Susie

Welcome, not quite as near over in Bude.

Very sad news about your brother. Your build progress is still ahead of ours though, our old barn is down and next is digging out the foundations hopefully not much, floor and part of a wall around the old haylage area. We plan to stop this year after new foundations so you will remain ahead of us. Glad your BC is not pushing on a deadline for the conversion make sure you take a little rest.

I can only answer about the VAT claim that’s all online now and you have 6 months to claim and they are a lot quicker at getting the money out to you. congratulation’s moving in soon then.

Aaah not my usual bedtime reading. I find any documents that are from legislation.gov particularly hard to read, be that planning, tax or benefits. although I’m sure if I did start to read them I would fall asleep quicker. 😂

Sorry, You can’t build a bungalow then build upwards. the bungalow has to already have been built Was constructed between 1 July 1948 and 28 October 2018 I think this rule came in a few years ago, I was thinking at the time my mum had just moved to retirement flats middle floor, (ground floor below and one a floor above) but they could decide to build extra floors as it’s on a good location.

All my Deco are Wi-Fi as in the image no cables from Living room onwards (listed building) in the Snug we can watch streaming programs with no problems. It’s a long stone built barn, living room kitchen and bedroom on same floor with snug under bedroom. There is also a bedroom above kitchen that picks up the Wi-Fi ok and two under kitchen that also pick up Wi-Fi ok. the workshop is at least 20m from living room. The back yard is new we put it up today temporarily outside to find best location it’s about 25m from Living room it couldn’t decide at first which to connect to living room or workshop but it settled on workshop. The back yard gave a good 25m coverage in nearly 360deg. We will put it back up once we have less wind and give it permanent power it also takes Poe. Only comment it that it’s also white like the other deco so stands out a bit, looks very weatherproof though, no aerials for birds to mess with. the numbers on the image represent how many devices connected and you can find out what they are and assign people to device and priority or set parental controls. The app is very good. Hope this helps

I can recommend the TP link Deco Wi-Fi mesh system someone else on the forum also uses it. I have a long barn all stone walls and the signal is great. Just bought another unit for outside to get the Wi-Fi stronger at an outbuilding. I think you have an ICF build you may find some of those walls are thick like my stone and a good Wi-Fi signal is needed and to get it outside by a patio for example. good app as well

I think MF is metal framing, I will eventually build my wood studs, foundations start April hopefully. The floor build up from concrete will be 200mm insulation, UFH and 55mm screed. Do I need a DPC below the wood? I have seen the studs built from the concrete before UFH and also after the screed so it’s insulated below which is best?

If you can not access the shower only or you have poor pressure in all the flat consider a whole house pump. https://www.salamanderpumps.co.uk/ it gives lots of help and examples.

I like my premium bonds we are both are maxed out with a little tied up in ISA. every month we open the PB app together to see what we have won its a great feeling even if it’s nothing you get to look forward to the next month. you could invest in a car, I have a nice Jensen FF for sale with a bespoke build by husband, but would tie your funds up for a few years.

Or a piece of glass. I would also think what you put in the cupboards. steam can also enter the front gap and will soak through cardboard packets.

Are you worried about heavy plant damaging the area or them developing a right of way? Will any services pass the area? we have a right of way over our neighbours drive as it was all old farm buildings, at the end of the build we have said we will make good to better than it is now, old stone and potholes, and our neighbour is happy. our water supply will enter down the drive parallel to 4 other water supplies, this will be very inconvenient, but we all get on.

I think it is just the quiet period e.g. there are offers on triple glazing for the price of double. do you already have the PV because the VAT incentive has changed you can get the batteries with a separate installation at 0 VAT until 2027 @JohnMo this may bring the cost of the batteries down, but my crystal ball is not working, but I hope they do come down. Are you self installing battery as that’s included in the VAT incentive. you could calculate how much your giving back to the grid now, how much you could save in interest at the bank not buying the battery, would waiting 5 months and be ready for the summer excess you generate make a difference.

No plans for ASHP our plan is make the most of solar with diverters to a cylinder, our business and a battery. Out of the 11kW system none will go back to the grid. husband could do the UVC course but have to face facts neither of us are getting any younger so I want something simple. Twenty five years ago he made a control panel for the UFH it had simple controls for me to use but I feel sorry for who moved into the house after us as they would need an engineer to make program alterations. He is under instructions that I need to be able to do most future maintenance my self or at least direct son in law what to do. Time spent on the UVC course and travelling 3hr round trip minimum has a knock on effect on income as we are both self employed. Constantly thinking what we earn p.h. v what we would pay a contractor. It’s often better for us to work, not necessarily the same in 10 years if we do retire though. Would hate to need a g20 qualified person here (north Cornwall) as we have a shortage of most trades. Can you set the temperature on heat exchangers 45 degree for domestic hot water sounds high as its probably mixed down at the taps. Hoping we won’t need the UFH just putting the pipes in just in case, would consider a Willis heater for the UFH.

What in your opinion @JohnMo makes the UVC better, why more usable water? my thoughts are that UVC need safety checking annually and could invalidate home insurance if not done and the insurance companies could play difficult in the event of a claim. We could self install the thermal store. Was your thermal store and UVC on a similar set up or in different houses. I am hoping to have lots of solar, 11kW or better 30 panels fit, with spare for our business. I am hoping the thermal store will provide hot water and some UFH if needed. I’m hoping the 350l model will be large enough for the two of us, and we are going to be very good insulation pre built SAP 96A. wood burner in lounge and electric heated towel rail in bathroom might be all we need making the UFH a back up. Start foundations next year so could still have a UVC if it would be better.

They seem to be adding the battery on to what has already been set in place, 2022 for 5 years to 2027 then it reverts to 5%. so it has to be an installation not a diy purchase only. it will hopefully through supply and demand make the batteries cheaper to purchase.

Have you checked your gutters are empty no blockages. We have a lot of trees near us the wind either empties the gutters or fills them with leaves. also check neighbors are not splashing your way.

Have you looked at open vented thermal stores no annual tests required and with 2 electric immersion elements. Provides main’s pressure water and heating. https://www.gledhill.net/products/alternative-energy/torrent-stainless-ov/

Welcome to the forum @DRM do have a plot? lots of great advice on the forum.

Do insurance companies ask if your pipes are copper or plastic?

Welcome lots to soak up here. Do you have a plot yet?

I read this in my morning email also. one accountant points out how will they access the portal. more government gateways. If it’s still expected to be entered line by line rather than type of expense then I imagine for some of the people who make filing these claims there business it won’t be any quicker as I’m sure they know their own spreadsheet so well it’s quick to enter the details once it’s online it slows everything down. So they may increase their costs to cover this or will they think more of us will do it for ourselves. I had to move accounting package from desktop SAGE to QuickBooks online and two years later I’m not as quick as I was on SAGE.

Have you looked at part O yet, it’s the ventilation one and window size and location are big considerations in Part O

Is THTC different to Economy 7 on economy 7 you have one meter with one mpan number for one supply. one meter number with two counters one for day use one for night. I think with THTC you have two mpan numbers for 2 supplies is this correct? Is that also two standing charges? if so then the RTS switch is controlling a single supply on or off and what a THTC user needs to do is cancel one supply and add a new circuit on to the other supply which has the storage heaters on it. Presumably it is then not just a minor works certification and it could involve the upgrading of the CU to RCBO’s etc an extra cost and inconvenience rather than somebody on economy 7 who most likely already has the storage heaters on one circuit on one CU Am I right, nearly right or totally wrong? trying to learn how the RTS switch effects us all?

I haven’t needed them to do anything other than supply and bill so far. im not bothered if it’s not smart so long as I get economy 7. Most of the house is electric so need to offset high charges with eco 7 by heating, washing machine, dishwasher even bread maker works through the night.