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In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving

Got a question about home improvement, DIY or home appliances? This is the place to get help from other MoneySavers.

Central Heating/Frozen pipes
Hi, my fiance and I have recently moved into a house with central heating, which I love because I hate the cold. We started off using the timer, so we had hot water and heating (if we needed it) three times a day. Then my fella (who has mental health issues and is more paranoid than usual) decided that he was concerned…
USA gadget for storing batteries
If you're planning a trip to the USA, this post might be useful. Do you have a cluttered kitchen drawer or cupboard with loose batteries of every shape and size? When I was in the USA recently, I bought a battery storage tray from a Bed, Bath & Beyond store. The tray can be fixed onto a wall or mounted inside a cupboard or…
Unadopted drains
A few years ago it was brought to our attention that out mains sewer / drains are unadopted by the local authority, we had a public meeting at the time but nothing came of it. It has reared up again this week when a drain became blocked and not only did the local authority re-iterate their stance but also threatened to…
Plastering
We have a patch of damp in our living room, we have removed papper and the 'blown' plaster, back to bricks. We have tried to replaster, but it shrank, cracked and did not stick to the brickwork. So that came off, any tips. It seems like something we should be able to do, and such defeatist to call in someone to do 2 square…
boiler/central heating
dont know if anyone will be able to help. i have a boiler which works when it feels like. sometimes it has to be switched off and on a few times to work. other times the hot water needs to be ran. when the switch gets put on for central heating, again works intermitantly but does work alot first time. its a potteron boiler…
New bathroom - where is cheap ???
Hi we are just about to start work on re-doing our bathroom - new suite, new flooring, total new redecoration. Its only a small room and i don't have a fortune to spend :-[ just wondered if anyone could give me any good tips ... Have looked at some loos and baths etc in B&Q - figured they are probably about the cheapest…
Need a new boiler
Dear All My boiler went off, it's 18 years old (Saunier Duval), it will cost £300 to change pump only or however £1300 for a complete new one. Any advice whether to get a new one or to fix. Thank's
Shower Spares
done a quick search on here for info but only 1 topic comes up & that names a site i've already tried... anywya, my problem is my shower has recently tried to commit suicide... well, parts of it did, the rest failed miserably! Soooooo, i'm after a Triton Jade Showerhead & also a spray head holder. Can anyone recommend…
wood rot problem.
If anyone can help it will be much appreciated. I have recently bought a house. it is a 1939 2 bed semi. on the survey it said it needed treated for wood worm, we have had three different people in to check it and have had three different stories. STORY1: the house needs sprayed top to bottom for wood worm and all the wall…
washer/dryer
Looking at buying one of these for our new flat, however past experiences of washer/dryers has been that the drying part if pretty useless. Can someone please prove me wrong & recommended a decent machine that does dry well? thanks
recording from dvd player need help?
Hi, I just wanted to know if its possible recording from a dvd movie onto video tape. I have just tried recording one of my dvd's onto a video tape but it comes in black & white. Does anyone know why this happens as I'm sure I purchased the correct wire. Thanks
bridging the damp proof course
If I add a waterproofer to an external render is it okay if I apply it across the dpc ?
West Yorkshire Plumber?
Can anyone in West Yorkshire recommend a plumber for a bathroom install?
right hinged washing machines
who still does right hinged washing machines (apart from miele at £500 quid plus).Any brand names/models gratefully received. cheers rrab rrab_1@lycos.com
House wired funny
My house is wired back / front not upstairs /downstairs.................is this legal,ok with electric regulations ???
Loudspeakers
I have connected 6 ohm speakers to a TV, even though the instruction book says 8 ohm speakers should be used. They are very good speakers. Is this OK or have I read somewhere there is a fire risk??
Investing in Pillows - Tempur or Tempur Style
Hi, I am wanting to buy some good pillows and have had tempur pillows recommended to me by a friend. I have looked on the net and they are very expensive, approx £60/£70 each. Does anybody have any recommendation on this ? I have found tempur style pillows on ebay and wanted to ask if anybody knew if they were any good…
I wanna new bathroom....
I'm looking for someone to come and fit me a new bathroom, plus put in a fan and tile the walls. I'm thinking about using B & Q but I haven't had a quote yet, has anyone used this service? Ideally i'd like the job to be done quickly...the man who came to do my kitchen took 2 hours to remove just 8 tiles from the wall...no…
Paper Tiger
I need a Paper Tiger! For all of you who think I am crazy it's a tool that you put on water proof wall paper and it rips up the surface so when you wet it/ steam it it can get underneath and the paper drops off. Anyway...any ideas where I can get one - get a lot of confused people in the stores I have enquired with. If I…
Recessed lighting in bathrooms
Hi, Anyone know much about recessed lighting? I have fitted 4 recessed lights into my new bathroom. I bought the ones specifically for bathrooms ( 1 is over the bath although there is no shower). The problem is that they don't give off much light even though they are 50w each. It appears that most of the light is lighting…

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First-class stamp prices to rise by an inflation-busting 22% from 7 October – here's how to beat the hikes
The cost of standard first-class stamps will rise by an inflation-busting 22% from Monday 7 October, Royal Mail has confirmed – but if you buy some now, you'll still be able to use them after prices go up.
Nationwide to hike FlexPlus packaged account fee by £60 a year – should you ditch and switch?
Nationwide will raise the fee on its popular FlexPlus packaged bank account from £13 a month to £18 a month in December, the building society has announced. If you've got the account, it's likely worth sticking with for now – though you should diarise to look at alternatives when the new fee kicks in. Here's what you need to know.
FREE visits to 5,000+ UK historic buildings & heritage sites in September
You can get FREE access to many historical sites and tourist attractions this month including National Trust sites, castles, locations used for TV and film including Pride and Prejudice , The King's Speech , and Bridgerton, and more. It's all part of heritage open days across the UK.
School uniform grants: check if you can reduce costs by up to £200 with support from your council
If you're on certain benefits, such as Universal Credit, you may be able to get up to £200 to put toward the cost of your child's school uniform in the form of a non-repayable grant. We've pulled together a list of the councils that offer the support and how to apply.
McDonald's Monopoly 2024 – when it starts and tips for boosting your chances of winning
There are many versions of the classic Monopoly game these days but one that many fast-foodies look forward to each year is McDonald's Monopoly. If you're going to eat under the golden arches or order a McDelivery, this promo can be a fun way to win a 'free' bite to eat, or if you're lucky, something bigger.
Halifax or Lloyds mortgage borrower? You'll soon have less time to lock in a new rate before your current deal expires
If you're a Halifax or Lloyds mortgage borrower you'll soon only be able to lock in a new rate up to four months ahead of your current deal ending – down from six months. It means you've less time to insure yourself against rates rising before your existing mortgage comes to an end – though rates have been on a downward trajectory for the past few months.
Halifax or Lloyds mortgage borrower? Like Santander and Nationwide, soon you'll only be able to lock in a new deal four months early
If you're a Halifax or Lloyds mortgage borrower you'll soon only be able to lock in a new rate up to four months ahead of your current deal ending – down from six months. It means you've less time to insure yourself against rates rising before your existing mortgage comes to an end – though rates have been on a downward trajectory for the past few months.
Tesco shopper? Today is your LAST CHANCE to spend £14 million of expiring Clubcard vouchers – or extend them with our trick
If you've got a Tesco Clubcard, check if you have any vouchers close to expiring, as £14 million-worth are due to run out by the end of today (Saturday 31 August). Don't want to spend your vouchers yet? We've got a trick to extend their validity.
Get 'paid' to walk using free apps
Walking has great value – not just to your health, or to the environment, but also monetary value. This is because there are a plethora of free apps (or ones you can use if you have certain health/life insurance plans) that effectively pay you to walk.

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