February 2018 - All THINGS PROPERTY AND CONSTRUCTION

Hitachi Nail Gun

Hitachi Nail gun

I have never had a nail gun until i had a big framing job come up last year and i thought i would treat myself. As i have said before i am not the sort of person to just go out and buy the most expensive piece of kit. I like to review and research for weeks before I think about a purchase and i dont necessarily think the more money i spend the better the kit.

I looked into the market leader (paslode) and just couldn’t justify the price tag for the amount i would use it, so i researched into other brands and came across the Hitachi.

A name that has been around a very long time and upon researching and looking at other peoples reviews i decided to take the dive and purchase this particular model (please see amazon link) and i am glad i did.

Its got tons of power, the batteries charge really quickly and it takes all the standard nails and gas that a paslode would take.

I find it quite a comfortable power tool to hold and it feels well balanced and not to heavy, which is odd because it is big.

It seems very durable and well made and looks really stylish. Also it comes in a nice big carry box with lots of space so no more spending hours trying to get it all in properly before you can shut it.

I am all about value and quality and this ticks all the boxes.

Great for all your timber framing or fencing jobs.

Best plumbers blow torch

Rothernberger blow torch kit

I have found this kit on ebay and its a great kit for your soldering work.

The torch is very durable I have had mine knocked over many times and it still lights and works really well.

This particular kit comes with the carry bag which is really useful when keeping it all together a 15 mm pipe cutter, solder mat and a canister of gas.

They supply a MAPP gas with this kit and it is what I would always recommend. The reason being is that it burns at a higher temperature, so when soldering your fittings your not waiting for ages for the fitting to get up to temperature ready to melt the solder and seal the joint.

All for just under £100 which is amazing because when I brought my blowtorch a few years back now I paid £80 just for the torch. So great value for a great bit of kit..

Buying a house first time

Buying a property can be great fun but also the biggest stress in your life.

To start find a good mortgage broker and a good conveyancer, this saves a lot of rushing about when you decide on a property especially if you come across one that you really like in the early days.

Get a fixed price from the solicitor for what the costs will be this is important to allow it in your budget and also find out the broker’s fee, also check with the broker that they are whole market which means they will look at all the products available (In the whole market) rather than just the ones that will pay them the biggest commission usually the high St banks.

Fees for the solicitors will vary on the type of property you purchase. A standard freehold is usually nice and easy for them to stick to the quoted price, but if you go for an apartment where there is a leasehold or rights of way then this will take more time and the cost will go up.

Speak to the broker and get a mortgage in principle, you then have a guide price of what you can go up to when looking at property. But don’t just look at properties for what you can afford always look for the ones at least 20% above your max because these are definitely potential candidates and almost certainly would be worth offering on and believe me you will be surprised at how many offers are accepted at 20% below asking..

I am always looking on the property search engines so have a pretty good idea of what’s on the market most of the time but if you are new to it then the earlier the better. Start looking at properties online to get a feel of the market and what sells where and for how much.

When you see a property you like take a camera with you and do a short video I usually find I’m trying to take in everything while taking in nothing. You can then go over the footage at a later stage to look through the property in more detail and you may pick things up you hadn’t noticed on the viewing initially.

If you have decided on a place and you like it, offer on it. I rarely offer asking unless there’s loads of interest and you really want it and the property offers good value at the asking price. Get an offer on the table then you can work from there. Don’t feel the seller will be offended some are happy just to have an offer.

Usually for the really run down places I keep seeing the agent doing an open day then the best bid by a certain date. I am not keen on this type of purchase there’s no communication and you don’t know where you are in the process.

As soon as you have an offer excepted get on to your solicitors to get the ball rolling. Conveyancers usually ask for a small amount of money upfront to cover some of the initial search costs. Ask them to move quickly in getting the searches arranges as this can take quite some time.

The estate agent usually will be the go between for the seller’s solicitors and yours so any questions speak to them and they can pass it on.

Always keep on top of your solicitors and the sellers as they have a stack of other people’s applications to get through. So if you keep onto them yours will be brought to the front of the queue quicker.

The whole purchasing process can be anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months. The more complicated the longer it takes usually.

I would arrange for another viewing when the process has started to get a feel for the place also at different times of day check the property out this will give you a good indication of parking and the general feel of the area.

When you are getting near exchange I would also recommend another quick look over, look for any damage signs of water ingress etc. If you notice things that are strange you can then bring it all up with the sellers solicitors before any money changes hands. This can be such things as “will the garden waste be cleared before completion?” or” Will the attic be cleared before completion?” If it’s all noted down it will be put in the contract so the seller will be obliged to carry it all out.

When it is time to exchange you usually have to pay a 10% deposit to the solicitor then they pass it on to the seller. After this point if either side decides to pull out then there will be fees to pay. So usually it’s nice for the buyer to get to this stage because then the seller is committed.

I have made arrangements in the past with the seller to have access to the house after exchange to do things like clean carpets, have blinds fitted and even drop garden plants off to make it easier on the move day. So this is always a possibility to help with the logistics on completion day, speak to the estate agent to arrange this with the seller.

Solicitors usually arrange completion the week after exchange for a time and day that suits both parties. You will then have to pay the remainder of the money you are putting down and the solicitor does the rest.

Then the property is yours to do what you like. “Yippee”

To note if you get into the property and there are things that have not been sorted by the seller that was agreed to be dealt with previously, such as waste not cleared, furniture still in the property or even broken windows/doors etc. Then get straight onto your solicitor and the estate agent as this sort of thing has to be sorted by the seller and the seller is obliged to contractually, so there will be consequences if it is not dealt with as agreed before purchase.

I hope his gives you some help towards the buying process and if you would like to learn more about purchasing a property, as well as questions to ask the seller and how to spot faults on a property, then I really recommend my amazon number 1 bestselling book

“Through a builders Eye” Knowing what to look for when investing in property.

It’s a great guide that will help you through the buying process as well as offer advice on employing builders and ways to save money. You can find the link to amazon to purchase the book on the home page.

Thanks for reading.

Best sound insulation

The best sound insulation I have come across so far is the “Rockwool Acoustic insulation”.

Click on the image to be taken to ebay where it can be purchased.

Because of the relatively low cost I tend to install this type of insulation as standard between stud work throughout a property. Ill also always use it in between floor joists.

It really helps keep the noise level to a minimum. I have recently used it between a bedroom and bathroom stud wall, it was in an old 1890’s house and although plaster lathe walls the noise was really noticeable as we where

taking all the old plaster back to the stud work I installed this everywhere for the customer and feedback has been amazing.

So definitely invest in this when you next have the plasterboard off a stud wall.

It has a thermal resistance of 0.034 w/mk and it is classed as a non-combustible material.

Top Recommended Tools at great value

RECOMMENDED impact drill/driver for daily use 18v

I have this Makita set and its amazing its a great all rounder and the impact driver is sensational for driving in big screws. I have had mine for a few years now and its put under a lot of pressure being used daily and never let me down.

Possibly slightly to much power if you just need something for putting together furniture (see below review) but for your decking projects or if your doing up a property its perfect…

Recommended smaller drill 10.8v for lighter duties

If you just need more of a screwdriver but dont want to spend hours manually doing it, these little bosch drills are great, I have a set of these for the smaller jobs, putting furniture together especially ideal for spaces where there just isn’t room, because of there compact size these are great. The power is more then adequate and to be honest for a couple years when I first started doing building maintenance I just had this set and again they never let me down

“A must have” multi tool

Another tool in my arsenal which is a must have and its one of those tools I’m constantly saying what did I do before i had this is A multi tool. Now i have only ever had bosch and I have never had a problem I dont spend money on tools lightly and i do agree you do pay for what you get but i really research a tool before I purchase and I want to pay the right money and bosch have ticked all the boxes with this one so ill link you to where i have found it at the best price then its up to you..

This is a must have if you are a keen diy’er or builder alike, Its main purpose is cutting materials in those hard to reach/impossible places to get. With a massive amount of blade attachments to choose from you can put the metal cutting blade on it to cut those awkward screws that are left in the timber

Battery Circular saw

I had a chippy on one of my sites that had this and i loved it. Its a cordless makita circular saw.

Now this thing cuts everything I’ve seen it cut through kitchen worktops and very neatly and 4 x 2 timber.

So it will cover you for anything timber cutting related.. Again for me its a must have..

To note the one that the link takes you to is the body only so if you dont have the drill set then you will need to buy a battery as well..

Cement mixer

Best bit of large kit i have is my belle mixer. I started with a really old second hand one which gave years of service and when it finally gave up the ghost there was no question that I would buy another. Its great in all whether and is very robust. Its heavier then the really small mixers but just about manageable on your own if your trying to get it into the back of a van. But when on the ground its very easily put up on the stand by one person.

I can usually put 5 builders bags of sand in and 5 x shovels of cement and that’s usually full capacity.

Again its great and I couldn’t recommend it enough on small to medium size projects.

Wheel barrow

These are a great all rounder, they are for general building works so ideal for every task. I have one of these for general around the site uses.

A concrete breaker that “DELIVERS” at an “AMAZING PRICE”

This is an amazing bit of kit its made by titan so not a massively known brand associated with tools for the trade but I have used one extensively and I can tell you its been amazing.

I have had one working on site breaking up foundations for a garage day in and day out for a week solid and its was fine. Its makes 100 mm concrete floors look like thin sheets of ice. Its ideal for domestic use and has taken on all the breaking duties I have asked of it.

The other great thing is that its so affordable at under £140 it also offers amazing value. I would challenge anyone to find a better product at such a great price.

Click here to find it on Ebay uk

Titan hammer drill

I am going away from the branded stuff here but again Titan do a fantastic hammer drill/mini breaker which again I can personally vouch for. This does a fantastic job drilling masonry, it has tons of power so drills into even the hardest substrate easily and whats great is that it doubles as a mini breaker, now I know most standard hammer drills have this feature but this one on this titan is actually useful and great for those bits of concrete that just need nibbling off.

The only downside is that they are quite heavy so trying to hold something up in one hand and have this in the other is a big ask it really needs both your hands on it to operate.

But for less then £100 this is hard to bit and gives the more branded equivalents a run for their money at a fraction of the price.

Angle grinders.

Grinders are the main tools required in any garden project. The larger 230mm is great at gutting up even the strongest of substrates and the smaller 115mm great at smaller neater cutting tasks and also grinding out brickwork ready for re-pointing. I have used many types/brands over the years and have not come across any more reliable and robust then Makita’s. See ebay link below.

They are very powerful and with the right cutting disc can carry out all manner of tasks. I have had mine for years now and they still perform really well.

Diamond blades

The types of diamond blades I go for are normally medium range so around £35- £45 for the 9″ blades. I find these types of blade perform really well at an affordable price. I always by 2 at a time so i have one spare in the van. I really like the spectrum blade:

The best power tool starter Packages

I Thought it would be good to find a starter package set of cordless power tools to look at that would be a great for any DIYer and tradesmen.

I have found a great set that Makita offer that will really get your project into full swing.

Its all cordless so you can work on awkward sites where access to power is only in one location and it gives you a tool for any task. All for less the £700.

I chose this option of package because i think it gives the most all round tools. Drill/impact driver. Reciprocater, circular saw and handy torch and all these tools would be used on any development also a 4″ grider. It also comes with 2 x 5ah batteries so you could have a couple tools being used at the same time. I personally have 4 batteries in total now and find that is the magic number for me personally but i always forget to keep one charged at all times..

I find these tools very durable as I’m always dropping them and they still seem to work fine. Also once you have a good set like this you can keep adding to it and using the same batteries..

Click on this link to go to a uk price..

Dewalt combo pack

Although so far i have only really talked about Makita, I have to say Dewalt is really doing well in the market at the moment and they are coming out with some great bits of kit. I attended a tool fair run by the local merchants recently and Dewalt had a stand there, where i tried out some of there stuff and I have to say I was very impressed. If i didn’t already have Makita tools I would be very tempted to move to “Team Dewalt”

What really impressed me although not cheap was the 24v & 54v option of battery which their kit also works on and you can really tell the difference. The 54v can run a table top sliding chop saw it was fantastic.

I cut some OSB board with the Dewalt circular saw and tried it with the 18v and then the 24v battery and the difference is mega. The 24v made light work off it whereas the 18v although still good had an obvious lack of power.

Dewalt is slightly more expensive but very much aimed at the full time professional and the quality feel of the tools is amazing. I would be more then happy to have this set of tools..

A must have tool in the pocket of any DIYer or tradesperson.

Gerber multi tool

The leathermens equivalent only better looking. I love my multi tool it goes with with everywhere. Loads of great bits on it for general daily challenges. The best thing is with in the the first month of owning mine i stupidly used the knife to open a seized up drain lid and snapped it. I was really gutted but then i saw another chap on site with one and i told him the storey and he said they guarantee these things for years so i got onto where i purchased the product (see link) and they sent me out a new one no problem at all and that was a good 12 months after purchasing.

So a great tool, good quality metal and it comes with a nice case that clips onto your belt. I would challenge you to find something that you cant use it for. I also take this with me on family camping trips..

Love it..

Great alternative to block paving or concrete drives

Aco Ground Guard.

A permeable solution for driveways (Click on picture to be taken to ebay)

If your looking at installing a driveway or base for a summer house then this could be the product for you. I have used it to do a few driveways and i love the stuff. Its easy to install, lightweight and you can get a lot of ground covered in a day. It comes in different size packs so it can work for any size project and anyone can use it as it just clicks together, now the technical bit. You do still need to prep the ground and by that i mean excavate if required, lay hardcore and compact but then this stuffs sits right on top.

You can then fill with whatever you desire, I have always used a smaller 10mm chipping, but you can mix topsoil with a bit of sand and scatter with grass seed, so a good couple options. Also whats great is that you shouldn’t need planning permission (although always check with the local planners first) because its permeable so water will drain straight through it.

I have used it on the flat and also a slight gradient and it seems to have lasted really well. One tip though is if you are using chipping to fill the guards then leave a spare couple bags close by as they will get moved around a bit, also lay an edging kerb at the start of the drive to have a nice straight line to go off and if you leave the kerb slightly raise it will prevent a lot of the stone going out over the path from the car tyres. Its also recommended on really steep sections to peg it down in sections. But to get a great looking driveway at a third of the price of a block paved or concrete drive then this is the stuff for you.

22 construction tips for beginners

So you have just got into a place and you want to start doing jobs yourself. Maybe you’re usually in the office so the thought of spending your summer evenings building patios or ripping down walls gets you excited. If that’s the case read on for my construction tips for beginners.

Tip 1) Always get advice from a builder before carrying out any works.

Tip 2) Start small and work your way up to the bigger jobs (So don’t go all guns blazing ripping out a bathroom if you can’t put one back) get used to working with tools so start on something small like hanging a door or putting some stud work up.

Tip 3) Wear the right safety equipment, steel toe caps as standard with a reinforced mid sole. Gloves, hard hat goggles, face mask, ear protection. Decide what is required when you are doing the job although the list above is pretty standard on construction sites now.

Tip 4) Start doing some labouring for a builder on the weekends this will help you gain confidence and you can learn a lot from watching others. Most of the trades start in some form of labouring job before they get into their chosen trade.

Tip 5) Your house is a great place to learn so try your hand at all the different jobs don’t just stick to one or two

Tip 6) Check YouTube out it has a how to guide for everything.

Tip 7) Sign yourself up to evening classes. local colleges run part time construction courses for most of the trade related jobs.

Tip 8) Look at my top rated tools page to get yourself set up with some good tools for the job.

Tip 9) Build up a rapport with the local builders merchants they can give you good deals on materials for your project.

Tip 10) Construction work is dangerous so be aware all the time and I would personally recommend staying away from working at height and especially working off a ladder. For this type of work employ a professional.

Tip 11) Don’t give up as soon as something goes wrong keep trying. The builders mentality is everything can be gotten over one way or the other, the fun bit is finding out how.

Tip 12) Building work is very strenuous make sure you lift things correctly and don’t overdo it at the start. It will take time for you to get use to the physical side of it. Don’t think because you go to the gym that it will be easy, it is a completely different workout. Going to the gym for an hour and Digging and barrowing mud into the skip for 9 hours a day, day after day is no comparison and it will test you physically and mentally and take time to get used to.

Tip 13) Following on from tip 12, cancel your gym membership it won’t be needed anymore.

Tip 14) Remember the 5 P’s Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. Plan what you are going to do and require well before you start the job. It’s the construction game so you will probably come up against something, but if the bulk of it is there and you have planned well it will save a lot of hassle and time as the job progresses.

Tip 15) Get to know other trades, chance is you will come up against something where you will definitely need professional help on. Keep a list of useful contacts so if the worst happens you have a list to hand of trades you can call at a moment’s notice.Tip 16) Don’t let people worry you, you will always have those acquaintances that worry about everything and in turn make you worry about what you are doing. Unless they have a proven track record or a trade back ground then what do they know? Get advice from a professional and crack on. Like I said earlier “A good builder can overcome anything” and that’s how you will learn.

Tip 17) Have a plan and don’t deviate too much, as soon as you start changing your mind during a project that is when the budget and time scale go out the window. Try and stick to the original plan and don’t get too focused on minor details.

Tip 18) My old step dad was a carpenter he didn’t give me much advice because to be honest I don’t think he had much advice to give. But the two bits he did that have always stuck and which has helped me in my business were:

– Measure twice cut once

-Always clean up after yourself

So two tips for one there.

Tip 19) Don’t keep your phone in your pocket. I have broken 2 already by heaving something up into the van or onto a scaffold and pressing it against the phone in my pocket. Also if you are anything like me it’s always going off and distracts you from the task at hand.

Tip 20) Building work is really hard physically and challenging mentally. On those long hot days when you have 4 ton of aggregate to take around the back garden or 3 packs of slabs or 1000 bricks to move by hand. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. My tip is to break the job down into smaller tasks and set little goals. So for example I may say “I’ll load 200 bricks first then I’ll stop for a drink” or “I’ll empty one dumpy bag of aggregate before I stop for some food” and so on. By setting these small goals throughout the day even the most physically demanding job can fly by and believe me I have had to do this many times myself over the years and when it’s your full time job, its day in day out so then this system is really needed.

Tip 21) This is more of a self-improvement tip, but if I have jobs where I’m just loading a job up all day or the really mundane side of the build is happening then I get my audio books on and listen to them as I carry out the task. Obviously this has to be a safe environment to do this so not on a large construction site where there are heavy machinery driving around the place. But if it’s safe to do so listen to a business audio or self-improvement book or even learn a language. It’s a really good use of time and it keeps you entertained all the while educating yourself in some shape or form.

 If you are interested in the knowing what sort of business/motivational audio books I can recommend then comment on this post and I will give you some advice on where to start.

Tip 22) Sketch the job out onto a pad of paper, so if a fence or patio you are deciding to build, draw it as it will look with all the measurements. This will help you to work out what materials are needed and give you an idea of the finished product. It may also highlight potential problems that you might not of spotted if you hadn’t of drawn it out. Every time I see a job now I sketch it this way and take down all the measurements. I also take photos of the area so I can refer back to it when I am pricing the works.

I hope these construction tips for beginners will guide you on your next project..

Ways to reduce construction costs

When property is being developed you find the builder/customer automatically goes straight to the merchants to pick up materials/products.

Now this tip involves some pre-planning but if you have a development coming up or a new property to spruce up before you move in and you know what is required then start looking for the materials using second hand sites, such as gumtree or free ads or Facebook. People give away left over building products at a third of the price and sometimes are happy to deliver.

The types of materials I’m talking about are things like insulation (and it doesn’t matter if they are different shapes and sizes it can all still be used), internal doors, external doors, used upvc windows, curtains, furniture, fire surrounds, floor boards, paint, tiles, roof slates, bricks, (I could do this all day).

Hopefully you’re getting the idea, so with a bit of planning you could save thousands of pounds by using second hand products. If your worried about using second hand products a lot of the time things like building materials are brand new it’s only the fact that the seller has over ordered on their particular project. On top of that you will be helping the environment by reducing the amount of waste chucked away in landfill.

Be sure to let the builder know what you are planning as we always come across products on jobs that are just being thrown away, i make an effort now to post things on gumtree for people to collect for free when I’m carrying out particular jobs as it helps me out by reducing my waste bill and I know good materials are not being wasted.

Also if your passing a place where things are in the skip speak to the builder or owner of the property where the work is being carried out and see if its OK for you to have it..Usually its no problem at all.

My father in law is the best person i know at doing this, hes always coming back with different things. I got roped into picking up 2 x sheets of timber that the local gym was disposing off after their refurbishment and he made the grand kids a tree house out of it, he also came across some amazing sliding wardrobe doors that where leaning up against a skip ready to be thrown out.

So you can find lots of gems if you just make yourself more aware.

How to save VAT (Value added Tax) for developers

Any tradesmen (builder, plumber, electrician, etc.) whose gross annual revenue exceeds £83,000 has to notify HMRC and become VAT (Value Added Tax) registered.

This means that VAT will be added to all labour that they provide, which at current rates means an extra 20%. Materials’ costs will nearly always include VAT, whether the tradesman was VAT registered or not as most suppliers will already be charging it to the tradesmen who are sourcing materials for you. Building companies that charge VAT are usually the companies that carry out the works such as extensions and refurbishment projects. So before accepting a builder’s quote always check if VAT is to be added as it should be clearly stated on the quote. However, sometimes this can be omitted, so it’s always worth double checking.

There are obviously savings to be had by using builders that are not VAT registered 20% straight away on standard building works. I do understand the instinct to save costs by going with the builder that is not VAT registered as I have been on both sides of the coin. As a sole trader, I was not registered, but as I began taking on bigger jobs and sub-contracting labour, I changed my trading status to a limited company and then eventually had to become VAT registered. You have to expect that in bigger refurbs/new builds, the builder will be VAT registered. As the threshold is only a turnover of £83000, with extensions, for example, costing around £30000- £40000, you can see why this bracket will soon be met when carrying out just several of these over a year.

I still continue to perform small jobs, and a lot of the time if the customer has used me before, they have continued using me regardless of VAT being added. I think a lot of people will pay builders who are in the VAT threshold if they are good reliable guys, and remember if you’re using a good builder that isn’t VAT registered, chances are they will soon become VAT registered as their popularity and reputation increases.

If you are thinking of developing or converting property, be sure to read VAT Notice 708 on the gov.uk website. This describes the different VAT rates that apply to different building work as it’s not all necessarily charged at 20%. In brief, if you are looking at converting a property or working on a listed building, you could pay as little as 5% VAT on materials and labour instead of the standard 20%.

If you are looking at building a new build, you could pay zero VAT. This could save you thousands on your next project, so be sure to educate yourselves.