Ferdinand

A very interesting thread - thank-you. @AliG I've enjoyed reading your story - remember that you can get Smoke Pencils if you want to trace draughts. And I like the typo: That makes me think you have a private anchorite (walled-in hermit) in the wall of your spare bedroom ?. Ferdinand

Good thoughts. I think I still expect an agreement. We will see.

I think these are official links. This is one of the pages I saw, and it says it is official. Seem to be facilities to extend beyond one year one you have arrived. https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/france-visas/long-stay-visa And https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/france-visas/tourist-or-private-visit There is a wizard on the Fr Embassy site to explore types of visa, which also mentions Long Stay Visa. https://uk.ambafrance.org/Applying-for-a-French-visa-in-the-United-Kingdom I tried to pretend I was applying for one to find out more, but it told me I didn't need one (presumably until the end of the year). The cost number came from a description elsewhere, as the price of the Visa - not the supporting docs if any required. (Update: Should have said before that my comments in thread above relate to France). Ferdinand

This has just bubbled up my alerts gain. Further thought for @Weebles is that if you are putting expensive fencing against a Public Footpath, you need to consider graffiti. ie Is there a risk, and if there is a risk what is your plan for detailing with it? The check on the composite fence is can it take either cleaning regimens or jetwashing, or perhaps even repainting (or anti-vandal paint). Just thoughts. Ferdinand

Not sure on that. Monseiur Macron seems to be jumping up and down like a Jack-in-the-Box. I'm not totally convinced by his strategy - "If you don't give me all the fishing rights I want, I'll exercise a veto and protect my fishermen by making sure they don't get anything at all." Hmmm.

Charged by the French Govt...

Bit naughty of the mail only to mention the short term 3 month visas and full residence visas, and not to mention that visas allowing longer term stays are available as an annual thing costing approximately £70 or 20p per day. I don't think that people who can afford to travel to France or wherever several times a year will really notice that. The lady in the article who says she wants to spend part of winter in the UK, then the rest of the year in her family's properties in France and Spain is getting slightly short shrift in the comments. They are correct to highlight the "180 Day Visa Free" campaign though - what it needs is for Brussels to get its Rs in gear and follow the UK's example of 180 days visit without (or with a very minimal click'n'print) visa. I'd say the same for the French Govt in Paris, but I am not aware whether the collective has delegated the authority to the French Govt to let them do that. Perhaps they will change depending on what happens to the tourist trade from third countries - there will be a market for all visas together with 3 months in EU and then some time i nthe UK. ?. Ferdinand

It looks like an interest free loan for 20% of purchase price when you stump up a 5% deposit and take a mortgage. There was a co-contributions savings scheme which afaics is no longer available. https://www.helptobuy.gov.uk/ In particular https://www.helptobuy.gov.uk/equity-loan/equity-loans/ and https://www.helptobuy.gov.uk/equity-loan/help-to-buy-equity-loan-2021-2023/ (If you are long-term disabled, there are normally some schemes around, but it is always about the detail on those. The definitions are a moveable feast.) Also there is a scheme finding tool: https://www.ownyourhome.gov.uk/scheme-finder/ Ferdinand

If anyone is needing Office Supplies and Stuff, the Viking Newsletter are running a discount Advent Calendar.

There's a normal practice on which set of standards. Not sure whether it uses date-of-conversion or date-now though. Advice to OP: You have what you need now - go and take some advice from a professional. There are probably things about which you are worrying unnecessarily.

I was disappointed that it was a repeat, but I thought that the work done on that home in The Park, Nottingham, was one of the best. It's literally 8 minutes walk from the Market Square, on a private estate. She will have more than got her money back. Just across from the tennis club, I think, and The Park Residents Association seem to have kept Streetview out afaics. I lived around the corner from there for a few months. I think it on this stretch. (There's a building plot in the middle of that, but I suspect you would need to prize it from someone's cold, dead fingers after you had topped them, and have something on some Councillors to get PP.) (Just in case anyone has ideas, those mansions facing the other way are 7 figures if still in one dwellng.)

You have to prove it.

Welcome. Do ask away. You are the Queen building in Buck House Gardens, you can just give yourself Planning Permission a la William the Conqueror and behead anyone who disagrees, and I claim my £5. ? (Wouldn't it be nice, though.)

That seems to be at some mid stage re-evaluation point, and is a doc done for the Council by a Viability Modeller. Suspect it does not include S106 or Land.

The staircase technique ?.

They would imo do a valuation as if the alterations had not been done, or as if they had and take off any estimated necessary work. ie In practice value as 2 bed + attic storage room. In practice valuations are very broad brush however. F

If the "extension" is the loft room, then you are better using "loft conversion". Extension usually means a new bit built on as new space - will confuse people. You need to regularise as described above. If it fails BR, then there would be an amount of remedial work if that can be done, or it would legally remain a non-habitable room. ie storage or possibly hobbies. I am not sure of the legal position wrt lodger landlords, but for a standard LL it is a huge no no. Sorry - but the regulation at buy / sale is quite tight now - I think you will have to declare the status on the PIF form to your solicitor (Property Information Form), and sign it. For the Floorplan, those are just things you draw or have drawn. AFAIK there is no legal "floorplan", which are why ones from an Estate Agent usually look like a different house.

You missed out "lots of space".

Clear silicone - decent quality. Small bead just inside both edges then you can take them off with a Stanley blade or similar. I do quadrant against skirtings like that if I may need to remove it.

Your other option is to plan a self-build for a few years on. If a first time buyer you can still aiui get 25% interest free loan plus grant towards a newbuild, which may be a possibility. F

Not quite OT, but close enough. I had a recommended interior designer to redesign (not renovate, though a periodic decorating cycle was subsumed in the project) a big student house last year. The most challenging aspect probably was to negotiate changes to a more comprehensive proposal than I was after, to something rather more modest in budget terms. But to do it in a way that put the budget where I was happy with it, but still gave the ID a project that had enough meat on it to be satisfying professionally and did not unduly affect the proposed look. Suspect that always happens and IDs always expect a few "buts and cuts", just as architects do because they deliberately stretch it to show where they see potential. In the event we rescoped and renegotiated slightly to reduce the budget by about 30%, which worked for both sides. Ferdinand

Howdy-doody. Welcome.

I think we need this thread. At present in mine (1.8m x 2.6m): 2 doors either side (which some fool made offset so it is a zig zag walk) Single sink Washer Boiler Storage for lots of household and garden bottles and chemicals Long term food storage Cleaning things ... brushes, hoover etc. Extras for the future (2m x 5m ish): Tumble dryer. Space in kitchen required for second dishwasher. Pulley .. maybe. 2nd freezer. Power tool storage .. maybe. More worksurface for "not kitchen" jobs - things like operations with opening cans of paint, dealing with produce etc. Maybe wine fridge. Provision for lift, which I don't currently have. Real broom cupboard. And you? F

That's really really good to see.

There are a few on here with a Utility Room *and* a Boot Room. I'm just planning (eventually) an approx 2m x 5m utility. Will cost me a bit off the long garage, but I need the dryer in there to create room for a second dishwasher, and a second freezer, and want somewhere very secure for power tools and space for a potential lift, and that is the only convenient place.