Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

ivyleaf

PasturesNew wrote: »

Had a letter to say next door's to be demolished - and this morning there's a bunch of house clearance people there ripping the insides out.

Goodness, they're not losing any time then!

We had a warehouse across the road which had been unused for about 20 years. The site was eventually sold and houses have been built there. They are lovely houses, but the pigeons which were displaced from the warehouse had moved into the trees in front of it when it was demolished, and then when the trees were cut down they moved into the eaves of the houses on our side of the road They seem to have gone for now but i suppose they will be back in the Spring.

silvercar

PasturesNew wrote: »

Had a letter to say next door's to be demolished - and this morning there's a bunch of house clearance people there ripping the insides out.

How old is next door? What are they planning on putting in its place?

GDB2222

PasturesNew wrote: »

I received the letter from the Council yesterday, dated the 8th. The covering letter said...
"Under the terms of the above legislations, the Council is required to send a copy of the counter Notice served on the contractor...."

And they enclosed the 2 page letter the contractors were given.

It mentions they had to have a bat survey. One thing they overlooked (although irrelevant in this case) is that it's illegal to interfere with the nest of herring gulls - and there's a big one wedged between the chimney and roof tiles. This time of year it's empty, but if, say, they put off demo until April-July then it'll have been populated by a pair of gulls and their 3-4 chicks.

As a proud and clean homeowner, I am disappointed that the Act doesn't require them to pop round and clean my windows after they've finished They have to put right any damage, but not muck.

Party Wall Act surveyor. How close are they coming to your house?

GDB2222

http://hoa.org.uk/advice/guides-for-homeowners/i-am-improving/party-wall-agreement/

GDB2222

PasturesNew wrote: »

My house | 3m side bit | 6' high fence | 2m garden space | their 2.5m conservatory | a detached bungalow.

Closest actual material is 5m, closest bit of brick is 7.5m.

I see no danger of flying debris ... but dust gets everywhere. I'm confident that these days teams are more careful and mindful than they'd have been in the past, in general. I've no worries about what they'll do, except it WILL generate some dust, which will no doubt end up on my windows

When they want to start building, will they come closer to the boundary?

Given that you are fond of photography, how about taking *lots* of pictures of your house both inside and outside? You don't have to do anything at all with them, but they'll be handy if a problem emerges later.

GDB2222

DD just emailed:
"Just to give you a bit of an update: I arrived at Heathrow to discover I had a reservation but no ticket and that opodo had returned my money on 03/11 but failed to mention this when I phoned them two days ago."

Pyxis

PasturesNew wrote: »

Originally two 1930s/1940s bungalows with big gardens, the gardens were sold off donkeys' years ago with a "do not build" covenant.

This estate (14 houses) was built on that land 6 years ago, with indemnity policy in place.

When demolished the new builds will be 9 houses. Eight terraced 2-beds , 1 3-bed detached.

Same design, same builder as my house.

Plot probably cost them £800k at a wild guess.

So much for the 'Do not build' Covenant. :mad:

I wonder what would happen if someone were rich enough to challenge them in court?

GDB2222 wrote: »

When they want to start building, will they come closer to the boundary?

Given that you are fond of photography, how about taking *lots* of pictures of your house both inside and outside? You don't have to do anything at all with them, but they'll be handy if a problem emerges later.

Good idea!

PasturesNew

Tip Tat on BBC1

vivatifosi

I'm watching the American version of the,same programme. Most of what they turn out is awful, but the last lot were really good. They made a beautiful glass,topped table out of wheelchair rims.

PasturesNew

vivatifosi wrote: »

I'm watching the American version of the,same programme. Most of what they turn out is awful, but the last lot were really good. They made a beautiful glass,topped table out of wheelchair rims.

Today's Trio of Treats were:

1] An old bath. Turned into the predictable "two chairs" by cutting it in half. Paid £480 for that work. Unsold.

2] An old Singer sewing machine in its pop up desk with treadle foot pedal. The worker said the sewing machine had been robbed of its innards, so he binned that and polished up the wooden desk/top part and smartened up the treadle. He then got a fan and rigged up some rope so operating the treadle made the fan go round. She invited a "top London buyer of Emperor's Clothes" and he said he could never sell it (nobody'd want to give it house room) and he bought it for £300. Profit £100.

3] A box of random taps and old plumbing bits and bobs. Turned into one towel rail by adding a length of copper pipe and mounting it onto a length of wood painted green. Sold £75, Profit £12.

So, two predictable uses of the items .... and one mad cap idea. I think the London dealer was paid to take the sewing machine desk away in all honesty.