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new year - it was supposed to get better

LSB

Entry posted by LSB in Jan 2024

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I really hoped that now we are progressing after our suspended floor saga that things would get better, but something somewhere is determined to make sure that doesn't happen.

 

The only change is that this time the things that have gone wrong are not build related.

Firstly, my brother, only 63, died of a heart attack with no history of problems.  I spent 5 days with him and his wife / kids in intensive care hoping against hope that he would pull thorough, but at 6am 6th Feb his heart gave way for the last time, no more restarts,  RIP Alan 😞

 

Just before that, 6 days before, I got told that I've been made redundant, as the only breadwinner that's another major blow, the build funds are sorted, but we still need to eat and pay the bills and run the cars.  So, forget build PM I'm now looking for a job that offers enough for us to live on.   The only snifter I've had would be a 20k reduction in pay with an hour's drive each way and 24hr on call once every 4 weeks.  I may be desperate, but I'm not that desperate yet.  The trouble is I'm in my 60's so although age discrimination is illegal you can't prove it's happening.  But, with ALL the experience on my CV it shows that I'm not just out of uni.

 

Right, back to the build.

In December we had just got the details about our suspended floor.

It had to have a bearing of 130mm, plus 20mm expansion foam, plus shear links.

 

After much huffing and puffing it was prepped and ready for inspection.

 

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The BCO came out and just said yes with no hassle and went on to talking about the other parts of the build and our future under pinning of the back wall.  He was really helpful and has even sent a message to the SE saying that he feels that 2.5m deep foundations is over the top with our sandy soil.  He wants us to dig two trial holes of 1.5m deep and then have a site meeting with BCO & SE to discuss what we really need.  He feels that the SE is being over cautious bearing in mind we are converting the barn into a single storey bungalow when there have been no issues with the existing barn over the last 70+ years.

 

This will all happen about March as hubby is going to build this 'room' first.  This will actually be our hall and snug.  The above is the inside wall of the cavity wall up to DPM.

As I speak the mostly external wall is finished although the bit nearest stays internal as that borders the kitchen.  I wanted a 'proper' wall for hanging a sliding door and kitchen cabinets.  It was already a separate space when it was a barn so it is a bit like an extension.

 

The long awaited concrete pour happened, at one point it looked like they might not make the slope as it was raining, but after a lot of slipping and sliding they got there.

 

 

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bit of a wet day for it, but all dry now

 

The only other thing we did this month was buy a block saw at auction (for not a lot of money), it needs a new engine as it's been stood outside for years, when hubby took off the old casing it was obvious just how long.

 

This is how it arrived

 

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and this was what was under that casing.

I wonder how many years the birds were nesting.

 

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We actually got 2 for the price of one, when we got to the auction to collect they said, oh there were 2 of these in a lot.

 

So, hopefully we can make a bit of money by cleaning, replacing the engines and servicing.  These beasts are seriously expensive to buy working at about £750.

Hubby has worked with a company in the paste who are going to do the work for us and refurbish so we should end up with at least one working machine for less than £250.

 

I've not been able to work for over a week on the build and we stopped for 10 days over Xmas so a very short month.

 

Once again, I'm just hoping next month will be better, but somehow I'm losing hope on that front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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LSB
6 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Condolences on your Brother.

Not sure what else to say.

thanks, but you are right, there is nothing to be said.

 

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Iceverge

Sorry to hear about your Brother. RIP

 

Building is testing when everything goes well not to mind your situation. Hopefully you get dealt better cards from now on.  

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Susie

Very sad news about your brother.

 

Your build progress is still ahead of ours though, our old barn is down and next is digging out the foundations hopefully not much, floor and part of a wall around the old haylage area.  We plan to stop this year after new foundations so you will remain ahead of us. Glad your BC is not pushing on a deadline for the conversion make sure you take a little rest. 

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Square Feet

Very sorry to hear about your bereavement. The redundancy also sounds very tough.  The only thing I can offer is that this guy seems to have made enough to keep the wolf from the door by youtubing his build, even though it wasn't a proper build at all - he just renovated an old static. I was genuinely shocked at how much he was pulling in - it might all be clickbait, but you never know.  You are doing the build anyway so you will have plenty of 'content'. 

 

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BotusBuild

Having lost family members during our build and having been made redundant myself and turned 60 last year, I know how you are all feeling. You'll get through it, and the build is a great way of re-focusing.

 

Keep going

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LSB
6 hours ago, Susie said:

Very sad news about your brother.

 

Your build progress is still ahead of ours though, our old barn is down and next is digging out the foundations hopefully not much, floor and part of a wall around the old haylage area.  We plan to stop this year after new foundations so you will remain ahead of us. Glad your BC is not pushing on a deadline for the conversion make sure you take a little rest. 

our foundations are huge, so far we have had 104 ton crushed and still have the same again at least so I hope yours is not so much

funny how it was supposed to be underpinned, as it we didn't have enough already.

our BCO has been brilliant, turns up scruffy on a motorbike, but is really helpful

 

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LSB
3 hours ago, Square Feet said:

Very sorry to hear about your bereavement. The redundancy also sounds very tough.  The only thing I can offer is that this guy seems to have made enough to keep the wolf from the door by youtubing his build, even though it wasn't a proper build at all - he just renovated an old static. I was genuinely shocked at how much he was pulling in - it might all be clickbait, but you never know.  You are doing the build anyway so you will have plenty of 'content'. 

 

gosh, that hadn't even occurred to me, I will have a look from a different PC using a proxy server so if it is click bate then I can disappear easily.

 

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Square Feet

I didn't mean click bait in that it is a virus or anything - I just meant the title and claims the guy makes might not be completely true. He does sound plausible though and does show you the screen with the figures on. 

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LSB
On 08/02/2024 at 16:33, Square Feet said:

I didn't mean click bait in that it is a virus or anything - I just meant the title and claims the guy makes might not be completely true. He does sound plausible though and does show you the screen with the figures on. 

Thanks, I just get a bit paranoid about being chased by salesmen, but i have looked and am going to seriously consider this.

Particularly when the weather gets better and we can actually do something.

Currently our 'room' resembles a swimming pool as it's full of water and builder hubby isn't keen on wading in it to lay blocks.

I think he's being a wimp, but then i don't have to do it 🙂

 

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LSB
3 hours ago, Iceverge said:

Blocks don't like being laid in the wet! 

 

Wait for a dry day.  

that's good then as nothing got done, and rain forecast all next week as well.

 

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MikeGrahamT21

Life can be absolutely brutal at times, be kind to yourself and take things at your own pace.

 

Hope the job hunt has proved successful for you?

 

I’ve been on with my renovations for approx 16 years now, have always found it helpful to have something positive to focus my energy on, and in that time I’ve lost my mum, my wife and currently my dad is very ill in hospital with terminal cancer; I’ve often forgotten to be kind to myself along the way.

 

Sending best wishes

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SteamyTea
46 minutes ago, MikeGrahamT21 said:

I’ve been on with my renovations for approx 16 years now, have always found it helpful to have something positive to focus my energy on, and in that time I’ve lost my mum, my wife and currently my dad is very ill in hospital with terminal cancer; I’ve often forgotten to be kind to myself along the way.

I knew about your wife, sorry to hear about your Mother, and hope your Father is as well as he can be.

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MikeGrahamT21
10 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

I knew about your wife, sorry to hear about your Mother, and hope your Father is as well as he can be.

Thank you, he looks to be suffering greatly at the moment, 1st bowel cancer around 17 years ago, which recurred another 3 times, now has a stoma but it’s spread to a kidney and he’s lymphoma too, horrible to see, he didn’t even have the energy to talk to me other day when I was visiting 😞 he’s done so so well bless him. I’ve got him to thank for my interest in DIY and building, he was a builder back in the day before the cancer got him

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LSB
5 hours ago, MikeGrahamT21 said:

Life can be absolutely brutal at times, be kind to yourself and take things at your own pace.

 

Hope the job hunt has proved successful for you?

 

I’ve been on with my renovations for approx 16 years now, have always found it helpful to have something positive to focus my energy on, and in that time I’ve lost my mum, my wife and currently my dad is very ill in hospital with terminal cancer; I’ve often forgotten to be kind to myself along the way.

 

Sending best wishes

no job yet, lots of interviews (no age on CV), then when they meet me I get, you are too experienced, you wouldn't be the right fit for the team, you would probably get bored with your experience, your qualifications are out of date, even 'we want someone who will stay 10+ years - as if they can guarantee anyone will do that, and the last one this week, we are a small company / team and we are concerned you wouldn't fit in.

Nothing overtly about my age as that's illegal, but lots of vailed hints to that end.

I tried to talk to the dept of stealth and total obscurity yesterday, total loss, not entitled to anything as we have savings.

 

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Jilly

So sorry you’ve been through such a lot. You sound like a very determined person though, and that will get you through. 

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LSB
23 hours ago, Jilly said:

So sorry you’ve been through such a lot. You sound like a very determined person though, and that will get you through. 

thanks, our saving grace is a small pension from when women retired at 60, not enough to cover everything, but does keep the wolf from the door.

I'm just a bit annoyed that I've paid many 1000's in NI & tax over my working life, never claimed and now can't get anything.

It is good that people who are desperate can get help, but not us until we are destitute.

hey ho 🙂

 

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