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Edited by Dynamic Dave on 04/02/2010 at 00:13
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to kevin - thanks for your response. I was looking on the virgin atlantic site and a 2 week stay at the Kanuhura resort is around £6k. - it has a good rating on TripAdvisor - have you any experience of it yourself? This price was travelling economy on virgin. Not sure of the hotel room quality as they have different grades, trying to check on Virgin.com but the website seems to be down. Im thinking of dropping Dubai and just sticking with the Maldives, as the cost seems to be getting out of hand.
thanks again
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If I was spending that kind of money on a holiday I would go through a niche travel agent that will do the legwork for you like Kuoni or Elegant Resorts.
No connection with either other than being an occasional window licker on their sites.
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5 years ago we did a Malaysia/Singapore trip organised through Kuoni and they were brilliant. The trip involved flights from 5 different airports, a ferry transfer and private taxi transfers to 4 different hotels and there was not one hiccup.
They will search to find the best price on flights and the accommodation you prefer.
BTW if you like to see the outside World Dubai is best from October to March.
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>I was looking on the virgin atlantic site and a 2 week stay at the Kanuhura resort is
>around £6k. - it has a good rating on TripAdvisor - have you any experience of it yourself?
Sorry, we haven't been to Kanuhuraa so can't help you with that one. I think it's a popular spa place though.
Resorts in Maldives vary greatly, all the way from inexpensive family friendly places to the likes of Reethi and Huvafen Fushi with it's underwater spa. Which particular one will suit you really depends on what you are looking for. If you are into diving or snorkelling some are better than others.
We usually book through Kuoni. Can't recommend Virgin - still have the discount vouchers they grudgingly sent as compensation for ruining our holiday in Barbados.
If you've kicked Dubai into touch I'd recommend flights with Sri Lankan Airlines who now fly direct each way from LHR T4. You can upgrade to their Economy Plus cabin for ~£120pp but we had to contact Sri Lankan directly (last November) because it's a fairly recent change and not widely known. I suspect the price will go up as soon as more folks become aware of it.
Sri Lankan are pretty close to Emirates in terms of service and comfort but you don't have the hassle of stopping off in Dubai outbound and Colombo and Dubai inbound.
The return flight leaves Male at around 1pm so you don't need to get up at dawn to get to the airport either.
Kevin...
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Is an Ebay seller obliged to sell the item to you at the 'hammer' price?
Can a seller withdraw an item after a bid has been confirmed?
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It's not a real auction, so you can do anything you like, as long as you can take the flak.
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eBay think it is a binding commitment, and some people claim to have managed to enforce this in the courts.
pages.ebay.co.uk/consumer-rights/consumer-rights.h...l
reviews.ebay.co.uk/LEGAL-ADVICE-REGARDS-BUYING-AND...2
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The words and the exact truth don't exactly coincide.
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www.amazon.co.uk/Ziplinq-Stereo-3-5mm-Digital-Audi...M
This is just as simple as a 3.5mm-3.5mm jack plug. We have one as on the Aygo it isn't loud enough using 3.5-3.5.
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daveyjp,
Thanks for the tip, looks like that's the way to go from a sound quality point of view as well.
The lead in your link comes up as costing about £50, unless I've misread it.
I have ordered something similar for about a tenner delivered.
Another good thing about my iPod project is much of my music collection is now backed up.
I had my CDs, and other stuff, stolen in a burglary about 12 years ago.
It knocked back my interest in music for a long time, I just didn't have the heart to replace the ones I'd lost, and it was no longer fun going shopping for new music.
My current collection must be about as safe as it can be, it's on an iPod, it's on the laptop's hard drive, it's on my USB back-up drive and, of course, I still have the originals.
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When I had a car stolen about 10 years ago it had loads of my CDs in it. Bit by bit I'd taken more and more out and never brought them back. It would have cost hundreds to replace so mostly I didn't.
Then I got hold of the missing CDs as MP3. I never felt this was illegal because I had bought them in the first place. I now buy MP3 albums so I too have backups of my music.
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Yes the link is one for £50 - needless to say we have one of the cheaper ones shown further down the page. Amazon cookies coming into play!
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...Amazon cookies coming into play!...
davey - or some other knowledgeable soul - woould you care to explain what that means?
I'm sure there a few others of us in the remedial computing class who are curious.
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A Cookie is a small piece of code which remembers you on a computer system - HJ site has one so you don't need to log in to post everytime.
When you search Amazon it remembers from your log on account everything you have ever looked at.
When I went to look back at the cables I was logged on so it gave me the pages I had previously visited.
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Thanks.
Amazon refused to take my 'one click' order until I had declined to apply for their credit card.
So for 'one click' read: 'half a dozen clicks, and a little bit of confusion for the punter'.
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Now you have one click be careful! So many tempting things and so easy to buy!!
My check strap is the fact that everything is delivered to my wife's office - this is enough of a deterrent to stop me one clicking lots of products. The day I change the delivery address is the day I will admit to being an Amazon addict!
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Delivery is the limiting factor for me - I can't be bothered to traipse round to the sorting office on Saturday morning to collect something.
So any purchase I make has to go into a Jiffy bag small enough to drop through the letterbox.
But I might turn off 'one click'.
Apart from temptation, I'm concerned I could order something by mistake.
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Having done exactly that, I would never have one click on. Without one click it doesn't take too much effort!!
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Having worked perfectly for over 30 years, this became blocked recently. It presumably joins the sewer which is, and was clear. There are no trees or large bushes on the trace to provide invasive roots. Nothing solid goes down the sink and the washing machine and dishwasher share the same drain, so the voliume can be high. My son partially cleared it with some mega-MIster Muscle stuff but it was blocked again after three weeks. Does anyone have any further suggestions for clearing please?
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Checked the U bend - may be blocked in there. If not you need to blast it with some proper stuff from a builder's supplier - my neighbour, general builder type, got me some - I think it's limited sale sort of stuff - i.e. you need to be a tradesman of some sort.
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I have to clear the the pipe the washing machine uses every few years. It's a two inch pipe that feeds into an outside grating. It's got easy acces so I dismantle it and scrape it out.
It seems whatever comes out of a washing machine tends to form a 'plug' of small bits of material, limescale (I'm in a hard water area) and soft gunge, presumably detergent.
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There's some stuff - the name of which escapes me - that publicans use to clean beer lines.
Reckoned to eat through most of the types of goo commonly found in drains.
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I should have mentioned that we have a water softener.
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The most common cause of blocked drains is cooking fat. Try filling the sink with the hottest water available, add some detergent and remove the plug. Repeat as necessary If it works it is a cheap easy fix, if not resort to chemicals. An occasional hot pipe flush helps keep it clean.
Edited by Old Navy on 01/02/2010 at 14:29
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Missed the edit, If there is more than one sink attahed to the drain pipe, flush them all at the same time.
Edited by Old Navy on 01/02/2010 at 14:34
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Caustic soda is the thing to use. Treat it with caution as it is nasty stuff to get on you and in your eyes. Never pour water on the crystals, always pour the crystals into water and then stir it with something. It will get hot. Pour it down the sink. It usually dissolves grease, tealeaves and other gunge.
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If caustic soda fails the next stage is sulphuric acid. Just be even more careful.
Available from plumber's merchants for about £15 per litre but it is nasty stuff.
Last time I used it was on some badly installed 40mm pipe run which was buried in a concrete floor. Next time I would go for dismantling pipes first if I could.
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Is it just the sink thats blocked? If so, I'd favour a good old-fashioned plunger. I have one called (I think) a super plunger, bought from a DIY warehouse for pennies. Works a treat.
Terryb
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I second that -
Place the rubber plunger over the sink waste plug and block the sink overflow with a flannel pressed hard over it to stop the air escaping.
Apply a bit of muscle up and down on wooden handle ... it creates a strong vacuum in the pipe and that sucks up the carp . The cause of the blockage is sucked back up the pipe and lets the water through ....
I have to say that my plunger is about 8 inches diameter ( oo er missis ) and it s never failed yet . The bigger diameter of the plunger cup the better .
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snip - you know why :-)
Edited by Pugugly on 01/02/2010 at 17:31
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...snip - you know why :-)...
Pug,
I'm gobsmacked.
It was a harmless double entendre on the word chopper made in the best seaside postcard/Frankie Howerd/Benny Hill tradition.
Made, furthermore, to a poster whose BR name is helicopter, making it a treble entendre.
I can't imagine anyone found it offensive.
A throwaway remark made purely in jest in an attempt to lighten the mood a bit.
Did it really have to be, er, chopped?
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I thought it was witty and allowable too PU... we are all supposed to be grown-ups and most of us are chaps after all.
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I thought it was witty and allowable too PU... we are all supposed to be grown-ups and most of us are chaps after all. >>
;-)
and bearing in mind that it appears allowable for the OP ("chopper") to post this:
"Apply a bit of muscle up and down on wooden handle .... I have to say that my plunger is about 8 inches diameter ( oo er missis ) and it s never failed yet . The bigger diameter of the plunger cup the better ."
Edited by jbif on 01/02/2010 at 17:51
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I didn't really understand either that post, or the one that's had the snip. If there *was* a "double intender" in either, it must have been *very* oblique, or I should have spotted it instantly.
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Buy a drain unblocker for around £15. You can feed it through the trap through the grille, or get into the pipe somewhere and give it a go. These are good: I use that only as an illustration - not a recommendation to buy from there. Chemicals are by-and-large useless, and can be dangerous to anyone investigating later. Further - get one in a non-rusting plastic container. Don't buy a "loose" one as they lash about the place and dirty things. Wash and dry it before you put it away! They'll go around U-bends, BTW.
Edited by Avant on 02/04/2014 at 18:12
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Karcher make an add-on to their pressure washer kit.
Cannot vouch for its efficacy but they have a good name in PW.
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A few volumes ago I asked if anyone had used any companies who pay for old mobiles and had limited response so I then trawled the web for other experiences and used a comparison site for best prices. One of the top payers for one phone received terrible reviews, in many cases taking weeks to pay out, so we avoided them.
In the end we used envirophone and fonebank and in both cases received the cash a week after posting the items. £55 in our pockets for posting an envelope.
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ive always found those types of sites offering really low prices for mobiles. For my Nokia 6300 they offered £30.00, i sold it on ebay instead for £60. I know they have to make a markup but your probably better selling it on ebay if you have an account.
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Dear All,
Hope you can help - it's a subject I haven't got a clue about. My daughter bought a flat in NE London a couple of years ago and has just sent us this email:-
"My leasehold needs to be renewed this summer otherwise it drops below 80 years which causes all sorts of probs apparently....have been quoted £8500 plus legal fees, so looking at about £9000!!!!!!!!!!!
Solicitors said that I should be able to haggle them down...how does one go about that?!"
Why should the difference between (say) a 99 year lease and an 80 year lease make such a difference?
What are the "all sorts of problems"?
Why wasn't this mentioned (searches??) when she bought the flat?
Is it worth spending the money? (I rather suspect that she has nothing like that kind of money (and neither do her Mum and I!!!!)
How much would good haggling bring the cost down by?
Thanks in advance - I'm sure you will know what it's all about!
PhilW
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Do we know what the problems are? Is this mortgage related? Your daughter says there are problems based on... what? Lease holder may be turning the handle to get money?
I am surprised this did not come up when she bought it!
I have no knowledge how this all works. I am a lay person. The house we sold before xmas was freehold with a chief rent of about £12 per year.
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Isnt this only a problem when you come to sell or re-mortgage?
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It is mostly about mortgages, lenders start to become reluctant to lend on a property once the lease is getting towards 60 years which can make it difficult to sell the property. Understandably the shorter the lease gets then the greater the cost is to extend it back to 99 years.
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Which for the OP suggests the lease holder is after money and it is not such an issue?
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Think I need to ring daughter and find out what "problems" are as suggested above - bit late now so will do so tomorrow. I seem to think that she said it would reduce price of flat when she she comes to sell, but she is not intending to do that in forseeable future. Anyway, wouldn't it just reduce price by about the same amount as the cost of buying the increase in length of freehold?
Afraid I am very ignorant of these matters.
Thanks for points made so far.
Phil
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Phil,
Only just picked this up - seems to be a bit odd - has she spoken to any of the other tenants - seems to be a little bit of money making to me !
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On the same subject my parents may have to sell the house due to my dad not being able to work and want to downside and buy a flat.
Am I right in thinking that if we bought a 1960's flat then the leese would only be for another 60 years and thus this is a tool to really be able to knock them down?
My parents are thinking about buying a brand new flat to avoid this hassle and others so then it won't be problem. My parents house is currently freehold but its over 100 years old and needs a lot of work, it dosn't seem to stop similar properties here going for a lot of money though.
Also if my parents are buying cash does that mean they should be able to get a decent discount? The idea of this is so that they can pay of all thier debts, maybe buy a newer car and own a property outright without having the worry of a mortgage., The house also needs a lot of money spending on it to make it efficient, the heating bills are huge.
I've also noticed that a lot of the older flats are not selling where the houses sell instantly on the same road, is this because of the leasehold thing?
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Am I right in thinking that if we bought a 1960's flat then the leese would only be for another 60 years and thus this is a tool to really be able to knock them down?
If there's 60 years left this won't affect it's value. If there was only (say) 15 years left then it might. Here's some information about leasehold/freehold. tinyurl.com/yg6qbwl
Edited by L'escargot on 02/02/2010 at 07:38
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Mortgagees get nervous once you get to a lease with about 50 years left. They see it that if you take a 25 year mortgage by the time you come to sell it will only have 25 years left and virtually unsellable - a mortgage company wouldn't lend against it.
Some cash buyers seek out short lease properties as they can be a bargain, especially in more expensive areas such as the West End of London.
Rattle - if your parents are looking try and find a development where the flat occupiers are all owners of the freehold. With this set up the occupiers are in control of day to day management and not a landlord who employs a managing agent. It needs a few residents to be on a management committee, but it works well for my mum in law.
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I had a Leasehold flat once and we owned an equal share of the the Freehold between us, the freehold was granted to us FOC after the managment company went bust and it was discovered that the money we had built up as a sinking fund for future repairs had "disappeared" ! We ran a managment company ourselves which meant that we could set the annual service charge and decide what repairs/maiteniance we would carry out and when, a much more satisfactory arrangement than it being handled by an outside company over which you have no control ! I think that many leases these days on new flats are for 999 years rather than 99 years, so you dont have worry about being able to sell it on in 30 years time without extending the lease.
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I think my mum wants a new flat anyway as this house is over 100 years and although very posh in its day (it had electricity and indoor bathroom with hot water) it now needs quite a bit of work doing to it.
It all depends on how many factors. What happens if a 60 year old flat needs to pulled down because it becomes unsafe? What happens to that 100 year old lease then?
Also what happens about things like wiring? If its a 60 year old flat then the wiring may well be pre PVC so it would be need to changed to the 17th edition. Not sure how easy it would be to rewire a flat as full access won't be there.
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Rattle, you do seem to spend a lot of time worrying about hypotheticals.
Draw up a list of what you want out of the flat. Location, outdoor space, which floor you do/don't want, etc. Find a flat you like, in a neighbourhood you like. Check out if any work needs doing to it to bring it up to a standard you would be happy with, if any is indeed required. Factor the estimated cost of this work in to your budget, and bingo. You can make a decision about buying it or not then.
For now, enjoy the hunt.
But if your Mum wants a new flat, then that's a good place to start. Stick with looking at new ones. Then you can forget all about wiring worries.................
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>>But if your Mum wants a new flat, then that's a good place to start. Stick with looking at >>new ones
And there's likely to be plenty around in your neck of the woods priced far lower than they were a couple of years ago.
Clk Sec
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RTJ appears to have edited out my point that this is a response to Phil's question, not to Rattle's failure to post his thread in the right place.
However RTJ doesn't appear to have bothered to delete/move the thread hijack, and I couldn't get this to post anywhere more, seemingly, relevant than lost in some obsessive post about wiring regs that has nothing to do with lease extensions.
Perhaps there is another mod who might, please, fancy doing this, so that Phil has a chance of reading this?
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Perhaps there is another mod who might please fancy doing this so that Phil has a chance of reading this?
Best to email them direct - moderators@honestjohn.co.uk
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Sorry tried moving it - it's difficult within a thread - my usual trick has failed me.
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80 years is a crucial point, as if your lease is shorter than 80 years you have to pay more to extend it - you pay what is known as "marriage value". See point 7 on this link.
www.findaproperty.com/displaystory.aspx?edid=00&sa...7
So a canny person will extend before it has got down to 80 years. If you cannot afford it, then it is a matter of waiting until you can afford it - when it will cost more, I'm afraid.
Worth posting on landlordzone.co.uk forum for proper advice on costs of lease extensions.
Edited by rtj70 on 02/02/2010 at 15:13
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Thank you all very much for your replies - much appreciated, though I can't find Focus's post.
Very good links from Mapmaker - thanks - have forwarded them to daughter.
I have spoken to her today - she did know about the length of lease when she bought and apparently allowed for extra cost of extending lease when she bought. It was daughter who contacted freeholder about extending it rather than them contacting her. If she extends the lease it will go up from current 81 years to 125 years and ground rent will also go up (to about £150 pa) she says. She is also aware (as it also says on Mm's link) that if lease goes below 80 years it costs much more to increase it (maybe double the price?) This is all news to me, but then you know what (headstrong?) daughters are like!!!
Her main question now is how much she could expect to bargain them down but that may be answered by a question on Mm's link to landlordzone.co.uk.
By the way - it is a Warner(?) ground floor flat in NW London if that means anything to anyone. I have also told her to go and see some of the neighbours to see if they have any info/advice.
Thanks again for the help - often posed questions on here and you lot always are most helpful - long may it continue.
PhilW
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...Her main question now is how much she could expect to bargain them down...
I believe there is an independent leasehold tribunal which will decide on a fair price if the parties cannot agree.
...Warner flat if that means anything to anyone....
From a property piece in The Independent:
The Warner Estate Co was set up in the 1890s by Sir Thomas Courtenay Theydon Warner to build good-quality, low-cost flats and houses to let to skilled artisans and the upper ranks of the working classes.
The homes were built on his own land and are comparatively spacious, with sizeable rear gardens.
Many of the properties have been purchased under the right-to-buy scheme and have since been sold on.
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Thanks iih
Mind you,
"low-cost flats"
"comparatively spacious"
"sizeable rear gardens."
I'll have to think about that - low cost, spacious, and sizeable have somewhat different meanings in London and E Midlands!!
Phil
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We have a semi detached with driveway running down the side of the gable wall. We are proposing to extend house out to edge of boundary ie where driveway is.
House currently has an upstairs window on the gable wall and we were hoping to maintain this on the extension, primarily as it is the only window in the upstairs hall.
Building Control have knocked this back because
a. as we are on boundary, the wall needs to be a fire wall and the window would need to be non-opening and fire resistant.
b. as we would need to encroach on the neighbour's land to wash the aforementioned window, we cannot have a window!
Now the obvious answer to me would be a fire rated window that opens inside but thats not allowed as we could leave the window open and therefore wall is not fire rated.
If its relevant, although we are going to boundary, my neighbour's driveway will then be against our house and their house is set back from ours so no issues about looking in each other's windows.
My question is there anyway around this that people have maybe experienced, as I would really like the window there. Failing that we will need to go down the road of a velux roof windo or sun tunnel or something similar.
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Which part of building regs governs this?
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Not sure - just going by what Building Control are saying?
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I'd ask them to confirm in writing, it sounds v odd and the building regs are very easy to understand.
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Does it need to be opening? If not can you get the neighbour to some how agree to it and take that to building control. It's not as if a fire is likely to occur (again) is it.
Or thinking outside of the box... if the window is fitted with that self cleaning type glass from Pilkington's you need not clean it at all.
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Thanks for feedback, will ask for specific rules on this. The ironic thing is this new gable will not have another building within, what , 4 metres of it. And an open window there is going to have the same effect as any window in the house being open if a fire starts outside it!
Strange.....
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Fire safety is all under Part B of the Building Regs - readily available to view on the web.
What does your architect say?
I suspect the staircase needs to be protected as it is deemed the main route out of the house should a fire start, hence no windows.
Edited by daveyjp on 03/02/2010 at 09:00
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Fire safety is all under Part B of the Building Regs - readily available to view on the web.
Interested in this myself; presumably this is them:
www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2000/20002531.htm
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Thats the legal stuff try this:
tinyurl.com/yagmgb5
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The ironic thing is this new gable will not have another building within what 4 metres of it.
The regs specify special measures within 1m of the boundary, because there is the possibility of your neighbour building right up to his side of the boundary also.
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But I'm pretty sure Bobby lives in Scotland, so Scottish regs apply. This would appear to the be the relevant section, particularly the last 2 paras:
"2.6.1 Fire resistance of external walls
Apart from unprotected areas, as described in clause 2.6.2, external walls
should have:
? short fire resistance duration, if more than 1 m from the boundary; or
? medium fire resistance duration, if not more than 1 m from the boundary.
However, short fire resistance duration is sufficient even if not more than 1 m
from the boundary, for the following:
? a detached building ancillary to a dwelling comprising a garden hut or
store, or a building for keeping animals, birds or other livestock for
domestic purposes;
? a conservatory or porch attached to a dwelling;
? a garage wall.
Fire resistance duration need not be provided for a building ancillary to a
dwelling, comprising a carport, covered area, greenhouse, summerhouse, or
swimming pool enclosure unless the building contains oil or liquefied
petroleum gas fuel storage (see section 3 and section 4).
2.6.2 Unprotected area
An unprotected area means any part of an external wall (including a door or
window opening), which does not attain the appropriate fire resistance
duration as recommended in clause 2.6.1.
An unprotected area does not include a fixed unopenable window where the
frame and glazing has the appropriate fire resistance duration. Any wallhead
fascia, soffit or barge board, or any cavity vents or solum vents may also be
excluded from the unprotected area calculation.
Up to 500 mm from
boundary
Where the external wall of a building is not more than 500 mm from the
boundary there should be no unprotected area, other than any wallhead
fascia, soffit or barge board, or any cavity vents or solum vents."
There is a section regarding cleaning of windows - all must be cleanable, but it does not specifically mention not accessing from adjacent land, but that seems a reasonable request (and may be caught elsewhere).
Looks like they are right then, and you will have to think again. Velux possible, but they are covered in the section about cleaning as well: unless they are all 1.8m above floor level, you need access to clean them too.....
Slightly OT I was amused to find there is a section regarding drying of washing - does contain sensible advice though!
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It seems completely unreasonable to deny the possibility that you might agree access rights with your neighbour to wash a single window every now and then.
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Richard, that is exactly the section that my architect has referred me to and it does seem to make sense. The building control officer has also said that just because I might have a gentleman's agreement with my neighbour re cleaning windows, that does not mean that they may move and a new neighbour less helpful.
Looks like I throw in the towel with regard to that argument - velux here we go, if at all. When driving along my road today I see there are some houses with no side windows and obviously mid terraced houses won't have them either. Just something you get used to having, will be strange not to have it after 15 years or so!
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The restrictive covenants on our old house said you couldn't have a window on a particular side of the house. It would have been odd if we did because you'd see right into the other house - it was semi-detached ;-) Same covenant applied to the other house mind and there are three windows and a door on that side!
Can you not build the extension slightly smaller and therefore not be right on the boundary?
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No to get enough usable space it needs to go to the boundary but thats fine, its only a window I am losing.
At first I was peeved off as I wouldn't get the light into the top hall but having had time to think about it, there is light coming from downstairs and, as I say, there are plenty of houses without windows in the upstairs hall that are just fine.
As my missus so eloquently put it, for the last 15 years it is the first window we look out of in the morning, and the last blind that gets closed at at night!
Anyone want to buy a white UPVC window with a blind to fit...... :)
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At first I was peeved off as I wouldn't get the light into the top hall
Prisms??? Light bulb?
Seems silly to stop you though.
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why does he need a window? I can tell him what the weather is outside, its scotland, its raining. Just put a picture of a grey day on the wall.
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I want some good quality braces, with medium-width straps, say 1 1/4", blue or red. Where can I get them? These online shopping sites are not very good. Any recommendations?
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Fancy Dress is it? Dont forget the filofax FT.
www.swaggerandswoon.com
they have loads of outlandish braces.
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What happened to Dunn & Co? Greenwoods?
Another one here
www.britishbraces.co.uk/shop/y-braces/
X-type, Y-type, clips or buttons ...suit you sir.
John Lewis? Coop menswear? Local department store?
Edited by Manatee on 02/02/2010 at 21:32
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Ann Summers ?
He wants to be able to get out of them!
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Of course, they don't call them braces in the US.
Google 'suspenders'
Have fun!
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Why not try your dentist?
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He didn't say he wanted to get out of them.!
I have some rather fetching red ones for my motorbike trousers. They've got Sylvester/Tweetypie and some other characters on them. Also in blue with Tom and Jerry.
Local man shop.
Ted
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What a delightful picture that brings to mind:)
Pat
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Any good menswear place or old fashioned tailors should be able to oblige. Particularly those suppling formal Morning or Evening Dress such as Moss Bros.
I attend quite a few functions which require formal wear and thus purchase rather than hire.
By proper braces I assume you mean for attaching to buttons on the trousers rather than the clip type.
Being of 'generous proportions' I got fed up with clip on braces pinging off up my back and trousers slipping down.
My braces are much the same as clip types but have leather ends where the button holes are. Very strong and you lose the worry of descending trousers.....
Mine were bought along with other formal wear in London from Lipmans in Charing Cross Road - around £26 IIRC but I am sure you can get them cheaper elsewhere.
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As a child, after much time spent wondering what waistcoats were for I worked out that they were for concealing your braces! Logic eh? :-)
JH
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>>Being of 'generous proportions' I got fed up with clip on braces pinging off up my back and trousers slipping down.
You wouldn't want that happening to reveal your, erm, axe, hatchet or other chopping devices.
Sorry mods, I couldn't resist.
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Another delightful picture:)
Pat
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Im replacing the lights in the kitchen of a new house, looking to put in gu10 downlighters. Is there a high powered CFL low energy bulb available? I looked in Homebase today and there was a 7w bulb that fitted in but they had it on display and it wasnt very bright at all.
The lights im considering buying come with a 50w halagen bulb but if i run 15 - 20 of these the elec bill will be through the roof.
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I would urge you not to use GU10s, either low voltage or mains voltage. They run very hot unless you use the 35 watt ones, they have narrow beam width, and they last no time at all unless you buy the really expensive ones.
You can get led ones but they are dim.
Edited by Altea Ego on 03/02/2010 at 18:45
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Audi, pretty sure there is a 11W low energy version of these - I was going to buy but they are quite bulky and would protrude from my light fittings quite badly.
You can also get LED versions of them but I didn't find them very bright.
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yes ive seen the 11w but they stick out and look a bit silly. I did look at some commercial fittings that are deeper and can take larger bulbs but they are around £50 each.
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My kitchen has Par38 downlighters fitted, I use Megaman 20W cfl Par38's to replace the 120W incandescent floodlights. These cfl's are as bright as the incandescents.
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ive seen these and they are pretty good but will look too big as the size of the par38 light fitting is large.
These may be an option - though i cant see what bulbs they take, it only says ES on the website?
bit.ly/9lKngI
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Would these be suitable?
tinyurl.com/yzy276e
I've seen them on e-bay for around £11 for two plus postage, such as:
tinyurl.com/yahykma
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We?re selling a house and thought I would get the boiler serviced for the next owners. This is really to protect me from any liability should there be a problem and I can state iin the HIP that it?s been done.
Got in a Gas Safe registered man, he did the work, I gave him a cheque for £65. I asked for my receipt but he said it was in the van. I was in a rush to go out so stupidly asked for him to post it.
It?s never turned up, despite writing to him (including a SAE) and phoning at least three times.
This is three months ago now. I have no doubt in my mind why he won?t give me a receipt ? my cheque has gone into his personal account to avoid tax.
Although he has stamped the boiler service card, I have no other proof that he?s touched the boiler. H e could deny he?s even been to the house and that the service card entry is a forgery.
Any ideas what I can do? I was thinking of getting another boiler man in and then trying to sue the first man for the cost. But this would take time, money and there?s no guarantee of the outcome through the Small Claims Court.
It?s not the £65 that?s the problem, it?s the fact that I don?t have any proof that the boiler has been serviced.
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You have the cheque number payable to him and you have the stamp so you are covered.
However to get the receipt, write to him and tell him that unles you get a receipt you will inform HM Customs and Revenue.
TBH tho, its unlikely he paid the cheque into his personal account. Cheques go through the books (as they are easy to trace) and cash goes in the pocket.
Edited by Altea Ego on 03/02/2010 at 20:42
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You will have no liability to anyone who buys as long as you are honest. You have a stamped service record which should suffice - I have one for my car, does this mean it has been serviced? This is for the purchaser to ascertain.
If they ask just state that to the best of your knowledge the boiler is serviceable, but the purchaser should undertake any further investigations they deem appropriate.
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Although he has stamped the boiler service card I have no other proof that he?s touched the boiler.
Usually on the boiler service card there is a space for the Gas Safe reg. number of the person doing the service. This would identify who did the work to any future buyer. (They could check with the Gas Safe people)
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Funnily enough just renewed my Service Contract with Bosch Worcester - part of that is a serivce, I've never had any paperwork from them......I'm thinking of selling as well. Made me think
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