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In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving

Archives for February 2015

Conservatory Furniture Upholstery
Hi Planning to change Conservatory Cane Furniture Sofa Re-upholstered. What would be the most cheapest way to get them done if we buy the fabric?
hotpoint ff200e fridge light not working
hi we have just bought a used hotpoint ff200E fridge freezer and the light inside the fridge doesn't come on when the door is opened i have checked the bulbs using my old fridge and they are ok, My question is where is the switch that operates the light i have looked all around the door and there isn't one there or no hole…
cooker fan 50 cm wide?
my mum has a built in cooker hood i just want to buy a replacement fan unit that screws inside the trouble is it's 50 centimetres wide and most cookers a 60 centimetres wide questions are what is the fan called on its own and where can i buy 50 centimetres i want to spend about no more than about £60
Removing patterned tiles, but not the remainder
Hi everyone, I have no clue about tiling so this might sound a ridiculous question so I'm very sorry! We've just moved and the bathroom is fully tiled, but some of the tiles have a very brown dated pattern on which is raised so can't just stick something over it for now. The rest of the tiles are cream and absolutely fine…
Asbestos en bloc garage roof needs replacing
Hi, I'm hoping someone here will be able to help us. We recently bought a house that came with a garage en bloc. The corrugated roof looks to be asbestos and is in serious need of replacing - it looks as though there was some kind of fire/explosion, and half the roof is missing. This wasn't a deal breaker for us as there…
Party Wall Surveyor Question
We are building a single storey rear extension and having issues getting enough info, as fast as possible so we can serve our party wall notice. Can we alter our design after the PWS has submitted the notice based on existing plans? A simple example is the roof. The architect and structural engineer have drawn a raised…
Horizontal Venetian v Vertical blinds. Recessed v on wall
I can't seem to make up my mind about which blinds and installation to choose. At present I have curtains all round with a tatty roller blind in the kitchen. The latter will almost definitely be replaced by a Venetian blind in the recess I'm looking for privacy, combined with letting in some daylight (but not much) and…
Replacing panel in UPVC door
Hi there, I'm struggling a little with taking out a panel in our back door. It's not quite popping out as it seems to do in the youtube diy guide video, funnily enough....here's the panel. If I pry the outer white trim bits, I get get a chisel in there but it just doesn't really budge or pop out. Does the black gasket type…
Damp in house
I noticed an area of damp in the bedroom where the boiler is. I have wiped the area down and put a moisture trap in which seems to be working. Does anyone have any other ideas or is it a case of replacing moisture traps in the winter months. Also there is a little strip of damp and mould by the front door step . Does…
painting garage door
I've now tried two attempts at painting our metal garage door and failed miserably :( I'm using an exterior metal mat black paint and it keeps flaking back off. I've now jet washed the door back down to original white paint and most of metal is showing through. Please could someone tell me exactly what I need and need to…
What can I do?
I bought some Oak furniture from an online retailer on the 24th Feb, paying extra for express delivery Thursday 26th Feb. It came to about £2700 and I decided to use their free 0% APR pay within 36 months option. So it arrived on Thursday and its all unpacked and put together (and I love it), BUT now I see its online all…
soffits and facia quote -is this reasonable?
Just had a quote from a large national company to replace soffits, facias and gutters on our 1970's 4 bed detatched house. Came in between £5000-6000 depending on whether they find asbestos or not. its our first quote so going to get another 2 from local companies but just wondered whether that was in the expected ball…
Paint For Interior Wood
We're about to have some decorating done, including skirting, doors & radiators. One decorator recommends satinwood; the other gloss. I'm aware of the discolouring issues with oil-based white paint and although decorators reckon these have been resolved, research on the Internet seemingly does not back this up. Research…
Composite doors
Would anyone care to recommend any brands of composite front doors I could check out? Thanks.
mini digger
Hi Is it possible to find 650 mm wide digger? Thanks
How to stop water being so hot out of hot water tap?
Hello all, I am trying to stop the water from the taps being so so hot. I turned the dial on the boiler where the Tap symbol is (Please see picture) down which stopped the water being so hot but for some reason the first few seconds of hot water is way to hot then it settles down to a more normal level. Or if I run the tap…
Never Paint Again/Weatherguard External Property Coating
General enquiry as to whether anyone has any first hand experience of those companies who claim that you will never need to paint again with the WeatherGuard exterior wall coating system. I am interested if they actually do what they claim, will the external coating actually last 15 - 25 years? Does anyone have a rough…
Centring off-centre Fireplaces
As part of a renovation of a 2 bed Victorian Mid Terrace we're looking to open up the 4 (blocked) fireplaces in the house and create fairly minimalistic brick-backed 'builders-opening' like this: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gallery/2014/feb/28/inside-home-of-design-blogger-jill-macnair#img-7 Both bedroom…
New garage door + fitting - recommendations midlands?
Does anyone have any recommendations on who to use to supply and fit a new garage door in the midlands. I have a double garage, with two single openings and a pillar in the middle. Annoyingly the RSJ is actually two RSJ's each side reseting on the pillar. So i need this replacing. I need to gain length so i'm hoping to…
Replacing Smoke Detector Battery - Some Questions
Smoke detector battery needs replacing and I had gone up a ladder to take it down, spotted the wires poking out of the ceiling and shoved it back quick :) Now, I have a Firex Model I240 (looking at the leaflet and what's on the ceiling). First it tells me to turn off the electricity before I change the battery (oops). But…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving

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