Author: Diane

Kirstie’s Homemade Home

Kirstie's Homemade Home This book – Kirstie’s Homemade Home – is available to buy from Amazon or you could ask at the local library if they have a copy. It looks quite a good book to sit and read if you enjoyed her TV series on which it is based.

Kirstie’s Homemade Home

It will guide you through the different crafts and ideas as well as giving you information about each room in your house. When you read that Kirstie thinks a kitchen is all about “food and entertaining” you might be tempted to stop reading, but if you want to make some kitch things for your home you should carry on. Vintage is huge and learning basic skills that our grandparents took for granted such as knitting and sewing should be encouraged.

This book will whet your appetite for finding out more about different crafts – so you might prefer to go to a more indepth book on the areas you’re interested in. Again the local library is worth a look for these. Whilst you might love having a book of pictures of the lovely Kirstie Allsopp in your house you might find it a bit too twee and decide that she had as much stuff crafted for her as by her. The TV series will almost certainly still be being shown somewhere on the globe. You can watch Kirstie’s Homeade Home on 4OD
My recommendation? Bookmark this page, go watch a few episodes and if you enjoy the TV show then buy the book.

Wood burning heating systems in flats – district heating

On Radio 4 this lunchtime they just talked about some district heating system in Yorkshire that uses wood chip!

There’s more info here about the Sheffield Road Flats in Barnsley – hearing system

One 320 kW and one 150 kW woodchip boiler supplying heat for a block of 166 flats in Barnsley.

It’s certainly something that is of interest to me – we have a wood burner and I’ve read about CHP systems which can generate heat and electricity from burning fuel. Whilst the Barnsley flats only heats – it’s certainly very interesting.
We certainly lag behind other countries – Denmark has 60% of all it’s heating from district systems.

Sarah Beeny no planning permission

Story in the Daily Mirror about Sarah Beeny’s property not having planning permission

The couple bought Grade 2 listed Rise Hall near Hull for £441,101 in 2001 and the series last year showed part of the former convent being turned into a wedding venue.

Fans will find out what happens when a second series of Restoration Nightmare, currently being filmed, is screened.

RISE HALL, RISE, HULL, HU11 5BL
Is shown as no mixed use on the council tax records and isn’t registered for business rates.

Restoration Home

This was also on last night. Also not watched this yet!

Restoration Home 8:00pm-9:00pm Tue 19 Jul
Season 1 Episode 3 of 6
Stoke Caroline Quentin visits Stoke Hall in Calver, Derbyshire, the future of which has been uncertain for decades. Years of neglect have caused widespread rot throughout the property, and the 150-year-old Georgian decor is at risk of being lost for ever. However, a pair of local childhood sweethearts are convinced the mansion will make the perfect family home, and as they get to work, Caroline explores some of Stoke Hall’s connections to the highest and most influential people in the land

It’s on iplayer

Homes from Hell on ITV

Last night’s homes from hell is now available to watch.
I missed it but am going to watch it now

19th July 2011 Episode – people who bought a property on a development which is a ghost town (three out of fifty occupied, electricity from a generator), Their house is sound but the rest of the place is crumbling away already … They spent £180,000 and live there full time. 44 out of 47 are empty!
They’re not even connected to the electricity!

The TV Blurb says Featuring the family who awoke one morning to find a stream running underneath the floorboards of their Cornish cottage.

The bought the cornish one at Auction. Did they have a survey? That might not have helped as they think it’s to do with the former clay mines being filled in behind their house.

The Ianappa one – the builder offered them their money back – what more could they hope for?

Asking prices the problem

Asking prices are the problem says this Estate Agent

Nice article where he points this out:
The wrong agent is the one that suggests an unrealistic initial asking price (often to get your business) after which he will recommend price reductions.

It’s a point I agree with. Going with the estate agent that tells you your house is worth more doesn’t mean Iou’ll get that! Many people seem to think that the figure plucked fairly randomly out of the air is the price they will be guaranteed! Remember – it’s an asking price, not a written cheque!