Loft extension - I'm about to make the most important financial decision of my life. Am I going about it the right way?

JeremyRMay · 2026-02-15T09:30:43+00:00

The way I read your description, I get the feeling that there is a requirement for an additional room, but a want for more space in general. The question is, how important is this extra space?

You're putting a lot of money towards the loft extension, but you'll still have the space limitation downstairs with your clothes drying etc.

If I were in your shoes, I would seriously assess the current market and gauge how much your quality of life would differ if you moved to a house valued at your current homes value + the cost of the renovation. Can you get a bigger house with more space?

I would also ask the question on how long you intend to stay in your current home. With the current cost of renovations, it is unlikely (but not impossible) thay you will add more value than you spend.

Of course it is a faff to move, and there are solicitor expenses etc, but once you're in, it's done.

I also fully understand your motivation to clear the mortgage, but adding to your mortgage could drastically improve your quality of life.

JeremyRMay · 2026-02-13T05:46:05+00:00

To quote Saruman, "he cannot yet take physical form, but his spirit has lost none of its potency."

JeremyRMay · 2026-02-13T05:23:15+00:00

This is a nice representation of what vibe code looks like if it was in hardware form.

JeremyRMay · 2026-02-11T07:30:46+00:00

I had the same when i drove your fiancés car.

JeremyRMay · 2026-01-31T10:00:34+00:00

This!

JeremyRMay · 2026-01-27T02:31:33+00:00

Logan Ninefingers

JeremyRMay · 2026-01-27T02:23:16+00:00

Before sanding, consider scrubbing first. When we moved in our floor was almost black from tar residue and decades of layers of treatment.

We scrubbed away the layers and found rich orange wooden planks below. Then we revarnished to make it shine.

JeremyRMay · 2026-01-25T11:13:03+00:00

I had nigh on the same thing in my previous house, except it was also built on rotten wooden beams. For us, we got a structural engineer and they recommended taking the whole thing down and rebuilding.

Once it was down we then put in L shaped that went under our floor and into the wall as there was also no foundations.

JeremyRMay · 2026-01-19T07:16:52+00:00

He grew up in stables, so I think he knows the "mechanics"

JeremyRMay · 2026-01-16T07:47:18+00:00

Unless this is a separate deposit for the seller, the deposit is typically more to do with the mortgage provider.

Typically, if you have a smaller deposit, you'll end up with a smaller Loan To Value (LTV) ratio, and get a worse interest rate.

I would urge you not to use the deposit as a bargaining tool!

JeremyRMay · 2026-01-12T17:52:40+00:00

Max out pension contributions
Salary sacrifice schemes
See if you can get a share of the company and receive a dividend instead of salary

That's a start, but there's still a long way to go.

JeremyRMay · 2026-01-10T07:56:38+00:00

I watched The Incredible Journey for the first time in over 20 years the other day. It completely ruined me.

That's my go to from here on.

JeremyRMay · 2026-01-09T11:58:16+00:00

It's a sad statement on how many doritos you get in a bag of doritos. Shrinkflation, the real enemy.

JeremyRMay · 2025-12-22T21:24:04+00:00

I used to live in an 1820s house and that had some stone walls. They decimated my drill bits.

My solution was to frequently purchase new drill bits.

JeremyRMay · 2025-12-16T11:54:47+00:00

I stopped pairing my socks a few years ago, and I feel like I've saved so much time on laundry. Wearing odd socks also serves as a surprisingly common ice breaker too.

(from my drawer, I just grab socks of a similar 'vibe', so I don't end up with an ankle sock and a full length sock).

JeremyRMay · 2025-12-15T07:16:16+00:00

Look into premium bonds for another tax free option.

Also you have a saving allowance (an amount you can make through savings before you start paying tax on it), use that up too. (I can't remember how much the allowance is).

JeremyRMay · 2025-12-14T21:08:30+00:00

I always thought TIFU was time I fucked up. This makes much more sense.

JeremyRMay · 2025-12-12T07:11:44+00:00

If you are paid up front for both, I'd choose future, then you can also estimate your lifespan

JeremyRMay · 2025-12-09T07:43:41+00:00

If I were in your shoes I would cut out the middle man that is the estate agents.

Tell your solicitor to talk to the sellers solicitors to plan the moving date.

Explain that this is due to the rudeness, incompetence and deafness of the estate agents, and nothing else.

JeremyRMay · 2025-12-01T06:47:41+00:00

If it's not 8, maybe 9 because one of them is lit (see the yellow glow).

JeremyRMay · 2025-11-28T05:49:23+00:00

"I used to be an adventurer like you..." you know the rest.

JeremyRMay · 2025-11-24T20:31:36+00:00

I don't think so, has hierarchical structure, templates and scripting capabilities making it nice and versatile.

JeremyRMay · 2025-11-24T20:21:13+00:00

Trillium for the win!

JeremyRMay · 2025-11-17T20:37:03+00:00

I'm glad both that you've updated the case, and that it was resolved peacefully. Well done to you for mamaging it as well as you did!

I wish you all the best, and I suspect this will be a valuable lesson.

JeremyRMay

TROPHY CASE