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Friday 9am - setting out! Woo hoo!!!! I've waiting a long time for this and to say I'm VERY excited would be a massive understatement. That is all

From a practical point of view, even as little as a 40mm board ( 9.5mm plasterboard and 30mm EPS ) will make a huge difference. Big consideration is making sure to foam the bottom and top thoroughly to stop convection air flow behind the dabbed boards.

Just to confirm that page three of the reclaim form says you can't reclaim VAT on "muckaway" or "separate invoices for transport or delivery". However if you could get a quote for a package of work say "Digging out foundations and removal of spoil" then the whole lot should be charged to you at the lowest applicable rate which would be zero (labor is zero rated). There is also a section in VAT 708 that might be useful... https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-708-buildings-and-construction/vat-notice-708-buildings-and-construction 3.3.4 Work closely connected to the construction of the building Subject to sub-paragraph 3.3.6, your work is closely connected to the construction of the building when it either: (a) allows the construction of the building to take place, such as when you: demolish existing buildings and structures as part of a single project to construct a new building or buildings in their place (please note that the granting of a right to remove materials is not the supply of demolition services and is standard-rated) * provide or improve an access point to a building site to allow deliveries to be made carry out ground works (including the levelling and drainage of land) as part of the process of constructing a new building or buildings in its place provide site clearance or ‘builders’ clean’ services secure the site Or, (b) produces works that allow the building to be used, such as works in connection with: the means of providing water and power to the building (this can extend to the work required to make the connection to the nearest existing supply) the means of providing within the development site access to the building (for example roads, footpaths, parking areas, drives and patios) the means of providing security (such as walls, fences and gates – but note that most electrical appliances are always standard-rated. Further information is in paragraph 13.6.) the provision of soft landscaping within the site of a building (such as the application of top-soil, seeding with grass or laying turf) Please note that the planting of shrubs, trees and flowers would not normally be seen as being ‘closely connected…’ except to the extent that it is detailed on a landscaping scheme approved by a planning authority under the terms of a planning consent condition. This does not include the replacement of trees and shrubs that die, or become damaged or diseased. It is not possible to produce an exhaustive list of services that are closely connected to the construction of the building, and each case not included above must be looked at on its own merits. (My bold)

It took me a while to figure the satellite photo of the house is North Up, but the layout drawings are West Up. I would move the front of the garage (and extension) about 1 metre towards the road. the reason being, the front wall of the extension would then line up with the dividing wall between the two first floor bedrooms. That would then leave the possibility to later add a second storey to the extension, and create a corridor through the back first floor bedroom to get to it.

Until you go to buy flooring and realise just how big it is...

+1 on Peter's comment. If you are removing 2000 tonnes of spoil, then this is something that merits optimisation. Also if your new site levels are part of your planning requirement then this isn't a service but a necessary part of the construction and therefore either zero-rateable or reclaimable. That would be my thinking. We removed just under half that, but in our case we had to drop the FFL to achieve required ridgelines, so this was an integral part of the build.

Now there's an offer ! And I used to live just off Hampstead Heath and attend the bathing ponds (swimsuited). Though my interesting Hampstead intellectual landlord used to take cold showers in the altogether in the back yard on his return from a swim. It may seem like a lot of questions, Brinsey, but they should help you find at least some aspects that you had not considered in detail. For me, could you identify North - so I can see where the sun will be? Thanks and welcome.

That's the point when you see it all marked out on the ground and think "Gosh that's small, better make it a bit bigger......"

I would be interested in seeing the upstairs floor plan. the downstairs doesn't look particularly big so I am guessing 2 bedrooms upstairs. Stair position looks a little odd so not a normal layout. Also the plot layout would be interesting. What I am getting at, is making the best of the plot. Would a 2 storey side extension make more sense to give more bedrooms, or a single storey scheme that could later have a second floor added if you need more bedrooms? Is the extension set back because that's the only parking and the house is to close to the road to offer parking in front instead of alongside the house (plot layout would show that) What's your budget and long term aims? is this a house for the long term, or just wanting to maximise it's potential and sell on?

How many stories - assuming 1? I guess there must be bedrooms upstairs but is the extension just one story? What is the street scene like, would a two story extention look better than a single story?

Too many doors in dining room, garage can be single skin masonry, cheapest, consider making openin from k to d/r to as near to WC as possible, move sink, create utility area near WC door. Materials same as house for extension

There's not really enough info to comment in detailI as it would need eg the complexity of the windows - are they windows with 6 lights and 2 opening panels each. But DG is now seriously inexpensive; a decent fence or tree work can cost more. But I can give you quite aggressive real numbers within the last month in the Midlands. 2x3 storey student houses. 4 doors, 2 of which are composite with 2 x quarter windows. Suited locks to front doors (ie master keys for LL). All locks thumbturn. 22 windows. No complex windows. 18 windows are identical. White finish. One opening pane to almost all windows. I am not certain that I specified Grade A this time as is my normal practice, as the whole contract was through in about 3 weeks. Includes scaffolding as necessary. Total cost just on £10k inc. VAT, which is from a local supplier. IMO a good price. My alternative quote from my usual supplier was about the same, but they couldn't meet the timescales. IMO go for a locally owned supplier with a 10-20 year track record and a turnover of low millions, where you can talk directly to the owner if you ask. The last time I did a single house it was iirc around 2-2.5k for a "rosewood plank" upvc front door and 5 windows (4 casements and one tall thin twin-opener), from a non-VAT supplier. Here I would be aiming for around £5-6k for your group assuming a mix of complexity: £400-500 (generous) per window ave, £750-1000 for the stable door, £1000-1500 for the patio door (lintel?). Plus add £1000 for a "wood" finish, or £1500 if Irish Oak finish. All including fitting and VAT. But then Sussex is full of retired bankers and new age organic hobby farmers with posh staircases and lots of thoroughbred petunias, and chickens and Vietnamese mini-porkers that are a lot of work for one week of breakfasts . This is the generally basic "look" of my fittings, so you will need to adjust your expectations for spec. Ferdinand s

Put another log on the fire. SORRY.

Bet you didn't do burgers over them hot flames.

For the bathroom, I would have a conventional flat ceiling. for the bedrom, I would give it a vaulted ceiling, but not just right up to the extreme top of the roof, that would leave a lopsided vaulted ceiling if you see what I mean. Instead, on the wall between a bedroom and bathroom, I would start another "false" vaulted ceiling starting at the same level and going up at the same angle to meet the main roof. like this:

We got ours serviced weekly. I think it was £20 a go on a long term contract (might have been a minimum of two months or something). £20-£25 seemed to be bog (ha!) standard around here (Surrey/Hampshire borders). That was usually often enough, but there were a few busy weeks where frankly it was pretty grim by the time the week was up. We rarely had more than about 5 or 6 people onsite at any one time. That's part of the reason I wouldn't have gotten involved with the caravan toilet situation. I imagine it would need emptying every day or maybe two. I don't know how much the chemicals cost, but even if they were free, £20 a week seemed a decent price to pay to have it completely taken care of by someone else.