Some of you will remember that a few weeks back SWMBO took me to look at some new houses, because "she" wants to move, this has been met with a distinct lack of enthusiasm on my part.
This last week the plot has deepened, I got news that I was due a nice tax rebate, £600 to be exact, I had plans for this unearned income, namely a new loco, and some other things for "the layout", the rest would go into savings.
Carelessly I left the said cheque lying around, she saw it, and duly paid it into our joint savings account, "bugger" I thought.
Unbeknown to me she has also employed one of those PPI firms, that find out if you are owed money for mis-sold PPI, well last week I had a letter from Lloyds, telling me they had upheld my claim and a cheque for £2800 would soon be winging it's way to me.
Over tea that evening my darling asked if I had such a letter, it seems she had put the claim in for me about our first ever mortgage, and she had been awarded the same amount, "be great to help out the deposit on the new house" she said.
My chin hit the floor..... just as I had finished laying the track and starting on the scenics, I hadn't taken moving into account, that factor just hadn't been built in.
Slightly :censored: is not the word.
What do you do when the move is around six months away, stop building ? revise your plan so that the layout can be taken out and rebuilt or just ....
GIVE UP !
Graham,
Take this opportunity to negotiate for a "railway room" in the new house :D
Good luck !
Joe
Change it into a portable layout. I would never have a fixed layout again. Circumstances change which caused me to give up two very good layouts many years ago. Considering the amount spent on scenics it's a waste.
At the very least you could have a couple of boards portable so you can have a working station and fiddle yard up and running in no time.
Well, you could always start referring to her as the first Mrs Walters ... ::)
I would just put it on hold until you know what you're moving to. Once its all agreed you can see what you can salvage or if you need to start again.
These things happen. What's more important your home or your layout - don't answer that!!
:beers:
Quote from: joe cassidy on December 05, 2015, 06:13:33 PM
Graham,
Take this opportunity to negotiate for a "railway room" in the new house :D
Good luck !
Joe
The houses we are looking at means downsizing, ( I think thats what they call it), just a two bed and box room that is done out as an office in the show home, which was greeted with "oh look a sewing room" .... enough said really.
Looking out of the windows on to the handkerchief of space resembling a garden, there doesn't seem to be enough room for a 12 x 8 shed !
Go for that "sewing room" !
Quote from: austinbob on December 05, 2015, 06:27:13 PM
I would just put it on hold until you know what you're moving to. Once its all agreed you can see what you can salvage or if you need to start again.
These things happen. What's more important your home or your layout - don't answer that!!
:beers:
If the
first Mrs Walters says we are moving.... then we are moving, and the time scale is about right, I can see it happening July - August next year.
She is a creature of habit, it's happened FIVE times already ! the only difference this time is she is looking at "out of the box houses" ready to move into.
Quote from: Graham Walters on December 05, 2015, 06:31:22 PM
Quote from: austinbob on December 05, 2015, 06:27:13 PM
I would just put it on hold until you know what you're moving to. Once its all agreed you can see what you can salvage or if you need to start again.
These things happen. What's more important your home or your layout - don't answer that!!
:beers:
If the first Mrs Walters says we are moving.... then we are moving,
How many Mrs Walters are there Graham? Do they all want to move house or is it just the first Mrs Walters?
:hmmm: :confused2:
Just make sure that there is enough room to make the loft into a man cave.
I hope you'll be moving closer to the Watercress Line ?
Quote from: austinbob on December 05, 2015, 06:37:22 PM
Quote from: Graham Walters on December 05, 2015, 06:31:22 PM
Quote from: austinbob on December 05, 2015, 06:27:13 PM
I would just put it on hold until you know what you're moving to. Once its all agreed you can see what you can salvage or if you need to start again.
These things happen. What's more important your home or your layout - don't answer that!!
:beers:
If the first Mrs Walters says we are moving.... then we are moving,
How many Mrs Walters are there Graham? Do they all want to move house or is it just the first Mrs Walters?
:hmmm: :confused2:
She is the first and at present only Mrs Walters, that like new cars is subject to change !
DPP...otherwise known as domestic planning permission.
For some this can be difficult to obtain, although even when granted can be suddenly withdrawn. Reasons cited for it being withdrawn can be plentiful, but often bewildering to us mere male mortals. Appeals sometimes work...often at a price.
Venus and Mars comes to mind.
Quote from: Malc on December 05, 2015, 06:40:38 PM
Just make sure that there is enough room to make the loft into a man cave.
The houses "she" looking at are the modern type, where the attic is a maze of wood, and the joist are not strong enough to support a box of tissues, so that is out.... unfortunately.
Quote from: joe cassidy on December 05, 2015, 06:55:48 PM
I hope you'll be moving closer to the Watercress Line ?
About 3 miles closer at a rough guess.
We have lived down here for 10 yrs and never visited it, must put that right in the summer.
Is there a garden with room for a cumfy good size shed??
:beers:
Quote from: trkilliman on December 05, 2015, 07:05:02 PM
DPP...otherwise known as domestic planning permission.
For some this can be difficult to obtain, although even when granted can be suddenly withdrawn. Reasons cited for it being withdrawn can be plentiful, but often bewildering to us mere male mortals. Appeals sometimes work...often at a price.
Venus and Mars comes to mind.
The present home for a layout was negotiated by means of the provision and erection of a greenhouse for her allotment, and a large amount of bark chippings for the paths on said allotment, I don't think I will be allowed to get away with it so easily this time round.
The shed at the allotment is in need of repair, and will probably not last this winter, I have visions of my layout shed being halved and used there, I therefore will have to settle for "half" a shed.
Quote from: Graham Walters on December 05, 2015, 07:10:19 PM
Quote from: trkilliman on December 05, 2015, 07:05:02 PM
DPP...otherwise known as domestic planning permission.
For some this can be difficult to obtain, although even when granted can be suddenly withdrawn. Reasons cited for it being withdrawn can be plentiful, but often bewildering to us mere male mortals. Appeals sometimes work...often at a price.
Venus and Mars comes to mind.
The present home for a layout was negotiated by means of the provision and erection of a greenhouse for her allotment, and a large amount of bark chippings for the paths on said allotment, I don't think I will be allowed to get away with it so easily this time round.
The shed at the allotment is in need of repair, and will probably not last this winter, I have visions of my layout shed being halved and used there, I therefore will have to settle for "half" a shed.
Graham, you really have come upon hard N gauge times... I don't know what to say. You should write to Father Xmas requesting a miracle I think!!
:'(
What about doing an old school "Fold away" layout where it's designed to fold up against the wall (or lift to the ceiling). That way it can share the sewing room and make it a proper hobby room. That and make lots of noises about spending your "train set" money down the pub and bookies instead ;)
I must admit I thought Veg Plot + Greenhouse + Potting Shed + Sewing Room = Railway Room or Big Shed.
Ray
Get a house with a garage, design a layout to fit in it and then you're relatively safe against further moves as long as they have a garage as well. Beware though, garage sizes do vary...
Two bedrooms you say ?
Not a problem then,
you complement her on finding such an ideal ready made 'out of the box' house in an excellent and convenient location.
You go on to approve her choice of sewing room and remark that
" the light from that west " ( east/north/south) " window will be good for colour matching your threads my dear, "
and offer, for the long winter evenings, to install colourmatch ( aka truelight / northlight) light fittings.
Then gently lead her through to the spare second bedroom and say " dont you think that this will make ever such a good room for our railway my sweet " (sweetheart/beloved/darling/ <- insert epithet or endearement of choice )
This is an exceedingly dire situation! You must put your foot down with a firm hand and insist that the move must satisfy both of you. She I presume wants a happy sober husband. :pint:
Bump off Mrs Walters, empty the joint account and spend it on your current layout in the current location. Simples. >:D
Quote from: newportnobby on December 05, 2015, 10:22:54 PM
Bump off Mrs Walters, empty the joint account and spend it on your current layout in the current location. Simples. >:D
That would be the current Ms Walters ?
Quote from: MalcolmAL on December 05, 2015, 10:26:30 PM
Quote from: newportnobby on December 05, 2015, 10:22:54 PM
Bump off Mrs Walters, empty the joint account and spend it on your current layout in the current location. Simples. >:D
That would be the current Ms Walters ?
Dunno, Malcolm. I lost track of 'em a few posts ago :confused1: :dunce:
Quote from: newportnobby on December 05, 2015, 10:28:23 PM
Quote from: MalcolmAL on December 05, 2015, 10:26:30 PM
Quote from: newportnobby on December 05, 2015, 10:22:54 PM
Bump off Mrs Walters, empty the joint account and spend it on your current layout in the current location. Simples. >:D
That would be the current Ms Walters ?
Dunno, Malcolm. I lost track of 'em a few posts ago :confused1: :dunce:
Larf ! Yep me too.
and I'm still trying to decide if t'other bedroom is truly spare or maybe needed for his alt.abode :) ?
My trainset is in the "once upon a time exercise room". SWMBO is allergic to exercise, although not averse to buying (subsequently unused) exercise equipment. If new exercise equipment appears I give away the previous as new piece. The current piece occupies about 8 sq.ft leaving about 140 sq.ft for me.
Maybe you can designate the second bedroom for something like this.
The thread so far ... a recap :
There is only one one Mrs Walters, so she is the first Mr Walters, this is not supposed to infer that there ever will be a second or even third Mrs Walters, ( the present Mrs Walters may read this).
The house on the RADAR is a three bed out of the box type built by David Wilson homes ( other builders are available), I use the term bedrooms loosely, mainly because they are rooms upstairs, two of these rooms are suitable, ( according to the blah) for double bed, ( we have a king), the other is in my view a large cupboard, the present Mrs Walters ( first) has inplied that it will make a "great" sewing room.
The enclosed garden at the rear is small, if I put my present shed on it, the shed would probably occupy half of it.
There is no garage
There is no conservatory
The understairs cupboard is a loo
All I want to do is build a model railway !
Quote from: Graham Walters on December 06, 2015, 12:02:50 PM
The thread so far ... a recap :
There is only one one Mrs Walters, so she is the first Mr Walters
Now I
am confused ??? :goggleeyes: :hmmm:
Quote from: Graham Walters on December 06, 2015, 12:02:50 PM
There is only one one Mrs Walters
So far ... if there isn't a railway room in the offing, I wonder if this may change ... >:D
Quotetwo of these rooms are suitable, ( according to the blah) for double bed, ( we have a king), the other is in my view a large cupboard, the present Mrs Walters ( first) has inplied that it will make a "great" sewing room.
So ... the "large" rooms are obviously
unsuitable to you - as to the "sewing room", I had this (or rather, SWMBO did) in our London house; it lasted all of 6 months before "oh, you have
lots of room in your study, I need more space so I'll join you there :angel:". Granted, a single bed (let alone a set of drawers) would have swamped the room, but ...
You have been warned ...
Move up north and you'll be able to buy a bigger gaff ;-)
Quote from: MikeDunn on December 06, 2015, 01:32:06 PM
Quote from: Graham Walters on December 06, 2015, 12:02:50 PM
There is only one one Mrs Walters
So far ... if there isn't a railway room in the offing, I wonder if this may change ... >:D
Quotetwo of these rooms are suitable, ( according to the blah) for double bed, ( we have a king), the other is in my view a large cupboard, the present Mrs Walters ( first) has inplied that it will make a "great" sewing room.
So ... the "large" rooms are obviously unsuitable to you - as to the "sewing room", I had this (or rather, SWMBO did) in our London house; it lasted all of 6 months before "oh, you have lots of room in your study, I need more space so I'll join you there :angel:". Granted, a single bed (let alone a set of drawers) would have swamped the room, but ...
You have been warned ...
One room would constitute our bedroom, I'm a keen modeller, but not even I want a layout in my bedroom, I'm 58 not 8.
The second bedroom would be a "guest" room, you know what I mean, it just sits there looking good full of all the chintzy stuff I don't feel a need for in Our bedroom.
Quote from: d-a-n on December 06, 2015, 09:33:44 PM
Move up north and you'll be able to buy a bigger gaff ;-)
Good idea...but a bit of a commute for the day job !
Quote from: Graham Walters on December 07, 2015, 01:21:54 PM
Good idea...but a bit of a commute for the day job !
You could do what I did - get a job that allows you to work from home over VPN :thumbsup: That way you can be anywhere, not stuck in a limited area. About the only work-related requirement I have is decent DSL or fibre connectivity, and access to good road/rail links.
Quote from: MikeDunn on December 07, 2015, 01:41:10 PM
Quote from: Graham Walters on December 07, 2015, 01:21:54 PM
Good idea...but a bit of a commute for the day job !
You could do what I did - get a job that allows you to work from home over VPN :thumbsup: That way you can be anywhere, not stuck in a limited area. About the only work-related requirement I have is decent DSL or fibre connectivity, and access to good road/rail links.
Bit difficult for some one who works for Royal Mail !
Jobs like yours never seem to come my way :(
Quote from: Graham Walters on December 07, 2015, 02:20:37 PM
Bit difficult for some one who works for Royal Mail !
True ... (I'll let someone else mention email ::))
For what its worth sounds like this 'out of the box' house is no way suited for you both, and of course not the only house in the world for sale.
The way I see things the both of you together should be looking forward to buying this house, clearly your not so why go along with the decision and moving to somewhere where you are not going to happy? :confused1: Doesn't make sense to me!
I think Mr Sprue has hit the nail on the head!
Dave
My wife and I often talk about moving. well downsizing as we could manage in a 2 bed house in the not too distant future.
We have our respective hobbies/passions. Mine being N gauge and tropical fish, my wife's being numerous crafts. Garden sheds provide us with our "own space"
We both agree that moving from our lovely home would have to be to somewhere we could continue with our hobbies. So a reasonable sized flat garden for the erection of a couple of quality sheds would be high on the list.
Neither of us are overly interested in each others hobbies, but we actively encourage each other to pursue them.
We think that it's important for people to be active in their hobbies, achieving satisfaction and a calmness that comes from it.
Quote from: trkilliman on December 07, 2015, 05:55:38 PM
Neither of us are overly interested in each others hobbies, but we actively encourage each other to pursue them.
We think that it's important for people to be active in their hobbies, achieving satisfaction and a calmness that comes from it.
My sentiments exactly. :)
As I see it there are 3 possible solutions:
1. Just say no. This may require couching in more diplomatic terms.
2. As others have suggested, point out that you both want to be happy in your new abode, and you at least require somewhere with a bigger garden where you can erect a proper man-cave.
3. If the house is truly the house of her dreams, I suggest you make the sewing-room dual-occupancy. She can have it for crafts Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. You have it for railways Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On Sundays you both go to the pub. Problem solved. :D
My invoice for my usual consultancy fee is in the post.
Chris
Amusing thread.
What I don't understand is "downsizing." Neither does my wife, to be honest.
We've heard people talk about this before, especially after their kids move out. Why would anyone want to give up space in a big house to move into a smaller home? You end up with less room for storage, for knitting, for crafts, for train layouts - for everything. You also can't get away from your wife in a small home, and she from you. Makes no sense to us, but then neither does moving house just for the sake of it! But to each his own.
When my wife and I retire we have planned on moving back "home" (as she calls it; I'm a Yankee), but we are actually aiming to move to a bigger house, not a smaller one. She wants a dedicated room for her crafts and I want one for my trains. At the moment, we have no spare room for either.
Good luck!
Matt
When you get past 80 and your wife passed on a few years back, a large 8 room house with fair sized garden gets to be rather more than one can decently manage solo, hence me downsizing to a 2 bedroom apartment, or should I say 1 bedroom 1 railway room and a living room bathroom & kitchen. It's all I need, much easier to keep clean and costs way less in fuel, plus a few grand from house sale, so more cash available for trains.
That makes perfect sense, Mike. As life moves on it makes sense to move with it.
I still don't understand why one would go smaller without having a similar reason, but as I said, to each his own.
Matt
Quote from: oreamnos on December 07, 2015, 10:17:57 PM
I still don't understand why one would go smaller without having a similar reason, but as I said, to each his own.
Well, I suspect that part of the reason
is because you're a Yankee ... ;) No offence, a friend married one & he moved over here to be with her for some years; we got on very well (they're back over there now, partially due to the way the US double-dipped into their money with him being an ex-pat, I believe ...); he didn't believe some of the prices over here ...
Over here, we have high fuel costs (gas, electricity, and until very recently you could add kerosene to that list for those in the country) to heat / power the home; more rooms = larger bills. Add on the council tax where you're penalised for larger / expensive homes. Water charges are high too ... No doubt others will chip in with other costs I've not included. And as DorsetMike said, if you're on your own what's the point of a large house you can't properly manage & aren't using ?
Now, I'm a little fortunate in that both my wife & I have separate studies, and a train room we share. But that's because we bought our present house to include my mother in an annexe we now use. But that doesn't mean we're not looking for a smaller property about 2/3 the current size - although this won't be a "move for the sake of moving", or a shuffle of a couple of miles (there's one bloke I know who moved into another house on the
same street :no:) ! It will likely take us closer to the NE (something like a 2-hour drive, instead of the current 5), as well as much closer to some preserved lines we like.
The biggest benefit to those of us in the UK who have the right circumstances is to sell a largish house and move to a smaller one thus making enough cash to pay any mortgage off. This, of course, releases money to pay for model trains :D
You make some very relevant points Mike Dunn.
Many if not most people downsize for economic reasons. I had a heart attack 18 months back, just to compound the severe arthritis in my knees. It limits what work I can do, and more to the point who would want to employ a 60+ with these ailments?
The powers that be, the IDS/DWP appointed assessors, have more influence/say than my G.P. Having paid into the system solidly for 45 years they see fit to stop my sickness benefit (this sounds political, but there is no other way to convey it)
So, here's one reason why some people having strived over many years to provide a home themselves for their family via a mortgage, may find themselves at some point "downsizing" in their latter years.
The title of this thread (it's too long) is really messing up the display on my tablet. Long titles are probably OK as long as they are not configured with over long 'words'... :thumbsdown:
Just saying.....
Hmmm, wonder what the longest single-word title could be ... :hmmm: :laugh:
Nononononononononononononoononononono....yes?
Well I always thought the longest word was "antidisestablishmentarianism" at 28 letters had top place, however I doubt it would have much relevance to a post here, that station with the longest name, often abbreviated to LlanfairPG might possibly appear here if anyone models it in N, might have a problem with a running in board on a shortened platform tho' :whistle:
Quote from: MikeDunn on December 08, 2015, 11:55:02 AM
Hmmm, wonder what the longest single-word title could be ... :hmmm: :laugh:
Portillo did a railway prog from
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch,
I wonder if we have any members there ?
Ah! xxed in the post with Dorsetmike, thinking along the same lines !!
A quick update on this predicament.
A couple of nights ago the male outlaw gave me a call regardig said layout and SWMBO's idea of wanting to move, as we were discussing the in's and outs of trying to move a layout which wasn't designed to be moved, he realised the issues involved.
Then bless his heart he said he would buy me some modular baseboards for Xmas, well £200 quids worth.
Since that converation I have had an e-mail from a company called Modular baseboards, telling me they have been instructed to build and deliver to me 3 baseboards, 1 off 6' x 2'6", 1 off 5' x 2'6" and 1 off 5'x 2'.
I am supposing the said outlaw is thinking of an "L" shaped design in my 12 x 8 with room to get around, OR Swmbo has had a word and asked him to leave enough room for a sewing table. !
I could at a stretch do a "U" shape, but it would be a bit awkward fitting it in the shed, because the door is in the middle of one of the longest siddes.
Either way I am stuck as to come up with a design for an "L" or "U" shaped layout, as I'd always been working on an all round the walls.
Any idea's of where to start, any where I can get inspiration from, all I seem to end up with on AnyRail is an oval with a dead end branch
I think with these baseboards a round and round is out of the question unless you have one hidden track so that a train can return to where it started from.
If I had those boards I would think about a station on the largest board going to fiddle yards at either end, then you could have through running through the station. Operationally more interesting than a terminus.
My penn'th. A situation like this is good for exercising the grey matter. Good luck and keep us up to date with your progress.
With the 2'6" surely you could have "dog bone" ends for at least a single track and thus get a roundy round run. Have the 2' in the middle of a U and the 'bones' on the far ends of each 2'6". That way you can have a decent long run. I would love to have so much baseboard to play with, being restricted to a single board of 5' x 2'3". Cheers, Bill.
Quote from: Graham Walters on December 15, 2015, 05:27:18 AM
Either way I am stuck as to come up with a design for an "L" or "U" shaped layout, as I'd always been working on an all round the walls.
Any idea's of where to start, any where I can get inspiration from, all I seem to end up with on AnyRail is an oval with a dead end branch
Without trying to sound my trumpet (well!! not too loudly anyway) I had a similar predicament as I wanted a loop and an end to end as well using a U shape around 3 walls. This is what I've come up with in 'North Hampshire preserved Railway.' Link below:-
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=25611.msg274872#msg274872 (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=25611.msg274872#msg274872)
The fiddle yard on the right hand side has become a 2 road terminus and bunch of sidings (viewable fiddle yard).
Hope this helps
:beers:
I agree with ozzie Bill about placement of the boards and running a 'dogbone' layout as you can get a double loop and a decent through station.
Quote from: austinbob on December 15, 2015, 05:55:37 PM
Quote from: Graham Walters on December 15, 2015, 05:27:18 AM
Either way I am stuck as to come up with a design for an "L" or "U" shaped layout, as I'd always been working on an all round the walls.
Any idea's of where to start, any where I can get inspiration from, all I seem to end up with on AnyRail is an oval with a dead end branch
Without trying to sound my trumpet (well!! not too loudly anyway) I had a similar predicament as I wanted a loop and an end to end as well using a U shape around 3 walls. This is what I've come up with in 'North Hampshire preserved Railway.' Link below:-
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=25611.msg274872#msg274872 (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=25611.msg274872#msg274872)
The fiddle yard on the right hand side has become a 2 road terminus and bunch of sidings (viewable fiddle yard).
Hope this helps
:beers:
I like that setup, looks good, that is a bit of inspiration
Good luck with the house hunting, or is that a done deal now?
Moving house is so-o expensive what with legal costs and everything taxed to a level approaching madness.
Please let us know what you decide to do with the new boards.
We moved up country (Kent to Worcester) late last year, up-sizing so we could both have our own hobby space. There will come a time when the house and garden will be too big but that was accepted as part of what will happen, hopefully much later. I've got to finish my layout and have some time to run trains on it!
All the best.
Dave G