Re: Man Caves

[Stuart]

Man that sucks, it getting sold from under you - I'm glad to hear you got it all sorted!

[wokka]

Having being a landlord myself and my wife is currently one all I can say is that there are some right B....D's out there. Glad you've been able to find somewhere but you may have the last laugh, with the way interest rates are going, they'll be a few landlords that were already financially overstretched and will feel real pain.

[carlos]

Thanks guys.
Regarding the 'sold out from under me' comment....
I moved in there December of 2017.... I'd just split up with my (now ex) wife, and needed somewhere quickly.
The house was owned by a friend-of-a-friend, and due to the uncertainty of Brexit, combined with the owner holding out for a decent price, it had already been up for sale for nearly a year.
The deal was that they'd take it off the market for 6 months, and I could continue to stay there on a month-by-month tenancy when it went back up for sale - I thought I'd be lucky to get a year out of it.... But then Brexit uncertainty, followed by Covid, meant I got closer to 5 yrs out of it - So I can't really complain.
The sale happened so fast because a buyer came along who wanted a place quickly, he had enough readies not to need a mortgage, and he waived the usual checks (surveys etc...), trusting the reports that had been done in 2017.
They were great landlords - they left me alone, the rent was cheap, and they never raised it - I couldn't have asked for more - It helped me out when I needed it, and allowed me plenty time to sort myself out after my divorce.
If the new landlady is half as good, that'll do for me..

**forum needs a fingers-crossed emoji

[wokka]

Well just goes to show that often there are two sides to a story.

[iggie]

It sounds very much like my own experience after a break-up, and it shows how lucky you can be with finding a decent landlord/lady. In my case I moved into a house that was halfway through renovation but the guy who owned it had lost his wife and unborn child to a drunk driver and couldn't face living there anymore. The deal was that I would finish the work in return for cheaper rent, with material expenses repaid as necessary. The work in the house kept me busy outside of the day job and kept me out of the pub too. The intention was always that the house would be sold once ready with me as a sitting tenant, but as it turned out by the time it was finished (over two years) I'd met my now wife so it could be sold free of a tenant.
I really hope your new landlady is a decent type Carlos and wish you all the best in your new home

[carlos]

Brief update on my new place:
It appears the previous people did a 'moonlight' - LOTS of envelopes turned up in a cupboard.... and they all look like bills/demands/etc..
A couple of letters were open - Unpaid car insurance, and a debt-collector chasing a £200-odd Avon bill.
Several Scottish Power envelopes, so I figure that's the incumbent supplier....

I phone them and sort a new leccy account for myself... but they're not the gas supplier ???? - Turns out it's somebody called 'Utilita'
So after going through the menu system I wait 2 hrs 15 mins for somebody to pick up and sort out an account...
Both S-P and Utilita ask if I know a forwarding address for the previous people.....
Obviously a cut-n-run....

Oh, and only ONE working bulb left in the whole place

Next few weeks are gonna be a ton of fun - LOL

[wokka]

It can only get better.

[carlos]

It can only get better.

Pretty much settled now, though the workbench isn't up and running yet... prob some time this upcoming week when I get some free time...
VERY nice boost on Friday tho... Broadband engineer came to get me running properly.
I'm on BT Unbreakable... basically you get a mobile hotspot that connects to your router... It keeps you going if the main line drops out.
Main line wasn't connected until the engineer came, so been running on just the mobile kit all week - About 25mbps d/l, and a ping in the 40s
Now I'm getting this:


Nice!

[Chuck E]

Hi guys,
Had a bit of a nightmare these last few months - the house I was renting got sold out from under me. The sale went through lightning-fast, leavng me high and dry with nowhere to go in the short term, so I've had to stay with relatives for a couple of months.....

Moving in to a new place within the next couple of weeks (Picking up the keys on Thursday), and have earmarked where my workbench area is gonna go.
Ground floor room - that window faces approx NW, out into the garden, so should be really nice on a summer evening - Room is 10 feet or so, along the wall with the door and window, and about 12 feet along the back wall. There's a built-in cupboard and some shelves just out of shot to the right.
Desk is obviously going in front of the window, also planning to put in a spray booth, maybe between door and window
This is the pic from the estate-agent's website - I'll get better pics after I get the keys.


All my modelling gear is currently packed away in boxes, so, over the upcoming weeks I'll try to update as and when I make progress.
Looks a promising little space....

Hi Carlos,

Any updates? This looks like a super space. You're not far from me, up in Sunny Bishop. Is there still a model shop over there? I'm just bidding for a kit on Ebay from In The Vintage at West Auckland, which seems to be a little 2nd hand store. Do you need any shelving?

[carlos]

Hi Chuck.
I do have a basic workbench set up, but I'm deliberately not getting TOO settled... This place has become a bit of a stopgap...

The place I had to move out of was in Bishop, and I did love it there.... this new place is in Ferryhill. It's fine here, and I would've been happy to stay, but..... I've since had an offer of another place, back in Bishop - Only about 50 or 60 yards from my old place, and the same design of house - So I'm kinda in limbo at the mo...

The owner is a personal friend, they had a guy in there who was growing illicit plants, stopped paying his rent, and basically wrecked the interior - They got him out after a lot of legal wrangling, and found the place needs a lot of work - I've been offered it when it's ready, somewhere around October.
It'll also be a bit cheaper than this place
So, treading water for a little while, but really looking forward to getting back to 'Sunny Bishop' - LOL

The model shop in Bishop is still there - 'Windsock Models', in the back room of Windrow Sports shop - Not a massive selection, but the do get the recent Airfix stuff (Got my 1/48th Anson there) also get some decent ICM and Eduard kits - I use the place regularly for paints/glue/decal solutions/etc...
Didn't know about that 'Vintage' place over in West, sounds interesting, if they have kits on eBay, they might have some related stuff in the shop....
You have any more info on where exactly they are? I could fancy taking a look over there at the weekend.

[Chuck E]

Not sure where they are, other than West Auckland. They must be on the front, as they are a shop that sells all sorts. They are on Ebay.

I would prefer Bishop to Ferryhill, as I have friends there. Hope all is going ok.

[carlos]

Hi Chuck.
Long time since my last post - Bit of an update, I'm back in Bishop now - Only just settled actually... there was more work to get the place liveable than expected, ended up being given the keys early December.
Locked into the contract of my old place until 12th Jan, so br=ecause there was no rush, I slowly shifted stuff by car (Bags, boxes etc...) for a couple of weeks, then borrowed my work's van last weekend and shifted the furniture.
Been sleeping (living) here in Bishop since Sunday night, and gradually unpacking.... Just in time for Christmas...

I think I now know where the place in West Auckland is, though not had a look in there yet.

[KellerModeller]

Hi all,
so this is my man cave / relax oasis / brain holiday / modeling room in the basement (is it "basement" or "cellar" in a regular house? )



Left to the modelling and electronics corner there is a "real workbench", where I am doing repairs and also let the kids try out basic carpenter tools. Downside is the presence of dust, but I think even if it was a computerchip factory cleanroom I would manage to get dust and particles into my paint...
KM

[DavidWomby]

>
>
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even if it was a computerchip factory cleanroom I would manage to get dust and particles into my paint...
KM

LOL - me too!

BTW, here in North America it's a 'basement'. Probably a cellar in the UK.

David

[Stuart]

That's a fantastic space!