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You will not get a premium for eco stuff. Nobody looks at an epc. MVHR is just another thing to go wrong. Timber frame and brick or block outer leaf is acceptable to most. Sounds like you already have a tiled pitched roof. I am not sure if metal floor, Hardie cladding and renderboard is a great deal kinder to the environment.

I like cooker hoods to have stainless steel grease filters that go in the dishwasher and are externally vented via min 150 dia ducting.

83% of new houses in Scotland are timber frame, albeit with a a brick skin. With cement fiber cladding like hardi plank and cedral the only issue I've heard with mortgages is if you mix the blockwork and cladding. Our original design had 80% cedral and 20% blockwork and we were told it may be an issue. Currently ours is standing seam on the roof and first floor and cedral on the ground. We are still with Ecology but we'll soon find out if that is an issue when we move! My personal view on "green" building is to do the best you can without unnecessarily kicking yourself in balls. You adding a big concrete slab to your house is not going to register in the scheme of things given how much is being used in the world right now. Especially if it means you can have an efficient home for many years to come. Personally I don't have any children so take the view I can splash concrete about and probably drive a Humvee and I'm still greener than most people (joke, sort of).

I would be surprised if screw piles were any better in carbon footprint than concrete. The pragmatic approach is to use proven conventional construction, but to have ultra efficient design and no waste. For example the footing is dug exactly the right width and depth, and if the delivery is by volumetric there is zero waste. No bricks or blocks (or halves) to be wasted, timber and plasterboard cut with thought to avoid waste. and so on. Packaging all recycled where poss. If there is no skip, then the wastage plummets. If you address every aspect then you will save a lot of needless material use/waste, with the environmental benefit that brings., and money too. Air -tightness superb because you are supervising it. save energy for 100 years. Nothing to feel guilty about. Your building will be a different class to the commercial ones. The resale value will not reflect this, but if it is for yourself that does not matter, and it will be standing in 100 years unlike the others. QED it is a sustainable house.

(This post not addressed to jfb, i just cant remove the quoted post above.. again!). Turned out great so far, good few uneven corners, chips.. & the last gap bit 2" or so adjacent to door Ive 2 tiles for/ cut when i can. But way better than expected. The gap nr door area gets wet here, from door drips also rain getting thru under thru door sill somehow.. so ideally done asap. Or just mortar this gap? It'll have a matt on covering most if it. No adhesive left tho you see.. just enough to do job! V. Lucky. thanks zoot.

If you expect to sell when completed then why go down the route of choosing all non standard materials?? You could get a mortgage from someone but the rates will be high so might make it non feasible. So either play the game and use a block skin on a non standard build, probably the easiest method to become standard or walk away.

I can confirm it is totally solid, I'm pretty sure the cast of River dance plus their cousins and It'd still not be at 8mm deflection. I know where most of mine will roughly be but not perfectly planned. My bathrooms are directly above the downstairs bathroom and the main soil stack so hoping for minimal runs transverse through the joists.

After putting in an offer on our plot in November 2019 , 3 lockdowns and 2 architect's later we have today received the email to say planning application approved ? might even stop for a cheeky one on the way home Brake ground in 4 weeks , here we go, Still feeling clueless and way out of my depth ?

So. Got my plans drawn, and my build method, and costings sorted. Keen to move forward from trad methods, so i have got a foundation system which is screw piles, and metal frame on top, metal floor, insulated well 0.1 ready for underfloor heating pipes, and 55mm liquid screed. Walls constructed on site by me from 300mm wood i beams. Clad on the outside with a combination of hardi-plank cladding, and renderboard. 300mm walls filled with warmcell. U value of walls 0.13 . Truss roof U value 0.9. So all good so far. Covid has defo changed me. I've got three lockdown grandchildren, and i am just not going to need a 4 bed, 4 bath house to live in when it is just me and the better half left. So basically if i build, i expect to sell when completed. Although i have tried to be good by putting no concrete in the ground, walls etc, i feel i have hit a stumbling block. To be on the safe side, i rang 4 different mortgage brokers....... 1. Don't do it, non standard construction, you will struggle to sell.....2. Stick a block skin on the outside, and you will be fine !.....3. Timber frame ? out of the 68 mortgage providers i have on my books, you have just knocked off 64 of them.....4.Nobody who currently has a mortgage, and would want port it onto your property will be able to do so, so you have just taken it out of the market to 9 out of 10 potential buyers. When is England going to move forward. ?????? They seem to be as bad as planners. lets just build using old methods and, (planners) make it look like all the other houses from the 1930's. So i either have to go back to costing, with blockwork, and tons,of concrete, or just give up on the idea, sell up and bugger off. Sick of it frankly. We talk about climate change, but it seems we don't actually care. A couple of years ago i spent a day down at the building research establishment. About 50 houses, and i don'r remember a single one being brick or block. You wonder why they bother if all of the mainstream mortgage providers are not interested.

You may be able to get away with a cheap, 'non inverter' type then.

I sent an email copying in the planning officer, his manager and the head of planning and today finally got a response. There was a convoluted explanation as to why neighbour notifications had not been made. It sounded like it was not the officer's fault, although if he had looked at the application in the 13 weeks it had been in then he might have noticed it! He said that once the notification period has expired, 11th June, the he will try and get the decision issued as soon as possible as well as the variation. This is roughly when I was expecting the he variation to be done in the normal course of events anyway. I sent a reply thanking him for responding and made sure to mention that I hoped we would get a response soon after the 11th of June. I don't want to make trouble for the guy, I just want to get started building. I'll be back in a few weeks to confirm if we get our response. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Google found this... http://planninglawblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/breaches-of-planning-control-need-for_28.html Extract... I believe the reference to Panton refers to.. "Panton and Farmer v Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the regions and Vale of White Horse DC [1999] JPL 461" I haven't found that case in full but there are lots of references on the web that suggest it helps your case. These references I found suggest that only abandonment resets the 4 year clock not a temporary interruption.. Ideally you would hire a planning consultant who could quote the relevant sections from Panton and and subsequent cases to the planning officer for you. If you dont want to pay someone to do that I suggest you ask the planning officer to comment on .. "Panton and Farmer v Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the regions and Vale of White Horse DC [1999] JPL 461" which you believe establishes that only abandonment not temporary interruption resets the four year period for enforcement". You could also send him a copy of Martin Goodall's article. He may reply with case law of his own to contradict this but worth a shot.

I know. I build a crappy bog standard gaff, get some micky mouse EPC and airtest. But to give me a huge uplift in value, i'll stick some walk on glazing on the landing to sex the place up. If only i knew where i could get some ??

I could and might. Just seems such a shame. I just fancied trying to do something a bit better, hands on. I will either sell or just build to minimum standards, and get crap blockwork done by a buddy. It was never about making more money, frankly i'll make more just building the usual garbage.

I question the assumption (from your mortgage brokers) that unless a house is 'traditional' brick and block a) no-one will be able to get a mortgage on it b) no-one will want to buy it It's clearly not true that timber frame houses, or those using screw piles (for example) cannot be sold or get mortgages on them. Around 30% of UK new builds are timber frame. For example here's some Nationwide mortgage intermediary guidance: https://www.nationwide-intermediary.co.uk/lending-criteria/new-build-hub/construction "The majority of New Build homes are constructed using traditional, tried and tested methods, for example cavity brick/block and timber frame. High rise flats are usually constructed using concrete, steel frames and different forms of roof cladding (as opposed to the more standard tile and slate). All these methods are acceptable to Nationwide." Then: "An increasing number of homes in the UK are being built using innovative materials and methods such as factory manufactured “pods”, steel and timber frames, roof and floor “cassettes”, 3D printing and changes to on-site processes (including the use of robotics). These products and processes are referred to as Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Many properties built using MMCs are acceptable to Nationwide, subject to our criteria. Our valuers will assess these on a case by case basis. We need to be sure that new methods of construction are sufficiently durable, easily maintained and will remain readily saleable in order to protect our members." It may be that your particular proposed build approach IS so non-standard that it's a risk for sale/mortgage, but clearly some aspects of it should be fine. It might be a good idea to find out what particular aspects of it a mortgage lender would find off-putting, because maybe there is a good reason for that? Of course you might choose to change your build method for other reasons anyway. But wasn't a key aspect that you could so some of the work yourself? Presumably that guides in a particular direction? Also, if you don't need a big house so plan to sell, why not just build a smaller one to live in forever, then you can make it how you like?

There is nothing inherently wrong with a block built house, but like everything, it is the attention to detail. You can still achieve a good airtightness value (aim for <1), a good U-Value, so insulate better than building regulations. Windows are a tricky one, double glazing, rather than triple, but fit MVHR, then no need to worry about trickle vents showing (they make windows look unfinished). Heating is then the difficult one, but if you design for a heat pump, but fit gas or oil, when the time comes to swap the boiler (and if you buy a cheap one, it will need swapping) the new owners may not have a choice about what they fit. Do you remember the Windows 98 Ready slogan, well your house will be Heat Pump Ready. Don't fret about the embodied carbon and energy in the materials, you can look at ICE and work out that it probably does not make a huge difference over 20 years, let alone 1000. Save money on the fittings, so basic stuff, no automation, a passable kitchen (if it looks good, it is good) and simple white bathrooms (steel baths). You can always sells the potential about what can be done, rather than your dream.

The building game will stay the same. building large amounts of poorly build homes to maximise profit shareholders and all that.

They are so bleedin' backward. Really, its shocking, really really shocking. I admire you trying to break the mould, I try to break it too but often do end up going down the boring tried and tested route for a multitude of issues.

Ha, Been there got the t shirt. I started my journey by planning a straw bale build but age and Ill health made me pull my horns in. I too looked at re sale value/mortgage and my build I believe is a compromise. Brick and block construction but to near passive standards. With regards to concrete the Romans used it and some of it is still standing so I believe for its life it’s acceptable. I am hoping to be here for quite a few years yet so only 3 beds and 2 baths (if any more turn up the caravan is outside!).

The trouble is Hardly any potential buyer will care if you have screw piles or a shit load of concrete If you where doing for yourself I’d say go for it This non standard fixation that mortgage lenders have won’t change anytime soon

@Big Jimbo capitalist hat on ! Build a ‘standard’ house ( yes I know that’s shite ) and sell it OR build what you want and live in it . Best of both worlds is to build what you want and still have considerable equity in it ..... An asset is just an asset .

They only care about profit. Not a single thought passed their minds with regard what materials they use and what impact they have on the environment. If it was your forever home then yes by all means go the extra mile and try your best to build something carbon neutral or low energy but if your going to sell it make your life so much easier and build something standard to building regs and that's all. Sell up collect the cash and move on.

Find a few of the big names you'd might go with and write a strongly worded letter to their CEO asking their stance on environmental issues etc. State that on the assumption they're supportive of reducing climate change blah blah then wtf won't they give you a mortgage. Play the shame game.

I feel for you, i am sick of seeing generic brick boxes being thrown up everywhere while MP`s score points talking about innovation, green issues and improving housing stock. South and West yorkshire - if you are a developer building boxes or a Gypsy you can have as much land as you want, self build? forget it. Can you imagine how far electric cars would have gone if finance companies wouldnt lend on them? mortgage lenders definitely need to come into the 21st century

Depends which AQ measure you are using ..? PM2.5 yes, NOx no, but “pollution” has many factors.

Unfortunately no gross internal area was quoted. Let's say for arguments sake that it was a 375m2 property then £1000/m2 does seem a stretch given the extensive steel frame, curved everything and fancy finishes. When enthusiasm was high at the start in 2013, staff from the self-builders' company flooded the site when they had no marquees to erect or dismantle. There was no suggestion that the cost of labour such as this was allocated to the build. The gatekeeper's lodge and plot were bought at auction in 2011. The price paid was not quoted and the £65k was just a nominal allocation which was clearly complete fantasy economics.

tiny leak. each time pushes a wee bit of volume out of the pipe til there isn't enough to send the signal

If it's solely for load transfer to the basement wall then you could simply dig you strip footing down vertically to a depth where the 45 degree line misses the basement wall. You should then have alot less of a dog and massively simpler also you should be able to trench fill the strip with leanmix up to underside of require footing depth which would further save money. *Caveat* this is only if it's is due to load transfer from the loads on the strip to the basement wall. But he should be able to give you a proper explanation the generic crap about regs sound well like crap

Unfortunately It’s a worldwide problem An American friend of ours put this up on FB yesterday

PH MVHR systems are sealed systems delivering balanced fresh air to habitable spaces and extracting and extracting from wet / smelly areas. No connections ever from rooms to atmosphere as they ( MVHR ) rely on heat recovery to attain PH performance levels. If you dump air to atmosphere, instead of going via an MVHR unit, then you lose the heat energy plus you are also going to be pulling in the same volume of air direct from infiltration. That ‘replacement’ air will be freezing cold during winter and your heating bill will reflect it. Partially open strategic trickle vents, which would control infiltration far better in this instance, would be the least aggressive way of managing humidity / CO2 etc and have the least impact on losing heated air. Balanced MVHR is the only way to manage this properly, but if the house has an infiltration of ACH which is above the trickle rate of the unit then you’ll have just wasted a lot of money and effort. Serious amounts of draught-proofing and MVHR will serve you best.

It just reminds me of the push from petrol cars to getting us all to drive diesel At the time diesel was cheaper at the pumps Once we swapped over The tax on diesel went up to cover the lost revenue Tge same will happen with electricity

I don't recognise the first picture, but the second is exactly what I expect of a coms cabinet!

Have you considered appealing on the grounds of non determination of the application?

“Unfortunately I don't think this is the case. A good architect will design you a house that looks nice and gets planning permission. That is their main skillset. Some know about designing for low running costs but not many. Very few seem to consider buildability/build costs in their designs. Massive spans, lots of glass, bespoke features you cannot buy off the shelf etc. They also will not liven the house and could have a very different idea how to layout a house relative to how you will use. Don't be afraid to tell them what you are after and if they won't do that then look elsewhere.” I’m very sorry - but I do not agree. A good architect will always design the home that you want not what they want. Their skill set is taking your requirements and turning it into a workable solution within a budget set by you. Unfortunately this may not always be the case but you as the client should always drive the solution - you are after all paying his or her fees. I do agree that If an architect fails to come up with what you want you should tell him/her and revisit the design solution or look elsewhere.

In all seriousness - a good architect will save you money in the long run by designing you a home that is cost effective to build, run and maintain.

The simple difference is in condensation risk. There is greater risk with the warm roof. The difference in price is not just with materials but with labour as if you're constructing a warm roof, the metal roofing contractor should really do the roof buildup and detailing because most building contractors won't have a clue what's needed.

We’re just getting to the final stages of our extension. I had a similar question when we first started. The issue is condensation forming on the underside of the metal. I spoke to lots of people including a very knowledgable guy from VM Zinc who said. “You can do either (cold vented, warm unvented) especially if it’s a new build and you do everything properly and use the correct materials. But, given the choice he would say that a cold roof I.e vented is more forgiving in the long run”. There is lots of detailed discussions on here about the pros and cons. In the end I went for an aluminium standing seam roof on a cold vented roof. It looks the same although there subtle differences for the installer. They do the same job, but the aluminium is cheaper and doesn’t suffer with the “possibility” of corrosion. Noise is hard to compare like for like. I had heard that cold vented could be slightly noisier, but to be honest our experience so far (and my god we’ve had some rain down here in Devon during May) is that the roof buildup needed for BC soaks up the noise really well.

We set it at 50. Over the last year I have tinkered with the settings to achieve the best set-up for us. One approach I have found is when the tank has heavy use for an occasional bath. I leave the hot water in the bath, the moist warm air disappears up the the duct and is recovered into the system. Generally these exhaust air source heat pumps don't have the best reputation as they have been used for heating in poorer insulated houses. I have also heard of cylinders made of poorer materials failing but Joule seem to have a good reputation for making cylinders. I wouldn't use our system for heating. But I have found if you self build properly you don't need much in the way of heating. I am always surprised with the number of self builders that use larger external heat pumps. Currently it's 19.5 in the house and 5 outside and I have not had any heating for three or four days.

You know a man that can

F-off Pocster you tart.

Our rental house in Bristol is a weird build, post war steel frame and poured concrete (even ceilings), previous owner had difficulty getting a mortgage and they had to get holes cut in several locations to make sure the steel frame had not corroded before they were offered a mortgage but many companies just refused. It has no insulation in the walls and feels like a fridge ?.

nope, don't need handles. Ours is pretty big, a mooring bollard might be of more use...

@Big Jimbo as you would say ... “ Stop being a tart ! “ ?

Why do you need handles ..??

The developer actually give me the details previously of his guy who does the EPC's for his houses. When i spoke to the guy he didn't even want a set of plans. Simply said "Nobody understands the calcs, Just tell me what result you want, and i'll put it in the post" I've been on site when they have been stuffing insulation into the visible cavities because the building inspector was due on site. No insulation in the rest of the walls. And our kids are expected to pay up, and get 30 year mortgages on the crap we currently build.

Two of my new triple glazing units have blown already ?

At least if you are the one who plasterboards the ceilings you will not struggle to find a joist.

Popped out for some postcrete for a DIY project - none in town (sheds or BMs) - managed to get last 3 bags in next town along at Screwfix. No cement based products of any description available at moment whether bags of dust or the DIY readymix bags.