Owning your own home

Even oil fired ranges are a bit shit, but coal fired? Fuck that noise.

I've got no idea when it comes to Aga type things - gas is best maybe?

can it be converted to gas?
I hear there's not much future in coal...

That what my first question but apparently there's other issues. Also rockwool insulation for that whole area is pretty expensive anyway.

Regarding the damp that's under there we know and have fixed or are about the fix the causes.

Also banging underfloor heating in there.

Not Aga is best, to be honest - Agas (Rayburns, Stanleys, all much of a muchness) are ineffecient anachronisms.

Pay someone to scrap it, and stick a Rangemaster (gas or induction) there instead.

Ok, what about this one? https://www.onthemarket.com/details/9296607/

Ah of course. I'd forgotten you recently mentioned you were in Edinburgh too!

Agreed that a building warrant is required for most of the adventurous stuff. That's why I'm sticking to a notional replacement of units in-situ :)

Suspect the flat will be as per your memory of your parents' place. See attached a few from the sales brochure (some years ago now).Of course in this photo, the press cupboard (to the left of the window) is covered over with a timber panel, hiding the hot water cylinders and -- for some inexplicable reason -- a bunch of possessions belonging to a previous tenant -- seems they had been in there for a couple of decades... also attached a pic from when it was opened up.

Edit: I took inspiration for my plans from my upstairs neighbour's flat. I also noted that most of the other flats in the building have put the central heating boiler in the press cupboard - or so it seems based on some sleuthing (the vents are visible from the garden).

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I've always quite liked runs of cupboards like this, https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz_UrwoBMfA/?igshid=1x2m9v3ulb9do which you could do along that wall? I think 40k kitchen idea would be a pantry cupboard built in to the press and 60cm from the wall so it lined up with the rest of the countertop with the fridge freezer at the other end.

Having lived with a coal fired Rayburn in the past, I can tell you that you do not want it. Getting up at 6.30 daily to get coal in from under a layer of snow so there was heat in the house + ability to cook was a low point of country living. (Though separate heating and a coal room mitigate that somewhat).

Roof situation sorted... downstairs leaseholders decided on the £6k option.

Now to get back to the job of spending obscene amounts on a kitchen.

Maybe not your ideal, but good that you have an agreement, and a positive relationship with neighbors

With these neighbours... the new ones are getting a party wall award process started so we'll see how that goes.

@Dammit - re the coal and oil chat.

If you planned on staying there, then it make more sense to just make the move to electric.

Maybe also have a look at turning the little field into a mini solar farm.

Maybe also have a look at turning the little field into a mini solar farm.

Bit ugly. Maybe a ground source heat pump and some underfloor hearing?

The solar was more of a joke as I can't imagine it would make you that popular with your neighbours.

Is Nest still the best way of getting multiple heat zones throughout a three storey house? We had one in our flat a few years ago and it was great.

The issue is that you have to buy one full thermostat for each zone - which ends up being £500.

Is there a better way of doing it (WiFi thermostatic valves?) as the alternatives don't look any more appealing right now.

So the wall is coming away under the roof line and above the ceiling hence why the surveyor couldn't see it. Not that I don't think the surveyor was a waste of £700, because she was.

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I was looking into wifi thermostatic valves for here before we considered moving, and will be doing so again in the new house. Not sure how else you would do it without "fancy" plumbing and potentially a boiler upgrade.

What is the fix for that, out of interest.

just plug it with stans

A 90 degree plate that bolts the extension to the house. Then they fill the gaps with render.

The objective is to keep it where it is rather than try and move it back to where it should be.

In the long run the whole thing has to come down and be rebuilt.

Looks wonderful, nice location too. Rock climbing in the back garden.

The only thing that puts me off period properties are the potential low ceilings, as charming as they are I know i'd get annoyed banging my head and having no one to blame but myself.

I've got a netatmo thermostat and wifi thermostatic valves on all the rads. It works fine.

I quite like Honeywell EvoHome TRVs but can't bring my self to buy them as they are £50+ per radiator. That way you can have a zone per room.

I really want something I can hack so some sort of 'open' TRV but I'm a geek.

In the long run the whole thing has to come down and be rebuilt.

Was that the plan anyway?

crikey they're ugly!