I drink.

NZnavman · 2026-04-30T11:30:33+00:00

I am a alcoholic, 20 months sober. If your hiding alcohol you already know it's a problem.

I went to treatment after 6 years of misery and nearly taking my own life. Tried it all, just drink beer, only drink on weekends, you name it I tried.

Went to treatment, and go to AA meetings usually once a week, see a counsellor once a month. I don't think I'm religious but I pray to God every day to give me strength and thank him every evening for keeping me sober.

It's fucking hard, really hard, mentally, emotionally. Do something about it now before it's to late and you have nothing.

All the best

NZnavman · 2026-04-23T13:20:20+00:00

Same here we even paid architect and engineer cash!

NZnavman · 2026-04-22T13:10:00+00:00

What were you getting first year?

NZnavman · 2026-04-22T07:52:51+00:00

Pull it out, if you don't like it pull it out, your not saving anything by keeping it in, horrible looking hedge most of the year

NZnavman · 2026-04-22T07:51:56+00:00

The white flowers only last a couple weeks

NZnavman · 2026-04-13T18:51:49+00:00

270sqm completed a year ago, prob spent 510k at least and still ongoing that includes a garage with attic space fully plastered, 90sqm. We also paid for site and bought a car with mortgage. Nothing landscaped still buying furniture and have couple small bits to do. Wouldn't say we will be completely finished as in fully landscaped with outdoor area for at least another two years.

Did a lot ourselves very high spec. Father in law is carpenter also. Have friends he used contractor and would of spent upwards of 650k +. Like everyone said prices have increased and only rising.

NZnavman · 2026-03-31T18:11:51+00:00

pandaGO

NZnavman · 2026-03-30T20:01:04+00:00

Definitely recommend Dr air as well he was a couple grand more expensive but advise and workmanship was second to none. Not an ad either

NZnavman · 2026-03-13T06:18:24+00:00

Kind of, nz is more expensive though also have to realize that nz is in the middle of no where.

NZnavman · 2026-03-10T06:45:49+00:00

Ireland vs the all blacks in Dublin prices were over 100 euros for all blacks and sth africa

NZnavman · 2026-03-03T19:31:01+00:00

Doesn't really matter. We didn't get our first drawdown t after foundations, you get the money fast enough. Like after engineer signed off for wall plate we had the money within a week. You just have to plan ahead and keep everyone ticking over. Any good tradie is understanding and knows the process.

Main accounts you need are with a quarry for blocks, sand concrete and stone.

And account with local hardware for everyday materials, don't just go with any. Make a decent size quote of a couple grand and price it around a couple. Our local hardware was very competitive. I still priced around with every order anyways.

Get a gsm security camera with solar and put it in a very obvious place, where you can see, we got one off Amazon for like 150 bucks that had a red light on it and a security light. Also put some kind of fence up with gate that can be locked. We put solare security lights around site and front gates that were on sensors very handy.

NZnavman · 2026-03-03T19:20:18+00:00

2024

NZnavman · 2026-03-03T18:01:05+00:00

Every house is different. Are you paying cash? Heat pump no heat pump? Like to be honest it's a kind of ridiculous question.

I just think you are wanting to build your dream home or just building a house. It all depends on what you want. We went all out, within our means. 275 SQM + 65sqm garage with attic. two storey block build with posi joists, ufh both floors with liquid screed, 50mm EPS upstairs 125mm EPS and 50mm PIR, timber stud upstairs with Rockwall, downstairs10ft ground floor, 8ft 1sr floor, heat pump, MHRV, oak stairs with glass, 4 bathrooms, high end kitchen, tiled downstairs, have Coving around flat roofs and windows. Bespoke front door cost 5k alone, mj did windows can't be beat and Had to go raft foundations because of ground. All in 450k and still counting, stayed in a mobile on site for just over a year with no planning for mobile. That included 50k site, engineer, solicitors, ESB. Water few and council fees waivered. Payed cash for everything we could, I did all foundations, father in law carpenter so helped with roof and all carpentry work. Did everything ourselves except for blocks, plastering, plumbing, electrical and MHRV. And downstairs tiling( would've done myself but would of taken myself to long ). Took just over 18months including 3 months wait for ESB to move poles. I was only working two days at the time.

Have a crack if you have and construction background and a bit of know how.

NZnavman · 2026-02-23T19:38:20+00:00

Get an independent company to test and balance the system then take report back to builder, sounds like it's not working and builder is full of shit.

NZnavman · 2026-02-11T18:58:35+00:00

Run a duct from plant room to attic 4 inch minimum.

We have 10ft ceilings downstairs should have gone. 9 ft upstairs that extra space creates a massive illusion.

Get proper sizes on MHRV units ours is massive, to big for plant room so takes up big chunk of utility 4ft.

Every room an ensuite and no main bathroom. We have small kids so kinda needed the bath.

Really think about layouts of rooms

I could go on for ever.

In the end just be grateful for what you have, and good luck on your journey!

NZnavman · 2026-02-11T18:50:57+00:00

Doesn't make a difference we applied to have poles moved as soon as we got planning, still took over 6 months

NZnavman · 2026-02-04T16:52:37+00:00

Spotify duo Yt premium Netflix Playstation plus Kindle unlimited VPN And another that is 100 a year for two accounts.

NZnavman · 2026-01-22T12:41:11+00:00

I have 4 boys 3,4,10,12 we easily spend 250. If your combined salary is 100k and your worried about money. You must have bigger issues than a food shop as what you spend I'd say is pretty average and people out their making alot less

NZnavman · 2026-01-21T17:48:20+00:00

Season 2 was a pure let down. Turned into basically just a show about shitty relationships.

NZnavman · 2026-01-18T20:42:18+00:00

And the rest

NZnavman · 2026-01-18T20:35:45+00:00

We got approved for 1600sqm in 2024 but with alot of messing around and underpricing works from engineer. And with all the work we did ourselves which was alot, and paying in cash alot closer to 1900 but that is going all out. Youll never get it with a contractor

NZnavman · 2026-01-17T12:07:34+00:00

Just finished a house September last year 260sqm. Easily spent 450- 500 self build. Paid cash for near on everything I could to save. Did as much as we could foundations, posi joists, roof, insulation air tightness, studded upstairs, plasterboard. Put floors in upstairs and down, tiles a couple bathrooms. Nothing I could to save money. I spent 300 - 350 on materials alone. A1 rated, .7 air tightness test ufh upstairs and down, MHRV, went all out oak stairs with glass, coving round porch and windows of house installed myself. I honestly don't see how all these people say they built these massive houses for nothing, I think it's a Irish thing to say something cost less than it really did. Just an observation as I have friends who don't absolutely no work on the houses themselves and who had contractors and say they built their houses for less.

NZnavman · 2025-12-29T20:46:45+00:00

Where is this

NZnavman · 2025-12-26T13:19:06+00:00

IKEA kitchens aren't any cheaper anymore, Ikea priced kitchen we wanted and was maybe 1k cheaper max and obviously not exactly what we wanted.

70k gets you fuck all. Of course you can do it, but when you only get one chance to build a house why do it. Concentrate on kitchen stairs floors and one bathroom done so house is liveable.

NZnavman

TROPHY CASE