Done a few house extensions and remodelling of the original house. My advice is:

Find someone to challenge your ideas and also to work out what you really want.

Discuss your ideas with your wife and vice versa so you know in detail what you are trying to achieve. Work hard at this to avoid upset and disappointment.

It WILL get you down, chaos and dust everywhere is soul-destroying, keep somewhere in your house normal and clean and free from building stuff.

Get a vac dedicated for the dust, it will kill any house vac.

Have a plan of the works and do it in stages and/or have milestones so you can measure progress.

Have some money set aside for the unexpected, they are on every job.

Be a good client to the trades, clear what you want, set out your expectations, pay on time and discuss when you feel it is not correct.

Don’t let the works erode your marriage! Building works upset people, it brings out new emotions that some find hard to handle and express.

Remind yourself it will look great and you are making a home for your family!

Vaughan steel eagle, just a nice hammer, one piece metal design. Had to buy a second as the other one walker thanks to a contractor that liked it too much.

When we did our bathroom last year we found getting a toilet the hardest bit.

For starters we could not find one that looked normal and then when you sit on them they are not right. They seem to have prioritized style over function.

We ended up with a Roca Laura, looks like a toilet should and works.

Get dual flush and soft close, just makes it better.

You only need one buyer! keep telling yourself this. 40+ viewings it too much.

Sold my last house in 3 days, while the estate agent was going on holiday to France, negotiating either side of the flight. The previous one to that in 2 days.

You need to be known by the estate agents, call them, tell them your concerns as they need to know. They are working for you so make them earn it. There may be good reasons for what is happening.

Some sales are easy, others are hard but you need to be a good vendor and purchaser to make it all go your own way.

Unfortunately, there are too many people in the house selling game who don’t know the process well enough, lack integrity and let their emotions get the better of them, and this includes the home owners.

Roca Laura close coupled. They have gone up in price over the years but we have bought 5 over 2 houses and they work.

Traditional shape
Dual flush
Soft close, if specified.

Check the seats by sitting on them, a lot are strange, we just wanted a ‘normal’ toilet.

Got a Herman Miller for £200 a few years ago from a second hand dealer and was suffering from a bad back injury at the time.

It’s better than you can imagine, so much better than a £40 one, has made such a difference.

Take your time, find one, buy it and you will be better off in the long run.

Matty, you are just wrong, but even the guy in PC World told me they don’t work so I guess they are misunderstood.

What do you work with Matty?

Chromebook user for 5years, 3 kids on Chrome books for school, Chromebase at work and work uses chrome. I meet people like Matty all the time which is a shame but this is about your usage.

We have 2 Acer r11 in the house. Touch screen, in budget and the newer 4gb version is good. If you understand the concept and stop listening to the negative usually uneducated outdated opinions then very little is an issue.

I have friends who work for jaguar land rover and even their cars have to go back in all the time have stuff fixed that really shouldn’t break or go wrong on the age of the vehicles they have tickly knowing what the price tag should be.

Had a Mark 2 focus that lasted me for 10 years with next to nothing spent on it. When I did have to replace it with a newer focus on a 62 plate it lasted one year before it give us problems and then burst into flames and burnt itself out.

I now have a Lexus is250 which as someone said, being Japanese is amazing reliable and comfortable and as well screwed together as if it was built yesterday.

With all the information on the internet it’s really easy to find which cars are reliable and which cars aren’t, which makes no sense when people are buying cars from the bottom of the reliability list, they need to do a bit more thinking!

I have got a Herman Miller Aeron 2 at work, got it second-hand after I needed a better chair due to hurting my back.

Seem to remember it cost about £250 and just doing a quick Google show us them new 880 and there was a second-hand one there at 279.

The chair is so good I would even pay for it myself for the difference it has made.

Also I notice John Lewis seem to sell them so you can go and try them out there.

Ran the road bike like this to commute for the year with an 11-30 on the rear and a 39 up front. Don’t remember it being lacking for its purpose in hilly Yorkshire

As per FunkyDunc above.

Set up a search on Rightmove with broad parameters, look at pictures, drive by the property/area, ignore the words in the advert.

I recently sold my house for over the asking price very fast but you have got to know how to present it, so many people don’t but when you buy a house you are not buying their stuff of taste that you have to see beyond it.  Some people are unrealistic about what their house if worth as they are emotionally attached (no surprise there) or are trying to finance a gap to the next house.

Do it like a business deal, do your checks/due diligence and work the system.

You will win some and not others but you are only buying one house.  When you find one you want, go for it in every way you can.  42 interested parties looked at the house I bought in October, 7 went to sealed bids, we won.  It is a tough market, people get upset, estate agents are useless……

We have a policy for access to CCTV to stop it being misused of for incorrect reasons.

If there is an alleged assault then this issue needs to be put into writing to the correct person and you can also state that it is captured on CCTV which will help with their investigation.

Seeing it will not change the footage.

I would be concerned with the square edge butt joints of 8 x 4 chipboard sheets compared with glued T & G sheets.

Loading on the sheet edges will be different if not T & G.  It depends what you are doing in the garage aswell

How did I forget to mention lighting.

I asked the wife how she wanted to work and got the response ‘on and off obviously’

What this really meant was one switch for the kitchen, one for over the island, one for the dining room and one for over the table.  Plus 2 switches for the under island LEDs and the under counter lights.

So, 6 switches later…….

Good thing I am doing the work myself or she would have driven the contractors mad unless they had a massive crystal ball.

I am in the middle of fitting the kitchen out which was a kitchen, utility and corridor.

You need to be really clear on your expectations and what you do and don’t like, and challenge those opinions.

There is just so much variety that you are not constricted much so can have pretty much anything you want, this makes choosing difficult.

Also do not get everything from one place as the prices are too high on some items when buying a whole kitchen.  Sinks, taps and worktops are the usual items to get from elsewhere worktop-express or trading depot.

Most places will do a design for you but as above get your ruler and squared paper out first.

Having had my neighbour go full legal on me over a minor issue I would strongly recommend you resolve this without making a big issue. As a result of the agro we have moved house to keep the stress and upset away, it has cost a lot though we now have a bigger better house and very nice neighbours.

Tell him your issue, discuss if his works have an impact on this, agree a solution and share the costs.

If it was me I would get a skip, together knock it down and put up a joint solution. Share costs.

DON’T FALL OUT WITH YOUR NEIGHBOUR!!!!!!

I would fit 50mm celotex between the joists with battens to maintain the ventilation, then 25mm over the whole ceiling and add plasterboard.

This would take it to a 75mm fill with only a bit of height lost.

Doing the calcs the other day 75mm in celotex is about the same thermally as 150mm of loose fill (dependant on exact variants).

It will make a big difference.

2 pairs of running shoes, one for each run so they can both be set up for a quick getaway

your answers are still in the link.

Still time to edit

one of everything in the shop is what you NEED

and

a microwave
projector
toaster
heater
tent carpet
beds
duvets

plus
no ability to put your tent up and no imagination for the kids to play out.

Could not believe the last 2 times we went and all the above was going on around us. It was proper willy waving…keeping up with the jones’s

I had a son (now 13, year8) like this so I got him a unit with gratnell trays for each subject and also deeper trays for swimming/PE/scouts kit. They all got labelled up by him with my help setting them all up. It did take a bit of pressure to keep it organised but he soon saw the benefit.

I also purchased A4 strong plastic wallets for each subject so they can easily pack their bag for the next days subject.

Might seem extreme but it needed to work as he is one of 3.

Also they need to be allowed to forget and take the consequences and you are doing no favours by repurchasing as there is no consequence to mislaying her/your stuff.

I usually DIY all my own work but on the odd occasions I get a trade into do anything I am clear on my expectations.

In your case I would give them a call and explain that you feel the job is not completed as you would have expected considering the cost involved and also that it was a managed installation by a 3rd party supplier so they might want to inspect the work they are contracting on your behalf.

They want you to be happy so let them know you are not (in a nice way) and invite them to come and have a look for themselves.

Easy to resolve, it’s just about talking to each other and setting out your expectations (for £8k…. mine would be very high)

I have always got mine from Nufit (Opposite Morrisons in Elland) on a supply only basis and then fitted them myself, but they have a list of window fitters that could do the job. I have always found they are a good price, all broken down.

Also had a good experience of Ryburne windows.

Having just purchased a house I can confirm the process now is a right ball ache, I did it in 2.5 months by managing (badgering the crap out of ) the solicitors and clients. Previously I achieved this in 19 days.

Yours does seem to be extended at 4 months, I would question the solicitor to ask where the holdups are and work with them to resolve them.

He was 13, not 10.

Leeds Ikea yesterday at 6pm, he just wanted fun like his younger brother in the other trolley.

Had 15 meatballs is the main memory from the trip.

Been here in 2007, and feel your pain.

Be strong together through it and talk to others when you need to. As above it happens to many couples, just not openly discussed until you are in the same situation.

10 years on typing this makes the room dusty so don’t underestimate the impact.

Sorry, not dressing this up well, but no point sugar coating it.

Now have 3 kids (14, 12 & 8 ) with a gap, so all worked out well.

Stay strong for your Mrs.

The platform I use is Alliance Trust, mainly because of the fees.

I have ISA’s through them for the whole family along with a SIPP.

Before you purchase any shares do some fantasy trading to understand how much you need the markets to move before the expected outcomes are achieved.

You also need to have different risk strategies for your investments, don’t play all your money. Use funds that are managed by ‘experts’ and other investment return strategies.

Make sure all your other finances are sorted out first (credit cards, other bills, loans, rainy day money) so the money you use is extra/spare and talk to you other half (if you have one) about what you intend to do.

It is working for me and my family but do your research and be skeptical about any advice you read or are given.

Make good use of all tax advantages, ISA allowance, pension relief, salary sacrifice….

I read to mine nearly every night and agree some books do provoke strange questions.

Have to add I am pleased with the effort being put in by STW in the reading department, it help so much with their education.

From the photo i can see why he has extended, but as you say you are now compromised with your plans.

I would be asking what his plans are for finishing the boundary as it is open, messy and a selfish build.

Trying to help, I live at the top end of Elland. I moved here 15 years ago and there is a huge variety of choice, it just depends if you can afford what you want.

Good cycling, amenities, shops…. are all easy in this area so can slip down your list of priorities, not chavy and good pubs will be more of a challenge dependant on your budget.

The A629 into Halifax is a big queue every morning and parking in the centre of town is an issue, this could influence the train commute option. If you drive from down the Calder Valley (from Todmorden, Hebden) then the road is ok but can’t be rushed.

No kids has made this easy as you can take schools out of the equation.

Having said all the above and you coming from London, what we call a busy commute could be like a Sunday to you so you will need to put it in perspective!

I would strongly recommend renting to find your feet, it will mean you have time to make a good choice.

Happy to help, keep posting.

Garmin HR wearer aswell.

Age 40
RHR =41
Max 191
See no issue with the stats, better than a high one!

Just scrapped my 02 plate fucus after 12 years of pretty fault free ownership but I knew a bad MOT was long over due, the advisory box was full, tyres were required and the wipers stopped, the original reason for going to the garage.

Just got a 12 plate focus titanium with loads of toys for £7.5k
You get a lot for your money so go find a new car.

‘bad relations with neighbours is a massive drain on your mental resources’

This is so true, I’m in court with mine next week!

Due to our jobs, interests or situations have more experience in areas that we can share with others that we feel might need it.

The hardest bit is working out who needs it and will then use it and ask for clarification.

It is easier to have less knowledge around family over Christmas.

S max here in petrol 2.0 auto. to avoid DPF issues with short journeys.

We looked a loads of cars to take 3 in the back and not many fit the criteria. It came down to the Smax and Galaxy, galaxy is an all day 7 seater while the s max is 5 + 2. There is more storage in the Galaxy but we could not think what it would be useful for.

S max is easy to drive, especially in auto and the dimension difference between the smax and Galaxy is +/- 50mm and both cars are big.

I play the game, currently only in the UK, have just filled the paperwork out to trade US shares.

Have done quite well out of it, I like making the educated gambles. It is nice to make £££ from my keyboard.

I am watching/investing in

BP
Spire
Capita
Rightmove
Google
Amazon
BA tabacco

Smax here for 3 kids.

We looked at loads of cars, many of them mentioned above and many just do not cater for 3 in the back.

Bought an S max 2.0 ecoboost auto and everyone is happy.

Bought 3 chromebooks for my crew and they are great. It helps that I use Google/Chrome at work but the kids have just taken to them so well. The cost is much less and managing them is so easy, no software of virus issues and with kids this is always a problem as they will just click the ‘OK’ boxes.

The windows PC in our house has not been on for over a year now.

Is this the STW version of how many sweets are in the jar? Would be a better game for all the sh1t Xmas fayres