortly afterwards, in September 1998, a local resident, Kevin Byrne, set up a service to put homeowners in touch with verified tradespeople. It became Checkatrade, where customers review the tradespeople they have used.
British property listings use mild phrases that buyers learn to decode. Property writers have published translations.
Deceptively spacious: Smaller than it looks.
Compact: Very small.
Characterful: Dark.
In need of modernisation: The house may need serious structural work.