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No, just to check meets regs and issue certificate but just get on with it as @joe90 says and is also my opinion.

As far as I am aware, BC are involved if other building works are taking place including windows, if not they would prefer you had Fensa get involved. Frankly I would just get on and do it, who is to know as long as you don’t want to sell soon?

All that FENSA registration means, is that the installer/supplier replacing the windows can self certify that windows meet building regs. You do not need to be FENSA registered to replace, it just means that you need to get the building officer to inspect and certify the work and issue certificate. It's not required but if you go to sell at a later date, the purchaser will want money off if lender puts a retention on for example. Just because the windows meet building regs, doesn't mean you have a good installer.

I offer a contrary view to the above. Do NOT kill the sale of the bungalow, let the sale proceed and move into the caravan. A 5th wheel van is the top end of the touring caravan market and should be comfortable. The only issue becomes pay for a site or pitch it on your own plot. I offer that as honest advice in a market that nobody understands. There are plenty of things in the pipeline that could kill the housing market, and trust me, as someone that gave up trying to sell after 3 years on the market in a dead market, you do NOT want to be holding a spare house with all the financial implications of that, wishing you had sold it when you had the chance. We actually found that moving from the caravan into the very unfinished house was way more comfortable. But at the very least you can store all your furniture in the dry and set up a laundry etc in the unfinished house quite easily. If you still haven't got electricity by completion day, negotiate with the buyers of the bungalow to power essential items like the caravan and laundry from an extension lead from the bungalow.

I sympathise with the situation you’ve found yourself in, my brother had bowel cancer 3 years ago. I think given these circumstances you’d be better renting somewhere, if your husband needs surgery he will need his home comforts to recuperate and staying in a caravan surrounded by muck may only harass him, looking out at everything that needs done when he’s not physically fit enough to do it wouldn’t be good for him, personally I’d want to get December and January out of the way , your health is more important than any house

On the flip side of what CAN be done, I have just approaching 1 year with our 8kWp array with MCS plus octopus outgoing, I've only done basic measures to optimize self-usage (immersion redirect, running white goods at midday). Generated 6340 kWh Exported 3400 kWh Export payments: £187 Money saved via reduced imports £588 (assume 20p/unit ) = £775 /pa payback System cost £16000 (GB Sol RIS) Payback ~= 20 years As domestic energy prices outstrip inflation, that time will reduce. If I can add a battery then it may reduce further. (As others have said, the motivation for us was not overwhelmingly financial gain, so just sharing this for illustrative purposes)

One of the big questions in construction. Wrong to have colours according to hierarchy, but sensible to mark out a banksman for easy recognition. It should be a bright colour, and so yellow, orange or white depending on which will show up best on your site. Red and blue don't show up so well, and black is lunacy (for managers determined to have a different colour)

The alternative is simple room thermostats. Yes that's really high tech. Just a few simple room thermostats turn off the heating in each room when it reaches the set temperature. The house holds it's heat for a long time, and the other side of that is it only needs a gentle amount of low level heat. So when the heating is on it heats up slowly. This slow heating and slow cooling means it does not overshoot when it reaches the set temperature. So that is how we control the right amount of heat into the house in all weather throughout the season. What weather compensation will add to that, would be to run the UFH at an even lower temperature when it is mild. That would improve the COP of the ASHP in the shoulder seasons. At the moment it runs at a fixed temperature which is dictated by the heat needed in the coldest weather. I maintain you need to run the heating a whole season without weather compensation so in the coldest period you can experiment and find the minimum UFH temperature needed at the coldest time. Then, and only then when you know that, you have one point on the weather compensation graph. You then have to experiment to find the other end of that graph. That is not going to be a quick process. And in the real world, with a well insulated low energy house, how much will it really save with the small improvement in COP achieved in the shoulder seasons? Edit to add. @TerryE heats his house overnight using the cheap Economy 7 rate, so he as derived a system that calculates the heating needed for the next day and times the heat input during the overnight cheap period. S slightly different situation.

It works a treat. Takes a while to get get the curve and offset really dialled in in my experience.

You could just put nets over them for the winter and do it in one go next year. Perhaps plant some new bushes and trees in the meantime that will ultimately replace the lost habitat.

No haven't heard of them ? . Storm, Bollington Brewery, Red Willow and Beartown are our local breweries (I don't count Robinsons as can't stand the stuff and slightly further away)

Philistines !! ? ?

We have gone for a Hisense which is reported to operate at 39 DB. Gone expensive on the oven and hob but not on the fridge and dishwasher. Wine - pah. Real ale is the stuff to drink in these parts ?

In our area there is the pink ladies charity that is really helpful with helping out with situations like this. Is there a charity locally to you that would help? Even to help organise re what you would need to get in. They might be able to call in a few favours for you. People are good given half a chance.

Yes, beware. A brick is not normally the same all the way through. If you remove the surface you will likely find a different colour underneath and it may not be so water resistant. I remember that on British Rail projects (a lot of soot around) they specified a particular product for cleaning old walls such as railway arches. Unusually, nobody ever suggested anything as an alternative, so it must have been ok. I think it was an acid gel. I think a web search is called for. It will be a messy and tiring job, with full PPE and scaffold, so expensive. A pressure wash will clean the bricks but might damage the mortar. I think I would grow to like the sooty look.

This is worth a read. I will start now, but suspect the deniers will be too busy to do the same.https://opr.ca.gov/facts/common-denier-arguments.html here is the first extract I clicked on “Scientists are out for personal gain, publishing alarmist studies to capture research grants.” There is no evidence to support this argument. Scientists who participate in the IPCC climate assessments are not paid, nor are those who participate in panels for the National Academy of Sciences. Career advancement in the sciences is not based on holding popular views, but on publishing original research. By contrast, many deniers have received funding from entities with a financial stake in fossil fuel-based energy system.

I would drill a small hole in the back of the box and place it directly over the cable exit so there is no visible loop. A squirt of your favourite sealant to seal the hole. And a blank in the bottom in place of the stuffing gland.

yep, agreed. but I can't do it all on my own and have to pick and choose my battles. these were one I was happy to get someone else to coordinate.

Great suggestion above thank you so much. While on the phone to Anglian Water he said something about a trickle feed from the water meter. Something about a blue plastic tag. Anyone know what he is talking about? Husband was shouting obscenities so I missed half of it Of course the new owners could supply us with water at the site too. If they want to move in before Christmas we could make it a condition. We had already asked them if our sparky could run a, metered, supply to the bungalow. They did not say no. I think we are going to end up on the campsite up the road as the most stress free option. We are experienced motorhomers so I am sure we will manage. It does not have a laundry, Jilly, but there is a launderette in the nearest town and I am sure our friends would not mind us popping in to do some washing occasionally.

I would use a recirculating hood and duct out of the plinth, then let the mvhr deal with it, you are only trying to catch grease and splashes, the mvhr will whip away the smells.

tbh The mortar is probably stronger than those blocks anyway.

If you sand blast the bricks will probably look lighter, the blackening is water and soot run off at the end of the cills, a good scrub with water and detergent should remove most of that. If not a wire brush which will also remove the paint … pretty straight forward DIY makeover/freshen up

It’s not the best pipe instal, but the compression joint ( and olive ) will have confirmed to grip and seal onto that without issue. I doubt you’ll have any problems tbh, but 2 mins with a pipe bender would have done this the world of good. I’m surprised at how many plumbers don’t own one, but some seem a bit scared of them. Either that or they simply cannot be bothered.

The new battery ones are good - if you go down the Makita LXT route then there is both a single and double battery version. Much better than a petrol one if you are an occasional user

All the very best Pat. I can understand why you want to keep your house buyers, but try to keep yourselves as warm and stress free as possible under the circumstances. I've just done the geo textile /aggregate thing to combat the mud, I feel much happier too. If you stay on site having a washing machine and tumble dryer or drying facilities will help you enormously. I can't understand about the water either, I just had to send a photo of the pipes and the connection in the house with its lagging, turned off. I was struggling at that point and a local chap who worked for Anglia water helped me out, is there anyone you could ask? How about putting feelers out to friends who might lend a hand to help you get the basics sorted, you might be surprised what happens, as you must be feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment? I know your plumbing husband doesn't want anyone mucking about with his plumbing, but it's not the worst thing in the world, I've known a couple of people have had a stoma, including my dad, and you can't see the bag under clothes, they are very discrete and often the op will be reversed as Jo said, it's just to let things heal.

If it has been pressure tested and doesn't leak now I'd say it's no more likely to leak than any of the other connections. It's hard to tell from the photo but I think the plumber has put a bend in the pipe. I think it's fine.

How much do you have to get rid of? I would suggest a digger and hire a proper branch chipper if you have a lot. Don't bother with the chainsaw. Having seen my share of cheap petrol chainsaws I'd steer clear. They're difficult to start, heavy and invariably break. The mains electric ones are actually quite good if you've got power. I bought a husquvarna helmet with a mesh guard and earmuffs built in about 5 years ago. Something light and comfortable so you will be more lightly to use it. Get a colour that will stand out and write your name on it so it doesn't go missing.

Always a tax to pay when convenience shopping though Good that they’re covering everything though, so a silver lining to any RHI clouds.

Has it not got a 90 degree turn on the end into the cavity. Many ways to do it. Some drill a hole in the block and put end in there some just hang the turned end into the cavity. But definitely not a straight tie just in a joint. Picture.

I had a site tap installed fir the build then extended it when the house was finished. Why can’t they do this fir you.?

I was referring to the HSE arriving AFTER there has been an incident. ….or advise, offer reason why, and also give further advice on how to execute such work to make the best of a bad practice in light of “Although one chap did agree to certify my installation in the new year if I went ahead and installed” ?

Ours were around 2.5m above outside ground level. We had to be able to brush insects off and wash them once a year.

I too have an enthalpy unit and get a little condensation on very cold days (but don’t think it’s the MVHR). And mine is only double glazing.

Well qualified Fensa registered professional installers When we went for registration a few years back, the fensa rep checking us only checked the glass used and a quick visual inspection. We’ve let It lapse and won’t be renewing. Complete waste of time and energy, as long as our installers (sub contractors) are certified to tick the box.

I'm at the design stage for MVHR. My supplier is ADM Systems & their designer who is working on my layout says that low is no problem as long as they're high enough to avoid any external blockage, e'g. snow drift. So mine will be at approx 1m above ground level. The added benefit is shorter ductwork from the unit - internally they'll be concealed beneath the half landing of the staircase.

A simple, and relevant chart that shows Central England Temperatures for the last 120 years Easy to see that temperatures vary every year, but the trend line, whether you take the minimum recorded temperatures, the maximum recorded temperatures or the median (the ones in the middle), all show an upward trend over time.

To me that looks more like a line from masking tape than caulk

A lot of waffle that actually says just about nothing.

Picture? Are you sure he didn't put a small bend in the pipe?

This article may assist you in looking for an architect.

I completely understand about radiotherapy and chemo (ask me how I know), I also understand his reluctance regarding a stoma, I had one fir 6 months after major surgery (not cancer related ?) but there are many people out there who have one permanently and live very active lives so not the end of the world. I do wish you both all the luck in the world and hope this situation resolves itself as quick as possible ❤️

I concur, I had cancer twice during my build, although living in a caravan on site during the build we still had our old house for me to recover in which made a lot of difference. Could you look for a holiday short term rental locally as another option, fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.

@patp just been having a re read and now take it that your husband who is a plumber has cancer … sorry to hear that and my apologies, I read it as your plumber’s husband.

And I thought we had problems. Its hard not sound trite responding to a post like yours but - to me - not responding to express sympathy would be unkind. At this remove, staying on site looks the best alternative. £100 of crusher run stone, carefully laid and levelled will reduce the mud bath. Then buy a massive off-cut of synthetic grass (Astro Turf), curt to shape and lay it along the most used walking route. When the mud dries, use a blower to get rid of it. Or an industrial vac will do the same. Systematise common houselhold chores : storage, washing - making those easy and quick releases energy for other more difficult tasks. Dogs are mess-balls. But it won't be for long. Washable mats are a great help. My sincere sympathy to you both and especially your husband . Lets hope for a rapid recovery. Kind regards Ian

I 100% stand by my previous; that anyone signing off a gas install they've not witnessed being put in, or they didn't just come and pull in themselves, is a danger. You just don't play with gas, end of.

Or an idiot. Anyone who signs off a gas pipe, that they have not witnessed the integrity of for every inch of the pipe, is a danger to themselves and others. It would be different if it was a friend or fellow plumber who's work was known to them, but for a one-off for a self-builder it is just lunacy. The sleeve through the wall should be copper, or a rigid PVC and NOT flexible electrical conduit ( as it is weak as a kitten and very easy to puncture. The sleeve should be sealed into the wall at each end, and then the pipe passed through the sleeve. The pipe should then be sealed with a sealant on the internal side only, so if the pipe ever failed the build-up of gas could only ever discharge to outside, not fill the house. That's the minimum standard I observe when passing a gas pipe through a cavity wall. As for compression joints, there should be ZERO compression joints other than at the source and at the appliance. Surface mounted anywhere else is a huge bodge and would never get past me. Compression anywhere on continuous gas runs = NO, simply do NOT use them, there is no need. If this is to save money to DIY, go save money somewhere else, this is just a daft idea.

Yup, a load of members have installed away from the MCS register eg self-install. You only need to be MCS to register the installation for the export guarantee scheme.......but; Same as @ProDave, who uses his diversion and strategic consumption to avoid export / promote self-consumption...... which means no mandatory need to register.

we've all had this conversation many times before and for some, me included, it's not about economics at all. it's about a warm fuzzy feeling that I will be generating my own electricity and I won't be as reliant on the grid. but everyone's situation is different.

I think they knocked that on the head a while ago.

We are just commencing our second self-build (started onsite last week). In both cases we have used Architects and in both cases have been very happy with the results. We have outlined how in both case we selected and worked with our architect which we hope will assist other people starting out on their self build journey. 1) Start thinking about which architect you are going to use when you start looking for land and not when you have found land. 2) Draw out a requirements list. My approach is to provide a brief / framework for the architect to interpret rather than prescriptively dictating to the last detail. Requirements should be no more than 2 pages. By making the requirements generic, you can apply them to most plots of land. Include in the requirements why you are building as well (develop and sell, house for life etc) 3) Checkout your architects previous designs. There is likely to be a common design pattern and if that is way off what you want then maybe the architect isn't for you. Also go and see a couple of houses - just viewing from the outside can tell you a lot. 4) If you see a plot that is a potential candidate, email architects on your shortlist for feedback. Most architects will provide feedback for free within reason and the reply will help you to decide if the architect is thinking along the same lines as you. Also, meet with your architect before you engage formally to check that they are a person that you can work with. 5) Be completely upfront with the architect about your budget, put it in your requirements list and be very clear what that budget includes and doesn't include. 6) Be completely upfront with your architect about their fees. Fees based on a %age of the build cost are OK as long as the build cost used is your budget for the build at the outset (fixed) rather than the actual build cost (variable). 7) Good architects are in high demand and don't need to advertise so you will need to research (a lot) and do your legwork. Be prepared for the fact that you might need to wait for the architect you want to become available. 8. Check whether the architect has any experience in the build method you want to adopt and the energy standards that you want to achieve. Find out what the build costs have been on recent build projects and how these compared to budgeted costs . 9) Check with the relevant boards that any claimed registrations are correct. 10) Fees may seem expensive, but for the amount of work that goes into a design I have always felt I got good value for money. In the context of the cost of the project it is a small percentage much of which can be quite easily recouped with a little restraint on the fixtures and fittings. 11) If you use an architect local to the build, it is more likely that he will be able to advise on securing good contractors based on experience of previous builds. My architect has more than recouped his fee by drawing up an attractive house that is straightforward to build. Insulation is what we need to get to passivhaus but no more and the size of the house is what we can build to meet our budget (based on his previous build costs) and requirements. Listed below are the requirements we drew up which may assist others going through a similar exercise: Build Budget: £325K (House, Garage) excludes landscaping, external works and professional fees. The Plot There were a large number of objections to the development from residents but planning permission was granted on appeal. Plot width is around 16.7m. Plot length is 44m. Electricity, Water and mains sewerage (but not gas) available at the plot boundary. Functions of the Building Home for ourselves and the dog. Enough room for friends, grown-up children to stay and family get-togethers. Building a house for life as we can’t get what we like on the open market. We love cooking and the outdoors, so it should support that. Combine open plan living combined with a segregated quiet room downstairs Provide a comfortable and healthy interior environment with a stable temperature and no drafts. Design Direction and Requirements Good natural light to rooms is really important with dual aspect windows in as many rooms as possible but not too keen on huge oversized windows that require complex and expensive shading solutions Designed to Passivhaus standards in a cost-effective manner but don’t over-rely on technology that has high cost to install and maintain. Downstairs Open plan kitchen, dining room and seating area Utility room (able to dry clothes in using pulley) Lounge Small Study if possible WC / Washbasin Good Storage – larder cupboard, cloakroom and cupboard for cleaning utensils Somewhere to sort out a muddy dog and muddy boots (A covered porch with a stone floor and bench maybe). Sliding doors or similar out to the garden from the sitting area. Bottom of kitchen window to be level with the kitchen worktop. Back door into the utility room No large step into front or back door WC away from front door if possible Upstairs 3 to 4 double bedrooms. Small study if not room downstairs (or 4th bedroom) Built in wardrobes Cathedral ceiling. Master bedroom should be able to comfortably take a king size be. En-suite in master. Separate shower in bathroom. General Heating / DHW – no mains gas. Solar PV with a diverter? ASHP (noise?) Consideration given to some acoustic insulation between rooms and between downstairs / upstairs. Doesn’t need to be completely soundproof however. LED lighting throughout and up the staircase Point for charging electric car. Ability to use battery storage in the future should it become more cost-effective. No requirement for chimney or wood burning stove. Agnostic about whether the garage is attached or detached, but should have storage for bikes and a little workshop area. Could be modified for easy access upstairs in the future (Straight staircase maybe). Point for charging electric car. Low maintenance exterior for windows and wall facings. House to have a more contemporary feel inside. Outside to tie in with planning / design code. Window frames recessed into the openings. Other Stuff Recess in shower wall for soap etc. Built in bookcases Lots of sockets Sockets in cupboards for charging hoover etc. Room in utility room for dog crate Built in water filter Water softener Lighting on dimmers with switches that gradually turn LED lights on so they don’t blow. Good outdoor lighting (pathways) Outdoor power point / tap Phone point in every room