We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More » This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

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.

Garage door replacement - am I being too hasty?
Afternoon all So the long story short is: 28th May, paid deposit for new garage door. 202nd Jul door fitted but too big so doesn’t open fully. 2 roof struts halved in depth so far. Fitter apologies and says they’ll order a new door. Old door already cut up, so wrong new door left fitted. Told 6 weeks for a new one to…
Replacement kitchen mixer tap within British Gas homecare agreement
Has anyone experience of this subject? I’m told by BG that their plumbers (Dyno) replace a single item only, to their specification but are unable to give me any details of this. So the replacement may be different to the one I currently have. It seems that I have to pay the call out fee only to have a potentially…
Herringbone direction
Putting herringbone into my house but unsure what is best direction. My focal point is my media wall but this would go against towards the light , was thinking this direction. Hallway lies to left of drawing
Cost effective new front door
Hi, we need a new front door, but we are planning to move in the next few years, so don't particularly want to spends thousands. We're looking at composite or UPVC, and any colour but white. Has anyone got any recommendations? Obviously the fitting will also be expensive (we're in SE London)...
Our home renovation project - Opposite of MSE philosophy!!
I've always tried to follow MSE philosophy of saving and using money with care which has set us up well to mid life (40s). But COVID showing how fragile life is, and childhood memories of watching Kevin McCloud quiz home owners why they have 'risked it all' in the name of design has made us do something that's the total…
Planning permission meeting (3 minutes to speak) - what to expect?
Planning permission meeting (3 minutes to speak) - what to expect? A planning application has been made by neighbours and letters sent out to see if any one objects. it is for a house in a garden which will be near ours. Objections would be it would overshadow and block light coming into our property and also traffic…
Contractor refusing to pay
Hi all, I recently did a day's work for a letting repairs company. Over the day I did 9 jobs varying from faulty toilets to filling cracks. It was all going ok but until they started becoming quite quite prickly and rude down the phone out of the blue. Long story short I was told to purchase materials and send them the…
Anyone know how to remove these vertical blind rail holders?
The house we recently moved into had the vertical type blinds in virtually every room and we've removed the broken ones. All of them had simple fixings to remove but these are doing my head in. I've tried Alan keys, screw driver (posi and flathead), pretty much every bit in my screwdriver box, nothing seems to fit the hole…
Cavity wall - neighbours property
Hi my neighbour is having cavity wall insulation and they only reason we know this is my partner noticed someone on our driveway which is between both the houses ( neighbour don't have a driveway along side it) they apologised as never realised and said they will need access to the drive and part of our backgarden and…
Replace radiator valve with BG home care?
Hello I recently moved in and found that all my radiator valves don't work- the radiators heat up fully whether the dial is switched to maximum, frost mode or anywhere in between. The british gas engineer who did a one-off service mentioned the rad valves could be replaced if I took out home care cover. I didn't ask any…
British Gas, Boiler insurance, rip off Help
Hello, I wonder if someone can help. My frail housebound (COPD) mother was recently charged £60 by British Gas because her thermostat batteries needed replacing. She's been paying British Gas boiler insurance for years, it's quite expensive, after the recent extra £60 charge, she decided to try and cancel the direct debit…
CO2 alarms beeping
I bought my flat 10 years ago. The previous owner had recently installed ceiling alarms in every room. I assumed they were wired in because the diagram for the circuit breaker indicates a switch for alarms. I am now getting a beeping noise from one (or perhaps more, it is difficult ot tell) of them. I think it is twice a…
Rewire just the lighting?
I live in a 1960’s bungalow, and the lighting is from that time. I haven’t got any problems with my lighting, all work fine but it’s just on my mind that I probably should get them rewired. I think the electrics for the plug sockets have been updated but I’m basing that purely on seeing that the plug sockets are new. So…
Is this quote reasonable?
£600 for replacing a WC and washbasin, with WC and basin to be supplied by me. Disposal an extra £50. Location Hampshire. Does this sound reasonable to you?
Under Sink Water Heater
I am going to fit an undersink 15l water heater. There are several on the market - they all come as is and don't suggest that they need an expansion vessel. Can anybody comment on this as the installations I have seen seem to all have expansion vessels connected. Are they necessary?
Planning permission district officer to attend & investigate- can we speak to them ?
Planning permission district officer to attend & investigate- can we speak to them ? (Similar to my other questions) A planning application has been made by neighbours and letters sent out to see if any one objects. it is for a house in a garden which will be near ours. Objections would be it would overshadow and block…
Kitchen/ diner/ family room layout
Planning an extension to create an open plan kitchen/ diner/ family space. We’ve had the attached kitchen design done and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it/ suggestions for improvements. The green scribble is a door to a study (can be moved) and the blue one goes to a large utility (cannot be moved). Ideally we’d like…
Grass Strimmer
I have just bought one of these. Hyundai 26cc Split Shaft Petrol Grass Trimmer. https://hyundaipowerequipment.co.uk/hyundai-hytr2600x-split-shaft-26cc-petrol-grass-trimmer Its 40/1 oil/petrol, which I believe my last one was 50/1But what does that difference mean, poorer design so it needs more oil? STIHL 2-stroke engine…
Downstair extension - toilet under the stairs and electrics and gas
Hi thanks for looking, as part of our downstairs flat roof extension we need to move the downstairs toilet, and the most logical place is in this section (see pics below) next to under the stairs. I like this idea as it has a window already and the only other option to put in a utility but it will have no outside window.…
Disconnecting a megaflow
Last night a pipe in my house sprung a leak. Almost certainly a cold water feed although I cannot tell for sure because the leak is from one of several pipes which run out of a wall behind my (large) megaflow cylinder. I need to find a plumber to fix this (my previous plumber has retired) and as it looks like the job…

★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

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.

View All

In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

🚀 Getting Started

Categories

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free

In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving

Category List

Discussion List

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

🚀 Getting Started

Categories

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free