Owning your own home

It's amazing how much further your money goes up north.

Whenever I go back to Northwich I look at the nice farmhouses I could get for the price of a terraced house in East Ham.

Have we had the conversation about John Deane's in the past? A few people on here (me included).went there but can't remember who.

I still recall the fag pit with find memories. Wouldn't be allowed now for sure

Yes, someone on here definitely has. Maybe @hugo7 ? Can't remember, might be on the gardening thread.
My sister also used it for a log cabin garden office thing and was happy with it.

Yes, for much the same set of reasons. I didn't fill it with stones, just built the floor frame out of 2x4 on top of it and built up from there. If the plot drains well, is free of tree roots, and you can get it nice and level, and well compacted before you start, it seems good.

I think so - 2004-6 for me.

At that age I'd have been horrified at the thought - but now the idea of working there, walking up from a nice big house on the Crescent or Hartford Beach... I'm getting old.

If you are sure you can fix the lease it seems tempting

I installed a unique way of getting up there (couldn't get a spacesaver to fit and a stair over the existing stair would of created a space which was unusable)
Obviously didn't conform to building regs and I can't sell it as a room...

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Nice! Did you do anything to reinforce the floor? Assume insulation between the rafters and on the stud walls along the purlins?

We've just had the roof redone and ripped out most of the conversion that was put in by the previous owners. Wasn't done to regs then (ridiculously steep staircase cutting into actual spare room) and just trying to balance how much it's worth putting things right vs. patching up what's still there when it'll never be sold as a room.

I've attached a sketch of what I did, it had to be done as cheap as possible and I if it came to selling I would accept I couldn't advertise as a room. I did the majority of the work apart from skimming the plasterboard and it cost less than £2k for everything.
I had quite limited headroom so had to design it to keep it as high as possible - to make it a worthwhile room would have involved dropping the ceiling at first floor level which I wasn't prepared to do (the neighbours did)

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looks good for 2k. I'll take one

that was back in 2005 and up north £2k is a lot of money...

Thanks, that's really helpful! I'm thinking of something along the same lines (limited headroom, dropping ceiling + dormer was too expensive). Had been wondering if beams between party walls was legit, time to get the measure out!

I bought two 250x75 (I think) bolted them together and fixed to heavy duty joist hangers. I also had them put into the attic when I had the roof off to be re-roofed.
If I was doing it again I would probably use steel beams onto padstones built into the wall - however its not fallen down yet...

I'm beginning to think we should have done this bit while the roof was off, but everything's just been a bit chaotic/reactive.

I think so.
https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/wasterecycle/recycling/recycling-small-electricals-and-mobile-phones

https://www.google.com/maps/place/36+Sydenham+Hill,+Forest+Hill,+London+SE26+6LS/@51.4346856,-0.0658158,3a,75y,87.86h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1slR0DJ74krmUIXOk3i8Dn2g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x487603dec1ade357:0x37385acbe7d0a6ac!8m2!3d51.4346939!4d-0.0656969

Cheers. I wonder if I can fit a Microwave into this bin?

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If you are sure you can fix the lease it seems tempting

I have to call the managing agent to find out what that process would be like, issue is I really hate talking to them.

Hmmm. If they are difficult then obviously they can make your life difficult wrt this garage in future (access? power? maintenance? transfer fees?).

True, but I have to deal with them for the flat already, so hey ho.

Cheers. I wonder if I can fit a Microwave into this bin?

Are microwaves allowed in that bin? I can't read the poster clearly enough. My local tip has them in a separate section to the 'small applicances' section but it may be different for different boroughs.

I doubt it, if it's the same size as the ones we have in Hackney. I'd say a microwave is a larger electrical item than this type of bin is intended to take.

Shed: day 1

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I love all of the work that you're doing. But I have to ask - where do you find the time?

In one piece? It looks unlikely. I only ever run by them so I know of them but not their intimate construction.

I’m often at my computer finishing paid work in the little hours. The stress of it has made my hair start falling out. Pretty much done now though. Last few jobs to tick off.

Don’t do it is my advice to anyone thinking they have the desire/energy to take-on a big project while working and parenting.