Brixton tradesmen recommendations: plumbers, electricians, locksmiths, van drivers etc
- Thread starter Mrs Magpie
- Start date
Manter
Lunch Mob
brixtonblade
Well-Known Member
Anyone know a good roof person / company?
Think I need a bit of an inspection.
There's a little shrub growing on the brickwork which needs taking out but which I guess also means some of the pointing up there is a bit tatty and if that's the case maybe some of the tiles need looking at.
Think I need a bit of an inspection.
There's a little shrub growing on the brickwork which needs taking out but which I guess also means some of the pointing up there is a bit tatty and if that's the case maybe some of the tiles need looking at.
Jangleballix
Better living through chemistry.
Been a looooong time since I used them but Hunter Roofing were honest and straightforward.
020 8542 0216
brixtonblade
Well-Known Member
Ta. Will give them a call.
Tricky Skills
Well-Known Member
Here's a strange one - does anyone know who could fit a spare fridge hinge like this? I've bought the replacement, but it's a little more than simply putting the screws in.
I've seen various local handy people who will charge £60+VAT per hour. The hinge cost £20. I could almost get a new fridge for the combined total. I think that it would be a ten minute max job.
Any ideas please?
Thanks
I've seen various local handy people who will charge £60+VAT per hour. The hinge cost £20. I could almost get a new fridge for the combined total. I think that it would be a ten minute max job.
Any ideas please?
Thanks
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Not sure whether it's something the Spin Doctor would do, but worth a try
http://www.londonspindoctor.com/
Rushy
basically a scrotum
Wow.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
Tricky Skills
Well-Known Member
I've tried, believe me. It requires some tools that I've not got.
goldengraham
Well-Known Member
Can anyone recommend a good bathroom fitter please? Tiling, plastering, flooring, plumbing ... the usual stuff
golightly
economically inactive
Just had Carrie round to sort out our cistern. Highly recommend. Good communication, quality of service, reasonable cost and nice person.
mango5
Endeavour era
SecondedJust had Carrie round to sort out our cistern. Highly recommend. Good communication, quality of service, reasonable cost and nice person.
shakespearegirl
just worked out taglines
Can anyone recommend someone to install a wood burning stove? We've had our chimney swept, picked out the stove we want, but the installer guy we've been recommended seems too busy to quote us let alone install it
Rushy
basically a scrotum
I'd definitely choose a builder with considerable experience in basement dig outs - if not a specialist. 18" may not sound a lot but it very likely takes you below the existing foundations, and any new foundations will have to be quite a lot deeper still. And then the soil pipes often run through the basement. And then there is the waterproofing. Etc...
Make sure you have a competent engineer. And probably plenty of cash.
Winot
I wholeheartedley agree with your viewpoint
leanderman
Street Party: July 2
Friend is considering this in Appach rd. But ruled it out.
As Rushy said, it's costly. Doing it properly might mean fitting a membrane to exclude water, then you need a pump etc etc.
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
oops
clicker
nanook rubs it....
where are you?
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
. No good for my recommendation then, as you were.The basement is there already and we have our washing machine and dryer in there, a freezer, a load of shelves etc. I'd say it is about 5'11" in height as it stands. The back of the house is quite a bit lower than the front so you walk at street level in to our kitchen, but it is one storey up at the back. There are a set of brick steps leading from the kitchen, over the basement, to the garden so if we could take these away, we could put direct access from the new bedroom to the garden and there would be natural light etc.
The soil pipe is right in the middle of the basement itself, over toward the far wall, so wouldn't need excavated to be diverted.
The building itself is a 1910s three storey house with a mirror image house attached on the other side. The same area in the mirror image house has been turned in to a room, in fact there are two flats in the building next door where we have one. We live on a hill though, so the basement next door might have been a bit lower down and could have had more head-room and not needed excavation. Still, I reckon there is every chance that place had theirs done.
We've got absolutely no money at all, but intend to remortgage to do the works. The price of the flat has gone up a good bit so we have a good LTV to go to the bank with, but if there are cost overruns then we would be in trouble.
And we need to work out whether it is worth having a four bed flat. One the one hand, another usable room with natural light and access to the garden has to be worth it, but on the other, it's still a flat. Do people buy four bed flats when they could get a three bed house?
Rushy
basically a scrotum
All I'm saying is, don't scrimp by choosing price over experience and not getting a proper structural investigation and spec drawn up. Too much can go wrong - to your place, the flat upstairs, next door, if you are buggering about with old foundations - evn if you are only going down another ft or so.
Adding space is usually desirable (although if it is poorly done - e.g. badly damp proofed or ventilated - it could be seen as a liability and devalue your home) As you say, there is usually a ceiling for what people will pay for a flat vs a house. My friend has just sold her stunning 3 bed garden flat for £50-100K less than a similar floorspace 2 bed house would cost. Perhaps speak to a couple of agents about it.
I'd also question making the only access to the garden via a bedroom - particularly on a family sized flat. Much better to have it from the kitchen or living area.
Adding space is usually desirable (although if it is poorly done - e.g. badly damp proofed or ventilated - it could be seen as a liability and devalue your home) As you say, there is usually a ceiling for what people will pay for a flat vs a house. My friend has just sold her stunning 3 bed garden flat for £50-100K less than a similar floorspace 2 bed house would cost. Perhaps speak to a couple of agents about it.
I'd also question making the only access to the garden via a bedroom - particularly on a family sized flat. Much better to have it from the kitchen or living area.
Rushy
basically a scrotum
True. Get a well written spec, fixed price for the main works (that does not prevent unexpected surprises), don't pay much up front and tightly control payments. Decent builders should be able to manage cashflow even if you pay in arrears.
Tricky Skills
Well-Known Member
John the Plasterer: just to confirm that he did a fantastic job for us and comes highly recommended Winot sparkybird. Ta for putting me in touch with him.
