Nice People Thread No. 14, all Nice and Proper

michaels

Tomorrow we are looking at a house on a nearby similar road to ours that is currently 3 bed but could be extended to 5. Was hoping the maths might work that we could sell ours and buy the other and extend and be left with 100k in the bank but it looks more like it might be only 30k in the bank which makes it not worth the hassle.

kabayiri

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've never had a go at lego. It always looked exciting when I was a child; I was aware of it. We just didn't get bought any.

Lego factoid spoiler.

About 7 or 8 years ago Lego were on the verge of going bust. Yesterday's toy.

Then...they signed a deal with Lucas to license the Star Wars brand.

The resurgence was meteoric. They are now the biggest toy company around.

The power of Star Wars eh?

Yorkie1

CKhalvashi wrote: »

I'm really not well at the moment (haven't been feeling brilliant for the last few weeks), so apologies if I go quiet for the next few days

I'm actually (now OH has managed to swap leave with someone) looking forward to jury service (starts Monday), so hopefully I'll be feeling better by then.

Hope you're feeling better now, CK.

One piece of advice for jury service - take a good book! You'll be shown a video about how to be a good juror, and then it's a random selection to see whether you're part of a wider panel called for a case. Then you might not be selected onto the actual jury panel, and go back to the waiting room.

They're usually quite good at releasing you during the day if it becomes clear that no more juries are going to be sworn in that day, and then you come back the next day and wait all over again.

The other piece of advice, which will be hammered home, is not to look up your defendant or case on the internet until after you've given all your verdicts. It's a really bad idea and jurors have gone to jail for it! :eek:

GDB2222 wrote: »

I am writing this on my tablet, but for anything serious work wise I run to the PC. The tablet is easy to carry around, and it is convenient, but it is not equivalent to a PC in terms of ergonomics. For example, there is no mouse, and the on-screen keyboard is very slow to use. Having said that, it is possible to get external keyboards for tablets.

I agree; I have a Microsoft Surface tablet which was included in a course I did last year. It's very handy to carry around, and has an attached keyboard, but I just don't find it as easy or comprehensive to use as my laptop.

PasturesNew wrote: »

Also, in the past, I've not liked the hot fan of a laptop spewing out heat onto my leg.

Use one of those trays with a beanbag attached underneath. It's great!

Yorkie1

kabayiri wrote: »

Lego factoid spoiler.

About 7 or 8 years ago Lego were on the verge of going bust. Yesterday's toy.

Then...they signed a deal with Lucas to license the Star Wars brand.

The resurgence was meteoric. They are now the biggest toy company around.

The power of Star Wars eh?

The Force was certainly with them with that!!

CKhalvashi

Yorkie1 wrote: »

Hope you're feeling better now, CK.

Changed the bedding and feeling a little better, but that may be because it's the spare room which isn't used often, so I'm thinking that the dust had worsened it.

OH has kicked me out of our room, and I completely agree with her decision.

One piece of advice for jury service - take a good book! You'll be shown a video about how to be a good juror, and then it's a random selection to see whether you're part of a wider panel called for a case. Then you might not be selected onto the actual jury panel, and go back to the waiting room.

They're usually quite good at releasing you during the day if it becomes clear that no more juries are going to be sworn in that day, and then you come back the next day and wait all over again.

I've heard that. Going to take some reading material and have made the decision not to be connected to the internet so nothing comes up on Facebook feeds etc.

The court has said I'm not needed until Tuesday now, so I now have a 9 day jury service

The other piece of advice, which will be hammered home, is not to look up your defendant or case on the internet until after you've given all your verdicts. It's a really bad idea and jurors have gone to jail for it! :eek:

As above, completely disconnecting myself from Facebook/not bought the paper for about 3 weeks, so I can't be accused of anything, too.

If I'm doing it, I'm going to take it seriously.

silvercar

michaels wrote: »

:mad: Did mine online in the week but checked the figures with the accountant today and found out that mortgage arrangement fees can't be offset against CGT as a 'purchase cost'. Fear not said accountant they can be offset against income instead - except that all the income was earned by DW who doesn't pay income tax but CGT is 28% band. Plus fees for failed planning permission can not be claimed where as they could have been had we got permission - net cost of those two little surprises £1240 quid and that includes the hassle of reclaiming £100 tax that I paid last year on my 10% but apparently shouldn't have done

Still 23.5k for the tax man should help the deficit

But there is the satisfaction of having done the return.

CGT is charged at 18% for the portion of the gain that is below the higher rate threshold.

Out of interest, how much does your accountant charge for doing your returns?

I think we are possibly at the limit of being able to do our own. OH is the wrong type of accountant to advise us on tax.

Nikkster

michaels wrote: »

Building a lean-to is likely to reduce rather than increase the value of your house and also as it is visible from the front, annoy the neighbours.

I've got a lean-to across the entire back of my house. Even better, is in a state of disrepair Still not sure the neighbours who look out at the side of it will prefer it if/ when I extend out to replace it as it will block their kitchen window. On the upside I *could* build out by 4m without PP but am currently thinking 3m will do fine.
Though so knows what the state of PP and my ideas will be by the time I've saved up (a few years time I think)...

hjd

silvercar wrote: »

But there is the satisfaction of having done the return.

CGT is charged at 18% for the portion of the gain that is below the higher rate threshold.

Out of interest, how much does your accountant charge for doing your returns?

I think we are possibly at the limit of being able to do our own. OH is the wrong type of accountant to advise us on tax.

Accountants, like solicitors, have the potential to earn more from sorting out the mistakes of the DIY brigade than from doing the returns in the first place. I speak as an accountant. Nearly finished this year's crop of tax returns now!

vivatifosi

kabayiri wrote: »

Lego factoid spoiler.

About 7 or 8 years ago Lego were on the verge of going bust. Yesterday's toy.

Then...they signed a deal with Lucas to license the Star Wars brand.

The resurgence was meteoric. They are now the biggest toy company around.

The power of Star Wars eh?

Not sure this counts as every action has an equal and opposite reaction... but back in the day Dorling Kindersley (tablet alert of the day... It wanted to change that to Forking Mindlessly), almost went broke because it over produced Star Wars books and nobody wanted to buy them. How times change, eh? And these days the Lego figures are in the DK books.

Generali

vivatifosi wrote: »

Not sure this counts as every action has an equal and opposite reaction... but back in the day Dorling Kindersley (tablet alert of the day... It wanted to change that to Forking Mindlessly), almost went broke because it over produced Star Wars books and nobody wanted to buy them. How times change, eh? And these days the Lego figures are in the DK books.

IIRC they ended up being bought up by the owners of the FT. I suspect that they would have gone bust but for the takeover.

When I was about 5 I was given one of those apple boxes full of Lego by a neighbour with kids that had grown out of it. I could make a row of houses out of that haul along with cars and trucks, all sorts.

This year The Boy bought Mrs Generali a Lego set for Christmas.