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They are mural shower panels from Showerscape: https://www.showerscape.co.uk

Congratulations. This has been a masterclass in successful self building by managing contractors! More important than that is the contractor selection, project management, etc, and I think it's you (with assist from Mrs P) that has done that so you can feel great satisfaction with how this project has gone. I'm guessing (maybe you said before) your background is in project management and if not it's an even greater achievement. When you have time and if you have the energy I and I'm sure many others on here would appreciate it if you could share as much as you can on your process for managing this project. What your average day looked like, tips and tricks, preparation, etc. I think this could be really useful for those of us with less project management experience!

GSHP at this depth is actually solar thermal rather than geothermal so the ground used for extraction of heat requires annual restoration by the sun otherwise it does not recover for the next heating season and why the ground array sizing is so important.

Thanks Simon. The lights are Orluna Cloud Butterfly spots from Amos Lighting in Topsham https://amoslighting.co.uk. Liz at Amos Lighting was very helpful. The spots are indeed a quality item - they have a lovely look and feel to them. It's almost a pity they are high on the ceiling and will hardly ever, if ever, get moved!

Thanks Craig, and your help with our slam shut door lock challenge* is much appreciated - I will let you know once I have had chance to speak to our chippie to see whether we can use your suggestion. Thanks for coming out of you way to see us.

Congrats, must be an amazing feeling. I like the adjustable spot lights you've used, especially on the ceilings - what brand are they and where did you get them from?

Congrats, was a pleasure meeting you and your wife and it is a lovely property. You have done very well.

Wow, well done. I have to say that it has been a pleasure seeing your progress and we are so pleased everything has gone pretty much to plan. All very best wishes to you both for a long and happy life in your new home.

No, that's a wardrobe and dressing area. Wardrobe yet to be fitted out of course 😂 Behind the dressing area is the master ensuite (separate room).

It looks superb. Well done!

Congratulations! It's been a privilege to follow along with you as the build progressed, and I'm sure you've given many people hope and inspiration for their own endeavours. May you have many happy years in your new home.

Amazing outcome and the timeframe is outstanding!! Is that a walk in shower behind the double bed partition?! Congrats!

Looks fabulous. Kitchen and doors look particularly fab! Well done to Mrs P on the doors 😊 Hope you absolutely love living there.

Congratulations and thank you for documenting the project. I have said before we are behind you (now more than a couple of weeks!) but your project has been a touchstone for keeping the faith that we are on the 'right lines'. There is always an element of luck in these things, but often we enhance the luck we are offered, and I think you have both demonstrated that. Wishing you many happy years in your new home.

Not really as it is not about houses per sec, it is about form factor ratios, fabric thermal properties and ventilation losses, for a simple cuboid. The real world is very different.

There was promotion of deep bored heating, regardless of soil type, and of 'slinky' pipes near the surface. The cowboys were chasing the subsidies and knew surprisingly little. The slinky spirals did work when the ground warmed up but were soon chilled by the pipes and the ground didn't warm until next spring. I sat through many a promotion of ground source, often supported by local authorities and business groups. When I say supported, they allowed promoters a platform and too many consultants thought it was a good thing. Some screw piles are my latest grrrr.

I would keep it simple and not bother with the complexity, for the small gains if any you would have.

Area is small for use as a heat source, it's expensive, in summer house over heat would charge ground, but only if you had no insulation. Big risk of freeze if you strip too much heat. So no.

In the colder regions of America they sometimes extend insulation out from the foundations, or create a skirt of insulation deeper than the foundations. I think this is for frost heave, but it should also make the temeperature under the slab more stable. Could GSHP pipes be layed under the raft at the same time to take advantage of this, or would removing heat under the slab cause other issues?

I know the dilemma well. I actually used to work in Microsoft back in the 1990s. I have a dual boot system and spend most of my time on Linux with LibreOffice, but then boot up on Windows and use Excel only when I absolutely have to. It makes life a bit of a pain, but for me it's worth it. Ventilation losses are a big problem for the whole industry. Unless you've got the results from a blower or pulse test, it's pretty much guesswork anyway and then you've got just a few options on methodology - you've got SAP based on storey height, location, exposure etc. or BS EN 12831-2017 or CIBSE methods and they usually treat MVHR differently so I'm not sure MVHR would correctly be an extra leak on top of ACH.

We have a Spitfire door, the one you'll have seen. Very pleased with it. 3G glazing units. (and for those wondering, the "spitting of fire" is for cold callers 😀)

I’m glad it’s useful, you do need to remember we are a bungalow, we found the roof insulation and floor insulation to be obviously much more than a house with another floor but we did particularly want/need a bungalow. ICF is fairly expensive but again that was our choice. it’s also amazing how costs have increased in such a short time, we are just about to order our front door and the original quote from Norrsken is now more than double so we are looking elsewhere.

Good luck with the move!

@Susie @DevonMade Brink are easily as reliable and perform almost identically, better in fact with certain models / sizes, to the Zehnder units, but Brink is cheaper. Beware ordering online as you may not get uk service repair under warranty, as with Brink you need to go through an authorised seller to get after-sales.

I think there should be a Top Gear style leader board. It'd give something for others to aspire to.

Talking of screwpiles reminds of another GSHP project in London; They were using a machine to fit a vertical deep-bore heat pipe. TFL arrived and asked them to stop - less than politely but for very obvious reasons -when it was pointed out that their back garden was directly above part of the Norhern line...

Oops! This build has clearly messed with my mind. In my defence I can only say that our plant room hasn't looked as tidy as that... since the electricians got in there 😱

Errrr.... that was your photo they referenced @Benpointer 🤣