Off Topic - The Mid-Life Crisis and it's practical application

[Feltwell]

I don’t know what you’re going to need to store, but for His Lordships study I used things from Shelfstore. Their online design tool was really good, lots of options in terms of sizes of uprights/ shelves and side panels. I looked at metal like Dexion? but it was all a bit “warehousey” for indoors.

It'll be very functional and warehousey, aesthetics won't really come into it. The room in question is very tucked away, in fact go up to the attic and most don't even realise that it's there, so it feels very separate from the main house. I may utilise the cellar as well - though like most it's damp, so have to be careful what goes down there. I saw my in-laws business take over their home, I'm determined for that not to happen here.

 

[a twig]

@Zebra - To balance the scale, my wife calls her space an “atelier” because she is classier than me with my lowly “workshop”, and on the door to hers is a sign saying
“Girls just want to have fun
-damental rights”

Probably not surprising therefore that our 5 year old has asked for her own tractor for Christmas so she can get stuck in outside without needing my help.

Quite a broad parish here in PPUK

 

[Zebra]

Apologies for being cross, I've been in a bad mood today, and then you all go flaunting these gender-based outdoor workshops, it set me off, my own "cave/atelier" being barely the size of a kitchen cupboard.

 

[LadyArowana]

Apologies for being cross, I've been in a bad mood today, and then you all go flaunting these gender-based outdoor workshops, it set me off, my own "cave/atelier" being barely the size of a kitchen cupboard.

Hope you're feeling more sunny today. The festive season can get more than a little annoying at times!

I had to tell the chaps doing our house that the conversion work on the vaults was so I could have a space and that His Lordship was best kept a very very long way from anything DIY related. I toyed with the idea of calling it the "unicorn stable" on the Listed Building Application, but the planning people have no sense of humour and I wanted approval! I totally agree with Feltwell that you would kick most of the boys butts at anything and if you lived nearby I would happily make it a unicorn and zebra stable!

 

[Feltwell]

Apologies for being cross, I've been in a bad mood today, and then you all go flaunting these gender-based outdoor workshops, it set me off, my own "cave/atelier" being barely the size of a kitchen cupboard.

I have been ruminating on the lack of a Zebra cave, and I *may* have a solution.

I know that you are challenged on outside space, but have a little to the side and more to the front of the house, is that right?

I used an odd corner of the garden to build an 8' x 3' "shed" to house the gardening stuff. I say shed, but it's really more of an outdoor cupboard - but - it's a really useful space, though not big enough to work in.




I work outside on our patio quite a lot, despite having a whacking great garage, due to the amount of stuff in there and also because I don't want to cover all the vehicles and everything else in sawdust. I was thinking of ideas for a temporary canopy, to take up the right angle between garage and house - a shaped tarpaulin on ropes to clip in place when I want it, to some eye bolts set in the house walls.

Could you do a similar thing but on a small "outdoor cupboard" like the above? So you have the cupboard racked out for storage (even if power tools stay in the house for security), and an outdoor space under a tarpaulin that you can put up & take down easily to work under - either working on a Workmate or similar, or even building your own folding bench permanently attached to the shed exterior.

Not as good as a permanent cave I know, but could be a good compromise if you've got the space.

 

[Dumsey]

Thank you for sharing this with us Feltwell, this thread makes reassuring reading.
I will also hit that five zero landmark next year and after having both a mother and m-in-l who had to retire sick, Mr D and I are also planning to step down the stress ladder. My house is SSTC and we are going to downsize, pay off the mortgage and more importantly I will leave the NHS after over 30 years of service whilst he keeps his business ticking along enough to keep us out of the workhouse.
I look forward to seeing updates on all the house projects you will get time to do

 

[Zebra]

Thank you for your shed suggestion Feltwell, I already have a shed which fills the entire available space. When I said kitchen cupboard that was an exaggeration, it's the space of the old outside loo and is stuffed to the gunnels with drills, tools, garden chairs, and my new favourite thing, a battery chainsaw, which I have to sharpen on the dining table.
Anyway, back on topic, I too have just reached the 50 milestone, but no way am going self-employed again. Definitely prefer these days to do my hours, take my pay, but not ultimately have to worry about the business. But am on board with the idea nonetheless, of shifting down a gear, or at least not shifting up a gear. I turned down a promotion this year because I can't face managing people. Much prefer to be doing the doing, than telling others what to do!

 

[LadyArowana]

Definitely prefer these days to do my hours, take my pay, but not ultimately have to worry about the business. But am on board with the idea nonetheless, of shifting down a gear, or at least not shifting up a gear. I turned down a promotion this year because I can't face managing people. Much prefer to be doing the doing, than telling others what to do!

I so understand this! My fabulous handyman chap has done loads of jobs for me over the last year, hanging big pictures, moving furniture with his trailer, building shelves, getting rid of a dead washing machine…… Aaaaand have I paid him, noooooo, have I reminded him at every visit that I would like to pay him… yes, have I even offered to pay him a nice chunk of money on account……yes I have. So as we are approaching Christmas I sent him a message to remind him I owed him loads of money, of course he fesses up that he has completely forgotten when I last paid him ( it was 29/12/2021 ) and what jobs he’s done since Luckily he is not my first person who likes ‘doing’ not ‘paperwork’ so I just sent him a comprehensive list of all the different jobs I owe for. His Lordship was utterly appalled, he’s used to lawyers who bill you for every single minute of a phone call the moment they hang up, I told him you can’t get cross with nice people who like ‘doing’ you just make sure that you do their back office jobs for them!

 

[88v8]

Big decision... well done.
Life is too short to be unhappy at work, and it was that sort of situation that led me to retire at 57.

I wouldn't have the self-discipline to do what you're planning, wfh in a house where there are jobs to be done.

At the risk of being boring, bear in mind that some home insurance policies may restrict cover if the house is a base for a business.

Ivor

 

[LadyArowana]

At the risk of being boring, bear in mind that some home insurance policies may restrict cover if the house is a base for a business.

Ivor

But on the upside you may be able to claim a certain portion of house things ( electricity, +++ ) as a business expense. Not sure of CGT implications re house sale, might be a long time away and therefore of less concern as rules may be different by then anyway.

 

[steveb]

I am hardly qualified to give an opinion as I am not 50 yet*, however I can confirm that moving to the coast and dropping down to a 3 day week is the best thing that I have ever done and heartily recommend it to everyone. Although moving from a house with a great many sheds (man shed, girls shed, snooker shed, lawnmower shed, bike shed, wood sheds #1, 2 and 3) to somewhere that has no sheds has meant that I have had to find other means of mischief than shed-related ones.

*I may not however give the same answer this time next week

 

[Cubist]

I am hardly qualified to give an opinion as I am not 50 yet*, however I can confirm that moving to the coast and dropping down to a 3 day week is the best thing that I have ever done and heartily recommend it to everyone. Although moving from a house with a great many sheds (man shed, girls shed, snooker shed, lawnmower shed, bike shed, wood sheds #1, 2 and 3) to somewhere that has no sheds has meant that I have had to find other means of mischief than shed-related ones.

*I may not however give the same answer this time next week

Ahhh, mischief. Seldom allowed for in shed planning but nevertheless the best DIY activity of them all.

 

[malcolm]

I became self employed 20 years ago. There have been ups and downs in income and the downs have been quite effective at provoking motivation to get back towards the up. The thing I didn't manage well was a social life. At work you bump into people all the time. When working on your own you need to be a lot more active in getting out and seeing other humans.

 

[Feltwell]

When working on your own you need to be a lot more active in getting out and seeing other humans.

Not my forte, to be quite honest. The house is fairly chaotic with family but that will quieten down, with one offspring already at University and a second one to follow in about 18 months from now.

Something I could do with improving, but it's not naturally me.

 

[LadyArowana]

When working on your own you need to be a lot more active in getting out and seeing other humans.

Maybe, but I can guarantee that a visit to Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherd's Bush any afternoon shortly before Christmas will cure the wish for "other humans" particularly any small screaming smelly ones.....

 

[Feltwell]

I'll widen that scope for you LadyA - a visit to *any* shopping centre at *any* time is to be avoided, in my humble opinion. Shopping is what the internet was invented for.

On the rare occasions that such a physical foray is deemed essential, my local shopping centre is admittedly quite well set up for the middle aged male. Tucked away round the back of the shopping centre is a small car park that most people miss, so it usually has spaces. Said car park is right next to the back entrance to Marks & Sparks - descend the staircase and you emerge directly into the menswear department, so you can grab what you need quickly and make a sharp exit, without facing the untold horrors of the wider shopping centre - such as the "orange ladies" on the department store make up counters, whose mission in life is to grab sorry looking middle aged men as they pass and foist perfume upon them for that ideal predictable & thoughtless gift for their long suffering wives.

 

[Cubist]

I'll widen that scope for you LadyA - a visit to *any* shopping centre at *any* time is to be avoided, in my humble opinion. Shopping is what the internet was invented for.

On the rare occasions that such a physical foray is deemed essential, my local shopping centre is admittedly quite well set up for the middle aged male. Tucked away round the back of the shopping centre is a small car park that most people miss, so it usually has spaces. Said car park is right next to the back entrance to Marks & Sparks - descend the staircase and you emerge directly into the menswear department, so you can grab what you need quickly and make a sharp exit, without facing the untold horrors of the wider shopping centre - such as the "orange ladies" on the department store make up counters, whose mission in life is to grab sorry looking middle aged men as they pass and foist perfume upon them for that ideal predictable & thoughtless gift for their long suffering wives.

I always struggle to find something suitable for the 'fair' members of my social circle but if I limited those efforts to the Mens Wear section of M&S I'd be lynched.

 

[Feltwell]

I always struggle to find something suitable for the 'fair' members of my social circle but if I limited those efforts to the Mens Wear section of M&S I'd be lynched.

T'interweb! You can easily avoid the horrors of physical shopping for anyone. Etsy has been rather good this year - lots of crafty type stuff made at home by various folks, yes there is some rubbish on there but that's easy to spot and not buy, I've had some really lovely items. Amazon is rather taking over the world but is very good for mainstream stuff.

 

[Cubist]

T'interweb! You can easily avoid the horrors of physical shopping for anyone. Etsy has been rather good this year - lots of crafty type stuff made at home by various folks, yes there is some rubbish on there but that's easy to spot and not buy, I've had some really lovely items. Amazon is rather taking over the world but is very good for mainstream stuff.

I get more than enough 'suggestions' from the First Ladies in my life without you adding to my misery with more ideas. Bah humbug, I'm off to the shed.

 

[mims&pip]

For someone of the female persuasion I loathe shopping with a passion too

Pip can't understand that I much prefer online shopping - in my case, specifically ebay which has been my destination of choice since about 2004 - as he loves a mooch around bricks and mortar shops. We've bought everything from a £4k Liberty sideboard to blancmange on ebay

It's always my first port of call and I rarely go near the river place which imho is only good for the occasional book or dvd I do have the occasional foray into etsy too when looking for arty stuff but so often the best things are overseas so I don't buy there often, perhaps once a year....

Mims x