Exceptional cicumstances allow for time off. A holiday is not exceptional circumstances.

I recon a big dump in the alps is an exceptional circumstance 😀

The greatest issue is that common sense is really not that common.

I agree, but most of the people I know that have common sense, aren’t the academically minded.
In fact some of the most intelligent people I know have the least going on in their head.

The law is however black and white now and common sense not an option.

And that my friend, is probably the best quote I’ve heard that describes the way this once great country is heading.
Take away a persons ability to use their own common sense.
(And the law isn’t really black and white, there is a grey bit in the middle)

I dont really do package holidays. Over the last 20 years I’ve prob done 3 or 4.
My daughter is 14 and during first school she was taken out of school for a week of skiing every year with full permission from the head master. His words were “she’ll learn more there than a week at school”
She has also been to non ski destinations during school time, again with the headmasters blessing.
She is now in high school and has had the odd day off due to flight times or just deciding we didn’t want to come home as early as planned.
Strangely, she doesn’t seem to be suffering at school? Top set for every subject (just got top in her year for science out of 360 kids) and is regularly away on school trips (gifted and talented) that takes her away from her lessons.
She loses lesson time for school plays (she is very much into drama, in and out of school, going to NY next year and has performed at the Royal Albert hall, Disney land Paris and many more), but still strangely she does well at school.
I don’t thinks it’s as black and white as most make out. A bit of common sense needs to be added.

Edit: just to add before the hand wringing starts, she also passed her karate cadet black belt at 10 (I train at the same club and passed mine 6 months later so I know what it entailed!) has spent a few weeks away with the club training twice a day, she can ski, is getting to grips with snowboarding but hates biking?
There is different types of education IMO not just sending you child out at 8:30 in morning and hoping for the best.

No but that looks like a halfords special compared to the rocket.

I’ve 2 of the lite version. One in my tool box for work and the other on the bike.

You don’t really have to do anything. As there is a meter and a c/u underneath it, the cables are in a permitted zone and don’t need any protecting.
If you wanted to go OTT, get a sheet of flat steel (5mm) and set in front of the cables.

It’s seems to be going down the rent/buy argument. Which the poster didn’t ask.
Forgetting rent/buy, property IMO is a good investment if you make the right choices, I’ve effectively had my mortgage on my own house paid for the last 8 years, as well as having a surplus amount left.
Not bad for 44. But I do all maintenance myself (it’s not that much tbh) and manage them also (no agent fees to pay) so fees are zero.
Hopefully by the time I hit 55, my house will be paid for, I’ll sell half of my rentals, (they are on a repayment mortgage) pay the mortgage off on the other half (interest only) and the rent coming in will be my pension and will probably be passed on to my daughter when I die.
Unless I sell up and do the coke and hookers thing later in life.

Sounds about right. Getting a property to how you want it might cost a few £££ but the general maintainance is very little.

Just out of curiosity, what do people recon they spend on maintainance on a house.

Snowboard helmet strapped to pack every year. Never had any probs.

I’m strongly in the mortgage camp.
Your mortgage payment will follow the interest rate and won’t be affected by inflation/house price rises etc.
Rent will always go up, as house prices increase the loan costs to fund them increase, most landlord use high leverage as it removes their cash and leaves the banks money invested in the property.
I have a few rentals and don’t have any of my money invested in them any more, I have equity tied in but no physical money.

IMO a financial advisor is one in a long line that is filling his pockets from your hard earned!
And yes we are picking up the tab right now.

I’d be happy if they invested thier money for me!
I’ll put in zero and when can I retire?
I’ve always looked at pensions as “what can I buy for £100 today, what could I have bought for £100 40 year ago and what might I be able to buy for £100 in 40 years time.”
My answer has always come out as “not a lot, lots and **** all”
So I have to put lots away to hopefully get not a lot or maybe even **** all.
Pensions are good but don’t underestimate how much you need to be putting in it to make it worthwhile.
I was one of the younger generations that was shafted by the endowment mortgage promises, paid into that for years and got sweet fa out of it.
And to go against the grain, I’ve made, and continue to make, more money out of property than investing in a pension.

I’m in the blow the lot while your young camp.
I’m 44 and don’t/won’t have a pension. I’m capable of investing my own money where I see fit.
I once took a policy out that I paid £500 up front then £100 per month.
It had dropped by half in the first year (took it out just before the twin towers) took another few years of paying my £100 just to get my money back.

Old rockhopper.

If you can pile the muck up get it collected. Much cheaper.

It depends on your drainage system. If it all runs to a combined sewer you’ll be fine, even most of the new estates that have separate drainage systems eventually run into a combined sewer.
Some have completely seperate systems and if you put it down there, they will eventually will find you. Happened to my BIL, took about 2 years, didn’t get into trouble just had to rectify it.

Plan and elevations.
There a few changes to the plan. Garage at the front (the wife’s not happy as it was the lounge, but needs must)
There’s no dormers or velux windows and the rear extension is flat roofed with a orangey type roof.

Other side is a residential care home.

I had the local allotment guys back and forward taking barrows, they were like the seven dwarfs!

Not sure of the total metre-age but downstairs floor area without the garage is 87sq mtrs.

750 less 70 screed, 100 insulation, 150 beam and a 150 min void. But has to be stripped of soil and veg.
Clay was a little lower than I’d of hoped for:-(

That footing is 1050 from dpc. 300 x 600 strip foundations.

Not sure tbh?
If you look at the sat view. The house directly next door is a 4 bed detached. So you can judge of that but it’s a good size.

I can’t! There is a blanket TPO on the whole area.
Once the house is up there be a few coming out every now and then. Mostly on windy days!
And yes there’s a log burner going in.

Day 3. Most of the long footings dug. The dog was just making sure it’s straight.
6 more wagons of muck taken!

Sat image of the plot. The rear part from the centre line of the trees belongs to the council but they don’t have any access. There’s no fence so my garden will get a little bigger!

Day 2.
Most of the top soil has been removed and a couple of the awkward footings have been dug.
Shifted 10 wagons (about 100ton) and there’s 3 coming first thing today. It’s unreal how much stuff comes out.

Had a little help tho.
This week should see the land cleared, footings dug, service trench dug and the drive levelled and a few wagons of stone laid to create a drop zone for deliveries and to keep the mud to a minimum.
Going to gravel the drive later on using a geo grid base.

Sussed!

Can the photos be linked using iphone/ipad?
Not sure what you mean about the spaces?

I plan to fit wet underfloor heating fed via a system boiler with a hot water store so I’ll be need quite a bit of plumbing gear!
I’ll post a copy of the plan when I get a chance.

Hopefully it should be around that figure. I’ll be doing the majority of the work myself to keep costs down and have lots if other contacts to do the rest.

Four bed with integral garage. Going to be quite modern. Rendered finish and grey aluminium window etc.
I don’t have a set budget but hoping to be around £130k plus land purchase (£85k)

Yeah it’s my pal’s who drives the digger. Sits at his feet while he drives it.
That’s when it’s not searching for balls!
Any techy’s point me in the right direction to make the photos show on here?

Busy couple of days. Dug and shifted about 100 ton of topsoil.
10 wagon full’s gone and prob another 5 tomorrow.

I need gas j4mie?
It’s going to be mains tho.
Out of all the utilities they are the cheapest to have installed.
Got a bit of drainage concerns at the minute. Hopefully I can tie into next doors but that involves digging some of her garden up or going out into the street but I’ll be at the mercy of Northumbria waters approved contractor and I’m assuming it’s going to cost!!!

I’ll be keeping a photo diary. I’ll pop them on if I ever work out how to do it!

North tyneside so not that far!
It’s a huge gamble as I need to get it liveable with a small pot then sell my house to finish it.
Don’t really want to go rented.
But hopefully it will be worth it when it’s complete (if it ever is)

Freebies sounds good!

No.
But I’ve just started. I’ve always wanted to do it and a plot with planning already on it came up.
I start tomorrow with a digger/driver to clear the site and dig footing etc.
Will be project managing it myself and also working on site as much as I can.
I fit kitchens so all wood/electrics/plumbing/plaster boarding etc will be done by me and have access to other trade as and when I need them.

£350 to have esse100 fitted and a granite hearth sides and back, inc knocking out and fitting lintel (I paid for the granite)
He is my mate tho:-)

im in the same boat, fit kitchens as my bread earner.

when i first went self employed, about 12 years ago my Dad who was close to retirement gave me a hand for a number of years.

got him out of the house/pub and he enjoys pottering.

age has caught up with him and ive struggled to get some one half as good.
nearly every young lad ive tried is keen as mustard for a couple of weeks then their interest drops and they spend more time on their phone or complaining they are knackered. (usualy after getting home at 3am)

if its only for helping out now and then i look for older people these days.

I’m just about to build a house on a plot that has a full TPO on in.
They council haven’t a clue, I need permission to cut anything off any tree or hedge but they don’t know what’s on it to start with!
I recon there’s going to be a few conversations starting with “what tree”?