I'm off to buy a house

Entering the world of house buying is a rather scary prospect.
Mortgage, variables, interest, solicitors, surveys, terms, advisors, lenders…..just a number of words that are thrown your way in a short space of time.
This blog, and the following 2, are about my experience, good & bad, of purchasing a property.

There are a number of ways you can get your journey to being a home owner underway (to name a few);

View properties to get an idea of the type of home you are looking for.
Speak to an advisor to see how much you are likely to see as a maximum mortgage lend.
Decide on the sort of property you want (1/2/3 bed, house/flat etc.) and look at prices in the area/s you wish to live.

After moving back to my parents’ house after my third stint of renting away from home, I looked at the money I had spent on renting to just end up back where I started once again and realised what a waste it had been. So I made the decision that the next time I moved out it would be to buy my own place. The jouney had begun.

After saving for a while, I was in a bank and speaking with an advisor about my account, when I was  asked if there was anything else I needed help with. Deciding to make the most of this, I asked if I could have a chat about mortgages, I was then passed to a colleague who looked at my finances and gave me some figures which that bank would be able to offer me. With thanks I left with “some” knowledge towards my first mortgage.

Some time later I found a property that looked great in the advert with an unbelievably low price, I called to book a viewing and went to see the place that weekend. To say love at first sight is pretty much how it went! The place was incredible and the price they wanted for it was amazing. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a position to be able to afford it, but I did have a bar set for subsequent places I viewed. I still need to have a look at how much it eventually sold for and if there were any issues found on survey as it was an absolute steal!

After some more saving I started to look into places with a bit more gusto! I had decided that 2016 would be the year I moved out and jumped onto the property ladder, now I just had to find my first home.
Viewings came and went and, to be honest, I was beginning to lose hope rather rapidly. It’s amazing how many places that need “Tender Loving Care” would be better serviced with a wrecking ball. I know estate agents want the sale but surely they can look at a place and tell the seller that some things need changing.
Just a quick list of some things to look for when you are viewing properties:

Damp: I saw a few properties that had visible damp and damage from previous damp. And to be told that “all old properties will have damp” is utter baloney! A house that has been cared for will stand the test of time. Plus the fact that mortgage lenders will have a hissyfit if they discover damp when they carry out their viewing prior to offering you the money. I have friends who bought a property which had a damp issue and had to pay in excess of £2000 to get it fixed before the lender would give them the full amount they asked for.
Space: Sounds simple enough but check the kitchen for cupboards/drawers, the living room for putting sofa, chairs, tv unit in, bedroom for bed, wardrobe, drawers/dresser.
Interior: Check for cracks in the walls and windowframes. If it’s double glazed (and I hope it is) is there condensation in between the glass, this could show that the insulation has blown. Check that taps work at a good pressure and the hot heats up quickly, to show a working boiler.
Area: Try to view the property a few times to get a feel for the area. Is there a lot of traffic? Is it near a pub with a late licence? And try to go at different times so that you can see how much light the property gets in the morning/afternoon, if the weatherman is friendly then you may be able to see it in rain (check for leaks/damp/flooding) & wind and in the sunshine.

Now that my house buying was picking up speed and I was looking at more properties I decided to go and see a mortgage advisor. This is someone who will basically do the hard work for you (albeit for a fee) and guide you through what is essentialy just a lot of jargon and effort as you approach mortgage lenders and try to get the money needed for a property.

The person I spoke to asked me a lot of questions with regards to my incomings and outgoings to get an idea of how much I would be able to afford and fed this into a database. He then applied the same info onto lenders websites to see what offer they would potentially return with. It turned out that I was looking at a pretty measly sum of money, in the grand scheme of things (60k would be a lovely Lotto win!), even with a fairly nice chunk for a deposit.

So I headed back to the drawing board with an idea of the sort of house prices I could look at.

This is when I started looking into the fairly new concept of Shared Ownership. A scheme aimed at helping people who will struggle to get onto the property ladder whilst not having to fall into the renting trap.
Basically, you buy a portion of the property, usually in 25% increments, and pay rent on the rest. Making it more affordable on the mortgage as you only have to borrow a smaller amount, although you must remember that lenders will take into account the rent portion as an essential outgoing which affects your finances and the amount you will be offered.

With this new tactic in place, the hunt was back on…

Simple Plan - Taking One For The Team album review

Photo from Kerrang.com

If you’re a fan of the ‘That’s Not Metal (TNM)’ podcast, then you will have likely heard the scathing review they gave this album. I say scathing, that’s the politest way I can describe the destruction they gave Simple Plans new offering! Listening to their review I was left thinking, I'm a Simple Plan fan, surely it can't be that bad?! Well, here's my view of the new album.

Now, Simple Plan are pure pop-punk, and they have been since their inception 17 years ago and that’s great as they do it well. However, there is something lacking with this album. It seems to have the pop-punk elements mixed with….well, just plain oddness! 

Opener ‘Opinion Overload’ brings the usual upbeat fast paced tune that is expected from Simple Plan, before moving into ‘Boom!’ which keeps the party going.
And then ‘Kiss Me’ comes onto the scene and sounds like, as TNM podcast put it, a One Direction revival. It does not come across well at all.
‘Farewell’ revives the album going back into the pop-punk roots until it all unravels again with the reggae like ballad of ‘Singing in the Rain’.
Hope springs as the band power through the next couple of songs with the renewed vigour of old school Simple Plan. Until they invite Nelly to collaborate on a song. Now, I am a fan of Nelly, so him and the Simple Plan guys working together sounds pretty ace to me. However, it is not. ‘I Don’t Wanna Go to Bed’ is quite simply, a train wreck that wouldn’t seem out of place at a Christmas office party. If it had been created by Maroon 5 or Mark Ronson then I would’ve understood but Simple Plan? Really?!
Moving swiftly on and the to-ing and fro-ing of the album comes around again with some classic pop-punk before the pace is slowed right down with a ballad, this is something Simple Plan like to slip at least one of onto each of their albums. ‘Perfectly Perfect’ may not have the most ingenious of titles but it suits the message of the ballad and is one style of music that Simple Plan do that I really enjoy, as long as it isn't over-cooked. 

There are two songs on this album with the word “wanna” in the title, really guys? At least the second is slightly better, if only very loosely a rock song. And we carry on to another ballad, significantly worse than the last, and seemingly a waste on the album which hasn’t boasted many upbeat cheery songs so far, as we go into the last song with hope that they have a very strong finish….

That was wishful thinking indeed as they draft in Juliet Simms to round off this album with another ballad for some reason (remember the over-cooked comment?). I do like ‘I Dream About You’ but it isn’t enough to save my opinion of this very lacklustre album from the Simple Plan guys.

Very disappointing. 

If you still wish to catch the guys on tour, they are arriving on UK shores nearer the end of March.
Who knows, maybe the new album will transfer well onto the stage.

Bury Tomorrow - Earthbound album review

Photo from Kerrang.com

Bury Tomorrow needed to keep the momentum they created with 2014s ‘Runes’ going if they are to boost themselves in the metal community.
A very solid set at Download 2014 left the path open for the guys to move on to better things.

And ‘Earthbound’ has definitely helped solidify the band in the metalcore scene. 

From the roaring opening bars of ‘The Eternal’ through the 10 song album to finale ‘Bloodline’, Daniel Winter-Bates' guttural screaming vocals burn out of the speakers. Supported by James Cameron’s clean vocals and Davyd Winter-Bates driving bass guitar, this album is the complete package. 

The title track is a furious assault on the ears with Adam Jackson pounding the drums into submission. ‘Restless & Cold’ is probably the closest a metalcore band can come to singing a ballad, a much slower paced song which allows the senses to calm after the onslaught Bury Tomorrow have offered so far through the album, quickly picked up again in furiously delivered ‘301’. The guys don't let up as they close the album out with 'Memories' which, if I had to choose, is probably my favourite song from this collection of great tunes.

Any of the songs from this album will seamlessly fit into the bands live set.
The band are 10 years old this year and long may they continue.

Tobias Sammet's Avantasia - Ghostlights review

Album artwork by Thomas Ewerhard

I really thought that Tobias was going to call an end to his Avantasia metal opera project in 2014 after they had blown away Wacken Open Air festival with an incredible set. However, in late 2015, it was announced that there would be a new album which would conclude the story started on 2013s ‘Mystery of Time’ album.

In December 2015, the track ‘Mystery of a Blood Red Rose’ was released and straight away I was in love with it, ramping up my excitement for the album even further.

In January 2016 ‘Ghostlights’, released through Nuclear Blast, landed to very well-deserved, great reviews from its peers. Many people stated it was much darker and edgier than previous Avantasia albums and I would certainly agree. 

This offering from Sammet is 12 songs of pure brilliance. It provides the type of music that you can lose yourself in and listen to as the story unfolds with guest vocalists adding a difference to a variety of characters; or, you can just as easily have it playing in the background as a distraction whilst you chop the veg for Sunday dinner. 

The 12-minute juggernaut 'Let the Storm Descend Upon You’ does what it says on the tin. You can hear-feel (new word!) the tempest building before a medley of singers guide you through the battering drums and pelting guitar riffs. The breakdown halfway through reflects the calm eye of the storm before the pounding instruments return to whip up the frenzy until the end. 

The album consists of fast power metal songs entwined with the slower ballad type tunes that Sammet is capable of throwing together as if he was making a culinary masterpiece. Frenzied 'Master of the Pendulum' glides gracefully into the slow tempered 'Isle of Evermore' with little more than effortlessness.

The wealth of guest vocalists Tobias seems to be able to net is another asset to the Avantasia machine, Ghostlights proudly boasts appearances from Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Sharon Den Adel (Within Temptation) and Geoff Tate (Queensryche) among others. 

The Ghostlights World tour kicks off soon and I, for one, am extremely excited to see a 3 hour Avantasia gig! I will be very happy to see the majority of this album played and wouldn't be surprised if they play it in full. It will be interesting to see if any guests appear throughout the night.

Avantasia are playing the O2 Forum Kentish Town, London on March 8th 2016; Tickets onsale at all the usual ticket websites.
 
If this is when Tobias finally hangs up his Avantasia coat, then it will be a job very well done.

Photo from Stereoboard.com

 Thanks for reading.

Tattoos - Ink for Life

I will start this by stating that I am not trying to preach at people, so please do not take it that way. This is just to throw out some tips and ideas that I have thought of since getting a tattoo and binge watching Tattoo Fixers™ and hopefully this will help others who are thinking about getting one.

To throw some of my background into this, I am now 28 years old and finally got my first tattoo. I have wanted to get one for some years now but was constantly changing my mind as to what design I wanted. It wasn’t until I was at a music festival last year, looking at some of the awesome ink on display that I wondered, “what is it that has some great meaning to my life”. Then, as if a lightbulb switched on above my head I realised, music! So with that in mind I found a quote that summed up exactly how I felt and got in contact with a tattooist. She was more than happy to sketch some stuff up and kept in contact with me until we were both happy with the design and that was that. I now have a tattoo that I am super happy with and also have ideas for 3 more, yes I caught the bug!

This leads me onto my first point: Know what you want.
The tattoo will be on your skin forever, unless you get laser removal (which is apparently much worse than the pain of a tattoo). So make sure you have a design that you are happy with, even if you just saw it on the table at a convention and immediately wanted it. It is a personal thing that no one else can force you to get.
Plus, going to a tattooist, whether it’s a friend or the local shop, with an idea and some sketches/photos of the kind of thing you’re looking for will greatly help them to give you the design you want. Also, have a look around at different artists. Some can do portraits that look like a photo, others can colour so that it looks like Monet has used you as a canvas, check out their portfolios (which, in the world of Instagram, is a piece of cake!).

Now, this may sound a little preachy and I apologise. But try not to get drunk before your tattoo, alcohol thins the blood and guess what, a needle dragging across your skin is going to make you bleed! I’m not saying you have to be sober for a month beforehand but try not to walk in to your appointment after 3 bottles of vodka. This point also stems from watching a lot of Tattoo Fixers™ where a lot of the stories are “I was obliterated on holiday and…” and all of sudden they wake up and realise what a terrible mistake they have made. When you’re drunk you might not be of sound mind to make decisions about the picture you’re asking the tattooist to put onto your skin.
Anyway, enough soapboxing, let’s move on.

It hurts! The only way to describe the type of pain is that it feels like someone is dragging a needle through your skin…..oh wait. People react differently to pain, some can’t stand it, others enjoy it. There are numbing creams available which do work well I’m told. But, at the end of the day, pain is momentary, that tattoo that you will receive at the end is permanent.
Personally, I didn’t mind the line work, until it went near my armpit, definitely felt that! The shading grew more painful as time went on, as the tattooist went across the same patch of skin time & again, which was quite tender by then. But after a couple of hours it was done, no more pain and a beautiful design that I can wear forever.

Try to eat before your appointment, a good intake of sugar will help your body through what is effectively trauma to the skin. I took a couple of bottles of Lucozade and a small chocolate bar in with me to give a boost during the tattooing. 

And finally, take note of what your tattooist says about the aftercare of the piece. There are plenty of lotions and moisturisers that will help keep it clean and allow the skin to heal nicely. 

I hope that the points raised help you when thinking about and getting a tattoo done.
Once again, I never wanted to come across as a tattoo know-it-all, just to throw out some things that I have thought of since joining the inked world.

Thanks for reading.