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Ive guessed a few of your details, but have a play around with the stair builder and you can see your quote in real time. http://www.stairbox.com/stairbuilder-staircase-designer/?dmVyc2lvbjIuMy11ay0yNzAwLTEzLTIzMC42Ny04NjUtODY1LTg2NS1sZWZ0LXF1YXRlcl9zcGFjZS1ub25lLTNfd2luZGVyLTYtTmFOLWxlZnQtZnVsbC1MQnVsbG5vc2UtbWRmLXNxdWFyZS0wLTAtMC0wLTAtcGluZS1tZGYtcGluZS1waW5lLXBpbmUtYXNzZW1ibGVkLWNvbGxlY3RlZC0tZmFsc2UtMS0wLTAtMS0wLW5vbmUtMC0wLTEtMC1ub25lLTAtMS0wLTEtMC0xLTAtMC0wLTEtMC0wLTAtMS0wLTAtMC0xLTAtc2luZ2xlLTAtMC0wLTAtU1RELS1mYWxzZS1TcXVhcmVTcGluZGxlLTQxLTE0MC01OC0wLTA=

Thanks Grosey I have re jigged it slightly, this is what I want. Looks a fair price to me. http://www.stairbox.com/stairbuilder-staircase-designer/?dmVyc2lvbjIuMy1zYy0yNzAwLTEzLTIzMC42Ny05MzAtOTMwLTkzMC1sZWZ0LWhhbGZfdHVybi1ub25lLTNfd2luZGVyLTUtTmFOLWxlZnQtc3F1YXJlLUxCdWxsbm9zZS1tZGYtc3F1YXJlLTAtMC0wLTAtMS1waW5lLW1kZi1waW5lLXBpbmUtcGluZS1hc3NlbWJsZWQtY29sbGVjdGVkLS1mYWxzZS0xLTAtMC0xLTAtbm9uZS0wLTAtMS0wLW5vbmUtMC0xLTAtMC0wLTAtMC0wLTAtMC0wLTAtMC0wLTAtMC0wLTAtMC1kb3VibGUtMC0wLTAtMC1TVEQtLWZhbHNlLVNxdWFyZVNwaW5kbGUtNDEtMTQwLTU4LTAtMA==

Not sure how Mrs ProDave would react to this idea, but in terms of temporary stairs, would a pallet staircase be an option? Depends on dimensions etc but if you're not looking to get the whole place signed off by BuildRegs yet, it may be an option. The ones I have in my pallet collection are German engineered and all the same size. With a bit of a scaffolding pole as hand rail, it could look quite good. I'm still trying to persuade my boss about this... I do have to admit I have a pallet fetish.

Nope, missed that, cheers, found this so 4 of these wont break the bank - https://www.roofingsuperstore.co.uk/product/rigid-eaves-protector-15m-packs-of-10.html

I can't see any eaves protectors on your list. Unless you are planning to use a timber fillet in which case ignore that. Also I would agree that 25x50 would be a better choice for slate. 38mm batten is only really for tiles.

I converted a couple of 240V 400W work lights to LED, just because the heat output was way higher than we could stand (I had plasterers working in shorts and tee shirts in February, just because the halogen lights were getting the house up to around 30 deg C..........). I agree that most of the relatively cheap LED halogen replacements are nowhere near as bright. After several duff attempts, I did manage to buy some J118 compatible LEDs that were still not as bright as the 400W halogens, but were usable. They were rated at 30W, and uses 64 off 5730 LEDs. The light output was OK, and certainly a lot better than the fluorescent work light that the plasterers had.

Welcome, sounds an interesting project. We looked at Potton, but, to be blunt, we were put off by the relatively high cost and the relatively poor energy performance. We did try to persuade them to look at ways to improve the performance, but they didn't really seem interested in providing anything better than a "just meets building regs" standard. Having said that, I believe they have now built at least one passive house, so may be they are more receptive to the idea of making decent performance houses.

I believe the correct verb is Shat...

That roof batten looks pricey. Does itwhat type is it? My current price for 25x50 in the posh coloured versions are 48p plus VAT per m run, 38p for the general purpose. It will only probably save £15-20 mind, if that. Ferdinand

Batten is expensive as are the cloaks. You should be able to pick batten up for 48p plus vat, cloaks for £3 or so. Any reason for breather and sarking..?? If you're using Roofing Superstore then go for the cheapest breather which I think is Klober - I use a Cromar one at £30 a roll and its fine.

If the rafters are 600 centres, use 25 x 50 batten. Maybe use it in any case.

We've had a handrail in but a ladder to get up. Any issues for moving stuff have been resolved by deploying Big Steve.

Hi and welcome.... I'd get some different advice on trees if I was you ..!! A standard BS 5837 tree survey would ignore that whole hedge unless you are in a conservation area or the hedge has a TPO on it. Anything under 150mm at 1.5m above ground level is ignored so you could rip that up without even getting permission (assuming it's on your land ..!) Watch for council tree officers asking for surveys on land that is not yours - I've seen someone end up with a TPO on their land as someone tried to build adjacent and a very slap happy tree officer basically hit everything on the plan - including neighbours trees ..!

I would modify that slightly to be "as much information as you think you will *need* to provide to let the Council make their decision". It will say "built in accordance with drawings x, y and z, reports p, q, r and s, and conditions on the decision notice". It is up to you what is on drawings x, y and z and partly in reports p through s depending how you brief your advisers. There are tradeoffs. If it is not in your PP your Council cannot hold you to it - eg someone here had trouble when the manufacturer changed the design of the front door from the one shown on the elevation to their new design, and the Council planner chose to pick at that particular nit. Or if something marginal (eg specification of expensive landscape feature) *is* in the PP you are likely to be able to be able to include it in the part of your expenditure for which VAT can be reclaimed. They cannot be disturbed by things they do not know, and it is ambiguous what you have to tell them in many areas. The house I am living in at present squeaks up to the boundaries on both sides. Examining the plans I cannot see boundaries clearly indicated. On one side there is only an unlabelled line which appears to be the far side of next-door's drive. Was he misdirecting the Council? But it is all a judgement call and situation dependent, and you are wearing the wig and gown. Best of skill and best of luck . Ferdinand

Latch or spindle hole may be tight. Wiggle spade bit round usually solves

Welcome. Site levels is not a thing I would skimp on -- since it is the foundation of everything else anda survey is not really very expensive, at perhaps £400-£700. In your case I would have a survey done of the whole thing, including the existing, relevant points on the road etc, since that will hardly cost any more and you will need to know how your drainage trenches etc relate to the existing garden. You want to get a copy of the full digital model so you can give it to all your other professionals, and to make sure there is no restriction on your use of your model. Surely we are now also at the point where such models can be 3d-printed ecoomically? Has anyone done this? Ferdinand

I wonder what membrane they use? Protect VP400 plus kept out house dry all bar a few drips for months before I got the roof tiled.

I am confused about the waste water drainage. If there is no mains (everyone else seems yo have a private system) then you will be looking at a waste treatment plant. Nothing difficult about that. BUT the processed water that comes out of it has to go somewhere. That can be a watercourse or an infiltration field (soakaway) You need to do a percolation test (well documented, dig a hole, fill it with water and time how long it takes to drain away) and from that you can calculate the area of soakaway you require. If your soil drains well it shouldn't be too big, but you have to find somewhere for it and building regs put limits on how close to a building, a road, a watervourse and your site boundary that it can be located. A common solution (which we used at our last house) is to get an agreement from an adjacent farmer for the soakaway to go under one of his fields. If you try to connect to your neighbours system, building control will very likely insist that is upgraded to current standards so that brings you back to all the same issues to solve. I can't stress how important this is to solve. It caused us several weeks of worry as building control rejected our first drainage proposal, then SEPA rejected our second, it was only then, that SEPA gave us permission do discharge into the burn, something they only do up here if there is no other option (and by that point we had exhausted the other options)

Hi Liz Don't panic. Our MBC frame got drenched for weeks during and after installation, it's rains up here like knowhere ive ever seen (well apart from the Western Isles of Scotland!). Pools of water everywhere (our slab too is far from level). As you say the roofing membrane doesn't keep the water out. Flooring was completely soaked. It will dry dry out relatively quickly once you're watertigh and you're problably going to need a mild bleach solution to wash away that surface mould. The only damage we have as a result of the water is all the floorboard edges have swelled. When the time comes I'm going to have to hit the floor deck with 40g on a belt sander but when I think just how drenched it was that's not any great hardship. Oh oh and if you read through the archives you'll see that I didn't want to build in the winter to stop this very issue. British summertime!! yeh right!!

Whack a 230v plug on, change the bulb and your good to go. If anyone else is ever to be around these then l would label the light to say 230v with a small sticker.

Try and pre empt the conditions by providing as much information in the planning application as you can. Anything not completely defined is an open door for a condition to approve those details later. Site levels are easy. You can use an Ordnance datum if you can identify one. Otherwise make or choose any feature as a "Temporary bench mark" and reference all your levels to that, this is what I did. You need to show existing site levels and finished site levels. What are you going to do with all the excavated soil? in our case we used it to build up the ground levels so our site now slopes less than it did. That's the sort of information they are after. Also is there ant flood risk? look at the EA flood risk maps, make sure your finished levels are above any flood risk level in your area. You can use a laser line or rotating level and a detector on a staff. If you are really tight like me and did not want to buy a detector then you can use just a level and staff, and do all your measurements at disk when you can see the laser with the naked eye over some distance. The third was is the good old water level. A length of hose with a clear section at each end, the water at the two ends will always be level with each other. Note the point above about drainage, that can be a show stopper.

I remove that course of bricks on my jobs. I then just add another 25mm of edge insulation and run the floor insulation and screed right in. You may have to rebate the underside of the insulation to clear an step that removing the bricks creates, but the most important thing to observe here is NOT having offcuts of insulation here. This really needs to be one solid piece and then your guaranteed not to get any cracking issues where you bridge the cavity. Ensure that the vertical DPM detail is fully intact and your good to go.

Hello, welcome. One step at a time. Pre advice is just that; advice. Permission doesn't automatically follow. And the Conditions relating to the granting of permission seem to me to be hinted at in your post; That bit about ALWAYS nature land might well be important. The bit about levels is -really is- important. Why? Foul drainage. No foul drain, no house. 11m square. How are you going to organise foul drainage? Where are you discharging to? Welcome to the Sleepless Nights Forum There will never be a day or night from now on that you don't worry, fizz, think, hope, fantasise, agonise, hesitate, procrastinate, fulminate, dream about your house. Making a compelling case for permission to build is important. Assemble your arguments, choose your planner carefully. Ask focused questions here - that helps us think with you. Good luck Ian

For the levels I'd just find my AOD, you can get that near enough off OS maps, and then take a few level on site, jot them down on a drawing and submit. If your planning dept.is anything like mine this is just a desk top excercise that someone feels like asking for and the levels will never be checked.

Welcome Ed I used to know MK well, worked and lived there in the early 00's. Have you started to think about the energy usage of your new house, or are you happy to build to building regs?

Bored with that...

Perhaps I was just lucky with a very nice guy at OR who handed me both ducting and cable free but the impression I got was that they actively wanted me to pull the cable...less work for them.

@Onoff will make a scale mock up soon out of used beer cans and report the findings. It may take a while to complete though...