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Ferdinand

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Everything posted by Ferdinand

  1. Ferdinand
    In general you can get for non-branded Gift Cards. Again, these discounts should stack. Tesco 4% back in Air Miles for Gift Cards bought at Tesco, since they give you 150 clubcard points when you spend £50 (which is the minimum amount, and should bne the multiple), which translate to approx 360 Avios or Virgin Air Miles, worth around £3.60. Plus 0.5-5% on cashback or rewards via the card you use to buy the Gift Voucher. Sometimes they have offers, or you can leverage Clubcard Vouchers more using the Tesco "Boost" programme at eg Pizza Express. Morrisons Up to 10% back in discounts on Petrol / Diesel via Morrisons Petrolsaver via vouchers printed at the till. The scheme is 1p per litre reduction on a purchase of up to 100l of petrol or diesel for each £10 spend on Gift Vouchers and they stack, so £1000 of Gift Card spending will get you 100p/litre off, which is basically a free tank of up to 100 litres (which can include I believe however many approved fuel containers as they allow, which is I think 10l). Plus 0.5-5% on cashback or rewards via the card you use to buy the Gift Voucher. Plus Morrisons More points, which are worth about 1% off the bill. I find Morrisons more useful, as they are close, and do Currys, Halfords, Amazon, Evans Cycles, and B&Q Gift Cards. I did a worked example over at the other place, which I will copy across later. Ferdinand
  2. Ferdinand
    I think that is not quite right, as UK law requires credit card companies to apply payments to the type of balance with the highest rate of interest first. http://www.theukcardsassociation.org.uk/wm_documents/Good news for credit card.pdf For the record, there is also TopCashBack which is similar. They have different deals for different retailers. Ferdinand
  3. Ferdinand
    Heh. Remember that my project is a several acre housing site. In our case we have a general policy requirement from I think the LPA that the runoff from any housing estate must be the same as or less than the open field that exists now. We have established agricultural drainage ditches, and our proposed SUDS was designed by no less than Mott McDonald. Some of the lessons may be applicable. I have no idea what happens to a balancing pond regulations-wise when the "newts in suits" move in. There are also things such as mega-underdrive-storage-areas a la Jeremy, or large diameter drainage pipes (e.g. 600mm) that can store water. Or you can include discharge to a drain as part of your PP as a final resort. Ferdinand
  4. Ferdinand
    Wickes 10% "Trade" Discount Programme Wickes have a "10% off all purchases over £10" programme, which may be able to be accessed by self-builders. You don't get a trade card, but you do get regular email updates, and an ID Number, which you need to quote when buying. In my local store they have a ring-binder of people in the scheme, for the 90% of occasions when I forget my number. You register in your local store, and take it from there. My suggestion would be to register when making a significant trade-like purchase - for example a bathroom suite or two dozen bags of Postcrete (for which Wickes are about the cheapest source with their "5 for 4" standard offer). And don't talk like a retail customer. If you have already identified Wickes as your best source for product X, it is a nice bonus. Ferdinand
  5. Ferdinand
    A powerful point here can be if your plot has an established right to drain off site, which could take many forms. e.g. If there is an existing ditch, you may be able to use it if you can demonstrate that there will be no increased flow from your new house. On a larger scale that might be via a balancing pond and a controlled outlet. Ferdinand
  6. Ferdinand
    Travelex Supercard - No Foreign Exchange charges when buying goods abroad. The card presents as a Debit Card, which you can use to charge through to any Visa or Mastercard Credit Card using an App on your phone. Exchange rates are the standard Mastercard rate. There is no credit check on applying, just an identity check, as it is not a credit product. * The advantages are: 1 - There are no FX charges while abroad, either for purchases or for ATMs, while many cards charge 1-3%. 2 - You can backend the purchase onto your Visa / Mastercard Credit Card, so you get the credit period, and any benefits that come with the card for purchases, or any cashback etc. 3 - It can be used anywhere a Mastercard is accepted. 4 - You can avoid any fee charged for using a Credit Card. * The disadvantages are: 1 - There are charges for use in the UK - £1 plus 1% of the value of the purchase. If your "reward" on the linked card is more than 1% it may be worthwhile still. 2 - I believe you do not get the purchase protection that comes with using a Credit Card directly (ie CC provider is not equally liable), but for eg small purchases and some things which will need no comeback (eg meals in a restaurant, tickets) this should be no issue. * Best use: Abroad for purchases. * Notes I am not clear whether purchases made on a foreign website from the UK will result in a charge or not, but 1% is still less than most cards. Update: I am told charges are *not* applied. There will be an article in the Moneysaving Expert email newsletter today (10m readers), so it would be good to get your application in early if you are going to apply, as they may have capacity problems. My information via Headforpoints, here: http://www.headforpoints.com/2016/06/15/travelex-supercard-relaunches-and-its-still-free-should-you-get-one/ Ferdinand
  7. Ferdinand
    I am attempting a thread where we can identify ways of buying effectively using long-term offers and discounts. I am thinking about reward/cashback, discount or trade accounts etc. I'm not quite sure how this will work, but thought it worth a try. The aim is to create a laundry list of possibilities that self-builders can use to get benefits or knock a few percentage points off their costs. Note that, even though I think that short term or "flash" offers should be posted elsewhere, this list may still go out of date and offer terms may change, so readers should check the details personally at source and make no assumptions. This thread does not contain financial advice, obviously, and is merely to flag up potentially beneficial offers. Ferdinand
  8. Ferdinand
    In my view avoid white render around trees like the plague. Or you may: 1 - Spend your lives cleaning it. 2 - Become "the people with the dirty house". A house near here have managed to remove / pollard 10 large TPO Trees around their house after a decade of trying (mainly removed as a risk to the public), and it is now clear how encrusted their drainpipes and windowframes have become; many currently remark that it looks uncared for. This one will be cleaned OK, but I would suggest a darker shade, bearing in mind your type of trees and what they will drop on your house. Others may disagree or have ideas of dirt-resistant renders. Ferdinand
  9. Ferdinand
    For simplicity I would use the numbers from the EPC figure (questionable though they be). Then I would talk about cost of insulation. Then I would do a sum involving 5 and 10 years of bills, possibly illustrating the difference with holidays in Australia. Ferdinand
  10. Ferdinand
    If we vote for Brexit some people are alleging that Sterling will be taking a 20-25% tumble on June 24th, so you may want to buy currency forward. If you have a big order going through after the Referendum, consider your options. I guess that the risk of a Remain rise may be less than that of a Brexit tumble so buying forward may be the better of the 2 options. There will probably be a bounce in few days or weeks later, so you may be OK if you can wait. Up until yesterday you could place a cancellable without charge advance order with Moneycorp, which provided protection, but it was mentioned on HeadforPoints and then vanished as there was a spike in orders :-). I have yet to find anything similar, though you could possibly play games with ordering and cancelling and reordering, or using online purchase refund rights under the Distance Selling Regulations. Ferdinand
  11. Ferdinand
    I think it is a distinctive hairdo, and you are most welcome to the camp fire.
  12. Ferdinand
    Danish Kroner movement was similar to the Euro. But I think the shop-around point is valid, so it is not worth a debate on a minor aspect.
  13. Ferdinand
    In the last 8 months there has been a 15% variation (fall of GBP) in exchange rate GBP vs Euro, which could account for a good deal of that difference, depending on timings. Perhaps the delivery charge to the UK supplier from the Danish manufacturer is higher than Danish to Danish? Or do Genvex have a UK branch warehouse? (Now I want a pastry) Ferdinand
  14. Ferdinand
    Have you had the one about Backlands development?
  15. Ferdinand
    I had: "I'm not sure it is inside the development boundary", or some such, from a Councillor at the Planning Meeting. The boundary is about quarter of a mile away, away from town. Ferdinand
  16. Ferdinand
    They are the lowest tier of Civil Government in England. They have their roots in the 19c as bodies which inherited the secular duties of Parochial Church Councils - which are the governing bodies of Church of England churches. Many of the boundaries go back for the best part of 1000 years iirc, and may go back significantly further but you need a historian or Morris Dancer to explain that properly. Ferdinand
  17. Ferdinand
    For the record, this is the ASA ruling on ACTIS Insulation: https://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2013/5/ACTIS-Insulation-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_71306.aspx#.V16VApErJhE ACTIS claims were found to be misleading throught presenting inadequate test results in a misleading manner. One of the issues was that the tests were done in High Wycombe, which is not the worst imaginable environment :-) . And this is the one on YBS Insulation Ltd (Superquilt) https://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2012/2/YBS-Insulation-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_147993.aspx#.V16VA5ErJhE Ferdinand
  18. Ferdinand
    My speciality is getting things just enough off horizontal such they are really annoying, and people remark on it. Did it with an extractor fan. Yesterday afternoon :-). Why do they have to put their logos on the damned things? If it was white and round no one could tell. Ferdinand
  19. Ferdinand
    I'm not sure why that mentions both "Celotex" and "Kingspan", since as I understand it they are both almost the same thing - foil faced polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation - which are offered with several minor differences. I think you need to clarify when you post your full spec. Ferdinand
  20. Ferdinand
    Welcome.
  21. Ferdinand
    I would check that .. Were they in fact valid when you signed it? It has been a switchback court process so who knows... They can also be renegotiated in various circs. Perhaps a quick call to someone like Robin Furby or your planning solicitor if you have one. http://www.s106management.co.uk/about-us At worst you could wait for the PP to expire and reapply, but it is horses for courses. Ferdinand
  22. Ferdinand
    As a rider, can one erquest an estimate of the cost of carrying out a condition from the person proposing the imposition? Has it been tried? Does that meet the 6 tests required of a Planning Condition: Ferdinand
  23. Ferdinand
    Are archaeologists bidding for more archaeology on even modest projects? I came across this requests (excerpted) from the Derby County Cuoncil archaeologist, which includes a request that that analysis, publication and dissemination be included as part of a "modest" "monitoring" process - presumably at the cost of the developer. This is for a development of 2 dwellings and one building conversion in a former farmyard on the possible edge of a medieval village centre. I have not seen this before. Is this unusual? Leaving aside that the comment is a little ungrammatical, the Council appear to have ignored it as there is no Condition relating to Archaeology. The Bat Men are engaged, however. http://planning.bolsover.gov.uk/WAM/doc/Decision-2068853.pdf Ferdinand
  24. Ferdinand
    I don't know a product, but can't you just get them on reels of "tape" rather than aluminium tracks, wich would be flexible?
  25. Ferdinand
    So the "Ockham" answer to this is: 1 - Use a shower over a bath. 2 - Shower with the plug in, and leave it there for 30 minutes. 3 - Or, more sensibly, have a thing like a grid or a trivet to raise you above the level of the shower floor. Ferdinand
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