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Hecateh

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Stairs are the next big thing for me.  Currently I can only get downstairs by going outside and round.  Unlike my fit joiners who easily jump up and down (although I most admit they are not so quick by the end of the day lol)

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1 hour ago, epsilonGreedy said:

 

It has been replaced by effervescence on her party decking with a view ?

That's a point - I may pop to the offy for a bottle of fizz to celebrate ?

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  • 1 month later...
On 21/05/2018 at 12:06, newhome said:

Collared doves make the most annoying noise. 

 

My neighbours used to keep doves (aka manky pigeons) in a dovecote. They used to spend all day on my other neighbour’s roof and crap all over it. They were hoping that when we built our house they would use our roof instead but they never did lol. One day he got pissed off with them and threw a rock at them that missed and went through his bathroom window :D

In addition to the 4am none stop cooing they are now making  me a dooger in my own front room.

 

Every night, for the past week or so, the have been trying for more of the little buggers, whilst perched on the railing surrounding my deck - about 4 metres from where I sit. 

 

Unless they have found somewhere more conducive there won't be any more little chicks this year.  

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  • 4 weeks later...

Quite a lot done in the last couple of months but nothing worth photographing.  (Sometimes it's the little things that make the most impact.)

many many traumas along the way - budget - what budget, but I am getting there....
 
Stud walls all done; UFH piping installed; (including screed in lower ground and battens, insulation, spreader plates and overboarding on entry level;  first fix plumbing and electricity; door frames; insulation; insulation; insulation; (luckily my handyman says he is immune to the fibreglass and it doesn't bother him but I insisted, and he agreed, he goggled and masked when crawling in the confined loft space)
 
AND today I got S.T.A.I.R.S  woo hoo - starting to look like a house.
 
 

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Some good luck.  I have happened upon some amazing plumbers.  

Father and son team.  Dad is gas safe registered and has loads of gas and heating engineering experience.  Son has plumbing qualification and experience and they have been working as a team for the past few years.  Came today at 11am to complete a couple of pipe runs, found all sorts of issues that my initial very very expensive plumber had missed or done wrong and eventually went home about 9pm.  

 

More quals and more experience than the sacked one and less for both of them on day rate than she charged just for her (and a cash in hand labourer with no experience).  

 

Amazingly (or maybe not) I found them through 'my builder', which is a scary place but has definitely worked for me.

 

@Tyke2  They are local and brilliant - very much recommended if you need any gas/plumbing work.

 

 

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On 20/06/2018 at 14:31, epsilonGreedy said:

Woohoo, all it needs now is a nice man with a few sheets of plasterboard and a reel of cable to visit and oh a stairs would be useful.

Well it took a while but I do finally have stairs woop woop

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20 minutes ago, newhome said:

Glad things are looking up. Is the original plumber still ‘a friend’??

 

Still working out how to broach it with her.  Basically these guys have have done more than twice the work for  less than half the money - What do I say to her to persuade her it would be good to give me some money back eerrrr????????

 

16 minutes ago, Tyke2 said:

Ill keep a keen eye on the progress, best of luck.  I havent heard of "mybuilder" ill check it out. I have had a good response for an electricial through "ratedpeople" though.

 

 

I've also got a really good electrician, by personal recommendation, who is prepared to go the extra mile.  Happy to pass on his details if yours don't work out.  

 

I've also used 'ratedpeople' - personally have had better results from my builder but I think that's more the luck of the draw than one being better or worse.  I have heard from some trades that have tried both that they prefer 'mybuilder' because they only pay if they get shortlisted whereas with others they have to pay to get put forward, without any guarantee that the client is even interested.  

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That pic where the broom is leaning, you have a bit of capping coming down the wall with two bits of cable in. Is there any socket etc going this side of the wall? 

 

Basically I'm suggesting that cabling might be "outside the zones". Nothing to stop you as I can see it drilling there and hitting the hidden cabling.

 

To add you would usually look up/down, left and right from a socket or switch and know not to drill there in the "band" drawn up/down/left or right of the socket etc.

Edited by Onoff
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Really happy that you’ve had a little bit of a good run and at last found some honest folk to do a good days work for you. I totally feel your pain on the budget and like you am a bit traumatised by lack of money to complete my build..... I am fortunate in that I have many fairly decent skills related  to the building industry and only have to work out where the money for materials needs to come from rather than the very scary labour component.  It’s looking good and I hope you have smooth sailing for as long as possible. 

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8 hours ago, Hecateh said:

 

Still working out how to broach it with her.  

 

How about ‘wondered if you would reconsider the cost for what amounted to x hours, so £80 per hour, and some of the work I have had to have reworked’. £80 is plainly ridiculous. And didn’t she say that it was mates rates? Some mate!!

 

 

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4 minutes ago, newhome said:

 

How about ‘wondered if you would reconsider the cost for what amounted to x hours, so £80 per hour, and some of the work I have had to have reworked’. £80 is plainly ridiculous. And didn’t she say that it was mates rates? Some mate!!

 

 

I think I am going to have to go in a bit harder than that.  Some of the work the men did was just improvement and different people have different ideas how to do things, I know that.  BUT her work didn't even meet building regs in that she had not vented anything  or made any provision for doing so. 

 

She was here 15 hours in total with a labourer for about 5 of them.

 

The 2 men have also done 15 hours each to complete the job she was supposed to do.  

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I have found OK people through MyBuilder, though I try to cross-check too.

 

Our County Council has handed their entire Trusted Trader operation to CheckaTrade. CheckaTrade really clobber tradesmen - they charge getting on for £1000 per year. A hell of an overhead. 

 

Ferdinand

 

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8 hours ago, Onoff said:

That pic where the broom is leaning, you have a bit of capping coming down the wall with two bits of cable in. Is there any socket etc going this side of the wall? 

 

Basically I'm suggesting that cabling might be "outside the zones". Nothing to stop you as I can see it drilling there and hitting the hidden cabling.

 

To add you would usually look up/down, left and right from a socket or switch and know not to drill there in the "band" drawn up/down/left or right of the socket etc.

 

Mmm not sure.  I hadn't really noticed it.  I'll make sure it is marked on the wall when it is done and check with the electrician.  That is where the fridge freezer is going so, if necessary I'll leave the wall marked.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Yesterday I ordered my chosen vinyl.  I am having a cushionfloor vinyl throughout.  They called back to say it was out of stock.  So I went for my second choice (which I preferred in some ways but went for a more neutral option originally). 

 

Yep that's fine. 

A call back this morning.  Yes they have the stock but there is an issue as an edge is torn,

 

H 'Is there one length that missing half a metre matters?'. 

 

M 'Yes and no - the offcut was being used elsewhere. Can you credit that amount but still send it (can hide it under furniture) and give me a discount as well.' 

 

H 'Well, yes, we can do that - but I will have to consult with my manager about the level of discount.' 

 

3 hours later - a very hesitant sales guy

 

H 'I'm afraid there is another issue.  You have ordered 5 m of the 2m wide material; how much do you really need as though our stock is showing 100 sqm, there is actually only 4 linear m in stock.' 

 

FFS, I need 4.6m.  Think, think, think -

M 'How long before you will have it in stock?' 

 

H 'Errr, well, we haven't actually ordered it as our stocks showed we had plenty so probably at least 4 weeks, maybe 6.' 

 

For once my brain was relatively in gear.  

M 'Ok, the 2m wide is for my hallway so there is no major furniture going there, so it's a pain but not an insurmountable problem if this is delayed for a few weeks.  I can work round this.  - You will discount this for me though won't you?' (I'm learning!) lol.

 

H 'Thank you for being so reasonable,  I was dreading making this call - I will push for the best discount for you,'

 

We'll see what happens lol but it's a bit back in the coffers for me.  

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