We had a similar experience about 30 years ago. Along with that same pine tree we had a huge full blue spruce right next to it in front of our house. Both trees were full with branches right to the ground, healthy & beautiful. It made our house disappear & look like a matchbox house & prevented light to come in. Both were 75' tall & growing nonstop. It started to affect our pipes. I don't like cutting down healthy trees. I began calling some large landscape companies asking them if they'd take them. One company had a customer who wanted live trees as a fence & barrier in an expensive suburb near Boston. They gave me a price & thought it was fair. We were really happy they wouldn't be destroyed. What a day it was when they came to remove those trees! Neighbors came over & cars driving by pulled over to watch. It was fascinating how a huge machine fit around the tree & lifted it up, roots impact & no damage at all. It took two days & the landscaper handed us a check which paid for filling those very large & deep holes. IMO I'd leave the tree for the new owners to decide whether to remove it or not. It's not that uncommon as you'd think.

Our apartment is perfect for my partner and I as we love monochrome, soft colours and grey! The owners before us loved the red and black combo so added a HUGE red glass panel stuck onto the black caesarstone splashback as a feature. They did something similar in the bathroom over marble (gasp!) and in the study they replaced the inbuilt black wooden desk with red wood laminate. As it is super expensive to replace marble and caeserstone it is something we can't do right now and have to live with it. I tend to block it out of my mind... It's horrid.

G'day Folks, My wife and I, like Jess (Strons) am a very proud owners of Nore Furniture, still used daily, and purchased in the late 70's! The collection includes a dining Table/dining and lounge chairs, coffee/lamp tables, and a Buffet. Interstingly, when we have visitors, the two Nore lounge chairs in the lounge are always taken before the modern lounge suite is used. (which annoys me, as the Nore furniture are the more comfortable by far) The remaining items are used in our Family/Ding area. Due to having constant use over the last 6 years with grand children, several of these magnificent pieces of Art are needing a little lift, re damaged finish. If your father does remember the stain details, I would appreciate his advice! The pride, skill, and love that went into this furniture still shines thru to this day! Cheers Dennis

Sorry to hear of your loss, M L, and my condolences to you. I would also choose my husband - he was brought up old-school and is very much the handyman. Only problem is - being an ex-engineer, he is extremely fastidious and has a tendency to over-engineer everything. Combined with the fact that he is very busy with work and has very little free time, our home renovation is taking absolutely foreeeeeeeeever (six years and counting)! No chance of us ever hiring a handyman - they would never do the job to his satisfaction, so he'd just end up ripping it all up and doing it again himself.