Daydream fund challenge part 4

Davesnave

Some of the conservatory arrived today, along with the plans that their surveyor denied us. I'll have to give those the once over before the fitters get here, but I don't think that'll be in the coming week.

But there I was, smugly thinking our 7.3m x 3.2m conservatory was pretty impressive, when what do see? A planning notice on our posh neighbour's gate 1/4 mile away.....

It's not for a conservatory, oh no, it's for an ORANGERY! Not only that....it's nearly 14metres long! :eek:

The house in question used to belong to friends of ours, but they sold up in 2014 and the new owners have already made substantial changes.

This is the house:



And this is what they propose


I don't think it looks great. However, it's a difficult house to make an addition to. IMO the extension our friends did wasn't 100% successful visually.

Maybe a green oak framed garden room would have been better? What do you think?

Either way, the view from inside will be fantastic.

Davesnave

This is the view:

Fay

That house is stunning,I could happily live there with or without the orangery but agree the style doesn't seem to fit that of the house. I suspect we have hit the top of the budget we will ever be able to afford with this house. When younger I had plans to keep moving and end up in a beautiful old house but reality is that we will ever afford it. We earn decent wages but with our outgoings I fear we are one of the new jam generation. I have no idea how we would cope if we had children's Dan I couldn't work full time too. Difficult times at the mo.

Davesnave

Someone picked that house up 20 years ago for <£150k, but I imagine it needed a major refurb, as much was re-built. That's the sort of opportunity retirement gives....similar to us, but a more lovable/interesting property!

Now, in excess of £750k.

But size and acreage isn't everything. There are plenty of places in the UK where people can move or retire to, which are more affordable, if not as convenient as the employment hot spots.

For example, where I used to live, my semi-dee would now cost someone about £435k. :eek:

Here, the same sort of property might be £225 - £275k. The wages here are lower and there's commuting to pay for, but the price differential is huge.

alfie_1

hi all


we have a major problem here in the new forest re housing..
we are notorious for being expensive.. there are no first time buyers housing ... flats start at 150k , houses [small 1/2 bed] start at 230k. we have SOOO many retirement flats its ridiculous and the councils say " this free's up houses for sale when the retiree's move to a flat" but they are moving from houses they have lived in for years and what cost them pennies is now in the 3-400,00k plus bracket. average for a house like dave has pictured would be over 1million here !!! my house is 2 farm cottages put together and is stupid money.. its increased by 200k in the 2 years ive been here...
my son has no chance of buying here !
to rent a 1 bed flat here averages starting at £650pm.. most are 850+ for a small semi/terrace house.
along the river here the average house is 3million up to 14m !!
it beggars belief when you can buy a 3,00 acre estate in Scotland for 1m .....


it is now out of control I think..


apart from that the sun is shining but it is bluuddy cold.
got to have a tooth out tomorrow having had antibiotics for a week for awful tooth ache ... dreading it !

Davesnave

alfie_1 wrote: »

we have a major problem here in the new forest re housing..
we are notorious for being expensive..

Your area is much like the coastal bits of the South Hams in Devon price-wise. But there's a crisis almost everywhere, thanks to successive governments not ensuring a sufficient supply of homes.

I think the matter needs some serious commitment from our leaders, or there'll be a melt-down eventually. This can't just be via conventional building, as that will be too slow and there isn't the capacity, so something more radical is needed. After the War, the housing shortage was partly addressed by putting up pre-fabs, and we could do the same again, using modern modular construction techniques to produce basic housing at an affordable price.

About 1/3 of the cost of a house is in the land. I believe that's the stumbling block, but I really can't see a Tory government introducing compulsory purchase at a fixed price in place like the NF, or even where we live in order to deliver much-needed housing. It'll just be same old, same old....:(

On a related but different note, this is our living room at lunchtime:
picture upload
We built the platform this morning. With our builder mixing and Mr Rod skimming, the whole ceiling was done in just a few hours. Walls tomorrow and Wednesday, which will be all the messy plastering inside the house complete.:j
Believe it or not, DW is in there at present 'watching telly.' (Actually nodded off about 15minutes ago:rotfl:) We are just so used to this live-in-it-while-you-do-it stuff!

choille

Funny that Dave - just had a conversation about pre fabs today - I did a project on the subject a number of years ago.

There is no will in the Government to provide adequate housing. The price is rigged deliberately. The demand is high, so therefore the price is too, but it's all very unstable

The money going into private landlords coffers is gobsmaking. There are ways to provide good affordable housing but it won't be done under this Gov.

There is plenty of ground that can be got & utilised for housing - RAF bases that are derelict etc. There is housing that isn't conventional, but allows a house to be built on ground that isn't great for conventional housing, so the land is cheap. Loads of brown field sites are crying out for housing projects, but it won't happen unless there is the will & it's not caught up in the whole capitalistic nonsense that doesn't put the majority of the populace first.
They could build on top of supermarkets, shops, office blocks if space were at a premium - the demographics are not taken into consideration - family sizes are changing & that is not being reflected in housing provision - houses can be built that change over time - walls removed or added as the family grows or diminishes in size.

Don't get me started I could bore the balls off a buffallo.

The thatched house doesn't appeal to me - just looks like an oblong lump to my mind. The drawings seem quite basic. I find that surprising.

Your LR is coming along Dave - really looks good & great that the plastering will soon be done then it will be great to work on over the Winter.

We have ground to a bit of a halt, but still picking away at stuff - seem to be busy with other things at the mo, but got all the flooring for upstairs upstairs, but not all laid as yet. Door fitted between utility & back hall so that's good for the Winter as the kitchen opens into that area. - so will help keep the heat in.

Had a carry on with a fridge freezer from Argos & the messing about we have had is incredible - it's here now, but it's bashed & will have to go back, but they are supposed to come for it tomorrow, but will wait & see - they offered me a 10% refund, but it's bashed & looks bashed, so they can come & get it. Hopefully the replacement will arrive at same time as we lost a load of food the other week cause of their incompetence. GGrrrrrr

Davesnave

We have a lot going on at the mo. DW is just finishing painting in Bed 3. The carpet man should have the floor in there sorted on Thursday. We're just recycling the old carpet from Bed 2.

The builder goes up on the roof tomorrow to attempt a sort-out of the one leak we have. It's not a baddie, which is why we didn't find it earlier, but it's scary because we're nearly out of s/h ridge tiles.

The replacement for the self-destruct hearth is ready, so I'll fetch that and some more plaster tomorrow morning. Maybe the builder will fit it after he's done the roof. Apparently, the fire can go in next week, so we'll have a wood burner as usual at Christmas, (:j) although it could be a while before the surround shows up.

There's a chance the conservatory fitters might start on Friday, but I won't hold my breath. It can't come too soon, as some of our tender plants are going to be at about -3 C for the next few nights. :eek:

Meanwhile, the road was closed today while the council installed the drain across the road outside Dog House. I spotted the end where it feeds into the stream, and it's massive....about 25cm. Might produce a tsunami!

The road is still closed tonight, but people ignore the signs, drive past and then drive back again. It's a few miles to detour around, so they probably consider it worth a punt. Normally, when they do repairs, the signs say 'closed' when the road's really open, but this time they're not bluffing.


I think my friend got the thatched house wrong, assuming he made the changes at the front with the porthole windows, as well as the weird bit tacked-on the end, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I'm not fussed about having a fancy house, but I'd love that house's garden and views.

choille

Yes, the view is quite nice, but the trees look a bit ropey - all that ivy needs cutting off the trees. I have no room to talk - I need to crack on with sorting out the trees - too many & too flag pole getting - too close together.

The little shop was robbed on Sunday - everyone is deeply shocked.

There's a lad walking about with a puppy on a bit of string, saw him today with a tin of beer - you start looking at strangers in a funny way - not a good frame of mind to be in.

DaftyDuck

Our little town put the Christmas lights on this weekend. That meant we all went up ladders from about 2pm (fear of heights reduced by the beer at lunchtime) and attached strings of lights randomly to walls, posts, churches (there are four in a group together) and trees. We then argued as to what should be attached to what, and all went back to the pub. Come 4pm we were finished, ready for lighting up. A quick test showed about 30% were connected, and we weren't as ready as we thought, and some ladders were now heading home. So, we set about fixing it. Once someone was up on a wall, their ladder was borrowed for somebody else. It was now dark, and several trees were now pleading for a ladder to be brought back, as feet were killing/needed a pee/wanted to head back for more Dutch Courage.

Music. SHORT speech, click (most worked). Fireworks. Pub. Bruise and blister competition... Now the shops can go all 'crismassy too!

Since then the temp has plunged. Built more bird houses for the wildlife, a sheep house for the girls, and a hole in the barn door for the feral cat (who loves the bird house idea).

The ditches are iced solid, making me plan an icerink on the lower meadow, if I can get Trumpdyke to flow right. All the beasties water troughs re - ice up, even during the midday sun!

Spent my "spare" time digging 'oles, and using the little tractor to shift the debris to fill an earlier 'ole. I'm sure there was a point to it all, but it was rather occluded even then. Looks smarter now, but muddy. Nearly drove tractor into a recently-filled soakaway, where it would have sunk up to the axles.

Sheep love chasing the tractor, weird things. They run at full tilt round it, bucking and jumping. Have to take care not to run one over.

At least the heating appears to be working, and leak free for now. Wonder if it will last the winter.....

Shoved some more plants in the greenhouses, so they are too full to stand in, even difficult to slide doors shut. Porch and hall full too. Scruffy, but sorted!

Keep toasty, all, and warmth to your wildebeesties.