MM wrote:
I thought that maybe some of you might be interested in the outcome of
my horrendous moving experience. Well, I have finally done it! On
December 16th to be precise. I had already moved out of my house in
the south-east, as my buyer insisted on getting access before
November 29th else he'd pull out (empty rhetoric, probably). We
actually achieved completion on the 30th. For days I wandered the
land, staying in temporary accommodation or with relations. Thanks to
all who helped out, by the way. Then all of a sudden the paperwork
for the new house all came together, exchange and completion happened
on the same day, and I found myself winging my way up the A1 to
Lincolnshire. Two hours after exchange the developer rang to say that
the oil tank was almost empty - gee, thanks! So for four days over
the weekend until Tuesday I was freezing (the boiler had to be
switched off otherwise it would have run dry, thus requiring it to be
'bled'). Amazing, isn't it? I pay a small fortune for the property,
yet the developer could not stick even 500 litres in the tank as a
goodwill gesture. Especially as I had been told weeks before that
there was enough oil to last the winter. Oh, well. The tanker finally
arrived and I had my first bath.

MM

Glad you finally managed to get moved in!!!

Was this the house in which the developers relative was living in beforehand
and you were having a few doubts?

Although its not much use now, but may be useful for future reference, but
unless things have changed in recent years, domestic central heating oil is
exactly the same as diesel that you put in your car, the only difference is
that as less duty is paid to the revenue its coloured red, hence you could
have gone down to your local forecourt and legally stuck a few gallons in
your homes tank!!

Shrinkage is only a problem in 'propper houses' with solid internal built
walls, sadly most new builds nower days are built with plasterboard & skim
and suffer the problem much less.

good luck with the house
Jonty