Susangirl, thank you for your understanding. It is not merely that you show some basic human sympathy and decency, though; it is that you have identified the some of the practicalities. I'd like to know what Jan Johnson thinks I should have done instead. I was very well aware of the risk of feathering the owner's nest, but because I was grateful to have any place to stay, as I have said, I worked on the house. And there is also the issue which JJ hads not picked up on, which is that we did not have any choice. The place was essentially unfirnished and in a terrible state. Should we have abandoned any hope of a decent quality of life in case we were finally mistreated? This place was our home. Should we have applied the same approach wherever we went thereafter? What kind of life is that? Not so far from the kind of life people led in the shacks and tied-cottages in pre-war WWII plantations in Louisiana, perhaps, which I'm reading about just now. The comment "Did you think to keep a diary?" is seeking to blame the victims of greed and utter lack of scruple, and indeed conceivably downright fraud. I think about many things, Jan Johnson! A diary does not cut a lot of ice evidentially. What's your point? The kind of fraud which, as the Inland Revenue told me, does not get investigated as often as it should because there is so much of it - I refer to the avoidance of CBT, which is why we were told to leave furniture items behind. So that the house looked occupied. Note too that it was an ex-council house. The owner had bought it from council tenants who had themselves bought it. That's one more affordable property removed from the system.

I do everything from electrics, plumbing, painting, even making light fittings as I did not find any good ones, even fixing the cars. I like doing it, it feels good once you see the end results. I save a fortune, do a better job than someone on a time limit and don't get "robbed" by some trades. A plumber went next door and told my neighbour he needs a new immersion tank, £2k, he thought wow, to much, then he got another plumber and paid what he wanted £400, the same error happened to ours, had no idea what his error was but found out in the end and it cost me £30 !

I'm not a professional at all but just stating my experience from recent renovations - others will have their own. Obviously a recommendation from someone you know is best option. Only use different sub contractors if you have time to manage them, plan who does what when, conflict resolution, talking to suppliers, etc...oh and also choose all the material and items you need and deliver just in time! We tried a recommended builder on a small project (bathroom) before giving them two big projects. Wasn't the cheapest but they managed and brought in all the different skills at the right times. Delays are inevitable and not always the main contractor at fault e.g window supplier delivers windows but not doors! Not much you can do. Finally, future proofing a build does require getting your ideas on paper first and what budget you have. E.g running CAT6 cables is great but what devices will you connect and where? I recall drawing everything on paper from light switches and usb socket positions through to external cameras and weather sensor! Also I remember my insurance company oddly wouldn't accept a signed joint contract from our builder so do check any contract disputes are covered. I had a week's worth of sleepless nights before we ended up moving insurers for peace of mind. Good luck and this forum has a lot of great advice.

Definitely. My original kitchen was developer’s kitchen —ie, it photographed well but did not function. The only place to put a table in the kitchen itself would have been in front of the back door, which is itself a natural thoroughfare from the open plan living room. Now I have a lovely breakfast bar/peninsula facing the brightest part of the kitchen, and I can easily spend hours there over breakfast, brunch or coffee. Dinner I tend to eat in front of the tv, and when I’ve visitors the main table in the dining room is used.