Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[aaronjb]

I know there are a few self employed folks on here and you've all always been helpful to me so I thought I'd ask here first;

My better half has been looking into working from home and starting her own business, and in her googling it was suggested that the mortgage company would have to be asked if they're OK with that..

Now, she's not named on the mortgage - that's all entirely in my name (largely because I moved here before I'd met her) - but knowing there are all sorts of get-outs in anything legal I gave them a call to be told "No, we don't allow any kind of home working".

So .. does anyone have any suggestions of mortgage companies that are OK with working from home and so on? There's also the small matter of my deeds which say much the same, so I'm guessing there's a conversation with the council needed, too.

[Marks DTM Calib]

There is a big difference between working from home and running a business from home. 

[Lazydocker]

There is a big difference between working from home and running a business from home. 

Exactly what I was going to say

Depends what she intends to do? Whether there will be any visits to the house by clients/suppliers etc?

These are just 2 things. I run my business on a completely mobile basis... I spend a lot of time working from home but there is never any work related visits to the house

[aaronjb]

Good point - and that's where the problem lies, I suspect..

There'd be no customers visiting the house or anything like that, but she would be using the kitchen for work purposes (you can probably guess what she's looking at doing!)..

I'm sure thousands of people do this without bothering to inform their insurers, mortgage company or the council - and to a large extent I'd subscribe to the school of "what damn business is it of theirs, anyway" thought - but.. having made the first call I suppose I've dug the hole, now

[Marks DTM Calib]

The key question is at what address is the business registered and where is the work occuring...(I think we know the answer)

[aaronjb]

I'm not sure I'd consider (as a layman) there being a 'business' registered - but, she'd be registered with HMRC as self employed on a sole trader basis, however, and living here using the cooker in the kitchen to work..

[Keith ABS]

  If you get the council involved, they will then sting you big time for buisness rates let alone all the possable regulations they require for a buisness propety.
keith B

[albitz]

Yep,lots of regulations for anything remotely to do with food.

[Sir Tigger KC]

Looks like one of those situations where by trying to do 'the right thing' you've shot yourself in the foot! 

[Keith ABS]

   say nothing and carry on. If ever anything happened, SWMBO was makeing some cakes for the local church fete/charity etc.
keith B

[Vamps]

Juast a thought though, if you don't register the home as a place of work will she be able to claim back tax to cover electric / gas / heating etc.........

[Lazydocker]

If I've come up with 4 when adding 2+2 then she'll need to inform the council and have a food hygiene inspection on the kitchen anyway so you're pretty stuffed in the keeping shtum stakes

[aaronjb]

If I've come up with 4 when adding 2+2 then she'll need to inform the council and have a food hygiene inspection on the kitchen anyway so you're pretty stuffed in the keeping shtum stakes

Yup exactly.. so it would all have to be above board. Sadly, it seems that (for now at least - until I could remortgage and negotiate with the council) she's basically been forced to give up on the one thing we've come up with that she really wants to do, thanks to all our modern red tape.

Hurrah for England, encouraging small businesses since 1763

[Lazydocker]

If I've come up with 4 when adding 2+2 then she'll need to inform the council and have a food hygiene inspection on the kitchen anyway so you're pretty stuffed in the keeping shtum stakes

Yup exactly.. so it would all have to be above board. Sadly, it seems that (for now at least - until I could remortgage and negotiate with the council) she's basically been forced to give up on the one thing we've come up with that she really wants to do, thanks to all our modern red tape.

Hurrah for England, encouraging small businesses since 1763

As it happens, we're in exactly the same boat. We've even considered a little unit elsewhere but until I stop pumping money back into Fuel Doctor we need her "Safe" income

[aaronjb]

As it happens, we're in exactly the same boat. We've even considered a little unit elsewhere but until I stop pumping money back into Fuel Doctor we need her "Safe" income

Ditto - I'd love it if we were in a position to finance a unit somewhere with appropriate facilities.. but then if we were in that position it's safe to say we'd probably be a long way from a 'start up'; so how do you bridge that gap without serious start-up capital..