Never one to follow the crowd, I'm going against all my instincts because this could be useful. So we're almost at the end of the tedious experience of selling our house and buying another one. Currently living in a new type Barratts house, where we've been since I left the RAF, and was bought because: 1. For the kids to finish school/Uni/apprenticeship 2. I foolishly thought buying new would mean high building standards, and therefore less for me to deal with I was seriously wrong on point 2. Barratts are ****s and I would urge anyone to think twice about buying from these ****ing jokers. Quick summary of problems: 1. Back garden dug up 3 times, once almost completely, to re-lay waste pipes that hadn't been laid properly, so they sagged, and caused back up into the bogs. "It'll be your girls putting unmentionables down the loo" said the **** of a site foreman. "No, it ****ing isn't" said I offering to show him the little bins they use. I got my own bloke in to put his camera down the pipes, and the ****s had to sort it out. 2. Mains leccy to the house not put into the holder properly, resulting in massive arcing and regular power cuts. Barratts leccy blamed the dishwasher, I got someone else in who took 5 mins to find the issue. 3. Next door complained about a gas smell in her downstairs loo. ****y foreman laughed and made a joke about it. Discovered the ****s had stapled the plasterboard through a gas pipe. I **** you not. 4. Cheapest ****tiest boiler, in fact, everything. 5. Having to deal with the biggest ****s, Residential Management Companies. These ****s charge you to do a bit of landscaping, and a few other things. I've had to pay 700 quid for standard packs, that some **** in an office will have spent 5 mins creating, so leases and other **** can be transferred. Still, should get a completion date soon and hope to be moving early to mid Feb. New house. Built in the early 1800s, no management companies and might need a bit of work but its just for me and my fruit tea drinking missus, so looking forward to it. I don't mean its ****ed, but the missus will want to decorate, we might need a new boiler, we need a new cooker, but in the main, it's just fine. Few things we'll need to sort though, so if anyone has any advice or experience, jump in. Fences in the back garden need replacing. The dog will be off if we let him out there as they are. Get someone in, do it yourself? We've got a drive big enough for a couple of cars, but its currently open, i.e. no gate. I was wondering about getting a gate put in, but its basically our house, drive, next door. Outside of the house will need a little brush up then repainting. White or Cream. Not pink as the ****ing missus suggested. There's a fella next door but 2 to where we'll live who is an odd job man, ex school caretaker, who could do it. Anything to be aware of? Going to need a gas pipe putting in from the boiler/gas meter side of the kitchen, to the other side of a fire place, so we can have a mixed fuel range cooker put in. Any experience of this, or even the range cookers? Any other moving or DIY tips welcome in this new and exciting blog!
I wouldnt buy from Barrats full stop. My son bought one and he said they are ****e. I used to work for them in the 90s in a 3 n 1 bricky gang. They where ****e to work for and they dont really give a ****e about aftetsales. My mate at work bought from them and he said they did nothing to help him post sale. The NHBC cert is virtually worthless has they are in the pockets of the big builders. Avoid if possible
Potential disaster averted. Only cheese in the fridge was Stilton (its mouldy ffs) and some herb and other **** in Gloucester cheese. Luckily theres a shop over the road doing Extra Mature Anchor Cheddar for 2 quid a pack. Result! The dog liked his Ryvitas.
Get someone in to do the fences. They've got all the right tools, you probably don't. Why have a gate? I've got one, it's never closed. Not pink. If the odd-job man falls off his ladder make sure he doesn't sue you! Find a local gas fitter. He can do the boiler aswell, avoid British Gas. Good luck... Oh, and don't forget the new shed!
The wait is over. Steak Pie from the butchers in Scunny. Mash Garden Peas and Carrots. With leftover gravy from the braising steak.
I bought a Barrett house years ago. Never again. Victorian houses are the best. Get someone in to do the fences. Get yer sen a plastic shed. They're the future.
Is the hot thing that comes out of a toasted sandwich machine a Toasty or a Toastie Seems some people in this thread spell it differently to me and I do not know if I am with the majority or the minority.
It's slang, so I don't suppose it matters, but the people that make the machines use 'toastie' in the names, so I'd go with that. Toasty has a dictionary definition of 'pleasantly warm' (mainly in America).
We've gone back to the period before Victorian! I'm tending to agree with the fence advice. More chance of me drinking fruit ****ing tea than getting a placcy shed
