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Thanks people, great responses been talking over a pond with the wife, looks like a go-er

What worked for us was to get Velfac to supply an installation engineer to do the first day with our building team to get them skilled up in the system. Well worth the 400 quid it cost. More than I can say for the inordinately expensive compriband tape that we used 800quids worth of!

You don't need any zones - or actuators for that matter. Just pipe it as two equal loops and leave the actuators off, link the stat to the pump and set the mixing valve as low as you dare ...

Go on, what's a golden fossil?

I deliver concrete and we only use volumetric mixers due to it being more practical for the customers 1: you only pay for what you have 2: it's freshly mixed on site for you. as for asking how it's measured. Each mix i.e c25, c30, c35 has its one set up and you adjust the gravel and sand gates to each mix setting. It is then measure via sensors on the belt that delivers the sand and gravel

Worth bearing in mind that a plot without planning permission is worth perhaps 5% to 10% of the value of a plot with planning permission. If someone is trying to sell a plot without planning permission you have to ask the very big question, "WHY?". Anyone with sense will get planning permission before selling a plot, even if only outline, because of the massive uplift in value that it gives. A plot without planning permission would be valued on the basis of possible use, but could be as low as agricultural land value (roughly £4k per acre) up to maybe ten times that for use a garden or paddock for horses (for some reason equestrian use land seems to attract way over agricultural land prices). The value uplift from gaining planning permission creates a significant risk if looking to buy a bit of land with a conditional contract, as the contract needs to be bolted down very tightly to ensure that only you, as the person getting planning permission, can buy the land at the agreed price.

Welcome to the adventure! Where are you - law and planning policy varies hugely but geography and land designation. Yes there are all those barriers, and yes it is difficult and complex. Others will come up with ways and means, but can I be Murphy sounding a warning bell about rushing. Yes you may be able to do a self-build mortgage with the land as part or full deposit, but it will require a specialist provider. There are threads on here with links or search online for self-build mortgages, or in magazines or weekend newspapers. THat way you get a rain check on what your broker says and the experience to begin developing a 'knower', which will help you 'know' whether you are being played or not. I think the biggest hole in your setup is that requiring completion 7 days after PP is RIDICULOUS. It will take perhaps 10 times that amount of time to arrange a mortgage, never mind the 6-8 weeks a rapid solicitor will require to get things ready to exchange, never mind complete, on the purchase. DO they have a right to pull out if you fail to complete in 7 days? Can you do all that in advance. In my view you probably want an agreement that will give you 6 months to complete after getting PP and perhaps let out clauses in the purchase agreement too. In a just world you would also want some of your Expenditure back if he sells to someone else, since you will be increasing the value of the land for him. There are people here who will tell how long it actually took in their case. To my jaundiced eye that agreement for 7 days might say they saw you coming, and are setting you up to fail, and save themselves the cost and hassle of PP - since once PP is granted everyone can use it on that plot. (If I am wrong on the above I will be delighted.) GIven this, I think you need to review the agreement, and also make damn sure there is nothing else that will let the seller renege after you have PP or exploit your hard work and sunk costs. e.g. Is there anything that says that they have a right to use reports you have done. in standard contracts with e.g. a ground testing company you may have to pay several hundred £££ to reassign a report to your seller, and if you have agreed to do that and they pull out or it falls through, then you could be a couple of thousand down as well as gifting them PP on their plot. My strong suggestion is, if you have not done, is to pay somebody to audit all the arrangements you have in place, or call in a favour. You will need either a Specialist Solicitor from the property dept of a local / regional firm of solicitors, or some like a member of the RICS from a local independent estate agent who has oodles of experience (I call them HOGS - Hoary Old Gits). You perhaps want the well-lunched one from the back office with the greying hair and the cynical coffee mug. £250 to save £25000 or £250000. Do not be scared off, but please take care and perhaps read a book or two on plot buying if you have not. Ferdinand

I would have kept them, and sold them to buy beer. ??

Says it all really

It goes to show how difficult it can be to spot a monkey, and sadly there do seem to be a fair few monkeys around. I doubt there was anything more your friend could have done, other than try and track down previous customers to get their view.

With prevention being better than cure..... Once the deck protection is laid, approach each trade and explain that it will not withstand cutting / impact damage so please take extra care. Explain that you expect to see each trade / individual practising good measures against causing such damage eg putting down a dust sheet over the deck protection where any heavy tools ( router / planer / chopsaw legs ) are to be frequently used so as to be double sure that no major damage can occur. Futher expalin that you'd like the housekeeping 'upped' accordingly, eg filthy / gritty / clay covered boots left outside and clean boots / steel capped trainers used inside. Last new build I was on I bought wellies for going outside and kept my steel boots for inside only. Another major thing people overlook is the new door / French door thresholds. Get some old carpet offcuts and put them down over the thresholds so the seals don't get damaged or full of crap. Lift and shake these every day to keep them as crap-free as possible. Where heavy / repetitive carrying is to be through one particular door, apply some protection to the verticals of the door frames and that'll cover you for the fact that labourers and apprentices forget that the ladder has TWO 'kin ends . If you don't tell them, don't expect them to do any of the above . It's down to you to keep pushing for good practice, and if you relax, so will they.

From that to this and after separating the foam blocks from their wooden 'jackets' then kissing them with the digger, this.... a really nice, soft, bouncy, free draining top cover for the MOT1. It'll break down even more over time. And come into its own over the winter - maybe not so many muddy boots. Better and much cheaper than skipping it. Meeting the Durisol MD and rep on Tuesday of next week. Contractor tomorrow. With luck and a good deal of energy, we might just get back on schedule with the least damage possible. Now all I have to do is make it happen.

Erm...same architect next door?

Sand... Oversanded mix for pump... which in turn needs more cement

I believe so, yes. It would have been about 15-18(ish) months ago. I don't remember exact pricing, but I was very surprised given what appeared to be the amount of work and materials involved relative to, eg, a kitchen. In fact, I did wonder at one point whether it was feasible to get wardrobes from a kitchen company!