Having wanted tortoises for years, I am finally almost in a position to have one, due to the sudden and devastating loss of a horse meaning I will have some insurance money coming in which I don't want to use to purchase another horse.

I am also renovating a house, so won't be in the position to have one until it's finished and we move in, which will be another month or so. However, I want to be really well prepared, and so am starting to think about both indoor and outdoor housing.

I will probably be getting a 1 year old spur thighed tort. I am considering getting 2 as I have been advised they prefer company - what advice do you have about that? Would 2 females be better suited as a pair than 2 males?

I am planning on having a tortoise table inside, with a UVB lamp, but also an outdoor enclosure (with reinforced wire roofing) for the daytime. How do people manage the time their tortoises spend outdoors in terms of maintaining the correct temperature in our unpredictable climate?

Finally, space! Fortunately both my OH and Dad are pretty handy at building things, so I will probably design both the tortoise table and outdoor enclosure myself and instruct them to build it ;) but what sort of dimensions are appropriate for 2 spur thighed torts? Obviously they're only dinky at the moment, but I want to start with enclosure adequate for 2 adults so that we don't have to alter the housing too quickly.

Many thanks - an apologies in advance for the many, many questions I will no doubt be asking!