Noticing how expensive stuff is
 

I am really starting to notice costs
Diesel £158.9.
4 sheets of 18mm 8X4 OSB, tin of primer and 2 small tins of gloss and that is £200 gone.
Now looking at 2.5mm twin and earth plus sockets and back boxes.
Ye gods it is getting expensive.

macafee2

Me weekly shop is about 5% more than last year.

Car insurance due on wife's car end of the month, less than last year at present.

Big jump in inflation was always on the cards though.

And it ain't just in the UK.

Going to be rough for some.

the price of timber has been high since the first lockdown. 8x4 18mm ply (and it was not even good quality - missing slices etc) £68 in August or September last year. £72 in March last year. Looks like it has gone down slightly HERE though. Although OSB is ridiculous.

the price of timber has been high since the first lockdown. 8x4 18mm ply (and it was not even good quality - missing slices etc) £68 in August or September last year. £72 in March last year. Looks like it has gone down slightly HERE though. Although OSB is ridiculous.

Some good news, B&Q has dropped its price again for OSB
https://www.diy.com/search?Width+%28...&term=18mm+osb Now £40

macafee2

We're looking to have some modest home improvements carried out (decided not to move). Have placed a request on a couple of well known trade sites.

Not a sniff. Nothing. Zilch.

But a short drive down to Colchester yesterday highlighted the amount of building going on.

Supply and demand in the mix along with what's happened over the last couple of years?

I avoid trade sites, tend to go with word of mouth if I can.
We had people out to quote for a new roof, two did not provide quotes, one did not respond when I asked for a break down of costs. Tree surgeons not much better.
Only guy I could speak well about is a sparky and all he did was add a spur a few feet below an existing socket.

macafee2

Getting a reliable builder has always been an issue to be fair, so we tend to do most of our own, only getting someone in when there's a specific need.

I've just enquired about getting a garage built, nothing fancy, one of those cartlodge things, from a specialist. I'll not hold me breath though.

It's not just building. I have a collection of clocks, a couple of which need major attention. No chance till June one said, another has had one for some two months.

However when the Jag stopped the garage took it that day. Took them ten days to fix it though.

We had a roofer in to quote for work before Christmas, he has already done work for us. He cant do the additional work until June.

perhaps members can recommend someone but you show your location as planet earth

macafee2

macafee2

Location changed.