Detached Victorian renovation, London.

[ettore]

I’m an example where stamp duty has made me stay. The egregious amount required to make a relatively small move within the same town triggered my (previously undiscovered) mean gene.

Mind you £400k worth of house rebuild later I may have been victim to some shoddy man maths!

[Pro Bono]

TheJimi said:

Staying on the topic of stamp duty for a moment, I really can't help but think that stamp duty, much like IHT, really is a tax too far.

I'm consistently amazed that there's not an uproar over it. At least Turpin has the good grace to wear a mask

There's no uproar because it simply doesn't affect most ordinary people that much.

The only ones complaining about it are the wealthy, principally living in London, and sympathy for their first world problems is rather limited amongst the remaining 99% of the population.

Taxes have to be raised, and it's entirely justifiable that they should hit the wealthiest people in the community hardest as they're the ones that can best afford it.

In any event, as I said in my original post, if stamp duty is raised then it merely means that the sale price of a house in that price bracket is reduced to take account of it.

The only person that might be said to `lose' is the seller of the house. And as they're probably picking up a massive, unearned, tax-free profit anyway, they're hardly likely to get much sympathy either.

So stop moaning and cough up!

[gibbon]

Pro Bono said:

There's no uproar because it simply doesn't affect most ordinary people that much.

The only ones complaining about it are the wealthy, principally living in London, and sympathy for their first world problems is rather limited amongst the remaining 99% of the population.

Taxes have to be raised, and it's entirely justifiable that they should hit the wealthiest people in the community hardest as they're the ones that can best afford it.

In any event, as I said in my original post, if stamp duty is raised then it merely means that the sale price of a house in that price bracket is reduced to take account of it.

The only person that might be said to `lose' is the seller of the house. And as they're probably picking up a massive, unearned, tax-free profit anyway, they're hardly likely to get much sympathy either.

So stop moaning and cough up!

Did you read my reply?

What it does is crush liquidity in expensive houses. People dont always want to live in the same house for 20 years plus for a multitude of reasons.

What if you need to move from your £1.5m house to another £1.5m house for work reasons? It also clearly kills work force mobility at a certain level.

[psi310398]

ultrastapler said:

Better than an increase in income tax to raise the same tax revenues. Buying an expensive house is a choice not everyone wants to make.

The notion that the bloody government could do less and levy less tax is clearly not an option here!

[Aluminati]

I love this build, the tastes match mine

But more and more people are beginning to realise that at the end of the day, the inflated price of London are mad, the OP’s location is not far from Gas Monkey bar in Clapham, but that’s where it ends.

London as an investment is dead, due to as prior mentioned, price point/stamp duty.

However, The OP’s post has much taste, i wish his good lady and himself much happiness, and thank him for taking the time to document it, and help us all. He’s a proper fella.

[Crumpet]

Sorry to wander off topic but I have a question about your bathrooms.....

How have you (or your trades) been doing the transition from skirting board to tiles at the point where they meet in the shower areas?

A photo might help to make it clearer what I mean....this bit:



If a tile edge trim is 10-12mm in depth does the standard thickness of skirting board (18mm or so) not mean it’s sitting proud of the trim and tiles? Or have you mitred the end at 45?

It’s a detail I’m really struggling to plan for with my current bathroom work, the only thing I can think is to do it like this (from my brother’s house):



House looks great, by the way. Your dark green kitchen units provided a little inspiration for a quick makeover on ours. Although it was already green everywhere else so a bit more wasn’t going to harm.

[RoverP6B]

Wait, there's a Gas Monkey Bar & Grill in London? Is this anything to do with Richard Rawlings or someone trying to ride the coat-tails of his brand? The website doesn't have the Gas Monkey Garage logo or any mention of Rawlings on it...

[BrabusMog]

RoverP6B said:

Wait, there's a Gas Monkey Bar & Grill in London? Is this anything to do with Richard Rawlings or someone trying to ride the coat-tails of his brand? The website doesn't have the Gas Monkey Garage logo or any mention of Rawlings on it...

I got quite excited by that and did some googling, I'm guessing they've just pinched the name.

[healeyfan]

Thought the same. Though trying to eat with the tables jumping up and down in time to the music might be a tad difficult!

[Harry Flashman]

Crumpet said:

Sorry to wander off topic but I have a question about your bathrooms.....

How have you (or your trades) been doing the transition from skirting board to tiles at the point where they meet in the shower areas?

A photo might help to make it clearer what I mean....this bit:



If a tile edge trim is 10-12mm in depth does the standard thickness of skirting board (18mm or so) not mean it’s sitting proud of the trim and tiles? Or have you mitred the end at 45?

It’s a detail I’m really struggling to plan for with my current bathroom work, the only thing I can think is to do it like this (from my brother’s house):



House looks great, by the way. Your dark green kitchen units provided a little inspiration for a quick makeover on ours. Although it was already green everywhere else so a bit more wasn’t going to harm.

Hi!, and thanks. It works pretty well in our bathrooms as those are thick cement encaustic tiles on the walls...but you could just shape a skirting board to flush fit onto that metal shower door trim (presuming that it doesn't move)

[Harry Flashman]

Driveway is pretty much finished, with all the heavy duty drainage underneath all done. Heavy rain has tested it and the bricks at the front of the house are noticeably more dry during and after rain, which is good. Cellar has flooded again, but we now know that this is a groundwater issue, not a drains issue.

The drive needs a great deal of soft landscaping - very stark now, so planting is a priority. Mostly raised containers, as I lost the flowerbeds by the bay window to fit drains and take moisture away from the house.

the quality of the guy's blockwork really is exceptional though. Very pleased. We went for angles rather than soft curves, as a contrast with the much more organic back garden. Want some formality at the front of the house once the planting is all done.

I'll do some better quality pics later.

20190815_204930 by baconrashers, on Flickr

original

78 front by baconrashers, on Flickr


and now done

20190815_204959 by baconrashers, on Flickr

Edited by Harry Flashman on Thursday 15th August 21:50

[matt666]

You can get 14.5mm skirting from Wickes, if your tile trim is 10-12mm that only leaves it a couple of mm proud. You can just sand the edge off the skirting so it meets the trim, once it’s painted you can barely see it

[Peanut Gallery]

Darn! Was really hoping your basement swimming pool was a drains issue!

Looking really good!

[CoolHands]

What’s hiding behind the bush?

Like the blockwork

[healeyfan]

Driveway looks really good. Can't say I'm a fan of the industrial garage door. I know they are the fashion at the moment but don't think it's in keeping with the rest of the house. Suspect the basement is below the water table.

[p1stonhead]

Harry Flashman said:

Driveway is pretty much finished, with all the heavy duty drainage underneath all done. Heavy rain has tested it and the bricks at the front of the house are noticeably more dry during and after rain, which is good. Cellar has flooded again, but we now know that this is a groundwater issue, not a drains issue.

The drive needs a great deal of soft landscaping - very stark now, so planting is a priority. Mostly raised containers, as I lost the flowerbeds by the bay window to fit drains and take moisture away from the house.

the quality of the guy's blockwork really is exceptional though. Very pleased. We went for angles rather than soft curves, as a contrast with the much more organic back garden. Want some formality at the front of the house once the planting is all done.

I'll do some better quality pics later.

20190815_204930 by baconrashers, on Flickr

original

78 front by baconrashers, on Flickr


and now done

20190815_204959 by baconrashers, on Flickr

Edited by Harry Flashman on Thursday 15th August 21:50

Harry do I take it that you have to walk over gravel from the car side to get to the front door or am I not seeing things right?

Personally I’d have a path connecting the two. Will you use the pedestrian gate much?

[Harry Flashman]

I have to say that I have made an error there - should indeed have connected a path from car to gravel. I'll live with it and see how it goes.

Pedestrian gate is really future proofing - muddy children with bikes etc can access the garden and boot/utility room, so no mess tracked through the front door, and can be left open when barbecuing/entertaining in the garden in summer so we don't have to answer the doorbell.

I also agree with the comment on the ugly garage door, but I like the electric convenience and security, and the garage is too small to fit a pair of nice wooden doors on proper openers.

Edited by Harry Flashman on Friday 16th August 07:31

[Harry Flashman]

CoolHands said:

What’s hiding behind the bush?

Like the blockwork

TV room!

Edited by Harry Flashman on Friday 16th August 09:25

[JamesRF]

Love the contrast between the house brickwork and the new driveway with it's sharp lines. Also I think the garage door looks good but perhaps something needs to be done with the wood to tie it in to the house more.

It's probably already been mentioned but what's the plan for the overgrown bush hiding the window? I'm assuming that's been left until you re-plant that border?

[The Dictator]

lrdisco said:

A tale from years ago-
We were building conservatories and fitting windows for a couple of Gentlemen one nicknamed Dodgy Carter. Not known on PH I hope. He sold mortgages to Right to buy tenants.

At work we had a widely used measurement that the bigger the tv (CRT at the time) the more chavvey the house would be.
Never let us down in Hull. Parrots flying loose and crapping everywhere to a very famous job in Scarborough.
Hi Duggie and Chris if you are on PH.
My main tv is a very classy 42 inch.
Good luck and each to their own but having a TV room?

When I was a Police Officer we had a phrase "the bigger the TV the bigger the problem" that was over 15 years ago now though, so the average TV size has increased substantially in that time :-)