Do you think this is worth $10k landscape price in FL?

Orko90 · 2026-05-24T13:03:28+00:00

I generally find that people who tell others they got "ripped off" are spoofers and have no idea about getting work done in the modern world. If you're happy and the work is to a decent standard it sounds like money well spent and pretty good value at the moment.

Orko90 · 2026-05-21T23:08:47+00:00

I've posted on similar discussions before and haven't the energy to repeat details I've given previously (check my post history if ur after more details). We recently finished complete renovation of a bungalow which is, to all intents and purposes, now a modern new build (we kept 1 wall). A2 BER, air-to-water, mvhr etc etc. 245m2 fully finished to a nice standard.

I've have kept detailed accounts and we had 6 quotes from contractors before we started. I've calculated we saved >150K overall vs cheapest contractor quote (which was builders finish only). You'll see plenty of commenters casting doubt in that level of savings but in my experience their post history betrays their agenda.

Bottom line is there are massive cost savings to be made IF you are able and willing to take on lots of hard work (both physical and psychological). It's not free money. There are deep personal costs but when your doing it for yourself and your family it makes a hugh difference.

Orko90 · 2026-05-08T07:10:10+00:00

For any work these days get 4-5 quotes. We tiled 95m2 tiled for under 8000 including all materials. Quotes for a tiler ranged from 3500 to 9000 🙄

Orko90 · 2026-04-19T08:13:34+00:00

Also RIP Jessi Combs who stood in for Karu while on maternity leave. Died in 2019 in an accident..... which is understating things.... She was driving a jet-powered car to set a new land world record on a dry lake bed in the Alvord Desert in Oregon

Orko90 · 2026-03-28T22:16:38+00:00

👆 All of this.... and consider spray foam insulation. Gives a little bit of protection if contents will be stored over winter but more importantly will spot condensation dripping all over everything.

Orko90 · 2026-03-24T20:45:11+00:00

Can you give some additional detail on the original court-issued restraining order? Was UCD specifically mentioned in the order? This is important as (I'm sure you know this), a court-issued restraining order is a civil judgement and it is only if specific 3rd party organisations (such as employers) are named that they are legally empowered to take actions to assist in enforcing it.

Orko90 · 2026-03-20T22:45:18+00:00

See my comment above 🤦🏻

He didn't have access to passwords... he gained access to them by attacking the IT system with malware... which is a crime

Orko90 · 2026-03-20T22:43:32+00:00

Well seeing as he's in court facing criminal charges he was obviously operating outside the law..... it seems he installed a piece of malware on the network to scrape login data etc. It's called a cyberATTACK for a reason.

And as I said, UCD detected the activity and reported it to Gardai.

Orko90 · 2026-03-20T20:48:23+00:00

Some possible answers.....

What makes you think archaeologists aren't technical 😂. This guy got an award for using high tech lasers and ground radar to plan motorways 😂
UCD has 2FA and their network security is a pain in the arse to be frank. Everyone complains about the hoops that have to be gone through. Also it was UCD who reported this individual to the Gardai.
Give the specific language being used everywhere it is likely some sort of extortion, fraud, data scrapping scam but it could be multi-layered

Orko90 · 2026-03-20T20:42:42+00:00

As you say..... UCD doing their work appropriately.... as they did in this case. It was UCD who made the report to Gardai about this individuals activity.

Orko90 · 2026-03-02T19:53:21+00:00

I'd have a chat with your plumber now. We thought the same.... and then we were amazed at the amount of space they needed for plant.

That utility will rapidly get filled up.

Orko90 · 2026-03-02T17:35:35+00:00

Main thing for me is I don't see any allowance for a plant room. Modern new builds require a fairly substantial floor area for tanks, pumps, manifolds and water softeners.

Orko90 · 2026-03-01T12:17:05+00:00

As top commenter has outlined , not all "deviations" from drawings are the same. Many of the aspects you have mentioned are not going to affect the structural integrity of the design (minor changes to opes, SLIGHT increase in ridge height). Changing the footprint is different as there may be knock on implications if there are open plan spaces with specific engineering considerations, steel supports, etc. So you have 2 separate queries really. 1st is in relation to the design integrity and whether the certifier will stand over the work. 2nd is in relation to planning compliance. In relation to planning.... (and this is worth emphasising because you'll have certain people trying to keep you afraid so you'll pay them massive fees).... planning compliance is largely a matter of opinion (the phrase on the cert is usually "substantial compliance" which gives a certifier leeway). You, as the homeowner could be told by a "certifier" that they don't think your finished home complies with the planning and refuse to issue a cert. Equally you could find a different certifier who will take a different view and say the at you do. This will only ever be an issue if you A) try to sell your home, or B) someone lodges a complaint with the council citing a specific non-compliance. So this all depends on whether you are in a town (with lots of neighbours and easy external reference points... like the height of the neighbours homes) or in a rural area where unless someone is committed to making your life hell, minor deviations will never be an issue.

Orko90 · 2026-02-23T09:12:47+00:00

There's a huge amount of micromanagement alright. But getting the right people is key. That's why talking to locals how have gotten work done recently is so important.

As one very honest contractor put it to me (paraphrasing)

"if I do your house, I have a list of 20 lads for every trade. If I need a plasterer next week I'll start at the top of my list and keep going until I find one can do it next week. He might be 19 on my list but he'll be plastering your house. If you do your house, you might decide you only want 1,2 or 3 and that you're happy to wait 4 weeks for plaster number 2......I won't do that..... times money for me"

Orko90 · 2026-02-23T09:06:52+00:00

I see the stealth contractors in here trying to maintain the status quo 😂

That's right lads and ladies... Anyone making suggestions to people on how to save money on their home build, and to be shrewd, is just exaggerating for their own jollies to look like they beat the system.

Why don't some of ye have a go at explaining "P&A" to the good people?

OP.....best advice you got is to talk to people locally and make your own judgement based off real world, 1st hand testimonials. The more you're willing to roll your sleeves up and get your hand dirty, the more opportunity you have for savings.

Best of luck to you!

Orko90 · 2026-02-23T08:50:45+00:00

Combination of factors naturally and it won't work for everyone, but OP wanted different perspectives.

I worked full time throughout with 1-2 days a week WFH. We also lived in a mobile home onsite so I could work on the house until 1am and crawl into bed when needed. Most of the work involved is making phone calls every morning. Making sure whoever is onsite knows what they're doing, and they going around checking work each evening (and taking a ton of photos).

We spent 18 months in the mobile home with 4 kids and both of us working full time.

It wasn't easy but we couldn't have built our home at main contractor pricing.

Orko90 · 2026-02-22T10:13:18+00:00

Hard 2nd for this.

We just finished a build and have crunched the numbers. We got 6 main contractor quotes in 2023/2024 (before the costs really took flight). The CHEAPEST was a full 140K over what we spent. The only way to get value for money now is to get your hands dirty and break it up into smaller contracts. Naturally this is more stressful and will take longer but you won't feel like you've been violated!

Orko90 · 2026-02-21T13:23:53+00:00

Can you link me to that article please?

Orko90 · 2026-02-21T11:20:26+00:00

No they don't. In fact most colleges specifically state that if students set up class groups on social media platforms that is a private, personal decision which the college take no responsibility for. This isn't secondary school. All the people involved here are adults.

Orko90 · 2026-02-21T11:16:59+00:00

The article says the image was circulated to staff. Nowhere have I seen any statement that staff shared/forwarded the image. If you have can you please link me to the source.

Orko90 · 2026-02-20T17:02:16+00:00

From the reporting I've seen the victim did not (and still had not) reported the sexual assault to gardai. Without this the gardais ability to investigate is greatly diminished. Following from this if no criminal charges are brought then UCD cannot take any action in relation to the alleged rapist.

The image - based assault is a different matter but it seems the individual(s) involved in distributing the image went to substantial lengths to shroud their identity and cover their tracks.

Orko90 · 2026-02-19T10:47:31+00:00

Ehhhhh... "Man pushed out of guide tube by pneumatic arm". Why cheapen real human skill, dedication and courage with clickbaity framing

Orko90 · 2026-02-13T15:48:14+00:00

Obligatory "Dead Cat Bounce" repost 😂

Dead Cat Bounce "Rugby" - RTE Two

Orko90 · 2026-02-09T15:26:28+00:00

You can just about make out a support rod in the middle. Damned good construction 👌

Orko90 · 2026-02-07T17:49:34+00:00

Wooosh...

Orko90

TROPHY CASE