Detached Victorian renovation, London.
Discussion
I'd be more bothered about binning the modern windows visible in some rooms and reinstating fireplaces everywhere than double glazing. My 1903-4 heap has only one original window, and it's the one in best shape in the whole house. The modern uPVC ones are literally falling to bits and the aluminium front ones aren't in much better shape. Leave the sashes alone, look after them and put some insulated shutters and heavy William Morris curtains in behind them...
Congrats. Some generous room sizes with great floor to ceiling heights.
For the gardens get some Gallup from amazon and a sprayer and it will kill it all and make for easy removal.
Also if it's been vacant for two or more years get a letter confirming this from solicitor and you pay 5% vat on works/materials.
For the gardens get some Gallup from amazon and a sprayer and it will kill it all and make for easy removal.
Also if it's been vacant for two or more years get a letter confirming this from solicitor and you pay 5% vat on works/materials.
Wow incredible potential here. Sorry if you've already said but which area of London is this in?
I recommend opting for the cinema room. It is something you know you will always end up using. All to often with home gyms is that most people end up using them in phases, they'll be on the fitness hype for a solid 6 months and then that gym room will sit there for a year until the next phase arrives (apologies if that's not you, I'm generalising here). However I think more to the point is, unless you have some serious aversion to going to a normal gym, I wouldn't want to dedicate a whole room in my house to something which I could pop down the road (considering you're in London I cannot imagine you're short of gyms) which will have 10x more quality equipment and choice for 30 odd quid a month.
I recommend opting for the cinema room. It is something you know you will always end up using. All to often with home gyms is that most people end up using them in phases, they'll be on the fitness hype for a solid 6 months and then that gym room will sit there for a year until the next phase arrives (apologies if that's not you, I'm generalising here). However I think more to the point is, unless you have some serious aversion to going to a normal gym, I wouldn't want to dedicate a whole room in my house to something which I could pop down the road (considering you're in London I cannot imagine you're short of gyms) which will have 10x more quality equipment and choice for 30 odd quid a month.
Thanks all:
RoverP6B I never got to use that amazing wallpaper you recommended in my other thread, but this is surely the house for it!
On the double glazing, about a third of the house has had double glazed sashes. The boxes are in fine condition and fraught free. Very cheap, unobtrusive magnetic secondary double glazing will get us through this winter. Sadly the kitchen French doors need replacing. Plan is to build double glazed replicas (expensive!), and save the originals for use as internal doors somewhere.
All original features are staying/being restored and I am scouring the place for fireplaces to reinstate. Sadly two of the chimneys have been removed so we only can have one proper working fireplace. Rebuilding chimneys is not in budget!
Please can someone tell me more about this 5% VAT? I will do research.
RoverP6B I never got to use that amazing wallpaper you recommended in my other thread, but this is surely the house for it!
On the double glazing, about a third of the house has had double glazed sashes. The boxes are in fine condition and fraught free. Very cheap, unobtrusive magnetic secondary double glazing will get us through this winter. Sadly the kitchen French doors need replacing. Plan is to build double glazed replicas (expensive!), and save the originals for use as internal doors somewhere.
All original features are staying/being restored and I am scouring the place for fireplaces to reinstate. Sadly two of the chimneys have been removed so we only can have one proper working fireplace. Rebuilding chimneys is not in budget!
Please can someone tell me more about this 5% VAT? I will do research.
Harry Flashman said:
On the double glazing, about a third of the house has had double glazed sashes. The boxes are in fine condition and fraught free. Very cheap, unobtrusive magnetic secondary double glazing will get us through this winter. Sadly the kitchen French doors need replacing. Plan is to build double glazed replicas (expensive!), and save the originals for use as internal doors somewhere.
Ed at Heritage Restoration is a mate of mine - and has some interesting motors... http://www.heritage-restoration.co.uk/
Right, been doing some VAT reading.
I have some work to do with the contractor, to get this 5% VAT rate, both on their qualifying services and on the building materials.. Probably most importantly, I need to get them to supply everything so that "building materials" can also be 5% rated. As this includes kitchen and bathroom components, we could be looking at quite a saving. Normally I supply everything myself, meaning I pay 20% VAT.
This will basically mean them ordering everything through the business. There is no financial incentive for them to do this, and as London is a market where good contractors are rare and sought after, no incentive for to take more risk than they have to. Yet there is a risk to them, as responsibility for getting VAT right is on them, not me.
I think I will tell them that I will pass a percentage saving on the VAT back t them by way of a bonus for finishing on time/to standard. This should be worth a day's work sitting with me and on the internet, ordering everything I need through their business account?
On the kitchen alone 5% will save me thousands.
Anyone have a good VAT consultant I can pay to get an opinion, to work on the contractor?
I have some work to do with the contractor, to get this 5% VAT rate, both on their qualifying services and on the building materials.. Probably most importantly, I need to get them to supply everything so that "building materials" can also be 5% rated. As this includes kitchen and bathroom components, we could be looking at quite a saving. Normally I supply everything myself, meaning I pay 20% VAT.
This will basically mean them ordering everything through the business. There is no financial incentive for them to do this, and as London is a market where good contractors are rare and sought after, no incentive for to take more risk than they have to. Yet there is a risk to them, as responsibility for getting VAT right is on them, not me.
I think I will tell them that I will pass a percentage saving on the VAT back t them by way of a bonus for finishing on time/to standard. This should be worth a day's work sitting with me and on the internet, ordering everything I need through their business account?
On the kitchen alone 5% will save me thousands.
Anyone have a good VAT consultant I can pay to get an opinion, to work on the contractor?
MikeGoodwin said:
Nice. Potential to be a proper wasp stronghold when fixed up.
If that means the demographic, as opposed to the insect, not really - I am neither white, nor Anglo Saxon, nor Protestant! Lady F comes closer as she is at least white, but being American of Danish/Irish descent and Catholic, we're not qualifying there either. On the insect front, no way. I hate the little sods.On the lift shaft question Mr Spock - no, not keeping it. Will be building a floor in it. Bottom will be a covered deck so that muddy people/animals can remove shoes etc before coming inside. Top half with new floor will be an en-suite bathroom to the master bedroom, with freestanding tub in a wetroom with shower and big window so I can bathe whilst surveying the garden and reading a book. Not overlooked, so all good.
This latter work is the most serious, as will require structural engineer etc. May be for Phase 2, depending on cost/time needed. Some work done as there is already a big steel there, and a doorway to the bedroom where the lift door was going to be...
House is in London SW2, for those that asked.
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