Owning your own home

Can’t someone recommend me something for my garden office to warm it up in the mornings?

Infrared panel heaters ?

https://www.savemoneycutcarbon.com/learn-save/how-does-far-infrared-heating-work/

Its the same folk that have been doing the free boilers for years, a scheme which is almost exclusively ran by cowboys and as soon as the money drys up they shut.

Too many people getting stuff they shouldn't

Get a chinese diesel heater, its cheaper to run than anything electric thats what I have now.

recommend an electric oil filled radiator

I think it depends on the space.

Oil filled rads are great if you had one in home you're living in, or a space you're working in all day where you want it on for a long time and to have a consistent heat. But often in small spaces where just a quick blast to get it up to temp will do, a fan or standard electric rad can be better.

chinese diesel heater

Like this?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.instructables.com/Chinese-Diesel-Heater-Workshop-Install/%3famp_page=true

Exactly like that and you can run it on red diesel or kerosene which is cheaper.

recommend me something for my garden office to warm it up in the mornings?

I heartily, and disappointingly as Dyson, recommend the hot/cold Dyson fan.

We bought one of these after our boiler decided to stop working a couple of years ago (whilst waiting for it to be fixed)…

https://www.johnlewis.com/delonghi-hfx30c18-electric-heater/p5817473

Nice and compact, got decent reviews and heats up a room pretty quickly before switching off thanks to the built in thermostat.

I actually don't rate ours and much prefer a standard oil-filled Delonghi although it doesn't look nearly as good

@Tenderloin
We have a Delonghi Bambino with a thermostat that works well and looks ok.
Also would recommend oil filled as they hold their heat well.

This is what Im using today but took it from the nursery so not a permo solution.

Thanks all for the suggestions - going to have a look but as I have a JL voucher it may be one of those that wins out!

I've got a couple of kitchen cupboards which always involve everything falling out of them when I try and get something out (mainly tupperwares).

Thinking I may get some wire shelves to go in there to make stuff easier to access? Any suggestions what is decent but not too expensive. I looked at the Ikea ones but I think they are slightly deeper than my cupboard.

Just completed on my first flat. I'm over the moon after saving for ~6 years.

The only big drawback for me is that it's an old building and I have an upstairs neighbour, so I get a lot of footsteps noise (I knew this going in). Anyone have any experience of sound proofing from upstairs impact noise? I don't get any airborne noise. I get the impression that it's largely pointless or expensive, compared to getting the neighbour to dampen noise at source, but I have over 3.5m high ceilings so plenty of space for sub ceiling if needed.

Boiler seems like it's packed it after 20 years ... Is Boxt the right place to get a good deal or is buying direct and getting someone local going to be better?

Also, what sort of output for a 3 bed/1bath Victorian terrace? 24KW?

it's largely pointless or expensive, compared to getting the neighbour to dampen noise at source

This.

Speaking from experience*, you would be throwing your money away and the changes from getting used to it plus your neighbour eventually moving out (especially if its rented) are orders of magnitude more effective and also free.

*strictly speaking my experience is of an acoustic wall lining attempt to mitigate airborne noise transmission, not regarding impact noise

Congrats.

I have never been in an upstairs noise scenario, but wonder if you might be better offering new flooring / carpets for the person upstairs? You would be committing to an expense you can't recover, but the same is true for anything you did with the ceiling in your own place.

Yeah I'll have to hope I get used to it for now.

The lease does include a carpet requirement, not that a carpet alone would be enough, so if it does do my head in I guess I might be able to argue that they're in breach of the lease.

I don't want to make enemies, but is possible to require that a leaseholder includes sound dampening material in the floor, in the event that any work to the floor is done? An "if you do it, do it properly" kind of thing?

Yeah I have been thinking about that, it feels wrong, but if the costs are comparable or even less then it makes sense to do the more effective option.

Then of course, even if I offer to cover costs, there's little reason for them to oblige given the upheaval for my benefit.

I'll have to broach the subject with them and see how it goes. It's a floor issue rather than a them issue.

When I looked in to it, ages ago and not very thoroughly, a false ceiling hung from the walls + insulation was the best bet. Never did it though. Looking back I wish I'd done some work to the underside of the creaky-ass stairs. Recently battoned, glued and screwed my current victorian staircase from below and they're virtually silent now. The upstairs neighbor coming in at one and going up those things would always wake me up.

Fair play to have a word with the upstairs neighbour.

The only thing that has ever helped with noise in my building is considerate neighbours.

You have my sympathies as I have had some awful neighbours; luckily they eventually moved but it felt like an eternity!

They might be nice and not aware they're causing an issue... fingers crossed!

I'm sure I'm doing the same to the flat below me. I want to fix that too!

Go local fuck boxt.

I would be planning to do any remedial in my own property where I have control.

You can’t change others’ behaviour or their flooring unless they agree to it but even then you can’t control the installation so won’t know it’s been done right or done at all. And then they move out and the next lot just rip it all up again and install four year olds.

I went through this and moved to a top floor flat to escape it.