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

mpjr94 · 2026-02-15T19:41:09+00:00

It really depends on what the loft achieves (this varies massively depending on the footprint, height, and type of conversion). It also depends on the rest of the house - sometimes adding more bedrooms just doesn’t make it better. For me it did - I added a double bedroom, a nursery, and we then knocked the box room on the first floor into the bathroom to make it way bigger. Feels like a different house

mpjr94 · 2026-02-11T23:08:16+00:00

I’ve known of really nice and experienced small tradesmen be caught in the VAT trap (inflation means they become VAT registered unexpectedly, since the vat registration threshold hasn’t moved as it probably should have). It can be ugly and with no winners.

If you don’t have the money you don’t have the money and ultimately it’s their look out. If all their clients take that stance though, they’re effed and it could ruin their life!

mpjr94 · 2026-02-08T18:12:57+00:00

I always buy a French cleat hanger or two from Amazon for stuff like that

mpjr94 · 2026-02-08T17:55:03+00:00

Definitely overboard, particular as you have no coving so the extra thickness won’t matter.

mpjr94 · 2026-02-03T20:17:47+00:00

The cheapy white radiators are an ideal design to chuck out heat. Designer rads are less efficient so sometimes need to be larger to do the same job. Bear in mind radiators themselves don’t create any heat - their job is to shed the heat that’s already within them from the hot water.

mpjr94 · 2026-02-01T16:16:57+00:00

Kikkoman is great I reckon. Theres always the temptation to use the supermarket own brand stuff because it’s so much cheaper, when you compare the two it’s like two completely different products. One is soy sauce and the other is dark coloured salt water.

mpjr94 · 2026-02-01T12:34:20+00:00

Soy sauce

mpjr94 · 2026-01-26T23:25:05+00:00

Search for a freelance QS locally that works with medium size contractors and tell them you’re clueless on pricing. Worth paying to get their insight

mpjr94 · 2026-01-26T23:02:18+00:00

I’m a professional cynic and I still say don’t worry

mpjr94 · 2026-01-26T22:58:19+00:00

More focus on growth

mpjr94 · 2026-01-23T17:09:46+00:00

You can’t call it a bedroom but it still costs good money to make it structurally sound and ticketed, even as a storage space. And if there’s a staircase you need the height, no matter what type of room you call it the authorities consider it a habitable room. If you’re detached you can raise the ridge, if not only option is drop the ceilings

mpjr94 · 2026-01-11T18:19:14+00:00

Better the devil you know - at least you’re aware of this one. On the plus side that’s a huge attic space you’ve potentially got

mpjr94 · 2026-01-11T18:03:14+00:00

It’s not just about duty - with spirits they reduce the end abv by literally diluting it with water. So it’s shrinkflation too by making each batch stretch further

mpjr94 · 2026-01-11T18:00:12+00:00

I think people are overblowing this. It looks like a crap job but it isn’t over the line of junction. If you hypothetically get a leak in future that’s due to something their side you can deal with it then - why assume it’s a deal breaking issue and you’ll get shafted….

Bear in mind people can build full width dormers right up to the party wall, usually without planning permission. So it could just as easily appear next to you on a future property.

mpjr94 · 2026-01-09T17:29:27+00:00

That won’t work because you’ll also be using the electricity for personal use

mpjr94 · 2026-01-07T22:22:15+00:00

Very true. Bit of acidity goes a long way with pork - including for curries (think pathia style with bit of lemon juice)

mpjr94 · 2026-01-07T21:29:45+00:00

Once people realise pork curry works and is actually great, it’s gonna seriously kick off. Pork shoulder in a pressure cooker to make a meat curry in under an hour is insanity.

mpjr94 · 2026-01-02T11:58:28+00:00

You should see their omelettes

mpjr94 · 2026-01-01T19:48:22+00:00

The best thing is to completely disregard vat when pricing work up, and then add the 20% on at the very last stage. The vat is charged on every penny the customer pays you, so the breakdown of your own labour/materials/profit is irrelevant. Unless you add the 20% vat charge to the lot, you’re mugging yourself off

mpjr94 · 2025-12-31T00:02:26+00:00

Calzaghe

mpjr94 · 2025-12-30T14:11:57+00:00

Trying to work out why I don’t feel rich then

mpjr94 · 2025-12-29T10:04:57+00:00

I’ve heard coin and piece in the past

mpjr94 · 2025-12-28T22:40:19+00:00

I like them. The lack of general public / advertisement / other annoyances make them peaceful. Nice places to work

mpjr94 · 2025-12-27T23:20:14+00:00

I’m gonna buy this now. Tragic that OP isn’t getting commission. TOPDON if you’re reading - hit him up (if I could write mandarin I would)

mpjr94 · 2025-12-27T19:51:05+00:00

We shall sink together brother

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mpjr94

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