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In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving

Archives for January 2022

Painting - tips and tricks
Having recently bought my first house and sorted some of the issues, I was about to start painting and realised the last time I was able to choose my own wall colour was 20 years ago when I was a teenager at my parents' house (having been in rented shared flats since, so not allowed to redecorate). I have quite a few…
Planning consultation questions (party wall etc.)
Hi all, We recently found out that our next door neighbour is planning to build an extension at the back of his house. As we are planning to do the same and both projects are similar, we’re ok with it, but I have a few concerns. I’d like to know what my rights and options are before taking any steps (if any). from the…
Lining paper over Skimmed and Painted Wall
Hi All, I have two attic rooms for my growing family within which I want put up a decent grade of lining paper and then paint over with a decent quality paint (Dulux). These rooms have used as storage areas for years, the walls have skimmed and then been painted - around 20yrs ago. My question is, do I need to do anything…
Building a Sun Room extension - expert opinion required
Good Morning All, Five years ago we had the footings built for our Sun Room. It is just a square box on the back of the house, like a conservatory but with brick walls large windows and a proper tiled roof. We only had enough money to do it in stages and didnt want to get into debt, so we only got up to 'oversite' (hope…
Remove and replace bathroom seal
Hi everyone, Following a leak in the seal what's the best way of fully removing the seal and grout and making good around this bath? Especially at the foot of the bath where there's a bit more of a filled gap between the bath and the tiles than I realised. Plan is to redo the bathroom in a couple of years anyway so want to…
Huge amount of tyrolean render to clean, repair and repaint
I have a huge amount of tyrolean render to clean, remove lose paint, repair and repaint, and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on the best methods to use - as I only want to ever have to do it the once ideally!:-). I read about hand pump spraying vinegar as a first step to get rid of algae etc, which sounds like…
Home refurbishment financing
Just looking for some advice I currently own a property which is valued by Halifax at around £270k. I recently extended my mortgage to take £60k of additional borrowing (mortgage is now £216k) to fund some renovations and improvements. In the process of looking into this I have involved an architech to see if we can extend…
Spotlight help for parent please.
Kitchen full of spotlights some of which need new bulbs. As best as she can tell they are E27 shape R63. Her preference would be to get them from a high street shop so she can take the bulb in and compare but they seem to be the ES fittings - not a clue what the difference is. Can someone a) point us at the equivalent to…
Some grouting done using Silicone rather than grout in a shower
We had our tiny en suite done recently and its looking great, but it was a tough job to get done. The original en suite had a 700x700 tray and a row of tile which was wasted space, the new tray is 900x800 fits the space. The builder who put it in for us (who also did our downstairs toilet which we are happy with), came…
Ideas for this bay window? French doors? Alternatives?
Hello all you creative and knowledgeable folks, I’m back to pick your brains as I fear I can’t see the wood for trees. We want to do something with this bay window - I just feel doors would look better and make the room flow. It irks me that I can’t see a full view of the garden and the current (broken) side door annoys me…
Home Improvement Funding?
We bought our first home June 2021...It is a doer-upper. We have made the upstairs into a flat for the time being and are living up there. We had some cash to spend on renovations initially but it has quickly been spent... so we need a lump sum to get the downstairs finished and liveable. We also want to build a workshop…
Vinyl flooring advice
Hi - we are looking to buy sheet vinyl flooring to cover a large space in our kitchen diner. It will go on to a concrete floor. Trying to find something that is relatively cushioned to walk on, any advice on what to look for? The one we are looking at currently is 2.8mm thick with a 0.35m wear layer, which seems to be well…
Gravity fed CH- TRV+drain off point advice
Hi all, I am struggling a bit to get my head around our CH system and was hoping for some advice. It is gravity fed, so tank in the loft that I can isolate the water supply to easily enough, so no issues there. First query- today another slight plumbing issue in that I removed a radiator in order to decorate a room. Shut…
Detached FlatRoof Garage
Morning, we have new neighbours over the back of us. All our houses (70's build) have garages deatched from the house, with flat concrete roofs set back slighty from the house and into the gardens. The garages adjoin the neighbours. Can they be converted into any kind of living space under permitted development? Rumours…
Painting tiles
I need to redecorate my downstairs loo. The floor is disgusting and I’m planning on getting the sticky backed tiles but also hoping to paint the wall tiles. They are floor to ceiling and a lovely peach colour. Can anyone recommend and decent tile paint and are there any tips?
Shower Waste Pipe
Looking for some advice on whether it is okay to connect the shower waste pipe to the main soil stack where I have put a red arrow in the photo. The toilet is coming in from the left. The fitting will be joined at the top to the main waste stack. I can't put the shower any lower as there are two joists and a supporting…
Cheap(ish) ways of insulating a room
Are there any ways of cheaply ish improving the insulation of the walls. I live in a fairly old building so it doesn't have insulated walls to the standards that exist today. There is no cavity wall and my property is not suitable tor any insulation of the like. Is there anything I can put over the interior walls (not…
Sanding is slow
Using an orbital sander to sand window boards. There’s 5 layers of paint. I’ve been at the same one for an hour and whilst I’m down to bare wood in a few spots, it will genuinely take me until bedtime at the least to get rid of all paint. And that’s one room! Are there any better options? I’m thinking about a belt sander…
Scaffolding dispute with the neighbour
Hi I was wondering if someone can confirm our neighbour has ground to ask for a compensation about an overhanging scaffolding on his roof. We are carrying out an extensive renovation to an old house, which we bought a year ago and it was in total disrepair. We never had intention, let alone finance to do any work to the…
Shared Water Supply Leak
Good Morning All, I've had a quick search of the forum to answer my question but haven't been able to find what I need. Myself and three neighboring properties have received a letter from Severn Trent advising us that there is a leak of unknown location on our shared water supply pipe and it is our joint responsibility to…

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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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