Anyone had any experiences with this? It was looking really promising and then I've read some absolutely horror stories!!!

Most new builds are a total rip off to begin with, they are built to such shoddy standards now by cheap, rushed labourers and totally overpriced. I've got no experience of the scheme but personally if I was in the market for a house I'd be looking for something older but bigger, well built and maybe needing some interior work so its good value to begin but gives you plenty of room to improve it and add further value. Egg's doing it, matt5cott has done it, Nimrod I think has done it and I know knighty would do it if he was getting his own place. Seems like the no brainer to me over a new build that you'll spend the lifetime of the guarantee trying to get snags fixed from, even the obvious ones like cracks appearing from the house settling/drying out.

Quote from: Clock'd 0Ne on February 04, 2013, 17:49:32 PMI know knighty would do it if he was getting his own place.

I've been looking for a year and can't find anything decent :-(

Its probably a good thing if you can find the right house.
Not buying through the scheme just to get on the housing ladder, as you may have problems selling - especially if its a large development estate & the builders are already struggling to sell.

Quote from: Clock'd 0Ne on February 04, 2013, 17:49:32 PM
Most new builds are a total rip off to begin with, they are built to such shoddy standards now by cheap, rushed labourers and totally overpriced. I've got no experience of the scheme but personally if I was in the market for a house I'd be looking for something older but bigger, well built and maybe needing some interior work so its good value to begin but gives you plenty of room to improve it and add further value. Egg's doing it, matt5cott has done it, Nimrod I think has done it and I know knighty would do it if he was getting his own place. Seems like the no brainer to me over a new build that you'll spend the lifetime of the guarantee trying to get snags fixed from, even the obvious ones like cracks appearing from the house settling/drying out.

Yep, this.

I got a detached 1950s house, for a ton less cash than a new build semi!



Needed a 'bit' of work mind

I bought a house that was built during WWII by Italian PoW. Luckily the bloke who left had done quite a bit of work to it anyhow but it could still do with modernising in places.

Metal door frames :/

Being an electrician I'm quite handy and happy to do any DIY. About to embark on the project of removing the chimney breast from the house, top to bottom.

I bought a 19th century stone cottage

Quote from: Adrock on February 05, 2013, 21:36:45 PMAbout to embark on the project of removing the chimney breast from the house, top to bottom.

do it the other way, bottom first and it'll get done much quicker

Quote from: Adrock on February 05, 2013, 21:36:45 PM
About to embark on the project of removing the chimney breast from the house, top to bottom.

Good luck - its something I done with my house - more hassle than its worth (this house was gutted throughout), I should have just built a stud wall all the way across & lose 8" of living space. If its an outside wall, dont forget that you will (should) then build a wall up internally for structure support, as well as to keep the elements out.

Quote from: Eggtastico on February 06, 2013, 09:36:48 AM

Quote from: Adrock on February 05, 2013, 21:36:45 PM
About to embark on the project of removing the chimney breast from the house, top to bottom.

Good luck - its something I done with my house - more hassle than its worth (this house was gutted throughout), I should have just built a stud wall all the way across & lose 8" of living space.

I did this, rather than 'lose' 8 inches we chucked insulation either side of the chimney as we have a single skinned wall.
________       __________
| insul      |___| insul          |
|                                         |
|                                         |
|                                         |
|                                         |

Mess I made - only good that came out of it, was for wiring.

once I finished


& today it looks different again!

1 1/2 meters across by half a meter deep is the downstairs chimney. Then it runs through the middle of the house so my bedroom has a big space take up by it too. After removing it I may still put a small stud partition up, just the metal work in thickness so that I can easily rewire it and mount the TV to it.

Quote from: Adrock on February 06, 2013, 13:28:12 PM
1 1/2 meters across by half a meter deep is the downstairs chimney. Then it runs through the middle of the house so my bedroom has a big space take up by it too. After removing it I may still put a small stud partition up, just the metal work in thickness so that I can easily rewire it and mount the TV to it.

good luck! Luckily I had somewhere to put the bricks (as you can see top pic ;o))
If you got nowhere for them to go, its going to cost you for a skip, etc. - then you gotta deal with the dust

Yup, dust is horrendous. My dad did his when I was younger and I helped out.

Luckily he works for a skip hire company so I'm hoping he gets them free, if not at a very reduced rate. Sorry for derailing this thread btw.

Can you use the bricks for something like landscaping? Stack em in a sloped pile in a corner of the garden, and then cover it in soil = rockery?

Or make a small pond and use the bricks to edge them?

We've been in need of bricks at uni for some projects, I imagine if you put an ad up people would take them for free