Don’t start the legal stuff until the survey comes back positive.

Given the choice of oiled or lacquered I would choose oiled every time.
Looks more natural, more easily “repaired”, not so slippery, should never need sanding as it gets older; it’ll just develop a patina.

I’d strongly recommend oiled as it’s far, far easier to maintain than lacquer especially if it gets scratched, quick sand of the scratch if it’s deep, re oil and it’s gone.

This! Just wipe an oily rag over any scratches and it’ll eventually gain a lovely patina.

At £30 per sq metre you’re spoilt for choice of good quality engineered. No need to go for laminate at that price.

http://www.flooringsupplies.co.uk/engineered-wood-flooring

Magura Martas always had excellent modulation. I’m not sure what the modern stuff is like.

7% over 14 years? I wouldn’t. Especially secured on my home!
Speak to your mortgage co. If they were willing to give you a new deal while you have other debts they may be willing to add them to your mortgage.
As P-Jay says, get some good independent advice.
Don’t put your home at risk.

Simplest thing would be to dig down next to the fence and set a weed proof membrane vertical barrier down to say 50cm and then back fill – will stop the bamboo roots spreading into your garden.

Back it up with some slates.

Bongo Friendee!

I hear she’s won every round of the World champs AND the world cup, or whatever.
A stonking achievement! I learned that from the BBC. I wouldn’t have known that just relying on the discussion in this forum…

Eastern europe?

Last year the FTSE All Share returned 0.98% including dividend reinvestment and excluding charges. The year before 1.18%, and the year before 20.81%. The FTSE-100 was worse in all three years.

Over the past 10 years the All Share has grown 21%, or 2% per year (excluding dividends and charges). The FTSE-100 11% over 10 years.

Yes, but much higher returns have been available elsewhere, with a similar level of risk.
Many people won’t even consider stocks and shares as an investment though. It’s seen as far too risky. Not surprising really, as the only time share prices hit the front page is when they fall 20% or whatever. People are, though, bombarded with the “good” news that house prices are rising rapidly.

My Fiat Panda has a proper 6mm steel plate jobby. On the Subaru it’s plastic.

a) whose fault is that?
b) what about the other fifteen days he’s pissed into the wind?

If it was a mate doing a favour I’d totally agree. Hiring the services of a “professional” not so much.

As project says, the OP has had plenty of time to spot he’s not a “professional” and do something about it.
One could argue it is his fault for not being on top of things.

That is actually quite a lot of work for £600 labour charge; Three doors, linings and architraves, plus skirting (how much?), all fitted and oiled. And he’s replaced a door for free, supposedly.
Have a heart. He’s given you ten days at £40 a day.
The price was always too cheap. A lesson learned for you both.

You might want to tell your decorator his mate is crap. It might reflect badly on him…

6% return is pretty conservative for a stocks shares isa

That’s investing, not saving, and it is not without risks.
Saving is generally seen as sticking your pot away somewhere “safe”.

It’s pretty easy to get 6% + on savings,

Really? Where?

He’s not been working solid for all that time, I would say he’s easily done 8-10 days. This is only for three internal doors, and all the associated door furniture and wood work, incl skirting.

Poor bloke. Sounds like he hasn’t a ‘king clue.
Not your problem though. Keep back £50 for fitting the door handles and put him out of his misery.

How many doors are we talking about?

Window open?

Sarko saves Europe!

http://www.itv.com/news/2016-09-27/nicolas-sarkozy-to-give-britain-chance-to-reverse-brexit-vote-if-elected-french-president/

Were you thinking of leaving a puppy alone all day?

Birch Ply would be good for this. A nice clean face and will hold a screw well.

When I bought my Porsche I was stagered to find it had 24 month service intervals. Delaer said bring it in for an oil change after 6-12 months but after that unless you are doing a lot of track days etc every 24 months is fine.

The dealer is drumming up some future business.
Those are utterly daft intervals.

Am I the anomaly?

Probably. Everyone speeds. Even the ones who think powerful cars are the devil’s work…

To counter this it is essential to have perfect tension,

and just as important, a perfect chain line!

As the OP, i’m firmly in the ‘a bit more power at times is better’ camp. What i don’t undertand is why you will ever need more than say 300 bhp on a road car.

It’s needed to drag around all the “safety” shit that manufacturers have to fit.

As an aside, doesn’t one company do this with their electric cars, pump the missing engine noise electronically through the stereo

Volkswagen do, and probably others too.

What car do you drive? If it’s a 4×4 then switching to an estate might help his legs when he jumps out, or get him a ramp.

get close and you’ll know where the ‘stink’ bit comes from.

You don’t have to get too close; ten feet is usually close enough…

Isn’t the Jeep made by Fiat?

f you think the current situation is sustainable then great, trying to be objective it’s not.

Who the **** said it’s sustainable?

and if I work as hard will I get the same reward?

No, but it ain’t their fault.
But I doubt you’ll work that hard…

unrealistic expectations were sown by a generation who got everything they wanted, bounced up a property market, borrowed against massive equity that they did nothing to acquire, safe in the knowledge that their pensions were protected and their future locked in and so on…

They worked hard, it was expected, and rewarded.

I write to my elected representative at least every week during sessions of parliament.

About what?
And they’re still your MP during the summer. Send them postcards!

What is a “Red Fox” lab? When were they invented?

On returns being low, yes absolutely its very hard for fund managers to make money with these ultra low interest rates and the pesnion pot buys a small pension for the same reason.

As I posted on another thread I have saved quite a lot into pensions over 35 years and the returns have been going down steadily incouding years where the funds have lost money and the pension rate is of course much lower. This is just the reality of the markets.

Despite the last 8 years being one of the strongest bull runs in history? You do have to wonder where some of these fund managers are investing.
Don’t buy the funds these sharks are selling. Buy the company that employs the sharks…

There are two relevant articles in today’s FT money section, about people living longer, and Merryn SM on fund fees. Worth the £3.70!

Um…looks like I was right and the HL charge is actually 0.45% unless perhaps you choose to invest in one of their expensive underperforming funds in which case they’ll waive this charge but you’re already paying a similar percentage for the privilege of giving them your money to look after. No thanks.

You’re right, and you’re wrong. As I said above, HL do charge 0.45% on FUNDS held in their ISA, but shares and trusts are capped at £45 pa, or are held for free in their trading account. You don’t have to buy one of their expensive underperforming funds.

You’re right. I had assumed the charge was the same for funds as it is for shares and trusts; these are capped at £45 pa

OK, I thought most had a 0.5-1% charge, I’m sure they did when I looked into it for myself. And standard rate taxpayers get no advantage on dividends, though the rules may have changed a few times on that. As for CGT, not many people are going to go over 10k per year (20k per couple). Though if the charge is really only 45 quid a year, might be worth that just to make the tax form filling easier…

£45 a year is through Hargeaves Lansdowne. There are cheaper alternatives too…
You will also be paying 0.1- 2.0% ongoing fees for funds, thugh these are often cheaper with HL, Charles Stanley etc than buying direct from Fundsmith, Invesco etc, and HL etc give you more flexibility.
The savings might not be apparent until you’ve built up a pot, but over time, or after a good year, you’ll be glad you opened an ISA.
Dividends are tax free in an ISA too…