Not something I like to do very ofen and I don't, but today I had an appointment with my Dentist. It was for an hour and I did not want to go, but I did. I said to her when we met that I did not really want to be there and she said "Come in", as she would and which I did. "If I take the chair, and you sit at the desk, then, you will feel safe!", she said, which I did. We discussed the matter and she said that, in reality she did not feel like doing the work, because she was cold, had a bad night and wanted to take an hour reading the paper and doing some work, or was that doing some paperwwork! We had a 'mutual counselling session', in which her nurse joined in and amongst other things we discusssed the economy, the American election and my hens! Provided I made an appointment with the hygenist, then my Dentist would be happy. I was. I like my Dentist; what a lovely person, pity they all can't be like her (can't give out her name though, The Dentist Association might get all uperty!)...   more »

Chew Magna is a lovely small village about 8 miles south from Bristol, where I was to-day, by it's nicer when it doesn't hail. The cottage that I saw was (that's interesting, two words, the same letters, the other way arround!) originally one of five. A long time ago they were converted into two dwellings, one out of three and 'mine', one out of two, but some enterprising owner built an extension , so giving it a garage and an additional bedroom above. They were originally approached from a footpath and originally had a single storey extension to the rear, which is now the front. The single storey has been extended upwards (along with the others) and the cottage is approached from the rear, or is that now the front? If you had to live there for the rest of your life, it wouldn't be a great hardship. It was next to a 'leat', a controlled water course and a couple of metres from a Winford Brook, but, as yet it has not flooded. I liked it and it's walled garden, a very pleasant spot down by the water with the ducks and drakes passing, the pub down the lane... pity about the hail...

I met a professional gambler today living modestly in a very pleasant top floor flat in the middle of Clifton Village. I know he was a gambler, because I was so intrigued with his three computer screens that I asked him. It turned out to be only two screens and a television because he gambles on live cricket. He gambles on nothing other than cricket and he's so good, he tells me that he has been 'banned' from a number of gambling sites, so it looks like his number is up, or should that be down! Fascinating. Anyway a pleasant bloke living in a pleasant flat in a building that was all seemingly well maintained - good!

This little pavement edged semi is tucked away in a narrow backwater, where people can't drive, or to be more precise, can't be bothered to park properly, like in many other roads in Bristol, so creating obstacles for other drivers to negotiate. Ther's no garage or space - pavement edged as I said and on a bend in a narrow road... Nevertheless apart from the parking I liked the cottage, I liked it's layout, it's position, close to the village and the local shops, I like it's reasonably well maintained appearance, I liked the rubbishy old living room ceiling (because it's 'cottagey'), I liked it's fireplace, I liked the kitchen fitments and the doors, I liked the bathroom, because it was so awful it would be a pleasure to replace, I liked the lovely long landscaped garden and the conservatory is a bunus and it's all in the back and beyond...   more »

I went to jolly old Clevedon to see an old Client for whom I acted when she bought her flat back in 1993, well before 'blog days'. I had been there 5 years ago, in 2003, when I had helped out with roof repairs. Now after a leak, that should not have occured had the Management Company kept the outlets clear, a 'roofer' has been up on the roof. Guess what, wev'e got a price of £23,800, but they don't say whether or not vat is included! I shall be providing my client with a report in the next few days - over the week-end probably - when, again I hope that my halo will shine! Anyway, I had a lovely view over the ocean sea whist I was there, or was it the Severn Estuary...   more »

The house I inspected to-day was built, I believe by one, Victor Warlock, and that's certainly a name to conjur with. (Where on earth did that expression come from?) There, I've just endeed not one but TWO sentences with a preposition, I really hate to do that. My old man used to say that you should never have a preposition to end a sentence WITH - but that was his little joke!! Ha! Ha! Any way, back to basics, this house was originally built to a reasonaby good standard, but it was extended to the front, the side and the rear, twice! Now the accommodation has become not at all appealing, vulgar really and dark and gloomy and, frankly, very difficult to improve without what is probably a huge expense, and is it all worth it? Will it make it any less ugly, less vulgar, but that's only my opinion, and as my old man used to say, one man's meat is another man's poison...   more »

I have just been to a road so named after it's 'scenic' conotations, or so the book says, in Westbury on Trym. This is a large house close to Elm Lea School, which is presumably why my Clients want to buy it. It needs renovation and updating and my |Clients want to extend it fore and aft, but it suffers from CURRENT movement. I have advised my Clients, that if nothing else, they get their vendor to make aclaim on their insurance policy, to put the insurers 'on notice'. My Clients can then take over the policy if they decide to purchase (under the Law of Property Act, 1925, I think), and if the movement gets worse, they should be able to make a sucessful claim, by resurecting it. If that claim is not made and my Clients proceed, and movement gets worse, it is unlikely an insurance claim will succeed, as the movement will be deemed a 'pre-existing' defect and the claim could be thrown out. (I know it works, because I've done it myself). Anyway, apart from all of that, there's a hell of a lot of work to do here...   more »

Wells is a lovely City dominated by the cathedral and this pavement edged house was only a short stroll from it, as the agents details repeated, at leasst twice! The house, and for that matter the vendors were each a bit bland, but the house was in reasonable condition, apart from the active woodworm in the roof timbers. So treat the roof timbers, have the wiring and the gas appliances tested, oh! and get an Energy Performance Certificate (because the house has been on the market for so long it does not have one), and if the price can be negotiated, then my Clients will be able to let it, providing they can find a tenant, perhaps some one working in the cathedral...it is afterall, only a short stroll away...

The other week I surveyed a 40 year old town house that needed so much renovation that my Client decided not to go ahead; wise moove in my opinion. She, straight away found another house, a younger town house in a small mews, just off Whiteladies Road. It's all good news and she's going for it...   more »

I was up on the roof of a house in Royal York Terrace to-day, as my Clients were concerned at various costs being banded about by a prospective purchaser and his builder for sorting out their roof. Purchaser wanted loads of money of because of what his builder said. Vendor told him, rightly, to get stuffed! The vendor was ABSOLUTELY correct, and both he and the Management Company have saved themselves a whoile lot of un-necessary work and expense. My halo's shining...   more »

I was asked to look at and 'approve' a retirement flat to-day in Fishponds. It was built on the site of a large house that was demolished for the purpose. The original owner, so rumour has it, wqas a keen and sucessful mortor car racing driver (but no one knows his name!), who kept monkeys and peacocks in the grounds. The monkeys left, but a couple of peacocks kept coming back to the site, if you can believe that! The flat was well built, but, and here's the BUT, but it was priced astonishingly high, and I had to tell my Client so...   more »

I had a look at a very large semi in a very, well reasonably quiet part of Clifton to-day. Here, houses do not come onto the market very often and, more often than not they are sold via the 'jungle drums' - word of mouth. This is the caase here. My Client has found this great family home, very close to the heart of the 'village', well within a very easy walk of it, almost yards, yet it is tucked so well away that no one will find it! It does need renovating, but the basics are all there, but basic is the appropriate word! nevertheless, they can modernise and update it at their leisure, but I don't expect they will have much leisure if they take on this project for the next ten years! However, they will have a very pleasant family home, in a good location and with open views of the countryside.   more »

I've just been to leafy - leafy? Henleaze to look at a newish, well twenty or so year old house. It was timber framed and was largely in good condition. However, growing in the garden of the adjoining house was a large Lime tree. The tree was there before the house and it has a Tree Preservation Order on it. Well, I wonder, who has it's responsibility? Any 'pruning or alteration' will require planning consent because of the TPO. But, does the owner of the tree owe a duty of care to his neighbour, to 'protect' his neighbour's (new) house from the tree? He will have to get planning consent each and every time it is cut. A slight conundrum; one for the lawyers to work out...

On my way to Welwyn Garden City I got a hands free call to confirn an appointment to look at a small block of purpose built flats today, but not of the 'Arts and Craft' style, more in the 1980's style, nothing to write home about, so I won't! The 'agent' for the Management Company wanted to come up on the roof with me, people do the strangest of things, I had to look at another flat whilst I was there, for 'comparison' purposes and my clients also wanted to be there, but in the excitemnt of driving up the M4, I forgot to tell them that I was going today. I expect they're still waiting back home...

Just been to Welwyn Garden City to look at a small detached house, very much built, well almost built in the 'Arts and Craft Movement' style. It is iin a pleasant development of similar aged dwellings, including some interesting and delightful terraced houses. I can understand why it is called Welwyn GARDEN City, but I'm not too sure where the city bit comes from! Why these are not 'Listed Buildings' I do not know; they should be. I used 'Tom Tom' which I borrowed from daughter No.1 to get there and I was so impressed that I'm going to used it on Wednesday to go to Wookey Hole, but it's not such a long way to go...

I don't know why so much steel has to be introduced onto roofs these days, but they do, probably at the behest of 'Building Control'. Jobs for the boys, I always think. The Elizabethans could build timber framed houses that lasted, seemingly for ever without a hint of steel about except for the nails. All through the centuries thereafter steel was not used, until now. Now it seems that it is almost 'mandatory'. Stresses and strains have to be calculated by structural engineers, who (sorry structural engineers) no doubt add a bit on in case of their 'safty margin' and I suspect to 'appease' Building Control, who probably want even more. The result is that you have a structure that would probably take one of the Seven Bridge spans, but here it just supports a few hundred weight of timber and tiles...Anyway, the roof was sound, and my client should be able to build into it, subject to planning consent and, wait for it - Building Control...

That is THE Blairs (ex pm and all that), but not when I was there! I have just seen a two bedroomed flat in this 'acclaimed' office conversion, now purpose built into 50 plus self contained flats with 'secure' parking. The whole building is quite secure (possibley the reason why they bought into it in the first place), and largely in good condition throughout. I liked the layout, the size of the accommodation, it was light and bright and neatly fitted out. It has two lifts and underground secure parking. I liked it; so does my client, other wise she would not be buying it! Welldone!