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Hi All An interesting one - I am a surveyor (25 years Chartered until I got fed up with sending the RICS a £700 payment a year for nothing!) with 30 years post qualification experience and have previously 'built' big sheds, offices, 100+ bed hotels and large London resi schemes - 80 units+ at a time. I am about to undertake a scheme of 3 houses (one of them being for me)... Now here is the issue - on my previous schemes I have always had an established site team of PM and numerous site managers to deal with the day to day issues while was dealing with the higher level stuff - finance, letting and legals and the like. A scheme of 3 houses in northern Cambs is not going to stand such costs so I am it! I have drawn up our CPP which I am pretty happy with and have got the site set up sorted. It became apparent that none of the contractors here carry a valid ticket for our telehandler so I went and took the course last week (£1250!) so will take care of that. Not looking forward to offloading the brick lorry mind with the driver getting grumpy if I take my time - he will just have to suck it up I suppose. My worry is that, while I have a great take on the 'big picture' stuff, my knowledge of the real detail items is limited - potentially a dangerous combo! Main concern at the moment is floor makeup - we are using a Floorspan Efloor Plus beam and poly infill floor - Plots 1 & 2 (not to be mine) have 100mm poly sheet over with a 65mm screed to go on top - mine has a 150mm poly top sheet with u/f to go on top with a 65 - 75mm screed - it is doing my head in thinking about how this relates to the block coursing over the beam. Anyway we got the P1 footings in Thurs / Fri of last week (I am up on the Fen north of Huntingdon and we have left it really last before the weather / water table makes the site unviable until next May!). P2 excavation tomorrow with mass pour on Tues with mine to follow Wed / Thurs with mass pour all day on Friday - worked mine out today as 68 cube into the footing...

Sorry for the delayed responses, I was busy on site achieving nothing ??

Hi, new to the group. We are planning a near Passivhaus bungalow, commencing in Jan

Hi. I'm a retired (10 years) electrical/electronics engineer and IT Lecturer with too much curiosity probably. I have a 1950's house with upgraded insulation and I'm looking to replace my combi boiler and get rid of gas. A Sunamp unit for hot water and an ASHP for heating are favoured, the idea being to use off peak electricity and installed solar PV to the maximum and minimise emissions etc. Green Home grant and RHI under investigation. Only a shallow knowledge of plumbing, heating and ventilation, so I'm on a steep learning curve. In my early 70s I'm having to get others to do things for me as my DIY capabilities decrease. Very frustrating!

Hello all, I am an architectural designer. I am converting my 850sqft bungalow in the New Forest. Quite a major architectural change. I already have built a single storey rear PD extension, a natural pond, a timber frame garage, and a lovely barn in the garden. Since June I have been working on the main change to the bungalow by removing the roof and front walls, and adding a new 1st floor. My budget is very tight. Hopefully soon to be completed. I am loving the results. Guy

Hire !! And also have a proper look at one as they have an adjustable knuckle at the head which changes the angle when you turn the handle. Plenty of videos on YouTube

I’d put a 28mm compression connector where you have B marked on the pipe and make it easy for myself.

Hi and welcome to the forum. I considered Sunamp in my build but am glad I changed my mind as there seem to have been quite a few problems with them. There is an alternative coming to market next year called Tepeo which looks to me like a big storage heater with water pipes. https://tepeo.com/technology

Salus stuff was the cheap / nasty end of the scale, but recently they seem to have improved their offerings. I would ring their Uk tech support and ask them which of their newer offerings has a non mechanical relay option, and is suitable for your application. You’ll need to tell them the current model that you have, so they know which voltage ( or volt free ) rating it is.

I still prefer a buffer / hydraulic separator to allow the ASHP to ramp up to max without having to worry about what the final heat load is. My 2-cents is you have the right configuration ?

Welcome. There are a fair few here with Sunamps. In my view plumbing is evil, which is why I get plumbers to do mine.

no, during the heating season (when I decide) the ASHP heats the buffer (indirect)to 30’ and when the room stat in the hallway calls for heat the pump on the UFH manifold starts up and blends down to 23’. Any heat lost from the buffer remains in the house just like the heat lost from the DHW tank (48’) but at these low temps the heat loss is minimal. As I have said elsewhere I would probably not have a buffer if I were to do it again, but it works just fine. So my Dads old motto springs to mind “ If it ain’t broke don’t mend it!”.?

I’ve just submitted my order for DIY Kitchens and the delivery fee to Aberdeen is £225. IV postcode should be the same assuming Skye is considered mainland due to the bridge. From previous experience the DIY Kitchens are better quality & choice than the main sheds. My parents have a Wren kitchen which I’m not impressed with quality wise. They’ve had it in a few years and the door edges are starting to peel. My in-laws got their kitchen very recently from Howdens. It’s seems ok but I definitely think DIY kitchen unit and doors are better. In terms of Ikea kitchens, their old range was called Rational or Rationel, but their new range is called Metod. To get me a temp habitation for my self build I have to install a temp cheap kitchen so I got a few Ikea units as a cheap and easy temp option, the new range isn’t as good as the old one but they do get good reviews. I found them a bit wobbly TBH but would be better once screwed to wall etc. But if you didn’t know Ikea carcasses don’t have a services recess at back which may be very relevant to you if an older property. Also though Ikea carcasses seem cheap their legs are excluded and quite expensive. Others here may have a different opinion to me but the fact I was happy to pay the higher delivery cost for a DIY kitchen tells you something. If you are going for simple cupboard units DIY kitchens units aren't very expensive TBH. 1200 double base unit between circa £100-£140 depending on doors. Hope this help a bit with your decision.

As @Bored Shopper suggests, there's little that's common about common sense. After four years of building when I'm asked " Why didn't you (...)" I now reply " Because I'm not you." Do I sound fed up? ? The sheer volume of choice is the most daunting thing. The most expensive aspect of any build is knowing why you are NOT doing what you might reasonably be expected to do. That's the steepness @Bored Shopper alludes to. You are exactly right @Dima, most of us need a capable, critical, supportive friend. I'm still looking for that hen's tooth. BuildHub is the closest you'll get. But don't rely on her. Due diligence is easy to miss out. It's hard work.

I'd +100 to the above opinions - you are your own best PM. As was stated on this Forum "someone else's common sense is not your common sense", no one has a better gut feel for your own project than you. It would, of course, be one hell of a job to pull off, the learning curve is very steep, and you need four pairs of eyes to watch out every little sneaky bit re unexpected extras etc. We are in Middlesex. We've done a 4-bed 2-receptions +loft and garage within M25 on a narrow residential road - an in-fill build. We've had a PM who first brought in bad builders, and then brought in good builders (but at that point we ditched him as a PM as he was rubbish and cost us a painful £££ of extras). Having PM'ed the second half of our project, can say that it is hard work, hugely time consuming, but very rewarding. Plus you would know to a penny what you bought and where you bought it. If I were to give one word of advice: always go with your gut feel and ensure you have 20% contingency budgeted in (at least). Things don't always go to plan. Good luck and welcome here.

And remember with the likes of Howdens, their first price is never their best price. I found Howdens had a very good range of white goods if you need any. FAR better than I could find in the VERY disppointing showrooms in Inverness. You might just be quick enough to get the tail end of Howdens Autumn "sale" which I think ends at the end of October.

Attached off the krend website. I’m deffo “white” off this chart.

That person, I’m afraid, is you. Others will spend on your behalf, sometimes on their behalf also, but always with your money. Sometimes they’ll have spent it without asking, and then just give you the bill, which will then be due in 7-14 days. QS the job yourself. Use that QS report / breakdown to get contractors to understand what is expected and what is available budget wise, and explain to EVERYONE that no extras will be paid for until known, agreed, and that the particulars agreed have been adhered to. That will serve both yourself, and the people working for you ( at any level ), extremely well indeed. It will be mutually beneficial and assure contractors that any extras they are asked to do are easily identifiable and quantifiable, ergo they’ll get paid according to what they’ve done. Get the fabric and essentials done to a good standard, fit cheap kitchens and simplify bathrooms, leave them until last, and if all has gone well you can retrospectively add to the budget for those accordingly. Welcome to the forum, and good luck with your first build. ?

an RPG character of mine inspired by Thorfinn Skullsplitter from Erik The Viking https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097289/characters/nm0725956?ref_=tt_cl_t13

For me the lead goes in too far on this detail, 20mm plenty, also should go in slightly uphill to direct any water outward imagine a cut running up at the same angle as the roof but 80mm above the tiles - I call it a cover flashing

Welcome Jay. My mother died two weeks after we completed on the purchase of our plot. Knocked the wind out of my sails for a while too. Spent many a moment thinking (hoping) she and my old man (who'd died 20 years earlier) would be proud of what we were doing. I'm sure yours would be proud of you too.

How could a new boiler 'struggle' in an efficiently built house with a low demand for heat? If the mains gas runs out? Either go for one or the other, not both. If you're not on mains gas than ASHP is the way to go and it will deliver perfect temperatures for low temp UFH but you need to have a means of heating your DHW to 60o plus to avoid legionnaires. Can be used for UFH cooling (best with passive slab) and can also be used to drive duct cooling for MVHR. Mains gas is still cheaper to run I believe and you have more installation options (trades) as it's the default option. Current boilers are highly efficient, will generate DHW at required temperatures but will need mixed down for low temp UFH. Just be aware that MVHR is designed for ventilation and not space heating / cooling - the flow rates are very low., even on boost. While it will contribute, heating or cooling your space via MVHR will only really act as a trim function and will only be really effective in a very highly insulated airtight house (passive or equivalent).

Do you need boiler and ASHP? Considered just ASHP? That's one option, you could also consider doing it via MVHR, just this approach will only work well if you have very low heating/cooling load. If you aslso using UFH and have high levels of insulation, then central cooing/heating via ASHP+MVHR is more practical. It's not really a case of what is the most current or practical thinking, but more about what is best fit for your build given your heating/cooling load, if you have ASHP/MVHR or not, and if you can insulate MVHR ducts or not. We are using ASHP and heating/ cooling will be indpendnealty controllable ground-floor UFH combined with first-floor MVHR duct heating/cooling.

Just to clarify; The HRC is added to the manifold system, it doesn’t ‘replace’ it. I still would steer well clear of series plumbing with T-offs for each room and go with radial ( off manifolds ) for the best results. FYI, you simply add a 3rd manifold which accepts the hot return pipe runs. That is required for when you need to isolate a hot supply to a particular outlet, as if you didn’t have that then the outlet would get back-fed from the other hot return outlet connections ( as they would still connected via the common HRC connection at / before the HRC pump so at full hot pressure ). Remember that if you go away from manifolds then you have to increase the size of the hot water pipe work, significantly, at the start of the DHW pipe run to cope with multiple outlets drawling from the same common connection. Thread title says VS but it should read “hot return or not?”

Completion certificate received. I guess it's no longer a dream.....

I'm in the middle of drawing my plans for an extension for building control, which I will post on here in my blog when they are done, but may not be done until November time. Not for a full house, but will give you some ideas of whats required. Its masonry cavity wall too.

There could be a number of reasons of which could relate to the structural, fire safety or thermal efficiency. If you have proof the conversion works were done in 1995, you should be able to get away in complying with the Building Regulations at the time as opposed to the current BR’s. You would require a visit from some kind of professional... an architect/designer or Building Control but bearing in mind the latter (as mentioned above) could open up a can of worms. Another possible reason could be if the conversion works required Planning approval. While the majority can be carried out under PD, there are certain rules and restrictions with PD. If it didn’t meet those requirements and the works required formal Planning, then Local Planning polices would kick in, in terms of off-street parking, overlooking, etc... Similarly to the BR situation, if you can prove the works were carried out in 1995, then you’d need to check the PD rules at the time. Although saying that, you could just pursue a Certificate of Lawfulness as it’s been there for 15 years.

There is a very similar thread just posted here. https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/14865-first-costing-of-project-opinions-required/ The general consensus is to assume £1500 a square metre unless you are doing a lot of work yourself. I would say that especially goes on a bungalow which has more roof and foundation relative to its size than other houses, offset by some savings from an easier build, no cranes etc. You don't seem to have allowed for the bathrooms and kitchen, just plumbing. So that will be £10-15k right there. Your number for the roof seems low, assuming it includes building the roof, insulating and tiling it. Depends how it is built up. You will need a hot water system of some sort so a combination boiler or tank as well as connections to the kitchen and WCs. Nearer to £3000. Guttering, downpipes, soffits, fascias etc. If the inside perimeter is 9x8, you will have 82 square metres of plasterboard on the outside walls, plus 75sq metres of ceiling, plus as much again for partition walls, so 2-250 square metres of plasterboard. That is about £20 a square metre fitted and taped and filled or skimmed. 8 doors at £300 a door plus facings, skirtings etc. So maybe nearer £8k, plus £1k for painting. Plus the cost of the studwork. Flooring - £2-5k depending on carpets or hard floors. Windows depends a lot on the spec, that is at the low end. Other numbers seem fine, it is just that you have missed quite a lot of items, or maybe you didn't intend to include them as part of this estimate. All this gets you up to £90k ish which seems a more reasonable minimum estimate.

@nod £20 m2 for *what* precisely?

I've just spent £5k on fascias and soffits, fitted. Budget was £3k including the gutters. Went for plastic as don't want the maintenance but was amazed how quickly the cost of the materials added up. Valley boards and noggins - had no idea what these were two weeks ago. Turns out the roofer doesn't do them and they weren't included in the timber frame package. Fortunately the lads on site did it for beer money but it's all these little things that add up really really quickly.

ground works and timber frame errected cost us £250/m2. I did look at stick build - would have saved ~ £40/m2 but you need the right crew to make it and not too many with experience around us. Next time will be block & block with wide cavity for insulation.

Who on earth parks a car in a garage? A wet one even madder! Garages are used for storing crap you are not allowed to bring into the house.

still much shorter payback than solar+ don,t see a shortage of water in scotland --maybe sun --but not rain . long way before we there .--but better to plan now for where things would go if i did do it

https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/2020100598477/grand-designs-kevin-mccloud-heart-attacks-show/?viewas=amp Poor Kevin. The things he has to put up with for money. Kevin, pal, if you want to know why you piss people off, read the article.

@craig is there not an industry standard fitting guide a bit like the one BWF produces for stairs. It's very generic but covers most essentials. I'm sure most carpenters would be capable of fitting these Windows if they knew the exact specifications/details. Always seems to be a lottery with window fitters whereas if the customer has a chippie they trust I'm sure they could manage. Neck I even think @Russell griffiths even fitted his own And he's a rough arse tree surgeon.

@Jess27 I looked briefly at your proposal . If I can get planning in the most arrogant self righteous toss pot area with the wealthiest neighbours who have the council planners as “ friends “ then don’t you dare quit . Adapt . Turn opinion into fact . Planning is only half the story the other half is politics - I can guess what you think of that . So mitigate or reduce an alleged issue . Compromise where you need to . Play your worst hand so you can come back with your best hand . Though I’ve offered you no technical usable advice - you got this ?