TheMitchells

Think its about time you started a build blog. Where about in Wild Wales are you based? We keep thinking about that area but just cant move quite yet. Welcome!

Cant wait to hear the reasons for changing your mind. Its always interesting to hear how/why people decide to buy. I like the look of the plot and I like trains so tat wouldnt put me off. My friend has a local one that slowly goes past a couple of times a day - she regularly gets waves from the drivers. That looks a very complicated structure - isnt it best to keep it simple. Seems they are adding to the cost although it does look interesting.

okay - I'll admit it, I hate haggling. So I do tend to go into the BM and ask for their prices and then pay it. But I do try to look online beforehand so I know whether to go ahead or not. However, when ordering some radiators at Nicholls the other day, the OH picked up a 50m pack of Speedfit 15mm piping so he can get started on laying the pipe around our renovation, ready for the radiators. The advice notice given to me didnt have any prices on it and I queried that, saying that I want to know what I'd been charged, without having to ask everytime. I was told I could ring accounts and ask for the prices to be added in the future, but most builders liked them without prices so the client would not know what the builder was paying. So when I got home, I rang and asked them to change the invoices and also to tell me what the charges had been for the items I'd just bought. most was okay - similar to Wickes prices for the plastering stuff but the piping was £73 plus vat. Checking on Screwfix, they seem to have it for £68 including vat. I make that a difference of £20, or 28% extra. And a pack of pipe inserts was £24 including vat, while screwfix has it for £12.99! So what shall I do - go in and complain? We do have an account and I am trying to get to know the staff but as I said at the start, I am not very good at asking for discounts. What sort of discount should I expect as a renovator of just one house so I am not going to be spending huge amounts but our budget is 20-30k with a fair portion of that being spent at the BM's. If only I can find one that I can trust to give me a reasonable deal without me having to beg every time.

great news! hope the builder is available too.

Not heard of that before. So what else can I use PVA for? Keep the answers legal please!!.......

Looking forward to reading the blog! As the other say - chin up and carry on..... I am still looking for a site after severeal years. Hubby keeps saying we should move to Scotland as there's plenty there but I'm settled here and dont really want to move far. But Oxfordshire isnt the easiest place to find affordable plots. I totally agree that Blogs can be quite cathartic and the rest of us love reading them, especailly with lots of pics please. I'm doing a renovation while looking for a plot and I regularly include the things in our blog that I got wrong - hopefully others can avoid doing what we did. Learning from mistakes is often the lesson learnt best. Good luck!

Okay - I'll get some Browning and use that to build up the layers. And on the leaflet that OnOff suggests, they say use GypPrime and Bond-It for high suction areas - but I can use PVA as an altenative? Thanks for all the advice. I'll take photo's of my attempts.

All sounds like good advice. will do it in layers over neat pva - think I'll need to go and get some more pva!. I have Thistle hardwall plaster - is that the same as bonding? So forget sticking plasterboard into the cleared area - just build up the layers with the bonding plaster??

And I have been watching youtube clips to see what people do. Watched one where they just sprayed the area with water before filling holes with plaster. they took 4 coats to get it finished. it was american though - they may have different plaster? no pva used there.

okay - work out if low or high suction, then what?? sorry for being dim. if high suction, like my brick walls, tacky pva - if low suction, dont bother??

Fill in with plaster layers or plasterboard then patch? Above was half way stage. Below was after all loose plaster removed.

I have a wall where i have removed the loose plaster. so now I have areas about an inch less than the rest. Should I build up layers, painting with weak pva beforehand? Or should I stick pieces of plasterboard into the large areas and then patch it to the rest?

While renovating our house, I am finding I am using quite a lot of PVA glue, watered down on brickwork before filling holes with plaster. now I plan to try my hand at plastering one of the rough walls, before we get a chap in to make all the walls look nice. Seems an ideal place to have a go as its going to end up in a cupboard. However, I dont know whether I need to pva the wall again and if I do, it is still watered down stuff? or Neat? I thought it would be quite handy for a post on PVA rules. I am sure its something most builder people know but us newbies do not. so has anyone got rules that I would find useful - when do you use pva? what other things can it be used for and how should I use it? Ideas please.

you may want to look at Horticultural suppliers as they use the membranes too. Not sure if they'll be cheaper or more expensive though.

That was my thought - most people do not know about MVHR and if they hear they need replacing every 10 years, it will put them off - especially as it 'required constant maintenance.' I shall be sending an email to the magazine to query the article and comments.

Just going through this months 'BuildIt' magazine and read the following about ventilation systems - its an article about designing a home with a long lifespan and minimal maintenance. "There are two main ways that this (condensation and damp issues) can be stopped. One is to install a relatively complex system of mechanical extract ducts and fans to remove the moist air before it gets into the structure, but this will need constant maintenance and the kit will have to be replaced every decade or so." The article was writen by Julian Owen, an architect and writer of several books on self build and ezxtensions. If he's talking about MVHR, I always thought they were fairly low maintenance with the filters checked every couple of months. And why would they need replacing? Is he correct?

Can anyone give a rough guide on how much of an uplift in price the developers get when they buy the land and then get planning?

@Bitpipe any chance of a photo to show what you mean, please.

they initially said 18 months but it went up to 3 years. here's the relevant bit from the HMRC site. You won’t pay the higher SDLT rates if the property you’re buying is replacing your main residence and that main residence has already been sold. If you buy a new main residence but the sale for your previous main residence is delayed you’ll pay the higher rates as you own 2 properties. But you can get a refund for the amount above the normal SDLT rates if you sell your previous main residence within 3 years. A refund must be claimed within 3 months of the sale of the previous main residence or within 12 months of the filing date of the return, whichever comes later.

Its so ridiculous - the other thing I learnt about stamp duty is that if you buy two properties that can be linked by HMRC they charge you are charged stamp duty on the whole amount. when we looked at the last plot, which was 150k, we agreed a deal to buy the bungalow for 300k 6 months later when the vendor had found a property. however the solicitir pointed out that we would pay stamp duty on the whole 450k which is over 12k rather than 4.5k on the two separate transactions. That was one of the reasons we decided against it - the additional 8k just added to the extra amounts which were taking us over our limited budget. even family members buying proerties next door are included in the linking for stamp duty - not something I had ever heard of!

we got hit by the extra stamp duty charge when we bought our place to renovate but we do claim it back when we sell. Hopefully in the not too distance future. I shall enjoy watching the next programme - seeing what not to do, mostly. And did you see the electric socket hanging down from the ceiling in the middle of the kitchen at head height - wires sticking out, with an extention lead running to somewhere - not exactly safe practice. But pay peanuts .......

well the small cottage made a profit of 19k and she is planning to buy a second property soon and the novice eventually spent 40k, twice her origonal budget and far more realistic. It went up for sale at 325k , which would make a profit of 87k but it didnt sell so she rented it out and plans to sell it later. Maybe trying to get too much - I'd be happy with 75k for 6 months work. I'll be very happy if we can make that on our job. And we are doing most of the work to maximise the profit. And the novice isnt planning on doing another renovation - she didnt enjoy the experience at all. Next weeks looks interesting - I like this programme!

yes, we have been to Howdens for our kitchen and the quote came back almost the same as the Wickes price with lots of sale reductions (£2000 for only the units). it wasnt for the basic kitchen but an average value one which will hopefully still look great. But part of the learning experience is getting a good idea how much to budget for things - I guess we all have to learn.

Is anyone else watching the programme - Climbing The Property Ladder on Channel 5? Its really funny to watch. Tonights two examples include one in yorkshire, renovating a small cottage. the other is a completely novice who seems to think because she has set a budget of £2,000 for the kitchen, thats what it should cost. She seemed shocked that a complany quoted nearly £3k for the units and it didnt even include tiles, appliances etc!! Which planet is she from? And she wants a profit of nearly 100k - she needs to get real and understand that spending 20k on a house does not add £120k to the value. But I guess thats why they are filmed - it makes interesting tv. I wonder what they'd make of our renovation? Hopefully I wouldnt be making too many mistakes that cost dearly.

Location of trees on the plot (and near the boundary), their size and species is useful to know as they may affect costs of foundations.