the daydream fund challenge thread

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

Re buttercups and sheep or livestock....make sure it's not your livestock...... I find the weed pulling tool quite decent on them.

Ah.... well, they aren't my sheep so that lets me off the hook.:D Pete has put different sheep up here this year, though whether he knows the above, I can't say. Most, if not all of those which overwintered with us last year have moved on to market or passed over the Rainbow Bridge into someone's freezer.

We have drier areas with no buttercups, and other bits where I'm not sure where I'd start with a weed puller, as they make quite a carpet until the grass overtakes them.

They'd probably succumb to a couple of doses of Grazon administered wholesale by ATV, but as you folks know, although I'm not organic, I ain't going there..... Oh no! :A

Rummer

rammer :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

lostinrates

Rummer wrote: »

rammer :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Apologies! I'm using an iPad and expecting more typos than usual. Actually though i'm finding touch screen a bit easier I think. Need to concentrate though!

rozeepozee

Davesnave wrote: »

I think that's enough for now! :rotfl:

Dave, you have been unbelievably fab, all through this process! OH says he wants you to come and visit I've printed off your last post. Otherwise, I'll just forget!

The farmer acrross the road has been grazing ten young cattle (how "city" am I? I don't even know what a young cow is called - other than a calf og course but that's not what he called them). He was also producing silage. I think he looked after the field and kept the active hedges cut in return. He said before we bought he's be happy to continue so I need to give hima call.

We had another "architect" over today the third. I'm starting to have Decision Anxiety. One, who is actually an architect has loads of work locally and we've seen his work and it seems of a very good quality, but we're worried about our budget as some of what we've seen seemed to run over budget or the owners run out of money and have to compromise on finishings (which would be a potential problem for me when it's PVC windows rather than wood!), the last guy isn't an architect but has some sort of building degree, plenty of experience, a wide portfolio and a team of staff with a range of experience (surveying, planning, design). He also seems to be very pragmatic about costs, so has suggested we could get a main contractor for just the shell and then do the rest of the work on a job by job basis, possibly jusy paying for labour and sourcing materials ourselves to get a good deal. The first guy we saw, a sole operator, seems to have less of a portfolio and we haven't seen any of his work yet. He's more competitively priced than the architect, but not significantly. Then there's the issue of whether we pay the % fee for supervision. If we get a good builder, do we really need this? It's the price of a kitchen!

Bedtime for the babies call, so I must go... Not enough time today. And the annual accounts need submitting to my accountant. They're nowhere near ready with everything we've had to do this year

Itismehonest

Steer or bullocks, rozee. That's the young cattle not a judgement on anything you've written. :rotfl:

To put my twopenneth in...

Yes, you do need someone to oversee everything.
The builders need to be getting on with things if you don't want time & money to run away. Someone needs to be one step ahead with ordering, arranging deliveries & generally keeping on top of the situation. If the builder is doing this then he's not doing what you are actually paying him for.
We've always done this ourselves but some people prefer to hire someone in.

ukmaggie45

Rozee, our builder managed our build, but as my Counsellor commented, "he's a thinking builder"! We knew his work as he did an extension for DD2 & SiL on a Grade II Listed building. He had to "adjust" some of the plans for them as the architect had got impossible stuff in his plan. We both think we were very lucky to find such a nice bloke who has done a great job on this house. Shame you aren't in Liverpool - would deffo recommend him! Sadly DD2's house is now up for sale as they had twins so it isn't big enough for them now.

We didn't use an architect for our house, builder knew a technician who used to work in local planning office and he drew up the plans. But we were constrained by the site, and the size of house, it was basically just complying with what our local planners wanted. (some of which was a bit fiddly faddly to be honest)

We didn't extend backwards at all, as we bought the house for the garden really, so didn't want to lose any of it!

The old side extension and garage were demolished (not good enough footings to go upwards), the front is a little wider than originally, and the back is a bit narrower. But it's all in a line now - before the morning room extension was wider than the garage was. Oh, we also had to step back the new build extension where the garage was (IYSWIM), one of the fiddly faddly bits that rather annoyed. Suspect with the change in planning laws due to come in stuff like that will be different.

alfie_1

evening all.

re rozeepozee s thoughts on "an oversee'r" on her building works. i can only comment re my friend who has hobby bought/renovated/sold properties [and does it amazingly!] she has a chap who is an architect/surveyor on tap. she has a family of builders [dad,and 3 sons] who have worked for 15 years for her when needed. dad consults architect,architect consults dad. my friend is shown available catalogues, chooses, architect/dad orders depending who knows best source. the builders have all trades between them bar electrics [they have one on tap too]....what im trying to say is that they all know each other and get on and consult each other.... there is nothing worse than an architect that doesnt get on with builders and visa versa... THE OWNER SUFFERS !! and at worse one or the other WALK !!!
look around the area and see if you can spot a new build or big conversion, bite the bullet,knock the door and ask them who did the work... you will be surprised how many GOOD builders there are out there but are maybe not big advertisers... my friends builders have NEVER advertised ....purely word and mouth and good referals.

worth a thought ??

Davesnave

I agree with Itsme. I have project-managed once, and it was OK, but very stressful, especially when I had to get heavy with a couple of people who'd decided I was wet behind the ears.

If one of you has the time, then money can be saved, but unless you have someone knowledgeable to fall back on, as I did, it could become a nightmare.

Itismehonest

True. Our builders never advertise either, alfie. They usually have more work than they can cope with.
As you say, a good builder will have a large pool of tradesmen he can draw on to do everything - electric, plumbing, plastering, carpentry......

Davesnave

alfie_1 wrote: »

look around the area and see if you can spot a new build or big conversion, bite the bullet,knock the door and ask them who did the work... you will be surprised how many GOOD builders there are out there but are maybe not big advertisers... my friends builders have NEVER advertised ....purely word and mouth and good referals.

worth a thought ??

This is what we did to find the architect we're using now, and possibly the builder too.* We found an individual property that we liked style-wise, asked, and found out who built it. Once we had recommendations by people who know the builder, we approached him and he introduced us to the guy who designed the house we liked.

*his quote will still have to come in at the right level!