Insulhub Isotex Voluntary Liquidation

[Chanmenie]

On 14/04/2023 at 11:21, Nickfromwales said:

Have you been able to make contact with Insulhub Contracting and confirm the situation? What happens when you ring the phone number(s)?

All the guys who worked for Insulhub Contracting were told by Jamie they out of work, the vans have been recovered and are in a pound in Manchester, some of the guys are owed wages.

so Insulhub Contracting is no longer in business  

[Nickfromwales]

3 hours ago, Chanmenie said:

All the guys who worked for Insulhub Contracting were told by Jamie they out of work, the vans have been recovered and are in a pound in Manchester, some of the guys are owed wages.

so Insulhub Contracting is no longer in business  

Down and out then.  

[Nickfromwales]

4 hours ago, SB2023 said:

This clarification is really helpful for those of us with little history on this forum, thank you.

You're welcome.

PM me if you want to better understand my PoV.

[Kelvin]

@ToughButterCup Due diligence pinned post would be very useful. Happy to contribute. Maybe a discussion thread where people can post their experiences/actions would be useful.
 

Do you plan going right to the start of the process to include plot buying? 

[ToughButterCup]

53 minutes ago, Kelvin said:

@ToughButterCup

Do you plan going right to the start of the process to include plot buying? 

 

The direct answer to that question is I'm not sure.

 

The due diligence process should be applicable to every purchasing decision that is made by a self builder. But the key thing in this thread is to make it one which allows any member to use the framework to apply to their particular purchasing decision.

 

There will be a diligence process in relation to the purchase of land as well. It'll be a little more specialized and I suspect a little bit easier.

[SteamyTea]

 доверяй, но проверяй

[Kelvin]

1 hour ago, ToughButterCup said:

 

The direct answer to that question is I'm not sure.

 

The due diligence process should be applicable to every purchasing decision that is made by a self builder. But the key thing in this thread is to make it one which allows any member to use the framework to apply to their particular purchasing decision.

 

There will be a diligence process in relation to the purchase of land as well. It'll be a little more specialized and I suspect a little bit easier.

Sure. Obviously there’s the stuff your solicitor ought to do but there’s a bunch of stuff to consider that won’t be done by the solicitor that you need to know before buying.
 

There’s a thread on here currently where the OP is asking about utilities costs and they’ve already nearly completed the build. Whereas I did all of that before buying the plot. I am

particularly risk averse and over-cautious so possibly overthink  everything. I also know of a build near me where they’ve spent £1.1 million on the house and can’t find water. 8 boreholes drilled and 7 companies. Apparently assumed you drill a hole anywhere in Scotland you’ll find water and there’s a borehole 800m away servicing 8 houses. Again finding water was a pre-requisite for the seller before we bought the land. 

Edited April 17, 2023 by Kelvin

[SteamyTea]

6 minutes ago, Kelvin said:

Whereas I did all of that before buying the plot

When buildhub was being set up, I was asked to join in (with some funding, I declined for a few reasons, only one I made public).  Things then moved on and the layout of the website was discussed.

I suggested that it should follow the form of a person building a house.

So Search, Suitability, Legal aspect of buying a plot/property, then moving on to Construction Types of Foundation, Energy Usage, Ease of Construction.  Finally all the Nice Things start, like Windows, Roofs, Bathrooms and Kitchens.

It is only by constantly looping back and reviewing that the best compromises are reached.

 

It did not happen that way and we constantly read about people that have problems with the Nice Things, often before the plot is secured, or foundation built.

 

[ToughButterCup]

18 minutes ago, Kelvin said:

....

There’s a thread on here currently where the OP is asking about ...

 

Exactly.

Its an interesting task - summarising relevant previous posts and then ordering the contents into a coherent , easy to digest thread. 'Interesting' is the wrong word.  - daunting - is better.

 

The one thing that motivates me is how badly our members appear to have been treated. And since I know some of the characters involved personally, that makes it all a bit more real. Jamie was the bloke who came and dug me out of the soft and smelly when our wall collapsed. 

 

But being a nice bloke often bears no relation to business decisions. Companies start with the best of intentions, and then go breasts-up. I've rung him a few times, no reply. Perhaps undestandable ... 

 

Its trying to remain focused on facts, rather than assuming motive and extrapolating from there that is so difficult.

 

There's little place for emotion in trying to sort things out.

[Kelvin]

18 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

When buildhub was being set up, I was asked to join in (with some funding, I declined for a few reasons, only one I made public).  Things then moved on and the layout of the website was discussed.

I suggested that it should follow the form of a person building a house.

So Search, Suitability, Legal aspect of buying a plot/property, then moving on to Construction Types of Foundation, Energy Usage, Ease of Construction.  Finally all the Nice Things start, like Windows, Roofs, Bathrooms and Kitchens.

It is only by constantly looping back and reviewing that the best compromises are reached.

 

It did not happen that way and we constantly read about people that have problems with the Nice Things, often before the plot is secured, or foundation built.

 

You and I think similarly then as that’s how I’ve logically approached the build. 

[ToughButterCup]

23 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

...

It is only by constantly looping back and reviewing that the best compromises are reached.

...

 

I could not agree more.

The most difficult word there is .... constantly.... And thats where the authors of posts are often told that they are overthinking it. 🤨

[SteamyTea]

18 minutes ago, Kelvin said:

You and I think similarly then as that’s how I’ve logically approached the build. 

Seems the sensible approach.  One I am taking with having to move my Mother at, slightly extended, short notice.

17 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

they are overthinking it

In this weeks comic, there is an article about procrastination, I am still thinking about whether I should read it or not.

I would post it up, but it will only get run though ChatGPT and loose its true meaning, so will not bother.

Actually, (expletive deleted) it, shall just run it though wingdings.

 

Mind

Thief of time: How to stop procrastinating and start doing

Procrastination can steal hours of our time, but the latest research has some answers about how to reduce it, finds David Robson in his new 60-second psychology column

By David Robson

12 April 2023

Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

PROCRASTINATION, we are often told, is the thief of time. When I notice my days slipping away in some unfulfilling activity, I cant help but feel a sense of loss for all I might have achieved and guilt for failing to keep that burglar at bay.

According to the psychological research, our self-admonishment may only make it harder to break the habit, because procrastination is often a way of coping with stress and self-criticism. If I feel anxious about writing a new chapter of my book, for example, I may choose to hide my head in the sands of social media rather than facing the feared reality of a bad first draft. This is counterproductive, since the lost time will only make poorer performance more likely, but it provides short-term relief from the anxiety I am facing.

Studies show that the higher our fear of failure, the more likely we are to procrastinate. If we then beat ourselves up, it is only going to raise our levels of stress and anxiety, which may cause us to look for more relief in temporary distractions disrupting our next task, too. The result is a vicious cycle of self-sabotage.

For this reason, psychologists suggest that practising greater self-compassion may be one way of reducing procrastination. Imagine you are talking to a friend in a similar situation. What kind words of encouragement would you use? This exercise reduces self-criticism and people who practise it tend to find it easier to meet challenging goals. Engaging in self-compassionate thinking increased the time students spent studying after having previously failed an exam, for example.

You might also consider employing a little strategic indulgence a concept I recently discovered at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Put simply, this means including procrastination as part of your daily schedule. One of my main sources of time-wasting is funny YouTube videos, for instance, so I might decide to enjoy those for 10 minutes at 11am, before returning to writing.

With strategic indulgence, we can still experience the short-term mood boost we crave. But since it is a deliberate decision, we dont have the feelings of failure that come with our spontaneous procrastination, so we are then less likely to descend into that spiral of unproductivity.

It seems to work. At the conference, Lile Jia at the National University of Singapore revealed early research showing that students who work distractions into their schedule tend to maintain higher motivation and make better progress towards their goals, with less stress.

In todays hustle culture, it is reassuring to see research that celebrates self-compassion and self-indulgence. The thief of time may be an inevitable guest, but, with the right mindset, we can ensure its visits are short.

David Robson is an award-winning science writer and the author of The Expectation Effect: How your mindset can change your life

For other projects visit newscientist.com/maker

 

[LSB]

1 hour ago, SteamyTea said:

Seems the sensible approach.  One I am taking with having to move my Mother at, slightly extended, short notice.

In this weeks comic, there is an article about procrastination, I am still thinking about whether I should read it or not.

I would post it up, but it will only get run though ChatGPT and loose its true meaning, so will not bother.

Actually, (expletive deleted) it, shall just run it though wingdings.

 

Mind

Thief of time: How to stop procrastinating and start doing

Procrastination can steal hours of our time, but the latest research has some answers about how to reduce it, finds David Robson in his new 60-second psychology column

By David Robson

12 April 2023

 

Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

PROCRASTINATION, we are often told, is the thief of time. When I notice my days slipping away in some unfulfilling activity, I cant help but feel a sense of loss for all I might have achieved and guilt for failing to keep that burglar at bay.

According to the psychological research, our self-admonishment may only make it harder to break the habit, because procrastination is often a way of coping with stress and self-criticism. If I feel anxious about writing a new chapter of my book, for example, I may choose to hide my head in the sands of social media rather than facing the feared reality of a bad first draft. This is counterproductive, since the lost time will only make poorer performance more likely, but it provides short-term relief from the anxiety I am facing.

Studies show that the higher our fear of failure, the more likely we are to procrastinate. If we then beat ourselves up, it is only going to raise our levels of stress and anxiety, which may cause us to look for more relief in temporary distractions disrupting our next task, too. The result is a vicious cycle of self-sabotage.

For this reason, psychologists suggest that practising greater self-compassion may be one way of reducing procrastination. Imagine you are talking to a friend in a similar situation. What kind words of encouragement would you use? This exercise reduces self-criticism and people who practise it tend to find it easier to meet challenging goals. Engaging in self-compassionate thinking increased the time students spent studying after having previously failed an exam, for example.

You might also consider employing a little strategic indulgence a concept I recently discovered at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Put simply, this means including procrastination as part of your daily schedule. One of my main sources of time-wasting is funny YouTube videos, for instance, so I might decide to enjoy those for 10 minutes at 11am, before returning to writing.

With strategic indulgence, we can still experience the short-term mood boost we crave. But since it is a deliberate decision, we dont have the feelings of failure that come with our spontaneous procrastination, so we are then less likely to descend into that spiral of unproductivity.

It seems to work. At the conference, Lile Jia at the National University of Singapore revealed early research showing that students who work distractions into their schedule tend to maintain higher motivation and make better progress towards their goals, with less stress.

In todays hustle culture, it is reassuring to see research that celebrates self-compassion and self-indulgence. The thief of time may be an inevitable guest, but, with the right mindset, we can ensure its visits are short.

David Robson is an award-winning science writer and the author of The Expectation Effect: How your mindset can change your life

For other projects visit newscientist.com/maker

 

This is a subject close to my heart as I've very good at this, over the last 40 years I could have achieved much more if I didn't  do this.

 

[SteamyTea]

How did my wingding text get to normal readable text.

 

[LSB]

2 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

How did my wingding text get to normal readable text.

 

I copied into Word, didn't change it in here.

 

[SteamyTea]

Just now, LSB said:

I copied into Word, didn't change it in here.

 

Good man, it is what I did.

 

[Thorfun]

4 hours ago, ToughButterCup said:

 

The direct answer to that question is I'm not sure.

 

The due diligence process should be applicable to every purchasing decision that is made by a self builder. But the key thing in this thread is to make it one which allows any member to use the framework to apply to their particular purchasing decision.

 

There will be a diligence process in relation to the purchase of land as well. It'll be a little more specialized and I suspect a little bit easier.

i'm all for a sticky about due diligence but it still might not help some people. i did due diligence on our TF company (Flight Timber). i checked the accounts, filings at Companies House, spoke to previous customers, site visited a build in progress, did web searches. all looked good and they built me a good timber frame. a year later they were out of business and some on here got stung by that.

 

so part of due diligence is looking for reviews and if some saw my reviews of how happy i was with the house then, it could be a major part of the decision to go with them only to lose money. so you could do all the due diligence in the world but still get stung. although i guess you reduce the risk of that happening.

[Bitpipe]

6 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

although i guess you reduce the risk of that happening.

 

This is it - risk reduction vs elimination.

 

Some of it is doing best possible research, some is ensuring the lowest risk payment method & terms. You will still get problems.

 

We've probably had 3 major issues on our build.

 

1) render company used what was a BBA approved carrier board at the time of installation but turned out to have issues and has been quietly withdrawn by the major supplier. Impossible to pursue any action against the supplier and render company since gone out of business but were making best efforts to resolve. Latent defects insurance proved useless, refused to cover replacement cost which would be very substantial at today's prices (especially once the removal of existing and VAT added on). More of an aesthetic issue vs compromise of the rain screen (for now).

 

2) Glass balustrade company did all work contracted but final piece of glass incorrect. Went into receivership just after we noticed but as we'd been paying for work via credit card, got a resolution from our bank.

 

3) Groundworker firm clearly cut a few corners when reinstating basement (using spoil vs clean stone) when I was not around to supervise. Not obvious at time but the area to rear of house continues to settle and patio paving now a bit wonky, despite landscapers best efforts to create a stable surface. I with held the final 2.5% of bill due to other, more minor, quality issues at the time and the problem is manageable to resolve.

 

You can't eliminate risk but you can soften the blow or, at a minimum, tell yourself that you did all you could to prevent - this is often the most difficult part of the experience to deal with.

[SteamyTea]

22 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

year later they were out of business

Isn't that what it is all about.

Assume they can/will go out if business and mitigate your personal risk i.e. pay part in credit card.

 

If I was a manufacture or installer, I would set that up as payment terms, then use it as a selling point.

Edited April 17, 2023 by SteamyTea

[Kelvin]

I have done a proper risk log and mitigation. There’s only so much you can do and eventually money gets you out of the hole. It even includes the kit falling off the telehandler. What I didn’t think to check was if the retaining bolts were in place holding the tines on. The kit company are responsible for the CDM at this point though. 

Edited April 17, 2023 by Kelvin

[Smartie]

Does anyone have pictures of all the slides that were used in Jamie's training days?

[Bitpipe]

31 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Isn't that what it is all about.

Assume they can/will go out if business and mitigate your personal risk i.e. pay part in credit card.

 

If I was a manufacture or installer, I would set that up as payment terms, then use it as a selling point.

 

Problem is, processing card payments is not simple or free for a merchant. There are two parties in a card transaction - the issuing bank (bank who issues the customer's credit/debit card - may not be the bank you retail bank with) and the receiving bank who act on behalf of the merchant's payment service provider - i.e. where cleared card transactions go. In between are the 'schemes' Visa/Mastercard/Amex that set standards and manage interoperability between all the various parties. 

 

This costs the merchant money -  usually somewhere around a 2.5% per tx fee plus other fixed costs. Also, money does not automatically flow to the merchant - it's typically held in an escrow account for a duration until cleared. Disputes are arbitrated by the issuing bank, scheme and receiving bank and can result in a chargeback for the merchant. Schemes can impose higher tx fee on merchants that have a high chargeback rate. 

 

I suspect cashflow & chargeback are the main reason contractors / suppliers will not accept credit cards for payment (vs fees which they could charge onto customer) and will want BACS transfer as they get the money immediately and  with no risk of clawback.

[Kelvin]

Had there been an insurance policy that wasn’t too dear I’d have taken it out. The fact there isn’t tells its own story given you can insure most things. 

[SteamyTea]

25 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

Problem is, processing card payments is not simple or free for a merchant.

True.

We have been using them for years, and sorting errors is a problem, cheaper than handling cash and cheques these days though.

But the cost is a normal cost of running a business, like PI insurance, pension and holiday costs.

If a company thinks they are going to loose sales because of the financial cost of taking a deposit on a credit card, then run away from them, they obviously don't have a clue about running a business in the 21^st centaury. 

[LSB]

Just now, SteamyTea said:

True.

We have been using them for years, and sorting errors is a problem, cheaper than handling cash and cheques these days though.

But the cost is a normal cost of running a business, like PI insurance, pension and holiday costs.

If a company thinks they are going to loose sales because of the financial cost of taking a deposit on a credit card, then run away from them, they obviously don't have a clue about running a business in the 21^st centaury. 

You're right, they only need to take £100 + on card for us to get the cover, more would be better, but that's sufficient.

We have a local auction house that won't take credit cards because of how much it cost them and in the case of some of their antique or farm vehicle sales I think they must lose out.

Not that people would probably have any real cover on that stuff from a card, just allows individuals to spread the cost.