Leaderboard

Resin all done in a morning 6 of them laid 160sqm by lunchtime. Its looks amazing, cant do a close inspection as cant walk on it just yet but from where I can see it looks the bees knees. Very pleased.

Some real assumptions being made here about the ability of someone to do something. Can the OP climb a ladder to soffit height and drill holes to pull cables through? If not its a job for a professional. Can the OP pair and crimp an RJ45 plug? If not its a job for a professional. Can the OP differentiate between what needs power plus a Cat5/6 and what would run POE ( power over ethernet )? If not its a job for a professional. Does the OP want to be buying expensive switches / routers to get the POE capability? ? Heres a sensible comment, given that @Hecateh is of retirement age and won't be climbing ladders to the soffit; Your BB provider will give you a wifi router with 4 hard wired RJ45 socket outlets on the back of it. Its free. Decide where you would best use those 4 sockets. 1) Main TV 2) Master bedroom TV 3) Printer 4) Where will you sit with your laptop? Then run a couple ( 2 or 3, not 10 or 11 ) for where you think they may be of use occasionally. Label them all at the router and then you can just unplug one and redirect it elsewhere. Your printer swaps out to free up a socket for the spare bedroom, for occasional guests to plug in a laptop for eg. Cheap, simple and you still have wifi. The major importance is to mount the router wisely, so you get the best signal where its most important, so if you need good wifi for the TV fire-stick then have the router in the room where the tv is. Other wifi devices will cope, its a small house. Should we encourage you to not part with any more money than you need to? Yup.

@Lizzie, we used MBC like you for both the slab and the frame. It sounds like you had your unfair share of problems arising from quality issues during the laying of the slab. In our case, I didn't have a PM, but my wife Jan and I did this all ourselves, and we monitored the progress on a daily basis during both the slab work and the frame erection. In both phases (as we have previously discussed on the forum), we found a major thermal design flaw in the slab and another issue with the frame. If either had been left undetected then like you we might have had similarly serious defects to air, but in both cases I picked the issue and discussed it with the TF company's PM and agreed remediation; doing this immediately involved minor rework. Also after the slab was finished I double-checked all of the linear and diagonal measurements, and used my Dumpy to check levels. The maximum error on the line measurements was about 5mm; the maximum off-level was a 3-4mm slump along the centre of one of the gable walls, and the placement of one of the foul water risers was about 2cm out. However this was all within acceptable tolerances so we knew that the TF erection could proceed. I feel that the root of this issue is the culture of poor on-site quality assurance in the (domestic) building industry. IMO, this is true across all construction methods. Things can and do go wrong, but the impacts will be small if such errors are picked up immediately and rectified there and then. IMO, your PM should have also done this sort of check on the slab before TF erection and identified the defect at this stage. It would have been fairly straightforward to remedy this at this stage with maybe a 1-2 week delay on the TF erection and you wouldn't have had all of the consequential issues with trying to erect a TF on an untrue slab. Jan and I have a TF house; we are absolutely delighted with it, and have no regrets about this choice. Since we did all of the interior work less the boarding out and electrics, one thing that we found amazing was that we went from a bare slab to weather-tight house that you could lock up in 8 working days. Also as the interior had over 18 months to dry out before we moved in we've had absolutely no issues with movement and cracking in the plasterwork. Reading this thread top-to-bottom, there has been a lot of negative comment on this thread from proponents of method A pointing out a lot of issues with method B, all based on street tales rather than evidence. (This clearly doesn't apply in your case, Lizzie.) IMO, this is about as relevant as me spouting off about the "problems" of being a woman -- how on earth am I qualified to do this?

10% off all eBay purchases from 10am this morning until 8pm. min spend £20, max disc £50. Max 2 redemptions. https://pages.ebay.co.uk/coupons/2018/pickany.html?

You sure all you’re doing is sleeping?

Dave. Compare apples with apples mate, thats a huge bum steer. £500 for your ( at first wonky ) ASHP which fortunately you can fit yourself, at the cost of your personal worth ( what you would have been getting if you were in work not in your back garden fitting your ASHP ). The cost mentioned by most here also include the cylinder / controller / ASHP fitting kit etc etc plus an accredited / certified installation with a manufacturer and installer warranty. A-pples.

The Mitsubishi has on board metering accessed via the FTC5 controller.

In any construction trade it’s all down to the individual tradesman what standard you get. Block built or timber frame both have their merits but if your bricklayer/joiner’s a numptie your on a hiding to nothing! I'm a bricklayer myself and I’ve built around some dodgy kits, 50 mm off the plumb from floor to eaves but I’m sure there are some bricklaying horrors to match

Thanks very much for that, @ProDave and @newhome. I should have been more diligent and checked further rather than just trusting the word of my accountant after an ad hoc enquiry (I was seeing him for my annual "dump a box of paper with him" session and only mentioned CGT in passing). In our case, if it were not for the 18 month relief period the gain may have been substantial. The difference between the purchase price and the sale price is about £140k, so, depending on the complex sums mentioned, plus the fact that we both own it, then there could, possibly, have been a fairly high liability. No need to worry about it now, though, as having found out that our house is being bought by a charitable religious trust I think there's a very slim chance that the sale could fall through.

I wanted to build this house 10 years ago but the council wouldn't let me because it is a garden plot. Things change and I suspect it is their obligation to ensure there are plots for self builders and to provide more homes overall that prompted the change of heart. 10 years ago I would have been much more involved in the process and attempted at least some of the jobs myself. Regardless of age being just a number I know I am not as fit or as confident as I was. The main form of future proofing I am prepared to invest in is ensuring I can stay here whilst ever I am fit enough to care for myself. I am not interested in future proofing it for future sale as that is my kids problem and technology will almost definitely have moved on (- or totally crashed) within 20 to 30 years. Both my parents lived into their 90's so genes at least suggest a long life. The electrician is happy to lay the cable if I supply it, so if the offer is still open @PeterW I can come and pick it up later today or any time over the weekend - the electrician needs it for Monday.

I blame the kids of today. And their parents. And their parents too. There, all bases covered!

At our tip if you're dumping any form of copper containing cable they have a "special" area away from the designated ones for it. Same place all the too good to throw away kids bikes and garden equipment seems to end up... Amazing how if you ask to take anything that you see; "Not allowed mate, rules you see, Health & Safety.....". I always feel the place is run by an extended family who's primary dwelling is on wheels...

It's been a busy old day on site today, and the main MBC associated action was deliveries of EPS and steel and sand, and the team getting on with putting the blinding sand down onto the hardcore, that they finished yesterday evening. The EPS supplier is based in Essex - the driver left at about 4.30 this morning to make an early delivery but even at that time of day, he didn't make it to the site until just after 8.30 as the roads were so busy. The amount of polystyrene sitting on the site makes it look as though I've had the mother of all Amazon deliveries and this is the left over packaging. It's in 2 forms, large flat rectangular sections and the angled corner pieces. Later on this morning, all the steel arrived, 6 tons of the stuff. It was interesting to see all the component parts of this as I'd never seen that much in real life and, for my own build, only on SE drawings. The MBC guys were very patient and explained to me how it all gets laid out then tied together to form the ring beam and how they tie everything into the piles. Very interesting if you've never seen it before. That lot was all put to one side until they need it, and then the main order of the day was getting the sand down. Progress was slower today as there were only the 2 men on site, but they're still working at a good pace. The garage area had the sand laid first. The brown pipe sticking up in the foreground is one of the foul water exit pipes. These have all been put in situ now, along with ducting for any electrical cable that needs to enter or exit through the slab, and this includes my broadband cable. The following shows the foul water runs; MBC put these to 1m outside the perimeter of the slab. And then we have the ducting to take the electrical cables, visible to the rear of the picture: Then there's a final shot of the blinding going down over the west facing living room area: The other thing that happened today and is worth of mention is the site visit from the scaffolder I'm using. If you look at the last photo, you can just make out some high voltage overhead cables that don't directly cross the new build, but are very close. These are close enough that a scaffold erector might accidentally touch the wires with a pole when putting them in position, so the upshot is that the cables need to be shrouded to protect the workers. This can only be done by the DNO and it's the scaffolding company who contact them and arrange it all as part of their own risk assessment procedures. When the scaffolding guy raised this with me, he asked if I was project managing the build and whether I needed to do any CDM stuff. Thank god for BuildHub, as thanks to that thorny and long-running thread a while back, I knew precisely what he was talking about and immediately stated that I wasn't a project manager, but a domestic client and dealing with a sequence of main contractors. Right answer. He said that was fine, he would take care of it all. Phew! Back to the scaffolding and that shrouding, with another worthwhile point. Although the firm will organise everything themselves re. the shrouding, there is a lead time with the DNO, currently about 3 to 4 weeks, as it's that time of year. You may recall that the MBC timber frame team were due on site on 20th August which is more than a little tight. As it is, I had an email from MBC this afternoon to advise that, as it's that time of year, they've had to bump it back a week due to staff holiday, etc. That suits me just fine and gives me enough time to make sure the scaffolding is properly in place for the job. My windows are due for installation on 24th September; MBC will need about 3 weeks for the timber frame, so all of that works out nicely. The hiatus between the slab and the timber frame will be useful time to make sure I'm organised for the next push with getting the guts into the house and sorting out all those niggly little details. Like a roof. Onwards and upwards!

I think that ANYTHING is better than a macerator / Saniflo. If you can get this to work with proper gravity drainage, do it. You will not regret. If the pipe is exposed to the sun you should use the black or grey stuff. If it is underground or covered use brown, but ANYTHING is better than what you have (other than crapping in your own pants).

Well we have lights and bubbles! All off a plug top at the mo but I want to check for leaks before closing the bath in. Hot and cold ran out before I could fill above the jet line...it's just about on it. Light on/off works fine but jets are either full whack or off...what I think is the jet control does nothing... Found one snapped wire on a pcb connector, no surprise there seeing how long it's been sat! Going to sit down with a beer now and read the instructions!

But simple logic suggests that if a film lowers the temperature of the glazing, and reduces the range of temperature that the glazing sees, then the stress must be lower, and hence the risk of cracking must be lower. External low emissivity film MUST reduce the glazing temperature, and hence the stress in the glass, and it makes no difference what the glass is, as the external film has to result in it running cooler.

Yes it is a Mitsubishi 5 kW Ecodan unit with a Mitsubishi pre-plumbed 170 litre hot water cylinder - supply and fit for just shy of £7k. If you do contact them, please mention Paul from Darnchester. The ASHP is £4.5k

Hi - if you are looking for accredited installers then can I recommend Borders Under Floor Heating - they operate out of Galashiels and have / will install our UFH, ASHP and DHW cylinder . Through them we have been accepted by the Scottish energy trust so will receive an interest free loan and receive RHI payments, which will cover the cost of the interest free loan.

If you go on their website you will get a list of their accredited installers which you have to use anyway to get the funding, I’m sure one of them will quote you, we are getting funding for the pellet stove

Another Claymore Timber Frame kit in various stages. Kit erected by Templeton Construction. Client was most impressed by quality , service and speed of the build this was the latest entry on claymore Facebook page

There is definitely an 18 month relief period. Tax when you sell your home - Official Government Page Periods that always qualify for relief No matter how many homes you own or where you lived at the time, you always get relief for the last 18 months before you sold your home. It must have been your only or main residence at some point while you owned it.

That is what I was told on the MSE site. I too was worried that I might accumulate a CGT liability by renting it, but it seems you would have to rent it quite a long time before that is the case if it has been your primary residence for a long time first. The exact wording of what I was told is here Perversely, it looks like if a property that has been your primary residence, is going to be left empty for more than 18 months, you can reduce or eliminate your CGT liability by letting it and claiming the letting relief (only available if it has at some time been your primary residence) In my case it looks like I will be liable only for the letting gain less the final 18 months. And when you take into account TWO CGT allowances, that would need to be in excess of £22K gain before we would have to pay anything. Which unless prices suddenly rocket before we actually sell it, would be about another 4 years of rental. If the tenant has not bought it by then he would be out and it would be back on the market anyway before that.

Depends on what they are doing. I combined nature with plants/trees, and I knew what to expect before the Surveyor arrived. Out of date with costs, but it should be a few hundred I would think. The Phase 2, now .... ?. Get thyself over to http://www.ecologistdating.com/, and bag an affair and a bus-non-gender-specific-person’s holiday. F

The Primary Residence relief covers the period you occupy the house as your primary residence AND the last 18 months of ownership regardless of use. So as long as you can prove it was your primary residence until no earlier than 18 months ago, then you should not have any capital gains tax to pay, even if you were letting it for that last 18 months. Our old house is currently under that, having now been let for 15 months. Even after the 18 months is up, there will then be a letting relief figure to apply (a more complicated "lesser of 3" calculation) and if that calculation shows some taxable gain, then there are two personal capital gains tax allowances to use up before you become liable to pay anything. So unless we rent our old house for many many years, there should be no CGT to pay,. If CGT is due, they take the purchase price and sale price (including all expenses) and assume a linear gain throughout the ownership and apportion it monthly for any period where CGT may be due.

Did I heck as like!

The local one that I’m not allowed to use has a big shed to put ‘too good to throw away’ items. It’s part of an initiative called zero waste. They have a large warehouse where it all ends up and they sell to the public. They also partner with various businesses so often have weird and wonderful things on sale. They cleared the entire map room at Edinburgh uni for example and sold them off for £2 each. There were some very weird and wonderful maps to look at and buy. They also collect items of school uniform and give away free of charge. Much better than so much stuff ending up in landfill. Zero waste

I was in our local place last week about 7:45pm and there were 3 vans in there - one was a plasterer offloading plaster and board into the skip and sweeping his van out. No-one stopped him at all, which suggests he is known and may have some sort of “arrangement”...... the other was a tipper transit and he definitely knew the people on site and it all looked very “trade” waste ...! The third was a sparky and they were helping him unload the cable offcuts - wonder where that is being weighed in... ? A classic case of playing the rules ..!

It is indeed! That neighbour died last year and we now have a much more reasonable couple living there, which has made life a lot easier, and allowed me to erect the fence on top of the retaining wall that I had originally wanted to fit. The neighbour with the big vegetable plot is to the side, and has always been tremendously helpful and supportive, right from the very start of the build.

I've only visited one self built passive esque place. (TF, icynene filled I believe). Not a big name TF company either I don't think? The attention to detail imo was second to none. That's down to the tenacity and vision of the self builder in question imo. They're not in it for a quick buck for a start. Maybe it's all about leaving a legacy, self satisfaction, peace of mind etc. Equally it's about the control you excercise over trades that you do use. It exceeds ph standards I believe.

I don’t think you should feel foolish, had, maybe, by people not doing their job properly.

I think we could debate until the cows come home about where responsibility lies during a build and which system is best. It's all horses for courses and the build type will inherently depend on each individuals requirements/taste. Responsibility is a tricky one. As the purse holder ultimately checking everything probably falls to the self builder regardless of whether you have a PM or not - once you hand over the cash are you essentially saying you are happy with the standard? If not happy then why pay? Again this isn't straightforward either - a lot of the time you have to pony up the cash to actually get the goods/service in the first place and then what? Small claims court if there are unremediated issues? I do believe there are times where some members have fallen foul of bad service where it is more than reasonable to believe that the service would have been good and others have taken the line that the self builder should have checked. I don't necessarily agree with that view but hey, such is life. Nothing's ever black and white....which can be attested to by the countless healthy? debates buried away within the numerous threads of this forum. As long as there is the freedom to highlight the good, bad and ugly of members various experiences then it will ensure that future self builders (Myself uncluded) can at least learn from the painful lessons others may have endured. ?

So you would be better with a WiFi video doorbell.

I agree there are good and bad tradesmen out there but the method of building is not the fault. I do believe the customer should be either capable of project managing or pay a project manager to make sure each stage is correct. Only get tradesmen by reputation and recommendation.

I see you are in Marple. I work as an architect locally to that area and have used Robinsons Preservation Ltd several times with success inc dry rot issues. Try contacting Neil Faulkner who is the MD. They are based in Salford.

Statutory period is 8 weeks - so expect something less than that. Our council left me hanging till the 8th week and I called them to have a gentle prod. I had the head of planning dealing with me within minutes, apologising and basically saying she would put it through right away but neighbour notification had to go in first and we had to wait out the 14 day period. They agreed it in principle within about 1 day and had the planning officer out that week, we waited our 14 days and as soon as the neighbour notification period was over they called and said you're fine. JCB rolled in the following morning. So lesson learnt here: I would never let planning simply sit now, about a week after I submitted anything I would always check it has been assigned to a planning officer and I would make contact with them just so I know what is what. So really they should have it done in 5-7 I think is normal, which means they come in under the statutory period (13 weeks if it's like an office development!) - no mention for any other categories so regardless of your CatC listed status it is still just a planning app. Bear in mind the CatC stuff will just mean they adhere to a slightly stricter rule-book.

It's interesting to see where different water companies sit on the hosepipe ban problem. Some definitely see it as a political problem whereas others just see it as good practice. It seems to have been received OK in NI. In NE Scotland, river flows we might only expect to see for a day or two a year have been persistent for over a month. The picture below shows the River Spey which has recorded some of it's lowest levels. It makes life as a hydrologist a bit more interesting!

Just accepted an offer for £285K, cash buyer, no chain, no mortgage, can complete the purchase in around 6 weeks. Looks like our strategy of pricing low and asking for offers in excess of the minimum price achieved a sale price that I suspect is higher than we'd have got by asking for a higher price and negotiating down. Just off to open a bottle of wine...

Pipistrelle bats don't appear to be endangered and their protection is a waste of everyone's time and money (unless you are a bat inspector). GB index of common pipistrelle population from Field Surveys

The biggest single advantage of timber frame over masonry is that you can build a weathertight shell much quicker, especially if the timber frame is part fabricated off site. This can be a big advantage in areas of the UK such as Scotland, Wales etc where a particularly wet or cold climate can lead to long delays with masonry construction. For example, on my own timber frame build on a very awkward site on a steep hill in Wales, our shell construction only took 2 weeks.

Tried 5 so far with no joy . Will try the one @Redoctober used next.

I paid a professional PM