Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

elizabethhull

What a shame your holiday ended on a downturn. Hope everything gets sorted out without too much inconvenience & expense.

There's certainly no harm in getting a fence quote. It's a very difficult thing to guess, and at least you will know if it's something you think is worth while saving for.

In fact, you really had a very productive half-term, it;s just the end of it tends to make one think otherwise. If you're feeling down, just imagine all that clutter which is now gone for good and give yourself a pat on the back !

beanielou

A fence you would have to paint :eek: :rotfl:
Good idea to get a quote.

I know nothing about these things but could you have a wee go at the freezer motor with a hair dryer?

You have inspired me to declutter the cupboard of doom. So thank you :T

Sun_Addict

Just caught up with you, your diary moves faster than the speed of light :rotfl:

Flippin' heck re the plumbing and freezer problems, you could do without this

Get a quote for the gate then save up for it,you need to know how much it is before you make a decision.

mummytogirls

Oh man what a nightmare couple of days youve had HHOD. I really hope everything works out and your back eases up a bit xx

doingitanyway

Oh dear sorry to hear about your back, especially after the plumbing and freezer issues and being poorly. Definitely schedule a treat to look forward to.

Re the gate/fence, I would get a quote. The first repair I did was a fence as the back of my house was compromised. I felt so much safer after it was fixed. I am eager to get outside lighting sorted before the days get darker for the same reason.

Hope your day back isn't too exhausting.

daisy_1571

Noella wrote: »

I think the outlay would be money well spent, HH, and an essential rather than frivolous expense especially as the lane behind your house is a public thoroughfare. The family's security is priceless and sadly, these days, we all have to be vigilant all the time. It shouldn't cost all that much so if I were you I'd definitely get a quote or two just so you know what sort of sum you'll need.

I keep pestering DH to let us have some gates at the entrance to our drive but he refuses every time because we are both car owners and forever coming and going several times a day. I wouldn't mind having to open and close them each time but he's adamant he'll find it a real pain:(. It's a very wide driveway so would nee some big gates. The potential expense of it isn't helping my case:(. We have a gate at the other side of the house so anyone coming up the path to the front door can't walk round to the back but everyone just comes up the drive anyway and right round the back. I object to strangers walking past my kitchen and sitting room windows (glancing in on lots of occasions) on their way to the back door. People don't seem to want to ring the front doorbell, they all seem to prefer the back door:eek:. I'm seriously thinking of putting a sign up telling all callers to ring the front door bell but DH thinks it sounds heavy-handed. People coming round the back, even strangers, doesn't seem to bother him like it does me.

Noella it sounds as if its not entirely obvious that your front door is where visitors should arrive ie the front door itself doesn't look the obvious place to go when they walk up the drive? Maybe go outside and approach your house and try to think where you would go if you were a stranger. Then try to make it more obvious that paths lead to an obvious front door ? Maybe a bigger house number on it or at the side, some planters shepherding visitors that way, a sign of some sort might well be a good way ie something friendly like "callers this way" etc I dont think would be heavy handed at all. I would suggest that you have done it your husbands way and even tho it doesn't bother him, it bothers you so thats a good enough reason to try a few changes.

Also, you dont just have to have a gate at the edge of your property. How about a gate at the end of the drive/edge of the house blocking off casual access to the back of the house? That way you can still get cars in and out the drive easily but footfall will be less likely to come round the back if they have to negotiate a gate? Being there, it doesn't have to be 6 foot tall so can be a cheaper palisade or picket fence with a waist high gate maybe? It could also have a sign or arrow "wrong way, please go (arrow)" or such like? Pretty it up with a clematis or something and suddenly it's a feature

I wouldn't like people coming round the back of my house either.

Just thoughts on what you describe but maybe the physical layout doesn't lend itself to the above

Daisy xx

[Deleted User]

daisy_1571 wrote: »

Noella it sounds as if its not entirely obvious that your front door is where visitors should arrive ie the front door itself doesn't look the obvious place to go when they walk up the drive? Maybe go outside and approach your house and try to think where you would go if you were a stranger. Then try to make it more obvious that paths lead to an obvious front door ? Maybe a bigger house number on it or at the side, some planters shepherding visitors that way, a sign of some sort might well be a good way ie something friendly like "callers this way" etc I dont think would be heavy handed at all. I would suggest that you have done it your husbands way and even tho it doesn't bother him, it bothers you so thats a good enough reason to try a few changes.

Also, you dont just have to have a gate at the edge of your property. How about a gate at the end of the drive/edge of the house blocking off casual access to the back of the house? That way you can still get cars in and out the drive easily but footfall will be less likely to come round the back if they have to negotiate a gate? Being there, it doesn't have to be 6 foot tall so can be a cheaper palisade or picket fence with a waist high gate maybe? It could also have a sign or arrow "wrong way, please go (arrow)" or such like? Pretty it up with a clematis or something and suddenly it's a feature

I wouldn't like people coming round the back of my house either.

Just thoughts on what you describe but maybe the physical layout doesn't lend itself to the above

Daisy xx

thanks for the advice, daisy, and for putting such a lot of thought and effort into it:A. Sorry, HH, for monopolising your diary:o


The front door isn't central as far as the façade of the front of the house goes but it is to one end. However, it's a big, wide shiny red door with a glass panel/window at both sides. The whole thing is probably about 6 ft wide. I doubt anyone could fail to see it. It isn't shielded by trees, shrubs, fencing or anything else. We have a large house name sign on a post showing clearly above the roadside hedge just by the path to the door and another sign on the house at the side of the door. The path to the front door is extra wide and straight with no shrub encumbrances and no external gate. Anyone arriving at the house could see the door and approach to it perfectly clearly. If anyone is approaching down the road from the other direction they'd obviously reach the entrance to the driveway first but the door is perfectly visible from there and if they need to see the name of the house they'd have to glance in that direction anyway as the sign is very visible.


I'm not sure what the width of the driveway is but it's possible to get 2 cars side by side with all their doors open at the same time and people able to get out comfortably with no squeezing past anything. There's also a 3 ft wide flower bed to the side of the drive before the boundary fence is reached so, all in all, a very wide span when the cost of fencing and gates is being considered!

As for a gate at the back/end of the drive that's not possible either as the drive extends round the back and we have a turning circle there. Too much width anywhere for a fence/gate.

Sounds as if we live in a mansion:rotfl:. Anything but!:eek:. We do have plenty of external space though.


Your suggestion of something at the road end of house (I think that's what you suggested) so we could still pull in off the road before opening the gate is the best idea and one we've considered as the only option but every time DH has second thoughts because of a) the cost of such a big, wide, structure and b) the fact that he designed the drive/parking and turning arrangements specifically for ease and convenience. It's obviously too much trouble for him to get out of his car to open anything:eek:. Obviously the opening part of the barrier needn't be the full width of the driveway, Cars wouldn't need to come in two abreast:rotfl:. The idea of strangers coming round the back doesn't faze DH at all. He thinks I'm being paranoid whenever I mention it:mad:. We have security lighting and a burglar alarm which DH thinks should be enough deterrent. They obviously only work after dark or if the doors are closed and the alarm is on. I just don't like the idea of strangers coming round the back when it's daytime, the doors are unlocked and DH isn't here. We get all sorts of uninvited callers/chancers here!


I hope you're feeling better today, HH, and that your freezer/electrical problems have righted themselves:beer:

foxgloves

People coming around the back isn't an option now, as our back garden isn't accessible except through the house, but I do know what you mean. I can remember back when I lived in a flat, looking out of my kitchen window & there was a man in the back garden! He didn't knock at the door & didn't walk very far down - he was clearly just having a look, but it was disconcerting as it was broad daylight. I think the operative word is 'chancer; Even though anyone getting round the back of our current garden would need to come over a small section of fence via next door's garden, this is possible, should anyone be up to no good, so I do try to remember to lock the back door if I am going to be at the front of the house & unable to see what's going on. The likelihood of anything happening is probably very small, but there are always the chancers who will just try things, aren't there?
F

HairyHandofDartmoor

Verbatim wrote: »

Would it be possible to diy it? Drill holes in wall to take posts/ struts and screw fence panels to said struts?
Hope your back improves for tomorrow. Hot bath?

Thanks Verbatim . DH could do it in theory but he'll never get around to it as we have too many other jobs that need doing.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Nicnak wrote: »

Getting a quote would be a good idea. It might be less than you think so more manageable and achievable, or if not, like you said, gives you an idea of what to aim for.

Sorry about the plumbing, what a nightmare. Hopefully your food stays ok and the fridge motor dries out. Fingers crossed anyway.

Sometimes you have half terms like that and others you are really productive and feel like you have achieved the impossible. Sorry yours wasn't the best. Hopefully the six weeks will be much better for you and you get to do everything you want. NT will help you massively. xx

Thanks Nicnak . Yes hopefully I'll have a better summer hokiday.

elizabethhull wrote: »

What a shame your holiday ended on a downturn. Hope everything gets sorted out without too much inconvenience & expense.

There's certainly no harm in getting a fence quote. It's a very difficult thing to guess, and at least you will know if it's something you think is worth while saving for.

In fact, you really had a very productive half-term, it;s just the end of it tends to make one think otherwise. If you're feeling down, just imagine all that clutter which is now gone for good and give yourself a pat on the back !

Thanks Elizabeth . It's true that I have got a lot of clutter.