Alison_cat

Just adding my voice to the chorus of recommendations - I found Hussein through the forum, and we are so pleased with the work did. He painted our hallway and stairs recently, which involved tidying up a lot of very old, chipped woodwork, and they did a fantastic job. We left him our keys and went away for a few days and it was so nice to get the photo updates while we were away. We would definitely use him again for any more painting we have, as it was just the easiest process and the results are fantastic.

Just adding our recommendation here as well! We found Paul through this forum, and he was out the next day to Sydenham collect various bags, bits of rubbish and random household things for us after we've been doing up our garden and bathroom. Was so good to get it sorted - and also so quickly too. We'd used a bigger company I found online last summer when we had loads of kitchen waste but they were much easier to deal with, cheaper and more efficient.

I wanted to add another recommendation for John and Gabi at Top Marx kitchens, who we found through the forum. They could not have been more helpful or more patient with us, including when I accidentally ordered the wrong appliances which we only discovered when John came to fit them. John was so helpful in advising us on which kitchen companies to look into based on our budgets and timings when he initially came out to meet us and look at the kitchen space we had. He came and fitted the kitchen in the past few weeks - including making two unscheduled visits to Howdens when we realised that my husband and I had made a mistake in what kind of corner unit we needed - and was so great at working with us, tidily and efficiently, which has been a godsend as we have a tiny baby and we?re having lots of work done elsewhere in our flat so everything was a complete state. He and Gabi made a very stressful time a lot easier!

We have recently moved into a first floor flat that has the most appalling floorboards, so noisy and clearly sagging in places. Our neighbours below say they hear them even through ear plugs . We?re having new carpets and underlay installed in mid July but before that happens we?d like to get someone to tear up the existing carpets and either properly nail them down or replace them where appropriate. Does anyone have any recommendations for someone who might do this? Thanks!

We are currently buying a flat in Sydenham but the home buyer's survey has come back recommending that we get someone to take a more thorough look at the loft as the vendor had sheeting up, concealing the timbers and they might need remedial work. I am hoping 'might' is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. I have tried contacting various roofing people recommended on the forum - including Russel Perring - but not had a single reply as yet to my messages (except from Norwood Roofing who are too busy) and was wondering if anyone had any recent recommendations for people prepared to come and quote for work? It also suddenly occurred to me that perhaps roofing people aren't the people we need to assess internal loft and ventilation and that I perhaps should be trying someone else? There are some small roofing issues (flashing and gutters) I was hoping to get them to quote for at the same time.

Thanks everyone; No Flies have sadly said they can't take on any new clients at the moment as it wouldn't be fair to their existing clients (which sounds very sensible to me), but I've given Winkworth a call. Any other recommendations - or warnings of who to avoid - gratefully received!

Can anyone recommend their estate agent? We're just about to try and sell our flat and would love any recommendations, particularly if (possibly unlikely I know), any of you were selling a shared ownership property rather than than one you owned fully outright as it would be great to work with someone with experience in that area. Thank you!

Could anyone recommend a good lawyer who I could speak to about a housing issue with Southwark council? It's a fairly minor issue - the council won't provide any residents of my council owned block with access to our own meters, which are locked away in a plant room, despite me repeatedly quoting the Gas legislation to them about us needing direct access, and nor will they read our meters for us - so I'm hoping a lawyer could basically write them a sterner, more legal letter than I can, which might get them to sort this ridiculous mess out. If anyone has any recommendations for companies/individuals in this area that might be able to work on this, I'd be enormously grateful as it's been over two years of this madness! Even the energy companies can't get them to change their ridiculous rules. Thanks, Alison

I'm looking for a cleaner to come every 2 weeks for 2 hrs to clean my small flat and I was hoping someone might be able to recommend their cleaner. Ideally, I'd love a personal recommendation rather than someone recommending themselves as the last cleaner I had (who recommended themselves on the ED forum) wasn't great and also broke quite a few things. Any recommendations gratefully received!

My little old cat is getting a bit too stiff to groom herself properly, and even with me brushing her her coat is getting matted. Can anyone recommend a cat groomer in the Dulwich area (bonus points for ones that would come to your house!) I tried Maison Dog on North Cross Rd but their cat groomer has left and they don't have a replacement sorted yet. Thank you!

We're just about to move out of our flat and the garden needs a tidy up, but the lawnmower is broken. Looking for a gardener who could come round and blitz our horribly overgrown and very weedy lawn either this weekend or next. Thanks!

Fernando did some work for us last month on our little garden - he was lovely to deal with, very hard working and tidied everything up beautifully after he'd been. Hopefully we might call on his services again come the winter!

Does anyone have any recommendations for a handy wo/man who could hang four or five pictures for me? I own absolutely no tools, and it's a rented flat so I'm hoping to find someone who can do it properly for me. Thanks! Alison

Does anyone know whether there are any local charities that will collect from your home? I have bags full of clothes, books, glasses etc to donate but no car so I can't take them to a shop myself.

I have been trying to post a query in general issues about charity collection but it won't post. Is there something I could be doing wrong that's stopping it posting? I've had no problems posting in For Sale.

It had a password on so I'm hoping (probably naively!) that might deter them for a bit, but it was a 14inch white macbook (and we also lost another, older, macbook amongst other things). The police seemed pretty sure it'd be in our local cash converters in a matter of hours so someone's probably already bought it. I should say though, that our lettings agents (Homewood Homes) have been ace about the whole thing; sent maintenance people straight round to see what they could do for the door and had a brand new frame, with London bar as well, installed by yesterday lunchtime. I know lettings agents have a bad reputation so thought it was nice to share a good story for once!

Came home from work today to find we've unfortunately joined the 'I've been burgled club'. We're on Talfourd Road, near Bellenden Road and they kicked in the doorframe to bypass the locks and took two laptops, some cash and various other bits and pieces. Thankfully the cat seems ok (possessions are replaceable but I'd have been devastated if they'd harmed her as she's quite old now). Going to have to barricade the door tonight till we can have the frame completely replaced tomorrow so hopefully they won't be paying a repeat visit.