SteamyTea

I usually have a good long term memory, but when I went over to see him, he had just put the SA in and the old Combination was still in the spare bedroom. I know he did some strange stuff with plate heat exchangers to preheat water and recharge the SA. There has been some confusion (certainly in my mind) about what a thermal store actually is. Seems the term sometimes gets used incorrectly.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1043383/table_224.xlsx Try that.

I think this is the data, can't view it easily on the phone. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1043383/table_224.xlsx

Think that is what I have. I hate it, and now, after 35 years, it is failing. I want to clad the place, but council have put me in a Heritage Area, so I am (expletive deleted)ed.

Don't think he ever had a TS. He had one if those combination cylinders with the F&E built in on top.

Same down my way. Odd really as there are two huge connections for the old Hayle power station. Meant to be a nuclear plant there but we are too radioactive.

Bad luck, but you might get cheaper power.

@ProDave is in Scotland, they frequently have a surplus of power.

Probably a lower fraction of the population than you would find in an architect's office.

Do you think you can never visit a client on the site? As I said earlier, takes me 2 hours to get halfway across the West Country, by the very nature of self building, very few will be local.

I prefer the idea of renovation and improvement. I don't think the VAT savings are worth all the other hassle for a reasonably good building. How close to the beach is it?

Start a topic about it. I suggest 100 m², two stories and a simple rectangle to start with. The main point is not really the design, but the problems people faced getting past all the obstacles at the planning stage and up to actual ground breaking. Regarding being national, not sure many people would want to spend £5k without meeting the person who is going to get their dream approved. Travel would be your biggest overhead, assuming you work from home. £40k does not go far in the business world, a new cooker costs more in a commercial kitchen.

I constantly point out to people that Bill Gates, Tim Berners-Lee, and Steve Jobs, if he was still alive, are now pensioners. Could probably export most file types as a basic .txt file, then rebuild it. There is free, open source, CAD software, I think our very own, grubby fingernailed @Onoff knows a bit about it. Like me, he pays for nothing.

There may be a market in taking on PMing for a (expletive deleted)ed up project. Would need a big trades contact list though. Though apart from some contacts, being an architect does not qualify one to being a good PM.

Surely all that has to be done us to externally render, or internally plaster, the area with lime. Everyone says it cures all the damp issues. Well apart from actually curing itself. (Just taking the piss after a 5 and a half hour car journey where I had too much time to think about things)

Not sure, I only go to Poundland. Resturanteurs are mostly to blame. Ridiculous business models based on the first few weeks of takings. I know a number of young chefs, they all want to do good food and reasonable prices. I always suggest the do barely adequate food and very cheap prices. Not done McDonald's any harm. A quick look at the NACSBA data and it shows that in 2019, 15,902 self built houses where completed. 2,227 where built in the biggest region, the SW. Knowing the SW, and it takes me at least 2 hours to get half way across it, it is a big area. So to make a living from self builders, you would need to capture 20 of those a year at £5,000 a pop, maybe more. Don't sound much, 1% of the market, but I bet it is hard. Whish I had 1% of the market.

If you think getting planning for a wind turbine us hard, even harder with a water one.

I though it too obvious to mention that there are several easy to use packages that files can be exported to. Shows that some practices need to change is they think about technology.

We could create a 'cartoon' house on an imaginary bit of land. Then those people who have already built, and know many of the varied problems to be overcome, can chip in. Think of it as a mock exams of what you may have to put up with. You may find that dealing with self builders, on a tight budget, is not where you want to be doing business. Similar in my business. Michelin service at kebab shop prices wanted.

Ok, here is a project. No commission on it. Tell us all how you get on. https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/25153-is-it-possible-to-do-under-£200000/

I could reach it, but then I am West Indian, tall, and very strong.

With a self build the consultant is often the self builder though. No one is asking for your laptop and contact list, and car keys. (What do architects drive now that Saab have gone)

To help with getting quotes, doing the actual building, checking what has been done, layout of services etc. The same can be done from properly dimensioned paper drawings, but we are now in the 21st century and most data is transferred electronically.

Thanks @IanR, you have explained it better than I could. So to answer the original question, more openness, and less hiding behind imaginary, self imposed walls is needed when dealing with self builders.

@Eileen Is it actually defrosting, is the unit actually showing ice on the coils? does your system have a buffer cylinder?