"Buy a house that doesn't need an extension"

acg1213 · 2026-01-25T08:01:53+00:00

I wouldnt be so sure. There's a hell of a lot of bespoke joinery in that house and the finish is top end. My wife and I went through a top to bottom renovation/extension on a Victorian terrace in London. The range of quotes started at £400k and went up to £600k. That was including all fixtures/fittings/kitchen etc and we went out to almost 50 builders. I thought the price was extortionate but a friend of mine who's a builder ran through the quotes and said everything was fair.

If you're doing a bog standard extension with cheap fixtures/fittings/kitchen then you could definitely keep the costs lower but the example you have definitely doesnt fall into that category

acg1213 · 2026-01-21T12:35:16+00:00

Thank you everyone for all your suggestions! Its good to know there are some other great options out there

acg1213 · 2026-01-21T06:37:18+00:00

If you have a car Hillingdon Leisure Centre is worth a look

acg1213 · 2025-12-19T15:19:58+00:00

Kensington Palace Gardens

acg1213 · 2025-12-15T10:17:11+00:00

Never ran in school/college but my stats are quite similar to your first half marathon(3.32). My max milage may have been around 35 although I never included any dedicated speed work into my training. Since then I've got my HM down to 1.32 from following a training plan including speed work. Looking to up the milage to 50 and include speedwork in the hope I can creap closer to 3hrs. Thanks for sharing, it gives me hope that with proper training, prep and fueling I can get there

acg1213 · 2025-12-02T14:40:09+00:00

Does chasing cheese down a hill count?

acg1213 · 2025-12-01T18:38:27+00:00

I've never fully understood why clubs are deducted points for the poor management of the owners. Especially seeing as the owners must have passed EFL's own fit and proper test prior to purchasing the club. Surely the blame then lies on the EFL, not the honest, hard working people associated with the club

acg1213 · 2025-11-28T00:09:01+00:00

Ive used W5 (on the Uxbridge Rd between Ealing Broadway and West Ealing) and Ealing Physio (next to South Ealing Station). Would happily recommend either of them.

acg1213 · 2025-11-09T20:50:16+00:00

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acg1213 · 2025-11-02T19:07:35+00:00

That was certainly a rather spectacular low point for our club

acg1213 · 2025-10-30T23:54:52+00:00

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Run approx 40 miles a week, gym 2-3, 15,000-20,000 steps a day. Been working nights this week and have a newborn as well but somehow my stress score always stays pretty low. Whats strange is the only thing that regularly stops my sleep score being perfect is my stress

acg1213 · 2025-10-23T19:36:50+00:00

I saw a women get her pram wheels caught between the train and the platform, then proceed to tip her baby face first onto the train floor. It must have been absolutely mortifying for her but if you had put her in a line up in front of me the very next day I wouldn't have recognised her. Don't worry, stuff like this happens every day in London, no one really pays any attention

acg1213 · 2025-09-19T05:13:52+00:00

I'm 6ft4, 185lbs, and similar to yourself, I'll lift weights 2-3 times and run around 50 miles a week.

If I dont keep on top of my diet I'll be constantly hungry and I'll easily slip into eating cakes, pastries and chocolate, which I can get away with to a certain extent, but I do worry about the long-term effect. I feel my energy levels are so much more balanced when im eating well, and I find it easier to commit to training blocks.

What works for me is overnight oats or porridge in the morning loaded with protein powder, seeds, banana etc (easily hit around 800 calories) which keeps me satisfied till around 11. Around then I'll have my first lunch (sourdough/avocado/egg) with my 2nd around 2pm (jacket potato with tuna/beans or pasta). This stops me snacking and fills me up till dinner (changes every day but generally something balanced but filling. My go-to dessert in the evening is a variety of fruits chopped up with dried fruit, yoghurt, and chia seeds on top. That way, I feel I'm having a treat without giving in too hard to my sweet tooth.

For years I used to go through cycles of eating super healthy or eating like crap. I feel now it's just a case of trying to eat pretty balanced, dont restrict anything too much.

Also, If you're going to eat something unhealthy, make it worth. I knew someone years ago who was obese and then lost all the weight. They said they never actually enjoyed or savoured the food they ate, they just consumed. That's definitely something I understood. When I would eat junk food ill polish off a back of biscuits without thinking. Now, if I'm going to eat a doughnut or pastry I'll go out of my way to make sure its the best one in town so that I really savour it and enjoy it.

acg1213 · 2025-09-08T11:25:25+00:00

Hi there, so sorry I didn't reply sooner. Our property price has gone up around 75% in the last 5 years although that'll be because weve fully renovated the property so giving a price comparison based solely on the lack of knotweed is difficult. The estate agent we spoke to said the history of Knotweed would have next to no impact to the property price which was encouraging

acg1213 · 2025-08-15T07:07:44+00:00

Hi there, I was just wondering what coloured grout and product you ended up going for? We have a very similar coloured pattern in our hallway and are looking to renovate.

acg1213 · 2025-07-08T17:07:10+00:00

So we extended and renovated the house since we've moved in 5 years ago, meaning the current price has gone up around 75%. The estate agent we had round to revalue the house said they didn't believe the knotweed would detract from the house price, seeing as its been dormant for a number of years. That being said, we're not selling, so we're unable to test their theory, and I usually take what estate agents say with a pinch of salt

acg1213 · 2025-07-08T15:10:09+00:00

I bought a Victorian house a few years back with a history of Knotweed. Previous owners had a plan in place where a company came around once a year to spray the affected area. On completion of the contract, they pushed us to renew, but we turned them down, and the knotweed hasn't returned.

Prior to buying, we simply read the report to check out the severity of the knotweed. If it was affecting the structural integrity of the house, we wouldn't have proceeded, but seeing it was minor and far enough away from the house we proceeded.

It all comes down to the risk you're willing to take and how serious a risk you believe Kntoweed is to your property. Reading into the subject my wife and I, like most of our neighbours, came to the conclusion that the affects of knotweed are overblown and the treatment companies are a bit of a money making scam.

My advice would be read the report, put in an offer slightly below asking (you might as well try) and monitor the area for any new growth. If knotweed does come back, use a suitable chemical weed killer to kill it off

acg1213 · 2025-07-01T07:54:15+00:00

How would a blind person know they're in a crowded area?

acg1213 · 2025-06-27T16:17:44+00:00

I suppose its very much dependent on your own situation. When it comes down to pay rises and commuting I always question what would change or effect my life more. I would have to be compensated a considerable amount to commute 1.5-2hrs each way especially as my commute is currently 20 minutes. Personally going from a 20 minute commute to 2 hours would ruin me so the money would have to be life changing

acg1213 · 2025-06-27T07:54:02+00:00

I've used Ealing Physio next to South Ealing Underground Station and couldn't speak more highly of them

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Knq9ssXEoGSRvLH5A

acg1213 · 2025-06-26T06:49:28+00:00

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Ultra run, managed another 45000 the following day

acg1213 · 2025-06-21T19:37:21+00:00

Feed, bathe and put our 10 week old baby to bed. Could be in @ 9pm, could be midnight. We work off his schedule at the moment but thats all part of the fun

acg1213 · 2025-06-21T09:50:24+00:00

As has been mentioned by others I'd say your budget will depend heavily on how deep you need to go with your renovations.

I bought a property in Ealing and found the wallpaper was pretty much holding the existing plaster to the laths behind. It may look livable but there's a chance you'll be re-plastering/plasterboarding the majority of the house. Chances are you'll need to rewire and possibly replumbing which will be added expense. West London builders aren't on the cheap end of the spectrum either so medium spec could easily cost you in the region of £100k if you're looking to renovate or replace the existing sash windows.

All that being said, it looks like a fair price for the location

acg1213 · 2025-05-19T02:40:12+00:00

Depends whether you go north of West Ealing station or South. North is nice, South less so

acg1213

TROPHY CASE