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In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving

Archives for May 2020

Covering manhole in patio
We live in a terraced house and the waste water pipes run ~2m distant from the house in the back. We have two of them in our garden. For access, they have a heavy metal cover which can be lifted up. We are in the process of redoing the slabs of the patio, which surround these covers, and I was considering laying the slabs…
Land ownership argument
I will try to explain this in the best detail I can, but its something that has niggled me ever since it happened. Basically my dad owns two houses on the end of a terrace of four. He was in the middle of purchasing some land at the rear of adjacent properties which was basically back gardens to turn it into off road…
Pergolas
Not sure If this has already been discussed but I haven’t been able to find anything on it. My neighbours have recently put up a pergola, the pergola is about a third of their garden and is attached to their house. I’ve recently noticed that the support for the pergola is under our fence and is on our property line along…
Damaged Unknown Pipe
Hi everyone, first post here :smile: I have just put up the first side of our new fence and when I dug around 550 mm I must of hit a terracotta pipe. It broke very easily but upon investigation it what looked like full of dirt, I continued though and filled the hole with water but just drained away. Any ideas what this…
Buying Portmeirion dinnerware online?
Anyone experience with buying online Portmeirion dinnerware? I looked regularly and some items are out of stock, anyone know how often is there new stock. Was waiting to get all items in one shop. Has anyone had delivery to EU and did it all go ok?
Water Softeners Yorkshire area
Hello I wonder if anyone has had a water softener fitted and could recommend any firms for quotes please? I'm still reading up on them and so not really clued up, all advice is welcomed. Many thanks! Best wishes Lucy :)
Burglar alarm help
I bought my house 4 or so years ago and had no information about the alarm. So over this time we have obviously not used it, but it is definitely still connected to the mains (lights are on on the control panel and main unit, movement sensors downstairs light up too). The alarm system appears to be an ADE Accenta G3. I am…
Excessive noise from a rookery
I’m really hoping someone can help with something that is driving our family crazy. We live in the middle of a village and our house is adjacent to the grounds of a large property. Directly opposite our house, on the other side of the road, there is a dense row of very large trees that bound the grounds of the adjacent…
New Build - Things broken, Do I have to pay to repair?
Hi, I brought my flat back in Auguest (2018). In the last couple of days, the toilet flush has broken and I noticed the flooring separating from the skirting board in a couple of the rooms. (about a centimetre gap) My question is: Since this is a new build and I haven't had the property for more than 2 years. I am…
IKEA kitchen, where is the overall plan?
Hi Im just looking at my IKEA kitchen in boxes. The cabinets seem easy to put together, and have instructions in each box. But do you not get some overall plan? Like the design you made when you designed it in store? Nothing like this arrived with the kitchen. And when I clicked the link that the staff member sent me after…
How to Change GU10 Bulbs in This Light Fitting?
We have these light fittings in our bathroom. I've tried googling but couldn't find anything like this specific design. Has anyone come across this type? The fitting seems to be on some sort of spring and comes out only so much: I've tried twisting the bezel but it doesn't seem to want to move.Does anyone know how to…
Crown Matt paint Internal Wooden Doors.
My nice wooden internal doors have started to show faded marks around handles. These were installed 2-3 years earlier. As I want to diversify from Dulux paint, I'de like to try Crown this year. I don't want to particularly use Gloss, is there any concerns using Crown Matt paint, Amazon user think it should be fine. Crown…
Green painted walls making the room hotter?
For the last few years my room has been unbearably hot in spring and summer, and it doesn't make any sense because every other room in the house is noticeably cooler, even rooms that are right next to or below it. And it wasn't always this bad, I only remember it being like this since about 3 years ago. It's been wracking…
Painting over nicotine- HELP
Hello guys I'm new here, and would love some good advice! Weve recently just brought a house from a heavy smoker - by heavy, I'm mean chain smoking in the house since it was new built in the 70s! 😱 I have had suggestions to paint the walls with watered down gloss to stop the nicotine stains from returning. Then to wait…
Advice re. Integrated Fridge Freezer pls
Hi, I am looking for some help please. I need to buy a new fridge freezer asap. I want to know if I can buy an integrated one that isn’t actually going to be integrated i.e. we have no cupboard door to be fixed to the front of it. I am restricted with a maximum width of 58cm and there are few more options with integrated…
Terraced house downpipe query
This I think is a tricky one, I can't find an answer anywhere online so hoping this thread will garner me some facts. We lived in a row of terraced cottages, we own ours and our neighbour (end terrace) rents theirs. We don't get along but that's another story. Our down drain pipe (the one that drains from the shower, bath…
De Dietrich DOD 788X - element not working
We have a De Dietrich DOD 788X pyrolytic double oven. The main oven stopped heating a couple of weeks ago in Circulating heat mode (element at back of the oven heats in this mode) and on removing the element at the back we found that it had literally melted and bits of it were scattered on the bottom of the oven. We…
Repainting iron garden seat
I've an old wrought iron garden seat that's seen better days, it's got a lattice style seat base, not sure what type of metal that is but it's covered in surface rust. It'll be a pita to try and clean it down by hand and then repaint so I was thinking of getting it shot blasted somewhere but then I'm not sure whether it's…
Changing fence colour
HELP !! I have recently painted my fences with ronseal 5+ in sage green, but don’t like it 😩I want to go over it with ronseal 5+ slate grey does anyone have any suggestions as to whether this is possible ? I did try a few strokes of the new colour but doesn’t seem to be taking it looks the same 😩
Does plastic handle well being outside all the time (drying rack)?
How does cheap plastic handle months or years outdoors? I purchased this drying rack and am wondering whether I can just leave it outside all the time. If anyone here has done so, what happened?

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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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